Tomb Raider Definitive Edition (Switch) – Review

There are three game and film franchises that have accompanied me, in turn, but sometimes in parallel, from childhood until now, nearing retirement…

I remember the powerful impact the first three Indiana Jones films had on the child in me in the 80s – I ruined many VHS tapes rewatching them countless times. This type of adventure and the interwar period in which they took place fascinated me, let my imagination run wild, and remained somewhere in a cosy, nostalgic corner that I love to return to.

All images in the article are captured on Nintendo Switch 2

It's no surprise that when I first saw Tomb Raider, I was left speechless (for several reasons we won't detail here 🙂 ). Lara Croft represented the female version of Indy, and the first Tomb Raider games fascinated me as much as the famous archaeologist's initial adventures. It's interesting how Tomb Raider was initially inspired by its films, and when it returned to screens in Infernal Machine, the influence of the Lara Croft series was so evident that some labelled it a mere clone.

Both franchises evolved both on monitors and the big screen, and in 2007, the third franchise that delighted me over the years appeared – Uncharted. Around the same time, Tomb Raider needed to adapt to new generations, and the success of the Uncharted series, with its faster-paced gameplay and cinematic presentation, became a new source of inspiration for Crystal Dynamics when they launched the Tomb Raider reboot in 2013.

Welcome to Nintendo!

Although very different from all previous Tomb Raider games, the reboot managed to win over old fans of the series and attract a new wave of players. It was a success that resulted in a trilogy. So, this Tomb Raider represented a new beginning for the series, and now I'm happy to see that it's finally appearing on Nintendo consoles.

One of the aspects that delights me about handheld consoles is that they've brought back many classic games in a compact format. After adding the first two Gothic games, the first three Syberia titles, Risen, and the KOTOR series to my collection, two years ago Aspyr pleasantly surprised us with the excellent remaster of the first three Tomb Raider games, followed a year later by the next three titles in the series. Obviously, there were already numerous ways to replay them, but the fact that I can also keep them on the shelf, in the small red Nintendo cases, is a quirk that only collectors can understand.

The game is already over 12 years old, and most of you have played it and know what it offers in terms of story and gameplay. So I'll stick strictly to the technical characteristics of the Switch version and, in particular, the version for Switch 1.

The title Definitive Edition was also used in 2014, when the game was released on PS4 and Xbox One, after initially appearing on PS3 and Xbox 360. However, as I will detail, this Switch version lacks some of the elements of that edition. I tested the Switch 1 version, and the first problem I encountered was that I couldn't install it on my Switch 1 console. Being a collector, 99.9% of my games are in physical format, and I haven't needed to upgrade my storage space until now. Since Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition takes up over 27 GB, I had no space to install it, so I moved to Switch 2.

TR:DE comes with two separate versions – one for Switch 1 and one for Switch 2 – but the differences are limited to a slightly higher framerate and resolution on Switch 2. This makes me seriously question the decision to release two distinct versions and, especially, the fact that you can't upgrade from the Switch 1 version to the Switch 2 version. Wait! What???

I would have understood if the Switch 2 version had at least reached the graphical level of the PS4 edition, released 11 years ago. Instead, we have an almost direct port of the Switch 1 version. And yes, the game could certainly look better. The lighting is inferior to that of the PS4 version, the environment seems much emptier compared to both PS4 and PS3: fewer shadows, reduced vegetation, and forest scenes that look unrealistically bright. In some sequences, the polygon count is visibly lower than in the PS3 version (!), and there's no point even mentioning the hair. In a game that, at the time, boasted about hair rendering as an important marketing argument on both PC and PS4, to now see this monstrosity on both Switch versions, 11 years later, clearly shows that the port was rushed.

Performance in handheld mode on Switch 2 (running the Switch 1 version) is surprisingly close to that in docked mode, but this is only due to the downgrades applied compared to other console versions. For a 12-year-old game, I would have expected to finally get the best console edition of this excellent title. Instead, we get... the weakest version. Even if the textures have a higher resolution than on PS3, certain aspects – especially vegetation and lighting – look more interesting and pleasant in the PS3 version, and rain effects are either inferior or completely missing.

