Rise of the Tomb Raider 20 Year Celebration PS4

The rise of the tomb raider 20 year celebration PS4 edition is one of the most complete ways to experience Lara Croft’s second adventure in the reboot series. Released on PS4 as part of Tomb Raider’s 20th anniversary celebration, this version combines the main game with its major DLC, Blood Ties, Lara’s Nightmare, Endurance content, Extreme Survivor difficulty, classic Lara outfits, special celebration items, and PSVR features. There is enough here to keep a player busy well beyond the main story, while the core adventure remains easy to pick up and enjoy.

Rise of the Tomb Raider takes Lara to the frozen wilderness of Siberia, where she follows clues surrounding the legendary Divine Source and research left behind by her father. Her search brings her into conflict with Trinity, a secret organization pursuing the same ancient artifact. Along the way, Lara climbs mountains, explores forgotten ruins, solves tomb puzzles, hunts wildlife, gathers resources, upgrades her equipment, and fights enemies. The result is an action adventure that gives exploration just as much importance as combat.

Key Takeaway

Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration is worth playing on PS4, particularly for players who want a complete action adventure with plenty of exploration and extra content. The main campaign offers a strong mixture of climbing, combat, puzzles, hunting, crafting and tomb exploration, while the Celebration edition adds several substantial extras around it.

The package includes Blood Ties, Lara’s Nightmare, Baba Yaga The Temple of the Witch, Cold Darkness Awakened, Endurance Mode, online Endurance co op, Extreme Survivor difficulty, classic Lara skins, a special celebration outfit and weapon, and PSVR support for selected Croft Manor content. PS4 Pro owners also get additional graphics and performance options. For someone choosing a PS4 version, the 20 Year Celebration edition gives the broadest experience without requiring separate purchases for the major DLC.

Rise of the Tomb Raider 20 Year Celebration Compared With the Original

The original Rise of the Tomb Raider already offers a substantial adventure, but the 20 Year Celebration edition adds a lot around the main campaign. The easiest way to see the difference is through the features included with each version.

The main difference is simple that is the Celebration edition brings together the main adventure and a much larger collection of additional content. That makes it the more attractive PS4 package for players starting the game today.

What Is Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration?

20 Year Celebration is the expanded PS4 edition of Crystal Dynamics’ action adventure game. The original game arrived in 2015, while the 20 Year Celebration edition launched on PS4 on October 11, 2016. Its release formed part of the celebration of two decades of Tomb Raider and Lara Croft.

The game itself is Lara’s second major adventure in the reboot series. The story takes her from one dangerous location to another as she searches for an ancient artifact connected to immortality. The journey combines a traditional cinematic adventure with larger areas where players can explore away from the main path.

The Celebration edition builds on that foundation with additional story content, survival modes, extra difficulty, classic Lara appearances, special equipment and Croft Manor chapters. PlayStation promoted the complete package with more than 50 hours of gameplay, although the actual time depends heavily on how much optional content a player completes.

Someone focused only on the main story will finish much sooner than a player who explores the maps, completes challenge tombs, collects hidden items, plays DLC and spends time with the additional modes.

What Is the Game About?

Lara Croft travels to Siberia while investigating the legend of the Divine Source, an ancient artifact believed to have a connection with immortality. Her interest in the artifact is closely connected to her late father, whose research into the legend damaged his reputation and affected his life. Lara wants to prove that his research was not meaningless. Her search quickly becomes dangerous when she discovers that Trinity, a powerful secret organization, is also looking for the Divine Source.

The story moves through snowy mountains, forests, caves, ancient ruins, abandoned Soviet facilities and underground locations. Lara also encounters the Remnant, a group with its own connection to the ancient secret she is trying to uncover. The adventure introduces several important characters, including Jonah Maiava, Ana, Konstantin and Jacob. Lara’s relationship with these characters helps move the story forward and gives the campaign more personal moments between the larger action sequences.

The story itself is easy to follow, even for someone new to the series. Players familiar with the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot will have a better understanding of Lara’s development, but previous knowledge is not required.

What Can You Do in the Game?

It rarely asks you to do the same thing for too long. A story objective may lead Lara through a dangerous climb, followed by an enemy encounter and then a puzzle or hidden tomb. A nearby path might lead to a cave filled with resources or a collectible that has nothing to do with the current mission.

Exploration plays a major role throughout the game. The larger areas contain hidden caves, documents, collectibles, challenge tombs, resources and optional activities. The maps are not enormous open worlds, but they provide enough freedom to make leaving the main path worthwhile.

