[chemgear]

Digital Foundry put up their concluding analysis of Tomb Raider DE today (adding to their original impressions from a few days ago). They really go in depth and is worth a full read on just a technical level.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/di...t-gen-face-off

To begin with, let's address the differences between the two versions of the Definitive Edition on offer. PlayStation 4 users get a comfortably delivered 1080p presentation backed up with a post-process FXAA solution that has minimal impact on texture quality, sporting decent coverage across the scene, bar some shimmer around more finely detailed objects. Meanwhile the situation is more interesting on the Xbox One: the anti-aliasing solution remains unchanged, but we see the inclusion of what looks like a variable resolution framebuffer in some scenes, while some cut-scenes are rendered at a locked 900p, explaining the additional blur in some of our Xbox One screenshots.

Curiously, there are also a few lower-resolution textures in places on Xbox One, but this seems to be down to a bug (perhaps on level of detail transitions) as opposed to a conscious downgrade.

The areas that appear compromised on Xbox One suggest that the transition to developing on the new console isn't going as smoothly as Microsoft would like. Overall though, the visual differences between the two next-gen platforms are fairly minimal and we should stress that the Definitive Edition of Tomb Raider is really quite stunning to behold on both consoles, with the familiar island of Yamatai - and indeed Lara Croft herself - getting a significant graphical upgrade over the 360 and PS3 versions, extending far beyond a simple increase in resolution and frame-rate. 



But despite the inconsistency in the PS4 experience, we still feel it's the preferable buy. During combat - a key element in the game - we see the Xbox One drop down to the mid 20s, with the PS4's higher frame-rate offering a clear advantage in both smoothness and response, despite the fluctuations - the bottom line is that the differences between 40-50fps on the PS4 are far less of an issue than, say, the 24-30fps drops incurred by the Xbox One.

That said, when exploring more complex locations filled with heavier effects work, the more consistent frame-rate provided by Xbox One has some advantages - motion has less judder during fast camera pans and more hectic moments, while the controls feel more stable. This is most obvious when the PS4 hovers between the 40-45fps mark, but once we reach metrics closer to 60fps, the inconsistent frame-rate is no longer a problem, and we get a smooth and fluid gameplay experience that the Xbox One simply cannot match. When PS4 operates at the full 60fps, it's a superb experience - but its performance drops are in no way as damaging to the experience as they are on the Microsoft platform.

Overall, PlayStation 4 takes the lead where the next-gen consoles are concerned, with the higher quality effects work and higher frame-rates providing a preferable experience overall, particularly during heated combat, where the drops in performance are both felt and seen more heavily on the Xbox One. That said, as we pointed out in the performance analysis earlier this week, we would have liked an optional 30fps cap in the display settings to eliminate the judder during the frame-rate fluctuations and keep absolute consistency with controller response throughout.

Of course, there is another factor to consider: price. The cost of the Definitive Edition varies considerably, but the outlay for a one-year-old title with a new lick of paint certainly isn't cheap considering that the original game can be picked up for under £10 on both current gen consoles and PC. On the one hand, if you've already played the game (on PC especially), a recommendation for the Definitive Edition is hard to make. But on the flipside, this is a beautiful game - one of the best-looking titles to appear on next-gen - and on the PlayStation 4 in particular, it's a lovely showcase for the capabilities of next-gen hardware.