As was the case with the PC version, there is no question here of rewriting the Rise of the TOMB RAIDER test, the game being similar in all respects to the Xbox One version released a year earlier. We will indeed rather dwell on the new features offered on the Blu-ray and in particular the extension "Blood Ties" (Les Liens du Sang en VF) which will allow us to learn more about the history of the Croft family. . Note that to access this narrative DLC, you will have to unlock it first, simply by completing the prologue in Siberia and then the entire chapter in Syria, which is equivalent to approximately a little over an hour of play. Once done, just go to the main menu to see that the "Crofts Manor" mode is now available, allowing access to several new modes such as Blood Ties, Lara's Nightmare or even still the possibility of activating the PlayStation VR for those who would have the virtual reality headset from Sony. The latter therefore allows us to fully immerse ourselves in the mansion, a place well known to Tomb Raider fans, but reviewed and corrected in this episode, just to surprise us with new places.
THE HAUNTED MANSION
Overall, the discovery of Blood Ties comes down to recovering documents scattered all over the house, making it possible to shed light on still little known details of the Croft's history. Through a great treasure hunt where exploration, riddles and other puzzles await you, we will obtain information on the death of Lara's mother, the legacy left by her father, but also the role played by Atlas, her unsavory uncle. and very opportunistic. In fact, what is rather nice with Blood Ties is the somewhat gloomy atmosphere that emanates from the mansion and which contrasts radically with the main adventure which made us travel to the four corners of the world. Here, the house is not very well lit, forcing Lara to move around with a flashlight in hand, while outside, it is raining heavily and the sky is often struck by lightning which gives a gloomy side. to this unprecedented exploration.
The sensations are also increased tenfold with the PS VR on the head, giving the impression at times of evolving in a level of Resident Evil VII.
The sensations are also increased tenfold with the PS VR on the head, giving the impression at times of evolving in a level of Resident Evil VII, even if we do not meet anyone during the hour of play necessary to finish The mode. Among the options offered by the VR mode, know that it is possible to play in two distinct ways: in classic movement, which can be subject to effects of nausea, or via teleportation, something that the developers seem to recommend. Like Batman Arkham VR, all you have to do is point to an area where you want to go to be immediately teleported to the other end of the room. This can obviously harm immersion, but for people sensitive to motion sickness, it's pretty handy. On the other hand, no PlayStation Move required for this VR experience, everything is played with the DualShock 4 controller which also uses its gyroscopic features to make the game even more immersive. We move the controller to illuminate the dark areas, we move it in all directions to contemplate an object that we have recovered, in short, players already used to PS VR will not be confused.
NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Another novelty of the PS4 version: the "Lara's Nightmare" mode, which offers to return to Croft Manor, but this time full of zombies and other infrequent creatures. It had to happen, and Lara Croft also gave in to the call of these undead that we take pleasure in unwelding with great shotgun blasts. The idea is all in all nice, even if the narrowness of the places is not necessarily very suitable for hunting zombies. Difficult for example to flee when you find yourself cornered at the end of a corridor and there are no other exits to get out of it. Likewise, we would have liked the developers to offer PlayStation VR compatibility, which would have transcended the experience of coming face to face with undeads. A rather strange and questionable choice that players can forget by heading to Endurance mode. Those like us who complained about the lack of survival in the game will be able to share a unique experience where hunger, cold, and animals will give you a hard time. Note that this will be a separate mode from the main adventure with levels created especially for the occasion. Perhaps the best find of this 20th Anniversary Edition on PS4.
