admin Verdict
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition’s Nintendo Switch 2 port is fantastic, running as smoothly as butter and offering even more of you the opportunity to experience the first entry in the Survivor Trilogy. However, while it supports mouse controls, the game falls just short of fully embracing the features of the Switch 2.
I love Tomb Raider. It’s one of my favorite videogame franchises, with my and Lara’s history stretching all the way back to the ’90s. Yeah, I’ve been a fan for as long as she’s been around, and, as someone who also loves Nintendo, I’ve longed to see a particular trilogy land on the Switch systems. Last week, on a random Tuesday afternoon, my wishes were seemingly heard, as Aspyr shadow dropped one of the best games in the franchise on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is a fantastic Tomb Raider game, encompassing all of the DLC and graphical improvements. It initially debuted in 2014 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, though the first iteration of the game, simply titled Tomb Raider, arrived in 2013 on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. So, it’s been a very long wait to see the first entry in the Tomb Raider reboot arrive on Nintendo consoles.
As the game is more than a decade old, I’ve no doubt that you likely know plenty about it, but on the odd chance that you may not be familiar with the story, I’m avoiding spoilers. However, I can safely say that the Survivor Trilogy offers one of my favorite narratives featuring Miss Croft, and it, of course, starts with Tomb Raider (2013).
She’s a fresh and squeaky-clean archaeologist. That’s right, this is a baby-faced Lara Croft, you get to see the young woman she is before becoming that icon who wields two handguns. It gives you a whole other look at her, as, in previous games, you know you’re playing as a badass, whereas in Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, you really are in a fight for survival, using primitive equipment and making it work.
That leads me nicely along to crafting and combat. You need to search your surroundings thoroughly to find salvage, which you can use to upgrade your gear, such as a bow and pickaxe, both of which are vital if you want to survive your journey on the fictional lost Japanese island of Yamatai. As you might expect from previous adventures with Miss Croft, you must fight enemies, making use of your bow within the opening 20 minutes of the game, which sets the pace nicely.
You have various enemies to fight off, including humans and wolves, while also needing to hunt prey like Deer – food is pretty damn important when you find yourself stranded on an island. As you defeat enemies, complete puzzles (because what Tomb Raider game doesn’t have puzzles?), and discover new locations, you get experience points, and, as you reach new levels, you unlock skill points.
It’s one of the features that helped to bring Tomb Raider into a new age, and I enjoyed picking my approach to survival now just as I did back in 2013. Some skills are to hone your instincts, while others make you much more proficient in combat.
Of course, if you’re an existing fan like me, you already know all about that sort of thing. So, let’s get into the real reason you’re here: how does Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition fare on the Nintendo Switch 2? Performance-wise, Asypr has done a solid job; it’s been nothing short of a pleasure to play with no glitches, and the world looks pretty good. It’s not as vibrant as other Switch games, but this is a port of a game from 2014 – you shouldn’t expect it to be as pretty as Mario Kart World or Donkey Kong Bananza.
The controls are fantastic, responding well and even offering mouse controls if you enjoy that feature. I’m not a fan of the mouse function on the Joy-Con 2s, but in my testing, the sensitivity options are pretty decent, allowing you to tailor the experience somewhat to your preferences.
However, I’m disappointed by the gyroscope controls. They’re an option in the menu, but even when I select them, there’s absolutely no motion controls in effect, which is a shame, as aiming Lara’s bow and other weapons would be a lot of fun in this manner. Still, I can’t really complain; one of my favorite Tomb Raider games is finally on the Switch family of consoles. I’m ecstatic.
Whether you’re a new or existing fan, it’s more than worthwhile to pick up Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. It performs wonderfully in both docked and handheld modes, and it’s a joy to watch Lara grow into that confident survivor once more. Now, all we need is for Aspyr to port Rise of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider to Nintendo consoles. I’ll be waiting.