Climbing is another major part of Lara’s movement. She can scale cliffs, jump between surfaces, swing across gaps, use ropes, swim through underwater sections and reach areas that initially appear inaccessible. New equipment opens additional routes as the story progresses, which also gives players a reason to revisit locations they have already explored.

Tombs remain one of the best parts of the game. Many challenge tombs are optional, but they provide some of the most enjoyable puzzles in the adventure. They use water, ropes, platforms, levers, moving objects and environmental clues to create small puzzle areas that feel different from the main missions. They also provide useful rewards, giving players another reason to search for them.

Combat gives Lara plenty of options. Her bow is especially useful for stealth, while pistols, rifles and shotguns become important during larger encounters. Lara can hide in vegetation, move quietly around enemy positions, use traps and take advantage of the environment. Players who prefer direct combat can also approach fights more aggressively.

Hunting and gathering resources are closely connected to the upgrade system. Lara can collect plants, minerals, animal materials and other resources while exploring. These items help with crafting and equipment upgrades, giving exploration a practical purpose.

What Does the 20 Year Celebration Edition Include?

The main campaign is only part of the package. The Celebration edition brings together a large collection of additional content, making it considerably bigger than the basic game.

The package includes Blood Ties and Lara’s Nightmare, both set around Croft Manor, along with Baba Yaga The Temple of the Witch and Cold Darkness Awakened. Endurance Mode receives online co op support, while Extreme Survivor provides a much tougher way to experience the game.

Classic Lara skins and special celebration equipment add a nostalgic connection to earlier Tomb Raider games. Players also receive additional outfits, weapons and other downloadable content that was released around the original game.

For players who want the complete PS4 experience, this is the main reason to choose the Celebration edition.

What Is Blood Ties?

Blood Ties takes Lara away from Siberia and puts her inside Croft Manor. The change in setting also changes the pace of the game. The main campaign is built around climbing, combat, survival and exploration. Blood Ties is more focused on investigation and Lara’s family history. Players move through the manor, examine objects, discover documents, listen to recordings and uncover information connected to the Croft family.

Croft Manor becomes part of the story rather than simply serving as Lara’s home in the background. The chapter also gives players more insight into Lara’s relationship with her father. That makes it a useful addition to the main story because the campaign spends considerable time explaining why Lara is so determined to continue his research.

Blood Ties is not a replacement for the main adventure. It is a smaller, quieter chapter that adds character development and a different style of exploration. For players who enjoy searching through environments and finding hidden details, it is one of the strongest additions in the Celebration edition.

What Is Lara’s Nightmare?

Lara’s Nightmare uses Croft Manor again, but the atmosphere is completely different. The mansion has been overrun by supernatural enemies, turning the familiar location into a combat focused challenge. Lara has to move through the manor, deal with enemies and survive the encounter.

The contrast with Blood Ties works well. Blood Ties is about investigating the past, while Lara’s Nightmare is much more focused on action. It is not another full length campaign. It works better as a bonus experience that gives players another reason to return to Croft Manor after spending time with the main game.

The mode also adds some variety to the Celebration package. Not every piece of additional content needs to continue the main story, and Lara’s Nightmare embraces that idea.

Can You Play Endurance Mode With a Friend?

Yes. The 20 Year Celebration edition adds online co op to Endurance Mode, allowing two players to take on the survival experience together. Endurance changes the way the game is played. The main campaign gives Lara a clear objective and story progression, while Endurance focuses on surviving in a dangerous environment.

Resources become much more important. Players need to explore, gather supplies, deal with wildlife and enemies, and pay attention to their survival needs.  Playing with another person changes the experience because both players can share the workload and help each other through difficult situations.

The mode can be especially enjoyable for players who like survival challenges because success depends on managing the environment rather than simply reaching the next story mission. It also provides a reason to return to Rise of the Tomb Raider after finishing the campaign.

What Is Extreme Survivor Mode?

Extreme Survivor is designed for players who want a serious challenge. The mode reduces the safety provided by normal checkpoints and makes resource management much more important. Progress requires greater care because mistakes can have much bigger consequences.

The normal campaign allows players to experiment and move through many situations fairly comfortably. Extreme Survivor changes that rhythm. Every fight, resource and campfire becomes more important. It is not necessary for a first playthrough. The standard difficulty settings are much more suitable for learning Lara’s abilities, weapons and movement. Experienced players can return to the game later and find that Extreme Survivor changes familiar areas in a meaningful way.

Does Rise of the Tomb Raider Support PSVR?

Yes, but PSVR does not cover the entire main campaign. The VR features focus on Croft Manor content. Blood Ties can be experienced from a first person perspective, allowing players to look around the mansion and examine its rooms in a more immersive way.

Lara’s Nightmare also supports the VR experience. The main Siberian adventure remains a traditional third person game, so a VR headset is not required to play the game.

