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Start with Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition if this is your first Survivor-trilogy playthrough. Follow it with Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration. The first game introduces Lara Croft’s transformation into a survivor; Rise follows her first expedition as a tomb raider after those events.
One naming clarification matters: the official franchise page calls the Nintendo release Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. “Tomb Raider: The 20th Anniversary Edition” is not an official product name established by the cited sources. 20 Year Celebration is the named edition of Rise of the Tomb Raider, so this comparison uses the verified titles.
Quick verdict
Choose Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition when you want the beginning of the Survivor trilogy, the earliest story chapter, and a complete package of the original game’s downloadable content and digital extras. Choose Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration when you have already played the first game, want the direct sequel, or specifically want a large bundle of story expansions, challenge modes, classic Lara skins, and additional equipment.
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That recommendation is based on official story order and the contents listed for each edition, not on a controlled comparison of combat, graphics, controls, pacing, or accessibility. The cited product pages do not establish an objective winner on those qualities.
#1 Best Overall
- Live the critically acclaimed, cinematic action adventure, re built specifically for next gen consoles
- Survive high octane combat, customize Lara's weapons and gear, and overcome grueling environments to uncover the island's deadly secret
- See Lara Croft like never before, with every bead of sweat, strand of hair, and article of clothing delivered in obsessive detail
- Endure a stunningly re imagined island, fraught with new, unforgiving storms, and alive with motion
- Own the complete Tomb Raider experience with all of the DLC, including the Tomb of the Lost Adventurer, six outfits for Lara, a digital mini art book, and the digital comic " The Beginning
What the names mean
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
The official Tomb Raider announcement describes this as the complete package of the original release, optimized for Nintendo platforms and containing its previously released downloadable content and digital extras. It is the edition relevant to the Nintendo listings cited for this comparison.
Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration
Rise is the sequel and the second major entry in the Survivor trilogy. The 20 Year Celebration package combines the base game with previously released downloadable content and additional celebration material. PlayStation and Nintendo describe overlapping but not identical feature lists, because the exact package depends on the platform.
Story order: why the first game should normally come first
The official franchise page identifies Tomb Raider as the game that started the Survivor trilogy. Its story establishes the experiences that change Lara from an inexperienced archaeologist into the survivor seen in later entries. The same page describes Rise as Lara’s first tomb-raiding expedition after surviving those events.
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Playing in release and story order gives the character arc its intended progression:
- Tomb Raider: the trilogy’s starting point and the foundation for Lara’s survival story.
- Rise of the Tomb Raider: Lara’s next major expedition, taking place after the events that made her a survivor.
You can start with Rise if you have already completed the first game or are primarily interested in its collected expansions. A new player can still understand the sequel’s immediate plot, but beginning with Rise skips the narrative and character context supplied by the first game.
Edition contents at a glance
| Edition | Story and base package | Additional content specifically listed by the sources | Platform examples in the listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition | Complete package of the original release | All previously released downloadable content; six bonus Lara outfits; eight online multiplayer maps; four multiplayer characters; digital versions of Tomb Raider: The Beginning, The Art of Survival, and the Final Hours of Tomb Raider developer video series | Nintendo systems, including the Nintendo listing described by the official announcement |
| Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration | Base game plus previously released downloadable content | Blood Ties; Lara’s Nightmare; co-op Endurance; Extreme Survivor difficulty; celebration outfit and gun; five classic Lara skins; platform-specific DLC and display features | PlayStation 4; a Nintendo Switch 2 listing with a June 9, 2026 release date |
The table combines only features explicitly named by the cited official listings. A platform may package the same edition name with different technical options or itemized bonus content, so check the store page for the system you own before buying.
Rank #2
- Full game with 7 bonus missions
- 5 co-op challenge tombs
- Digital copy of original soundtrack
- All previously released outfits and skills
- New “Croft Fitness” outfit for the Tomb Raider in training
What you get in Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
The original campaign and its downloadable content
The official announcement calls the edition a complete package of the original release and says it includes all previously released downloadable content. That makes it the appropriate starting package if you want the first Survivor-trilogy story without tracking down separate add-ons.
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The announcement lists eight online multiplayer maps and four multiplayer characters. These are part of the edition’s included content, rather than separate purchases in the package described by the announcement.
Digital extras
Three digital items are named:
- Tomb Raider: The Beginning, a digital comic.
- The Art of Survival, a mini art book.
- Final Hours of Tomb Raider, a developer video series.
