How HD collections go with most titles is that fans have to not only wait until there is enough demand for the title to be ported over but the game itself is unavailable for purchase and hasn’t been for a considerable period of time – with even classics such as Ratchet & Clank on the PS2 only receiving a re-release in 2012 after first being released in 2002.
But Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics are not waiting that long with their release of Tomb Raider this year, confirming that “Definitive Edition” releases for the Playstation 4 and Xbox One are set for release on the 28th January 2014 – not even a year after the game first launched on the now last-generation consoles.
They have described the edition as not being a simple upscale, but a re-build version for the consoles with the following listed improvements according to their recent press release:
- An all new Lara model created to take advantage of the power of next-gen consoles
- TRESS FX technology that delivers realistic hair simulation and motion with every strand being physically active
- Shader and lighting reworked to showcase the raw physicality of Lara’s journey through sweat, mud, and blood materials and effects
- The world has been dynamically brought to life using complex physical world simulation on trees, foliage, cloth, weather, lighting and effects
- All texture resolutions have been created at 4x resolution for maximum resolution and detail
- In-game characters, enemies and destructability have been enhanced for added depth and realism
- Subsurface scattering technology implemented to capture the most physically accurate lighting simulation and deliver a great sense of believability
- Native 1080p gameplay gives outstanding visual fidelity and showcases the beauty of Yamatai in all its high definition glory
This release is also set to contain all previously released downloadable content and digital versions of the Dark Horse comic, mini-artbook and final hours developer videos. Pre-ordering will also net fans special artbook packaging featuring brand new concept art.
Scot Amos | Crystal Dynamics Executive Producer
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition’ is so named as it’s exactly what we’ve custom built for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 system consoles. The new hardware let us finally express the original vision in all of its glory. This was a continued labor of love. We pulled the game apart and rebuilt it with painstaking detail to add enhanced visual storytelling but without changing the award winning tale. The end result is a cinematic living world. We can’t wait for fans and newcomers alike to experience this rebuilt epic adventure.