Players without PSVR still receive the complete main campaign and all of the normal gameplay systems. VR works as an additional feature for the Croft Manor content rather than something required for the main adventure.

How Does Rise of the Tomb Raider Look on PS4?

Rise of the Tomb Raider still looks impressive on the standard PS4, particularly in its environments. The snowy Siberian landscapes give the game a strong visual identity. Mountains, forests, caves, ancient ruins and abandoned locations all have their own atmosphere, and the lighting helps make each area feel different.

The environment is also closely connected to gameplay. Players are constantly looking for climbable surfaces, ropes, ledges, hidden entrances and objects that can help solve puzzles. Lara’s character model and animations were strong for the generation, although some facial animation details show the game’s age today. That is more noticeable in close up scenes than during normal exploration.

The standard PS4 version targets 1080p and around 30 frames per second. It does not provide the higher performance options available on PS4 Pro, but the game remains comfortable to play and visually attractive. The strongest part of its presentation is still the world itself. The combination of snowy landscapes and ancient locations gives Lara’s adventure a memorable look.

Is Rise of the Tomb Raider Better on PS4 Pro?

PS4 Pro owners get additional options that allow them to choose between image quality, performance and enhanced visuals.

The 4K Resolution mode prioritizes a sharper image, while High Framerate places more attention on smoother performance. Enriched Visuals focuses on improving the overall graphical presentation.

The best option depends on the display and personal preference. A player with a 4K television may prefer the resolution focused setting, while someone who values smoother movement may prefer the high frame rate option.

The important detail is that PS4 Pro does not provide additional story content. The campaign, DLC and extra modes are the same. Standard PS4 owners are still getting the complete game.

How Long Is the Game?

The main story can take around 13 to 15 hours for players who concentrate primarily on the campaign. Exploration increases the playtime considerably. Challenge tombs, collectibles, side activities, optional areas and DLC can add many more hours.

The 20 Year Celebration edition was promoted with more than 50 hours of gameplay across the complete experience. That figure makes sense when all of the additional content is considered.

Blood Ties, Lara’s Nightmare, Baba Yaga, Cold Darkness Awakened and Endurance all contribute to the overall amount of content. Players who enjoy completing maps and finding hidden items can spend considerably longer with the game than someone who simply follows the story. The game therefore works for both shorter story focused sessions and longer completion focused playthroughs.

Is Rise of the Tomb Raider 20 Year Celebration Worth Playing?

Yes, especially for players who enjoy action adventure games built around exploration. The main campaign has a good balance of combat, climbing, puzzles and exploration. Lara has enough equipment and abilities to make progression feel rewarding, while the larger areas give players room to wander away from the main objectives.

The optional tombs are another major strength. They provide some of the best puzzle moments in the game and give exploration a clear reward. The additional content makes the Celebration edition even stronger. Blood Ties adds more depth to Lara’s personal story, Lara’s Nightmare provides a different type of Croft Manor experience, and Endurance creates a survival challenge that works with another player online.

The game does have some weaknesses. The story can feel less emotionally powerful than the 2013 reboot, and certain character animations look dated compared with newer games. Those issues do not take much away from the gameplay. Rise of the Tomb Raider is at its best when Lara is moving through the environment, discovering hidden areas, solving puzzles and surviving dangerous encounters.

Wrapping Up

Rise of the Tomb Raider 20 Year Celebration remains a strong choice for PS4 players who want an adventure with plenty of things to discover. The game does not depend on one feature to carry the experience. Climbing keeps Lara moving through the environment, combat provides action, tombs provide puzzles, crafting gives resources a purpose, and optional areas reward players who take their time.

The Celebration edition takes that foundation and adds a large amount of extra content. Blood Ties gives Croft Manor a more personal story, Lara’s Nightmare turns it into a supernatural combat challenge, and Endurance provides a survival experience with online co op. Extreme Survivor gives experienced players another reason to replay the game, while classic Lara content adds a nice connection to the franchise’s earlier years.

The graphics have aged reasonably well, especially the snowy landscapes, caves and ancient ruins. PS4 Pro owners get additional graphics and performance options, while standard PS4 players still receive the complete adventure. The story is not flawless, and some character animations now look dated. The gameplay remains the bigger attraction, and that part of the experience still holds up.

For Lara Croft fans, players who enjoyed the 2013 reboot, and anyone looking for a substantial action adventure on PS4, the 20 Year Celebration edition is a strong recommendation. It offers a large main adventure, plenty of optional exploration and a considerable amount of additional content in one package. Two decades after Lara first appeared, this edition serves as both a celebration of the character and one of the most complete versions of her modern adventure.