These extras provide background and production material around the original release. They are different from playable story expansions, so do not treat them as additional campaign chapters.
Historical launch pricing
The Nintendo announcement gave a regular launch price of $19.99 and described a launch discount ending November 24. Those were historical launch terms. They should not be used as the current price, and the announcement does not establish what a store charges in your region today.
What you get in Rise: 20 Year Celebration
Blood Ties and Lara’s Nightmare
Blood Ties explores Lara’s childhood home and a Croft family mystery, according to Feral Interactive’s FAQ. PlayStation lists support for playing Blood Ties with PlayStation VR on the relevant PlayStation release. Lara’s Nightmare is a separate mode named in the PlayStation and Nintendo descriptions; the listings do not describe it as part of the main campaign.
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Feral’s FAQ identifies Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch as a story expansion set in Siberia. The Nintendo Switch 2 listing includes it among the package’s itemized expansions.
Rank #3
- Live the critically acclaimed, cinematic action-adventure, re-built specifically for next gen consoles
- Survive high-octane combat, customize Lara's weapons and gear, and overcome grueling environments to uncover the island's deadly secret
- See Lara Croft like never before, with every bead of sweat, strand of hair, and article of clothing delivered in obsessive detail
- Endure a stunningly re-imagined island, fraught with new, unforgiving storms, and alive with motion
- Own the complete Tomb Raider experience with all of the DLC, including the Tomb of the Lost Adventurer, six outfits for Lara, a digital mini art book, and the digital comic "The Beginning
Cold Darkness Awakened
This expansion concerns a breached weapons research base, according to Feral. It is listed in the Switch 2 package alongside the other story and challenge content.
Endurance and co-op Endurance
Endurance is a wilderness-survival mode. The 20 Year Celebration descriptions also list co-op Endurance, which adds cooperative play to that format. The package therefore includes both the named Endurance mode and its cooperative variant where the platform listing provides it.
Extreme Survivor difficulty and classic Lara content
PlayStation lists an Extreme Survivor difficulty, a celebration outfit and gun, and five classic Lara skins. The Switch 2 listing also includes five classic Lara skins and a TR III Reimagined Antarctica outfit.
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The Nintendo UK Switch 2 listing gives the most detailed platform-specific inventory in the cited material:
- Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch.
- Cold Darkness Awakened.
- Blood Ties and Lara’s Nightmare.
- Endurance and co-op Endurance.
- Eight downloadable outfits and seven downloadable weapons.
- Thirty-five expansion cards.
- Extreme Survivor difficulty.
- Five classic Lara skins.
- A TR III Reimagined Antarctica outfit.
Those counts belong to the Switch 2 listing. Do not automatically apply them to every PlayStation or other platform edition without checking that platform’s own description.
How Rise handles replay and challenge content
Feral’s FAQ explains that Expeditions let you replay chapters, take on challenges, and use cards to change mission difficulty and rewards. This is a replay framework rather than a new linear campaign. Cards can alter the conditions of a run, so players who enjoy repeating chapters with different objectives have more structured options than the base story alone provides.
Rank #4
- Live the critically acclaimed, cinematic action adventure, re built specifically for next gen consoles
- Survive high octane combat, customize Lara's weapons and gear, and overcome grueling environments to uncover the island's deadly secret
- See Lara Croft like never before, with every bead of sweat, strand of hair, and article of clothing delivered in obsessive detail
- Endure a stunningly re imagined island, fraught with new, unforgiving storms, and alive with motion
- Own the complete Tomb Raider experience with all of the DLC, including the Tomb of the Lost Adventurer, six outfits for Lara, a digital mini art book, and the digital comic " The Beginning
The official PlayStation product page advertises “over 50 hours of gameplay.” That is a publisher/platform estimate; it supplies no playstyle, completion, or difficulty methodology. Treat it as a broad promotional scope indicator, not a guaranteed completion time.
Platform and availability considerations
Nintendo
The official Tomb Raider announcement covers Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition on Nintendo systems. Nintendo UK separately lists Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration for Switch 2 with a June 9, 2026 release date. The existence, price, language support, and store availability of a Nintendo listing can vary by country.
PlayStation
PlayStation’s cited product page covers Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration on PS4. It also describes PS4 Pro display and performance modes and PSVR support for Blood Ties. Those are platform-specific features, not universal properties of every version carrying the 20 Year Celebration name.
Regional stores and subscriptions
Prices, promotional discounts, subscription-catalog access, and delisting or re-listing status are time-sensitive and regional. Confirm the edition name, platform, and current store page in your country immediately before purchase. A historical launch discount or a listing on one platform does not prove that the same offer exists elsewhere.