Seeing all these disappointing aspects, I also installed a microSD card in my Switch 1 to test the version on the original hardware. The framerate is unstable, and the game feels sluggish, especially in handheld mode. The 30 FPS seems more like a theoretical target than one consistently achieved on Switch 1. Regarding the performance of the optimised version for Switch 2, I'll let Leo tell you more.

Tomb Raider on Switch 2

Thanks, Klamath, for the mic! Here's the deal: when I saw the announcement that Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition had appeared on Switch, I didn't resist for long and bombarded the PR team with emails to get a review key and, thus, enjoy the game and tell you whether this surprise port was "worth it" or not. Our intention was to get the optimised edition for Switch 2, but we ended up with the inferior one for the original Switch. Since the game only costs about 20 euros, I didn't hesitate and made a plan with Klamath to split the review and cover both versions.

I don't consider myself an avid fan of the Tomb Raider series, but this particular title holds nostalgic significance for me. It was one of the first games I played on Xbox 360. I played the original edition during an Easter holiday spent at my grandparents' (I had the console there at the time) and I think I finished it in just two or three sessions, I liked it that much. I was looking forward to a reason to replay it, especially the Definitive Edition. The fact that it also appeared on Switch only made me happy and eager to restart Lara's adventures in the Dragon's Triangle.

The Switch 2 version is somewhat better optimised than the one on the first Switch. Firstly, we have 60 frames per second, compared to the 30 FPS limit on Switch 1, and Full HD resolution in both docked and handheld modes. I didn't notice any framerate fluctuations; even in intense scenes, the game manages to keep up and offer a buttery-smooth experience. From this point of view, the optimisation for Switch 2 is successful and makes me want the entire trilogy on this platform.

However, there are also some less pleasant aspects, which Klamath also noticed in the Switch 1 version. Indeed, visually, the game is not what I would have expected to see. If I compare it to the version I know from Xbox 360, things are fine. Still, we're talking about a next-gen console and a game that's already 12 years old, so expectations are inevitably higher. Even on Switch 2, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition doesn't look great. There are many moments where the vegetation creates annoying visual artefacts, the protagonist's hair looks more like a geometric shape made of a few polygons, and some textures and models make me wonder if the original version was used as the basis for the port, not the Definitive Edition.

Don't get me wrong: these aren't problems that would make me ask for a refund. I enjoyed Tomb Raider throughout the game, and it was a pleasure to play it again, especially since I hadn't touched it since I finished it on Xbox 360. However, if you've played it recently or even a few years ago on PS4 or Xbox One, I don't think you'll be impressed by the port on the two Switch consoles.

Because it's one of the games I own on almost every platform it's appeared on, I also installed the Steam version, cranked all the graphics settings to maximum, and... discovered a different game. Klamath isn't exaggerating when he says that Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition on Switch sometimes looks even worse than the PS3 or Xbox 360 version. It's only when you see the PC edition that you realise how big the differences are.

From my point of view, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition on Switch 2 deserves to be in any Switch owner's collection, and especially to be played in handheld mode when you need a relaxing break. It's a must-play title, regardless of the version. I can't wait to dive into the fresh Rise of the Tomb Raider, which has just landed on Switch 2, and continue Lara's adventure, and then come back to you with a new article.

In conclusion…

Putting all these less-than-happy aspects aside, it must be mentioned that we still have a complete version, with all DLCs included, and the multiplayer mode is present and functional. The launch price seems reasonable, and the only serious drawback, mentioned above, is the lack of an upgrade option from the Switch 1 version to the Switch 2 version.

I would only recommend this version to someone who has absolutely no other way to play Tomb Raider. We can say that we have a complete, inferior, but functional edition of an exceptional game. Lara's adventure shows its age a bit in terms of design, but it remains enjoyable and consistent – especially if you want to complete the side objectives and collect all the collectibles – and it's worth playing through.

I hope the next two games in the series get more successful ports – probably exclusively on Switch 2.

▶ Play video (YouTube)Open on YouTube

Played on: Nintendo Switch and Switch 2
Release date: 18 November 2025
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Aspyr