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We've covered Rise of the Tomb Raider across four different formats over the last couple of years, and we're about to add a fifth and possibly final release to the line-up. At Gamescom 2017, Square-Enix revealed a playable demo of the title running on Xbox One X - our first chance to see how the game compares to both the base Microsoft console, and of course PlayStation 4 Pro. The initial takeaway? First impressions suggest that Xbox One X is indeed capable of producing a tangibly improved version of a key third-party title - what we've played looked even better than the excellent PS4 Pro release.Let's talk basics first - an on-site Square-Enix representative told us that talented Dutch developer Nixxes has handled the port on behalf of Crystal Dynamics. It's an interesting choice bearing in mind that Crystal produced the original Xbox One version. However, the benefits are obvious - Nixxes is responsible for the PC, Xbox 360, PS4 and PS4 Pro versions of the game, and this means that the X version runs with the enhancements made on the latest PS4 update. Case in point: Crystal never fixed the input lag issues on the original Xbox One release, while the X port retains the crisper right-stick control of the latest PS4 title update.
Beyond that, it's all about the enhancements. The Gamescom playable demo takes place in the game's second level, Syria. The initial traversal section (seen here, for reference) is skipped, the major plot-points recapped via a video sequence, before gameplay kicks off within the Prophet's Tomb itself, culminating in Lara's dramatic exit from the flooded structure.
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