The Tomb Raider franchise is one of gaming’s most iconic IPs to date. Lara Croft is an instantly recognizable figure, making her way from gaming to the movies and beyond. And unlike many beloved franchises from the ’90s, the Tomb Raider series is still going. Back in 2013, we got the series reboot known as the Survivor trilogy, which began with Tomb Raider. Now, these remastered Lara Croft adventures are finally available on the Switch family of systems.
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On November 18th, Nintendo fans got a fun surprise when the first Survivor trilogy game shadow dropped on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is a modern remaster of the 2013 title and includes all of the DLC and bonus content from the original. This marks the first time the reboot has been available for Switch and Switch 2. And honestly, it plays so well on the Switch 2 that I genuinely forgot I was using the Nintendo console at all.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Engaging, well-balanced gameplay that unfolds over time | Camera angles can make certain puzzles frustrating to navigate |
| Satisfying, fast-paced combat that’s easy to learn, hard to master | |
| A compelling origin story for Lara Croft and a solid start to the Survivor trilogy | |
| Graphics and gameplay work great on Switch 2 |
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition Reboots Lara’s Origin Story, And It’s About Time It Came to Switch
The Survivor trilogy is a sort of reboot slash prequel, where we learn the origins of Lara Croft. In this first installment, Lara is young and inexperienced. But events quickly put her survivor skills and grit to the test, as she winds up shipwrecked on a mysterious island full of hidden dangers. This new character design and story arrived back in 2013, so it has certainly taken its time coming to the Switch family of consoles.
The Definitive Edition is a solid version of the game and feels right at home on the Switch 2. The remaster originally released for PS4 and Xbox One back in 2014, so you might expect dated graphics. I was pleasantly impressed with how the game looks on the Switch 2. You can tell it’s a 10-year-old game, but it doesn’t suffer from the graphical drawbacks many action games experience on Switch. This is no doubt partly due to the Switch 2 edition’s higher resolution compared to the Switch version of the game, but even so, I couldn’t help but be impressed.
The story and gameplay are faithful to the 2014 edition of the game. If you’ve yet to experience this Lara Croft origin story, I definitely recommend it. It’s a solid start for her character and has some impactful emotional beats. That said, there’s nothing new here story-wise, save the inclusion of DLC and bonus content added with the Definitive Edition. Instead, on Switch and Switch 2, the main changes are a few extra bells and whistles with gameplay. And it’s got to be one of the best ports I’ve played on the console to date.
Streamlined and Diverse Gameplay Makes Tomb Raider One Of The Best Games I’ve Played on Switch 2
I’ve played my fair share of action-adventure games, but I almost always opt to get them for PS5 over Switch for obvious reasons. But playing Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition on Switch 2 proves the new generation of Switch consoles can support solid action games. The gameplay for Tomb Raider was incredibly smooth on the console, with no lag or glitches. I primarily opted to play with my Switch 2 Pro Controller, but the game does include touch screen and Joy-Con controls as well. You can even aim using the Joy-Con gyro, giving the game an extra layer of immersion not found on other consoles.
This is classic Lara Croft-style gameplay, with fast reaction times required to traverse the island. There’s a great progression here, with new tools adding new ways to explore at a steady clip throughout the main story. The Switch 2 edition ran smoothly, letting me navigate these challenges as intended. There are many moments when being able to see what you’re doing and react quickly is crucial, and Aspyr’s remaster is crisp enough to ensure you don’t struggle with these action sequences due to graphics. That said, there are a few puzzles that get pretty tricky due to fixed camera angles at inopportune times.
Another questionable feature here is that in-game menus are linked to the gyro controls. Even with my Pro Controller, the menus moved around as I moved my controller. That might be immersive in theory, but for those of us sensitive to motion sickness, it makes it tricky to navigate the RPG-style upgrades to weapons and Lara’s skills. This isn’t a huge issue, but I do wish we’d stuck to static menus and left the gyro controls for the action sequences.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. This is a great Switch 2 port, and it may well be one of the best action games the console has to offer so far. The graphics are sharp for a 10-year-old game, the frame rate is solid, and the gameplay is classic Lara Croft goodness with some extra motion control bells and whistles if you want them. And for just $20, it’s hard not to say that everyone who enjoys a good action-adventure game with a side of puzzles should play this on Switch or Switch 2 ASAP.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is available now for the Switch and Switch 2. There are two different dedicated versions for each console, but they are both priced at $19.99. The Switch 2 edition offers enhanced resolution and improved frame rate compared with the Switch 2.
A Switch 2 code for Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
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