Latest Reviews of Crystal Dynamics Games
Review Marvel's Avengers - Undeniably Fun, But A Bit Rough Around The Edges
A solid start for the Avengers
Marvel's Avengers, much like the most recent cinematic interpretations of the MCU, is at once a spectacular, bloated, messy and undeniably fun experience. It nails the characterisations of its central superheroes, provides a surprisingly entertaining and lengthy campaign full of bombastic action and addictive combat,...
Review Rise of the Tomb Raider (Xbox One)
Rise again
It isn't really the job of a review to comment on the business decisions that led up to a game being released as a timed exclusive on a platform, so if you're hoping for us to praise or admonish Microsoft for throwing a bundle of cash Square Enix's way to bring Rise of the Tomb Raider to Xbox platforms first, you're going to be...
Review Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (Xbox One)
There and back again
When Square Enix announced late last year that an updated version of the Tomb Raider reboot would be “re-built specifically for next-gen consoles,” we couldn’t help but scoff. For a game that we already called “adrenaline-filled” and “aesthetically superb,” — let alone only being on the market for 10 months —...
Latest Crystal Dynamics Articles
Roundup Here's What The Critics Think About Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered
On Xbox for the very first time!
Back in September, Crystal Dynamics announced Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered - with this pair of PlayStation classics now set to make their Xbox debuts on December 10th. Well, ahead of that launch we're seeing some early reviews of this newly remastered collection, so we'll gather these initial...
News 'Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver 1-2 Remastered' Heading To Xbox In December 2024
Making their Xbox debuts!
After leaking on the web earlier today, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1-2 Remastered has officially been announced at Sony's State of Play showcase. Despite featuring at the PlayStation show, this new collection is confirmed for Xbox, marking the debuts of Soul Reaver 1 and 2 for Microsoft's platform. Much like Halo: Combat...
News Amazon's Tomb Raider Game Progressing Well Despite 'Everything Going On With Embracer'
"It never impacted on resources"
Back in late 2022, Amazon announced that it was working with Crystal Dynamics on a brand-new Tomb Raider game, and despite not hearing much about the project since, it sounds like things are coming along nicely. In a new chat with IGN, Amazon Games boss Christoph Hartmann discussed some of the company's current...
News More Crystal Dynamics Remasters Could Be On The Way
Evidence of Soul Reaver revivals surfaces
It looks like Crystal Dynamics could be reviving the 1999 action-adventure Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and its sequel. At San Diego Comic-Con this week, statues referencing 'Legacy of Kain I & II Remastered' have been spotted on display. This follows Dark Horse Comics announcing the comic book 'Legacy...
News Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Patch Makes Big Gameplay Changes On Xbox
Adds an outfit selector!
The latest patch for Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered has now landed, and it contains some pretty major features and updates for Xbox players. The team is "improving combat" when using the modern control scheme in this latest patch - and it's also added a new Outfit Selector option amongst a bunch of other fixes and changes...
Soapbox The Best Modern Tomb Raider Is Well Worth Your Time On Xbox Game Pass
The island of Yamatai awaits
May 2024's very first Xbox Game Pass update has brought Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition to the service more than 10 years after it launched on Xbox One, however, don't let the game's age put you off trying it out. This Tomb Raider reboot may have originated as an Xbox 360 game way back in 2013, but it's easily the best...
News Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (May 2)
A top-tier Tomb Raider title
Your first Xbox Game Pass title for May 2024 is officially here! Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is now live on the service, as Crystal Dynamics brings the Xbox One version of its Tomb Raider reboot to Game Pass. To this day we reckon this is one of the best Tomb Raider games ever, so if you've not tried it yet, we...
News Shadow Of The Tomb Raider Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (April 11)
A huge AAA adventure joins the library
Today's Xbox Game Pass update is delivering on all-things tomb raiding, as Eidos Montreal's Shadow of the Tomb Raider heads to the service. This title serves as the epic conclusion to Crystal Dynamics' rebooted Tomb Raider trilogy, and it's absolutely worth a play on Game Pass. Now, when this addition was
News Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Update Now Live, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
With a potential frame rate boost
A month ago, Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered finally brought the first three classic Tomb Raider titles to Xbox, and now the developer has deployed a new update that brings lots of fixes and changes across all three games. Now, alongside the patch notes — which we'll drop down below — we're seeing reports of the...
News Tomb Raider Fans Spot 'The Last Revelation' Teaser In 1-3 Remastered
Is Tomb Raider 4 coming?!
Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered only landed on Xbox last week, and fans are already discovering some interesting secrets tucked into the new collection. Specifically, TR fans have spotted what appears to be a teaser for Tomb Raider 4, or 'The Last Revelation', hidden within Tomb Raider 3 Remastered. Yep,
News Here's What The Reviews Are Saying About Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered
Available now on Xbox
Lara Croft is back on Xbox this week with a remaster of her original trilogy by Aspyr. Before we get into what other critics thought about Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered, be sure to check out our review here on Pure Xbox first. While we didn't necessarily agree with every decision made in the remaster collection, it still does a...
News Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Features Modern Control Scheme & 'A Few More Surprises'
Diving deep into the tombs
Believe it or not Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered is less than a month away from coming to Xbox, and ahead of its impending launch, the team at Aspyr has provided a deeper look at lots of the new features coming with these classic Tomb Raider reimaginings. Some of the headline changes here, or additions should we say, are to...
News Four Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (December 5)
It's a big day for the service!
December on Xbox Game Pass is really kicking into gear now! We've got four titles coming to the library today, including Crystal Dynamics' Rise of the Tomb Raider and Saber's World War Z - which includes the big Aftermath update featuring a first-person mode! Here are all the games coming to Xbox Game Pass today,...
