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We approached Tomb Raider with some degree of anticipation: we looked forward to a cross-platform game that could challenge the untouchable Uncharted series in terms of technical accomplishment, character development and gameplay. We wanted Sony first-party quality rolled out across multiple platforms without compromise, with additional "must-have" next-gen features built into an enhanced DirectX 11 PC version of the game. While the end-result doesn't quite match the polish of the latter entrants in the celebrated Naughty Dog trilogy, in most respects Tomb Raider more than meets our lofty expectations. If you're an Xbox 360 owner who's never played Uncharted, this Lara Croft reboot may come as something of a revelation and for PS3 gamers, Crystal Dynamics' effort should more than tide you over until Nathan Drake makes his inevitable return.However, for Tomb Raider purists there are other concerns, specifically that the new approach adopted by the developer may not be quite to their tastes. The make-up of the new game leans heavily toward character development and cinematic action rather than the more traditional, puzzle-centric adventure that sees Lara left to explore the world around her at will. In truth, the new Tomb Raider occupies a middle-ground between the older games in the series and Naughty Dog's efforts, while also taking influence from the Lost TV series. The core exploration aspect is side-lined in favour of dramatic set-pieces and gunfights, while the logic-based puzzles make far more sense than the arbitrary ones found in the early Tomb Raider games, although there are fewer of them. Despite the radical design change, the reboot still delivers plenty of thought-provoking exploration as Lara makes her way through the beautifully realised environments. Straying off the beaten path reveals extra tombs that contain puzzling gameplay elements more in-line with what fans would expect from a Tomb Raider game, all delivered in a new, state-of-the-art game engine.
The question is, has Crystal Dynamics replicated that level of technological achievement across all major HD platforms? Our head-to-head video - backed by a triple-format comparison gallery - reveals some noteworthy differences between each platform, particularly highlighting the gap in sharpness and clarity between them. However, it's the inclusion of the new TressFX PC hair-rendering technology that provides the biggest difference, so we'll kick off with a PC vs. console comparison.
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