'Shadow of the Tomb Raider' Xbox One X Enhancements

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the third and final entry into the origins arc for our beloved Lara [...]

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the third and final entry into the origins arc for our beloved Lara Croft and the adventure begins next month! To prepare for the stunning new gameplay that players will be able to enjoy, Microsoft took a few moments to share the unique Xbox One X enhancements that the journey will have to offer on the latest in their Xbox line.

The Xbox One X boasts to be the "most powerful console on the market" to date and because of that, fans expect amazing quality. Eidos-Montreal Programming Director Frederic Robichaud recently sat down with the Xbox crew to share just how much went in to making this especially thrilling on the intense platform.

"To ensure that Shadow of the Tomb Raider looked crisp and amazingly polished on Xbox One X, we have worked incredibly hard to fully support HDR mode," explained Robichaud. "We've revamped the entire pipeline to be HDR from the get go: realistic lights intensity calibration, HDR textures and global illumination energy conservation."

"In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, we offer two modes for players: High Resolution and High Framerate mode. With the GPU power of the Xbox One X, we were able to get 4K at a constant 30 FPS and with the CPU boost, we are targeting 60 FPS with full HD (1080p) in High Framerate mode," he added.

The shadow effects, reflective properties, and more are all a part of this algorithm tweak that the design team put forth to make the experience even greater. After all, the Tomb Raider games are known for their beautiful graphics and, let's be real, those awesome hair mechanics. But the Xbox One X is all about pushing those boundaries, and that's exactly what the technical team did.

"If the player chooses the High Framerate mode," he explained, "they will enjoy the fluidity and reactivity of the controls in a seamless gameplay experience."

"The audio immersion is perfect with Dolby Atmos, especially in the jungle areas which are dense with wildlife like the locusts below and birds above. Spatial audio is best experienced with a home theater system; however, all players will still hear those effects and an overall increase in audio fidelity," he added.

With the maximized CPU power and the 60 fps experience, Shadow of the Tomb Raider promises to be an experience every bit worth the wait.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider releases on PC, Xbox One, and PS4 on Sept. 14th.

Interested in learning all of the ways Shadow of the Tomb Raider is different than the previous games in the series? You can check out my complete hands-on impressions right here with our previous coverage. From puzzles, to philosophy — I dug deep into exactly what the third game has to offer fans of our favourite archaeologist. You can also check out a video recap below.

To contact the author of this story, you can find her on Twitter @DirtyEffinHippy.

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