I bought Tomb Raider when it came out for PlayStation 3 back in early-2013 and I loved it to bits. The gameplay, the story and the graphics at the time made for a brilliant game. Now Eidos Interactive and Crystal Dynamics have taken a second go at it, re-releasing it for next-gen consoles with beefed up graphics. Once you watch this comparison, you’ll want to shell out another $80 as well.
When the developers decided that they would re-release Tomb Raider for next-gen consoles like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, they took much of the cheats and workarounds they had built to make this game look as polished as it did when it first came out. Those workarounds have now been replaced with everything from new particle physics, new fog effects, new pixel mapping, and a distinct makeover for lead character Lara Croft.
Sub-surface scattering techniques were employed to make the skin look more realistic than ever. That process involves the light penetrating that first layer of skin according to the developers to give that look of life. Dynamic sweat reflections due to areas of heat, new hair and a higher resolution makes the characters and the game look better than ever.
Check out the detailed comparison and analysis video above (in glorious 1080p) to see exactly what changed.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition comes out towards the end of January. [The Verge]