Developers Feral Interactive are back with a new mobile port and, like the studio’s recent efforts with Hitman: Blood Money and Grid Legends, it’s another incredible showcase of just how smoothly fully-fledged console games can be brought over to a mobile format.
This time it’s Tomb Raider, which was originally released for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 back in 2013. A soft reboot of the long-running action adventure series, it’s one of my favorite games in the franchise and one that I’ve always meant to come back to over the years.
This mobile version seemed like the perfect excuse to dive back in and, after playing for almost two hours over the weekend, I can confirm that it is the real deal. For just $19.99 / £12.99 / AU$25.99, you’re getting a feature-complete version of Tomb Raider with all its big single-player DLC, including bonus outfits and more.
Booting it up for the first time, it’s hard not to be wowed by just how smoothly it runs. Sure, this is an older game, but it’s still magical to see it running at a rock-solid 60 frames per second (fps) on the Performance graphics preset using my Snapdragon 8 Elite-equipped Honor Magic 8 Pro. My phone didn’t become overly hot while playing either, which points to some great optimization.
In Performance mode, this version is visually impressive too. The smaller screen size is likely doing it a lot of favors, but it’s definitely a step up from the original PS3 release in my eyes – often looking on par with the enhanced PS4 version aside from some noticeable cutbacks to the physics of Lara Croft’s hair.
While I cherished the fluidity of the Performance preset, there’s also a slightly higher fidelity Graphics mode if you don’t mind a more jittery 30fps frame rate cap. There’s even a dedicated Battery Saver option, though I didn’t feel the need to use it as it’s not like Performance saw my phone’s battery life tank like other demanding mobile games.
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The controls are always going to be a concern on any console to mobile port, but Feral has really outdone itself here. For me, Tomb Raider controls flawlessly using the touch screen interface, and there are some different layout options if you find the standard right-handed one is not to your preference, plus the ability to create your own.
Even third-person shooting is easy thanks to a toggleable aiming mode and a dedicated firing button, making early segments like the surprise wolf ambush a breeze.
Vibration via your phone’s rumble motor is supported too, though I found it rather distracting and overly strong in places, so I turned it off quickly. Your success here will likely depend on the aptitude of the motors in your phone rather than anything else, though, so I can’t really fault the studio for this.
For an even better experience, you can connect a mobile controller as well, with every one that I tested functioning seamlessly. This included the classic Backbone One (which was recognized instantly) and a standard Xbox Wireless Controller connected via Bluetooth.
The touch screen controls automatically vanish when a controller is paired up, giving you a fully console-like experience, albeit on a much smaller screen.
If you want to give the game a go, Tomb Raider is available now via the Google Play Store and App Store. You can view a list of recommended Android chipsets on the Feral Interactive website to ensure that you will have a smooth experience before you buy.
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dash.wood@futurenet.com (Dashiell Wood)
