Shadow of the Tomb Raider vs Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is an action-adventure open-world game from Crystal Dynamics (2018) while Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is an action-adventure open-world game from Eidos-Montréal (2018).
What each one is
Steam files Shadow of the Tomb Raider under Action-Adventure and Open-World. In contrast, it files Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition under Action-Adventure and Open-World.
As Lara Croft races to save the world from a Maya apocalypse, she must become the Tomb Raider she is destined to be.
As Lara Croft races to save the world from a Maya apocalypse, she must become the Tomb Raider she is destined to be.
At a glance
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.5/10 | 7.7/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (85%, 87,978) | Very Positive (85%, 87,994) |
| Critic aggregate | 77/100 | 77/100 |
| Price | $5.99 | $5.99 |
| Install size | 40 GB | 40 GB |
| Steam Deck | playable | playable |
| Released | 2018 | 2018 |
| Developer | Crystal Dynamics | Eidos-Montréal |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider vs Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Shadow of the Tomb RaiderAction-adventure open-world gameShadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive EditionAction-adventure open-world gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Shadow of the Tomb RaiderAdventure, Action, Female ProtagonistShadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive EditionAdventure, Action, Female ProtagonistThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Shadow of the Tomb RaiderScore 7.5 · 85% on Steam · 77 criticShadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition ✓Score 7.7 · 85% on Steam · 77 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Shadow of the Tomb Raider87,978 reviews · 40 GBShadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition87,994 reviews · 40 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Shadow of the Tomb Raider$5.99Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition$5.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Shadow of the Tomb RaiderPlayableShadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive EditionPlayableValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition takes 1 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueShadow of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
- Xbox
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (GamingPickz Score 7.7)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
AdventureActionFemale ProtagonistSingleplayerOpen WorldThird PersonStory RichPuzzle
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | Nvidia GTX 660/GTX 1050 | Nvidia GTX 660/GTX 1050 |
| Minimum CPU | i3-3220 INTEL | i3-3220 INTEL |
| Minimum RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Install size | 40 GB | 40 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Shadow of the Tomb Raider · Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Shadow of the Tomb Raider and 1 for Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition in scope?
Shadow of the Tomb Raider has drawn 87,978 Steam reviews and installs in 40 GB. Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition has drawn 87,994 Steam reviews and installs in 40 GB.
Is Shadow of the Tomb Raider or Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition rates higher (7.7 to 7.5). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Shadow of the Tomb Raider or Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition?
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is cheaper right now at $5.99, against $5.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.