Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration is the version for PlayStation 4 of what until recently was a Microsoft exclusive to Xbox One e Xbox 360. The title released this year celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the saga which sees the iconic explorer as the protagonist Lara Croft. From 1996 to date, video games based on his adventures have followed one another periodically, up to the fateful one reboot Part 2013 developed by Crystal Dynamics. In fact, this sequel sees the new Lara as the protagonist, tried by the events that occurred in the previous chapter, but intent on resuming the research of her late father.
In the footsteps of the father
As stated, this time Lara will follow in her father's footsteps in search of the Tomb of the Prophet, in which the source of immortality would be found. This research led her to discover the myth of lost city of Kitež, making her aware of the fact that she will have to reach her before the Trinity, a ruthless organization in search of the source of Eternal Youth. With this purpose in mind, Lara ventures to Siberia on her very first expedition from tomb raider.
Our adventure will take place between snowy landscapes and desert lands entirely to be explored; in fact, unlike the previous title, the environments are wider and more explorable. The interlude areas between one chapter and another will in fact be full of materials to be recovered, collectibles, without neglecting the optional puzzles in case we want to go and desecrate the famous tombs. The visual quality of the environments in which we will find ourselves holds up very well on the Sony console, without however being exempt from some slowdowns.i, especially during the most excited moments, which remain the weak point of this almost flawless game.
The definitive version
This new version includes many new additions such as "Blood Bonds", where we will explore Croft Manor to claim our property, while in "Lara's Nightmare" we will face hordes of the undead that will invade our childhood home. We also find the addition of a mode "Co-Op Stoicism" to be faced together with our friends, all accompanied by the augmented reality support of PlayStation VR. The new content also includes the difficulty level "Extreme exploration" which drastically reduces the number of save points, materials, resources, ammo and health. They are also present five classic skins including a weapon and a celebratory suit, inspired by the trip to Antarctica Tomb Raider III.
In addition, all previously released downloadable content will be present as: "Baba Yaga - the Temple of the Witch", an adventure that sees us in search of a man thirsty for revenge and disappeared for a long time, the mode "Stoicism" that will put us to test our ability to adapt and survive, then passing by "Cold Dark" where we will break into a Soviet base to discover the origin of a mysterious chemical weapon. Finally, we find ben 12 outfits, 7 weapons and 35 Expedition Cards which will allow us to customize the equipment and expand our experience.
Blood ties
As mentioned previously, this title also includes a virtual reality game mode; in fact the expansion"Blood Bonds" it will also be playable through the support of PlayStation VR. For what we have tried, there are no particular differences between one version and another, it is simply an adaptation for the peripheral itself. This time to explore the Croft Manor we will be able to use two modes of movement: the Free Mode which will allow us to move through the use of analogs; and the Comfort Mode which will instead take advantage of the displacement through projections that we will orient with the controller chassis system. Also to rotate and examine the various objects we will use our controller in the same way. As for looking around instead, we will use the viewer itself to screen the environment around us in search of clues scattered around the house.
Unfortunately the cost due to our immersion in first person in this adventure will surely be the motion sickness. Despite the precautions, such as the possibility of turning over through the lats rather than through the movement of the head, the subjective view in the long run has its negative effects here too. The environment is graphically well rendered and the audio contributes to creating thatimmersive atmosphere that only augmented reality can offer us. Certainly this is not a fundamental function, but if you own both the game and the peripheral, it's definitely worth a try. Also because this expansion deserves the credit for allowing us to fully explore the Croft Manor like never happened before.
To conclude
Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration will be available starting October 11, 2016 with various bonuses for those who pre-ordered it in physical (complete with an exclusive artbook) and digital (accompanied by a free copy of Tomb Raider Definitive Edition) downloadable from PlayStation Store to PlayStation 4 for the price of € 60,99. Also available Collector's Edition containing the version Artbook Edition of the physical game, the Season Pass, a reproduction of the necklace, the replica of the diary and a statuette of Lara Croft, all contained in a special packaging sold at a price of € 99,99.
It remains to be said that, with the exception of augmented reality support, all new contents of Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration will also be made available for Xbox One and PC players.