Which edition fits your situation?
| Your situation | Choose | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| You have never played the Survivor trilogy | Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition | It starts the trilogy and establishes Lara’s transformation into a survivor. |
| You finished the first game and want the direct sequel | Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration | It follows Lara’s next expedition and includes the sequel’s collected add-ons. |
| You want a package with story expansions and side modes | Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration | The listed bundle includes Blood Ties, Baba Yaga, Cold Darkness Awakened, Endurance variants, and other extras, depending on platform. |
| You specifically want the first game’s multiplayer maps and digital production extras | Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition | Its announcement lists eight multiplayer maps, four multiplayer characters, and three digital extras. |
| You are buying for Switch 2 | Compare both current Nintendo listings | The Switch 2 Rise listing has a detailed itemized package, while the official Tomb Raider announcement defines the Nintendo Definitive Edition contents. |
| You are buying for PS4 or using PSVR for Blood Ties | Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration | The PlayStation description lists the PS4 edition, PS4 Pro modes, and PSVR support for Blood Ties. |
A practical buying checklist
- Identify your platform. Decide whether you are buying for a Nintendo system, PS4, or another supported storefront. Edition contents and technical features can differ by platform.
- Check the exact title. Look for Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition or Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration. Treat “Tomb Raider: The 20th Anniversary Edition” as informal wording unless a store identifies a specific product behind it.
- Choose your story position. Select the first game for the beginning of Lara’s Survivor-trilogy arc; select Rise if you have already completed that chapter or intentionally want to begin with the sequel.
- Read the platform’s content list. For Rise, verify whether the listing includes the expansions, outfits, weapons, cards, and technical features you expect. The Switch 2 list is more itemized than the general PlayStation description.
- Verify today’s regional terms. Check the current price, sale end date, language information, storage requirement, and any subscription-catalog conditions on your local store. Historical launch pricing is not a current quote.
- Keep extras in perspective. Digital comics, art books, and developer videos add context but do not replace playable campaign content. If your priority is story order, buy the first game before optimizing for bonus material.
Common mistakes to avoid
Assuming the first game is also a 20th Anniversary edition
The verified naming distinguishes the two products: Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is the first game’s Nintendo package, while 20 Year Celebration belongs to Rise. Correct identification prevents buying the sequel when you intended to start the trilogy.
Treating every platform bundle as identical
PlayStation names PSVR and PS4 Pro features; Nintendo Switch 2 itemizes eight outfits, seven weapons, 35 expansion cards, and a specific Antarctica outfit. Those details show why the platform listing matters.
Best Value
- Combines the base game, All seven DLC challenge tombs and all downloadable content.
- survive and thrive in the deadliest place on Earth: master an unforgiving jungle setting in order to survive. Explore underwater environments filled with crevasses and deep tunnel systems.
- become one with the jungle: outgunned and outnumbered, Lara must use the jungle to her advantage. Strike suddenly and disappear like a Jaguar, use mud as camouflage, and instill fear in enemies to Sow chaos.
- discover dark and brutal tombs: tombs are more terrifying than ever before, requiring advanced traversal techniques to reach them, and once inside they are filled with deadly puzzles.
- uncover living history: discover a hidden city and explore the biggest hub space ever found in a Tomb Raider game
Reading a promotional estimate as a guarantee
The “over 50 hours” statement comes from PlayStation’s product page and does not define completion conditions. Your time will depend on how much of the main story, expansions, challenges, and replay content you complete.
Turning award claims into quality proof
PlayStation’s 2016 page says the game received more than 85 award nominations. It does not name the award bodies in the cited material, and nominations are not wins. That statistic is context, not a substitute for deciding which story and edition contents you want.
Using launch prices as current prices
The $19.99 regular launch price and November 24 launch-discount end date belong to the historical Nintendo announcement for Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. Store prices and promotions can change by region and date.
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Bottom line for first-time and returning players
For a first playthrough, buy Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, play its campaign, and then move to Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration. That order follows the official trilogy structure and lets the sequel’s references to Lara’s earlier survival experience carry their intended context.
If you have already completed the first game, Rise is the stronger next purchase because its 20 Year Celebration package gathers the sequel, story expansions, Endurance variants, challenge systems, classic skins, and other platform-dependent extras. Confirm the exact listing for your console before checkout, especially if you are comparing a PS4 release with the Switch 2 inventory.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
