Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores, but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, all whilst including some lengthy gameplay, to give you, the reader, the chance to form your own impressions and views while reading and watching.
In this explanatory review, we’re covering Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition by developers, Aspyr and Crystal Dynamics:
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (Nintendo Switch 2)
Having published the likes of Tomb Raider I-III Remastered and Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered, Game developer and publisher Aspyr, is revisiting another Lara Croft adventure with the release of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. This game is a remaster of the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot that was originally developed by Crystal Dynamics. It was released on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows, and received critical acclaim. It reinvented Lara Croft with an all-new origin story that was nittier and grittier than the original series. It focused more on survival, gear crafting, and optional stealth mechanics as opposed to the typical “go in guns blazing” that the originals were known for. You can still go Gun Ho if you want, but you do have the liberty of a more tactical approach at your disposal as well.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition was shadow-dropped on November 18th for both the Nintendo Switch & Nintendo Switch 2 eShops. It came with a rather enticing price point of $19.99, but for those who own either/or both Tomb Raider Remastered Trilogies on their Switch or Switch 2, they can get a nice discount when purchasing this game. I believe the discount is also available on other digital storefronts, such as the PlayStation Store or Steam, but I am not certain.
So, let’s get on with our Explain & Play review, starting with the story. Lara is just starting as an adventurer and joins an expedition to the Dragon’s Triangle, off the coast of Japan. The expedition team is researching the Sun Goddess Himiko and the lost island of Yamatai. One night, a storm picks up, and the research vessel that Lara and her fellow explorers are aboard is ravaged by the waves and sinks. Lara eventually comes to after being washed ashore on a mysterious island that is later discovered to be Yamatai. As she tries to locate her friends, Lara encounters a malevolent group of people that have been murdering and sacrificing any shipwreck survivors who have had the misfortune of ending up on Yamatai. It is up to the young Miss Croft to steel her nerves and muster the courage to rescue her friends and find a way off the cursed island.
The story is simple enough, but it does have plenty of character development and keeps you engaged from start to finish. It begins with Lara as an enthusiastic adventurer, but through the constant threat of death from the savage scavengers, the local wildlife, and perilous environments, she gradually adapts into a hardened survivor capable of handling any task. I found the story to be quite well-rounded, and experiencing the trials and tribulations of Lara Croft in this game has made me appreciate her character all the more.
In terms of gameplay, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is a 3rd-person action-adventure game where you must explore and survive the dangerous fictional island of Yamatai. Players must find weapons and upgrade them with salvaged parts so that they can hunt the local wildlife and keep predators at bay. There are also human enemies that are unfriendly to Lara, and you will need to dispatch of them by any means. This can be done by engaging with them directly in a firefight, via silent takedowns, or even by using the environment to your advantage, like shooting a lantern with an arrow and letting its flames rain down upon your enemies.Â
Lara is not much for hand-to-hand combat initially, so you are better off attacking your foes from a distance. She can learn skills that will allow her to use her axe for melee strikes and finishing moves. As for ranged weapons, you can use both standard and mouse controls on the Nintendo Switch 2 to aim your weapon and use ZR to fire. The first weapon you will find is a bow and arrow, but you will soon find weapons like pistols and machine guns to help pad out your arsenal and better defend yourself, which you can then craft upgrades for to improve their capacity, strength, etc.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition also features RPG elements, and by performing certain actions, like defeating enemies, engaging with certain objects or exploring optional tombs, you will earn experience points that will, in turn, level up Lara and unlock skill points. They can be used to unlock skills across three different categories: Brawler, Survivalist, and Hunter. Some skills that you can learn will increase the rate at which you earn XP, and better arrow retrieval, which will certainly come in handy when first starting to make you level up quickly and never have to worry about running out of arrows. To use skill points and upgrade your gear, though, you will need to visit a campsite. These are scattered across the island and come in two forms. There are Day Camps where you can only upgrade your gear and spend skill points, and then there are base camps that have the extra benefit of being used as fast travel points to help make exploring the island that little bit easier.
When it comes to visuals, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition actually looks pretty good on Switch and Switch 2. There are a few differences between the two versions and even more when compared to the original PS3 version of the game and the PS4’s own Definitive Edition. Notably, the Switch and Switch 2 versions have opted for performance over quality in making sure the game runs as smoothly as it possibly can. The Switch is capable of a reasonably steady 30 fps with some noticeable drops during cutscenes, whereas the Switch 2 boasts a very solid 60 fps with very minimal drops during busy sequences. Both games are a lot brighter and more colorful over their PlayStation counterparts, but this is mainly due to a good portion of shadow effects and foliage being removed, with the payoff being a more stable frame rate.
The character models and environments look sharper and more defined in a lot of areas in the Nintendo Switch 2 version, but the PS4 version is still superior when it comes to visuals. In my opinion, it only just takes the win as I am quite impressed with how it looks on Switch 2. Aspyr has done a pretty decent job on this game, and getting it to run on Nintendo Switch alone is commendable. Yeah, sure, it’s a game that originally came out in 2013, so why wouldn’t it run on a console that came out in 2017? It is a valid point, but some complications arise from porting a game from one console to another, and it’s not as simple as right-clicking “Save as” and “Export to…” It requires a lot of optimization and making sacrifices to get a game to run effectively without completely breaking it and crashing the console. There was a reason a lot of third-party developers took their time releasing their games on Switch after all, and hardware limitations were just one reason.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand. It’s actually time to close out this review. Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition was a surprising release to say the least, but a welcome one. The gameplay is very engaging, and I do quite like the game’s story and art direction. I personally find that the game looks and plays great on the Nintendo Switch 2, and it is probably one of Aspyr’s best ports yet. The game also has online multiplayer for those who aren’t ready to put the game down after beating the main story, or perhaps want to take a break from the story. Up to eight players, split into two teams, can play through three game modes: Team Deathmatch, Rescue, and Cry for Help. Each offers a unique challenge from the others, and it’s always nice to have some variety. I also appreciate that Aspyr kept the online multiplayer in, as some games that get the remake/remaster treatment seem to lose their online multiplayer modes (looking at you Mass Effect Legendary Edition).
To wrap up, though, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 may not be the true definitive edition of the game in terms of visual fidelity, but how it performs on both consoles does make it the ideal candidate, and to be honest, it really isn’t terrible to look at either. It actually looks pretty darn good. If you are a Switch 1 or 2 owner and are looking to try out the Survivor Trilogy of Tomb Raider games, this is a good starting point, and the low price point is a definite bonus!
Game Specifications:
Developer: Aspyr, Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Aspyr
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 (Digital)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Shooting
No. of Players:Â 1 Player (Single System)
Release Date:Â November 18, 2025
Price:Â $19.99
File Size: 27.3 GB
Nintendo.com Listing
