Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition Updates Planned For Switch Platforms

If the Internet doesn't get its hi res hair, thats it, gaming is done.

@Duncanballs You can want better graphics in games and not be a crazy person. This is a game from 2013 after all. The idea that a 2025 machine is not gonna allow parity with the ps4, I mean this game came out for ps3 as well. Either way the Switch 2 is just not that powerful and I don't think this game is actually that good. But it is a fun afternoon ignoring the story. Either way at least Only-Switch 2 owners will have a chance to play this game. And have something since tomb raider 2026 games aren't coming especially given how this game looks rn. I hope its at least 60fps 4k. Ps4 pro could do that but this isn't a ps4 pro so we'll see.

@Oppal21

This is just a terrible port.

I shelved this for now as I’m really hoping for/needing gyro support for shooting. Once that’s (hopefully) added I’ll continue

@The-Chosen-one I wouldn’t say terrible, but definitely basic and stripped back so much, I’m guessing for Switch 1, then they just quickly bumped textures and res and slapped a Switch 2 edition logo on it

Aspyr intends “to make game improvements via patches over time so that the game can be the best possible experience for all players.”

No, No, No, No, No, No, No!!!!
This is what you're supposed to do BEFORE you release a game and take people's money

This part of the industry as much as other parts is getting worse and worse.
Patches after release, yes it better have them late than never.
But come on games industry stop being such terrible providers of products and sort these issues out before releasing the games.

It’s like gaming is becoming so more money grabbing for and inferior quality of product.

The gaming industry has all 3 and it sucks.
Inflation
Shrink flation
Skimp flation.

Give me the fancy flowing hair physics, higher resolution textures, lighting, gyro aiming, and a physical release. Then, I'll purchase for Switch 2.

I have Tomb Raider Definitive Edition on my PS5 Pro, Series X, & Steam Deck OLED. So i'm not missing out either way...

@Oppal21 You can also expect better ports and not be a crazy person. This has nothing to do with the power of the Switch 2, which manages games like Star Wars Outlaws and Cyberpunk 2077 admirably and everything to do with Aspyr half-arsing the job, as usual. They have stated that the port is based off the Switch 1 version so they could make sure it ran on the weaker hardware (rightly), that they prioritised framerate (rightly) and that "a few of the more complex graphical features from the PS4/Xbox One release weren’t prioritised" and they will patch the game. It is the last part I have a problem with as their record is poor with both quality of initial release and support afterwards.

I think its legit great on an OLED. Echoing someone else here, reading the log entries and exploring works well when I am just playing in bed.

@JohnnyMind I'd argue the trend of poor ports (and prevalence of AI slop for that matter) is directly linked to the working conditions within the industry. The longer lead-in time to make games and massive staff recently required for larger companies to make games this generation has been used as an excuse for cost-cutting and drastic workarounds in other areas. You are right that there are bigger issues in the industry but I think the small examples need challenging too or we will just end up accepting poor practice. Or maybe I'm just grumpy this morning😆

@Zeldork imagine if "advances in ai" all made us really excited because it meant like a character in a musuo game would fight back or something? Or if a nasty in Dark Souls did something really clever when you tried to trick it with geometry?
Instead it is killing concept artists. Literally when a game is the coolest because fewer hands have touched it, and watered it down?
We will only get hybrids of hybrids of remasters of hybrids.
Ai will never make a Treasure game. Ai could only tribute a Treasure game.

At least this game did come out at somewhat a budget price and did not get the switch tax at least. Nintendo will charge full price if not more when porting a game from the previous generation console and most people will eat that up.

@JohnnyMind oh the great/good/decent should be celebrated and from what people have said this is a decent port. I took more umbrage with the implication made by a commenter here (and others who don't own a Switch 2) that the loss in quality of this and other ports is due to underpowered hardware.

I'm playing Star Wars Outlaws right now which is a good game that got good updates and an excellent port. I'll sing about that kind of work all day long. And I agree that Nintendo Life hits the balance really well, which is why I like it here too. 🤗

Honestly, I'd beware some of their updates, I recall they made Star Wars Battlefront on Switch worst. Introduced framerate issues and glitches in textures not present at launch. I've not downloaded in ages to see if they fixed their 'fixes'. I found this one OK on my OLED to be honest, not quite finished the game but acceptable version and fun to play as I'd not replayed since PS3.

The thing I don't get with Aspyr is that this seems to be their release model, release a game that could be cool.... But everyone is doubtful because it's from Aspyr, then it comes out from the first buyers that the port is only okay so any and all hype dies, people commit that they'll buy it in a bargain bin sale later on..... And THEN Aspyr go to work patching and fixing it as an apology? Why not do the work first? Test, patch and release a quality product and then have people lavish you with praise and sales with higher retail cost? They're doing the exact same work on the games in the end but getting slagged for releasing bad games with no effort.

This is great news! Unfortunately, I've already completed the game 100%, ugh.

@Duncanballs it wasnt just hair that was downgraded it was the textures and lighting and it wasnt just a minor downgrade the shadows were worse than ps3 significantly changing the atmosphere and the textures were on par with ps3.

Reductive comments like this are why companies try and get away with subpar ports.

For $20 it's not a terrible port
60 fps on Switch 2
Runs well on Switch 1

Nintendo charging $60 for Skyward Sword port!

@Stormcloudlive it’s a scummy business practice where Aspyr turns the player into an unpaid beta-tester, with the addendum that THE PLAYER is paying for that unfinished build (under the guise of a “launch sale”) and reporting the bugs back to the devs.
Aspyr should be heavily sanctioned for this, but there will always be simps who defend such practices, because they can’t tell or don’t care about the difference between a high-quality work and a 5/10 effort (probably those same people would put an equal between a Michelin 5-star menu and a Salmonella-ridden kebab bought from a slum) …

Anyone defending this crap port: “Leave the multi-million dollar corporation alone!!!”

Aspyr is pretty much synonymous with horrible ports and broken promises at this point anyway. I expect nothing from them.

@Glasso If you genuinely don’t see the difference between this cheap shoddy port and Skyward Sword, there’s nothing anyone can say to ever convince you otherwise.

Ok, will wait for the patches before I buy. Hopefully by then, the game has even ended up in a sale.

@The-Chosen-one

The graphical fidelty is poor, but it has a decent resolution and runs very well on Switch 2. Other games may look better, because the developers set higher values for shadows, texture resolution etc., but they are a stuttery mess.

I prefer a game which runs great from the first day, because THAT is what defines the playability for me. If they later improve the shadows without sacrificing the great performance, I‘m fine.

If the port wasn't finished and they plan on making improvements, why did they shadow drop the game? Nobody was waiting for this on Switch so you can't delay something that people don't know about. Why not get the game working then release it? Aspyr do this all the time.

Just go buy the entire trilogy on Steam for $7.19. Currently on sale in a bundle.

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/34203/Tomb_Raider_Definitive_Survivor_Trilogy/

@Theamazing1 come on. Im just highlighting and making some light hearted jest over the launch furore.

No one is forced to buy the game. If people want better, they have a choice as they always do.

@carlos82 welcome to modern gaming. Send out a barely finished product and then maybe MAYBE fix it post launch. Or rather attempt to fix it post launch just to break it even more. It's sad really.

Can it even be patched to the quality of the PS4 release or was that a totally different version of the definitive game based on what they used for switch 1/2?

Aspyr really can't seem to port anything well. It's miss after miss with them. 🤦‍♂️