Tomb Raider Definitive Edition, reviews of new-generation Lara

What you need to know

A new version of Tomb Raider will be been released in the UK this week for new generation game consoles PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition features re-built graphics, new downloadable content and campaigns.

The new game draws heavily on the rebooted story of the 2013 game, which took protagonist, archaeologist Lara Croft, back to her origins as a young castaway on a hostile island who must save her friends from an evil cult. This version features a new tomb for Lara to explore, but the main attraction is the re-built graphics, higher frame rate and voice and gesture controls allowing players to interact with the game via camera and microphone.

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What the critics like

The Definitive Edition builds on what was already "a genuinely thrilling action game, held together by an iconic, sympathetically written main character", and some breathtaking action set-pieces, says Keza MacDonald on IGN. The upstep in visuals is a nice bonus, which makes it even more stunningly beautiful.

"The biggest draw of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is the improved graphics, which are simply stunning," says Matt Helgeson on Game Informer. Running at a smooth 1080p resolution, Lara has never looked better and the incredible level of detail applied to the newly modelled characters and lush environments offers a tantalizing glimpse at the wonders these new consoles have in store for us.

"Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is what Lara Croft aspired to be a year ago," says Jonathan Leack on Crave Online. You'll have a lot of fun firing high definition arrows at enemies, and discover just how big a difference there is between last-gen and current-gen hardware.

What they don't like

"If you already own a copy of Tomb Raider, the Definitive Edition offers little additional value" unless you're a diehard Lara fan wanting the best possible version, says William Borger on Gaming Bolt. On the other hand, this is a pretty great value if you haven't already played the game and want something shiny for your next gen console.