News Xbox's Matt Booty Has Played The Perfect Dark Reboot And Is 'Very Excited'
He can't wait for fans to see it
One game absent from the recent Xbox Games Showcase was The Intiative's anticipated reboot of Perfect Dark. Fortunately, Xbox studio chief Matt Booty has provided a small but reassuring update during a chat with Axios, mentioning how he's actually been playing builds of the game and is loo
Talking Point Where Do You Want 'Tomb Raider' To Go Next?
The reboot is now 10 years old!
Time just goes by too fast doesn't it? My word, it's been a whole decade since developer Crystal Dynamics rebooted the Tomb Raider franchise, ushering gaming icon Lara Croft into a whole new era on March 5th, 2013. Since then, two solid sequels have cemented the reboot trilogy as a brilliant piece of the Tomb Raider...
Soapbox Tomb Raider Deserves A 'Resident Evil-Style' Remake
Embrace modernity
Tomb Raider: Anniversary, Crystal Dynamics' reimagining of the 1996 original, launched 15 years ago on Xbox 360 believe it or not. Yep, it's been a decade and a half since the series' sole remake hit Xbox, and its birthday has got me thinking about the future of the series. While I thoroughly enjoyed Crystal's recent trilogy,...
News 'Legacy Of Kain' Survey Quizzes Fans About Potential Franchise Return
Would you like to see it come back?
Last month, developer Crystal Dynamics announced that it had retained the rights to some of its biggest franchises following the move to Embracer Group. Those franchises include Tomb Raider, of course, but also Legacy of Kain, the team's late 90soriginal Xbox-era dark fantasy action series. Well, the dev now wants...
News Crystal Dynamics 'Takes Control' Of Tomb Raider, Legacy Of Kain Franchises
The current TR dev takes ownership
Some of you may recall that in the recent whirlwind of acquisition news, Embracer Group successfully picked up Square Enix's Western studios & IP. Those series' included Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief and more, and the current developer of Tomb Raider has announced that it will continue to take charge of that...
News Xbox Exec Dispels Negative Rumours About Perfect Dark & Crystal Dynamics
"How we make games is evolving..."
When The Initiative announced last year it would be partnering with Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics to bring the first-person spy thriller Perfect Dark to a new generation, concerns were raised about the state of the game. These claims about development problems were stamped out, with reports the game was...
News Perfect Dark Supposedly Coming Along 'Really Well' Despite Previous Reports
According to WC's Jez Corden
Since Perfect Dark's reboot was announced at TGA 2020, we've not really heard much positivity on its development. In fact, reports have since said that developer The Initiative was struggling to get development going, especially before Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics
News Marvel's Avengers Delayed Update Arrives This Week
Update: Going live today
Update #2 [Tue 29th Mar, 2022 02:30 BST]: The team has now confirmed the game will be going live at some point on 29th March (aka today). You can see the full patch notes over on the official game website. Update [Sat 26th Mar, 2022 04:45 GMT]: It's now looking like this delayed patch could be going live as soon as next...
News Square Enix Suggests Crystal Dynamics Was A Bad Fit For Marvel’s Avengers
"It has unfortunately not proven as successful as we would have liked"
Square Enix has kind of thrown Crystal Dynamics under the bus with a recent statement that suggests the studio was not the right team for Marvel's Avengers. In Square Enix's 2021 annual report, president Yosuke Matsuda spoke about how Marvel's Avengers was not as successful as...
News After Fan Backlash, Marvel's Avengers Removes Its Paid Consumables
"We apologise for not responding sooner"
Paid XP boosts were added to Marvel's Avengers last month which was met with some heavy criticism after Crystal Dynamics originally suggested it would never happen. Following such backlash, the developer has now reversed the decision and apologised. Both Hero Catalysts and Fragment Extractors were added, and...
News Crystal Dynamics Partnering On Perfect Dark Was Too Good To Pass Up, According To Xbox
"Personal connections" played a big role
One announcement we didn't see coming last month was Crystal Dynamics partnering with The Initiative to help bring the new Perfect Dark game to the next generation. Head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, elaborated on this surprise announcement (in the same appearance on the Kinda Funny Gamecast) -...
News Marvel's Avengers First-Look At Its Upcoming Raid Is Met With Backlash
Fans seem more interested in the XP Boosts
Last month, Marvel's Avengers received an updated roadmap for its post-launch content ahead of its Xbox Game Pass launch. One of the biggest inclusions coming to the game was the first-ever raid, and now Crystal Dynamics has provided a glimpse into what players should expect to come across. Based around...
Roundup Here's What The Critics Think About Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered
On Xbox for the very first time!
Back in September, Crystal Dynamics announced Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered - with this pair of PlayStation classics now set to make their Xbox debuts on December 10th. Well, ahead of that launch we're seeing some early reviews of this newly remastered collection, so we'll gather these initial...
News 'Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver 1-2 Remastered' Heading To Xbox In December 2024
Making their Xbox debuts!
After leaking on the web earlier today, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1-2 Remastered has officially been announced at Sony's State of Play showcase. Despite featuring at the PlayStation show, this new collection is confirmed for Xbox, marking the debuts of Soul Reaver 1 and 2 for Microsoft's platform. Much like Halo: Combat...
News Amazon's Tomb Raider Game Progressing Well Despite 'Everything Going On With Embracer'
"It never impacted on resources"
Back in late 2022, Amazon announced that it was working with Crystal Dynamics on a brand-new Tomb Raider game, and despite not hearing much about the project since, it sounds like things are coming along nicely. In a new chat with IGN, Amazon Games boss Christoph Hartmann discussed some of the company's current...
News More Crystal Dynamics Remasters Could Be On The Way
Evidence of Soul Reaver revivals surfaces
It looks like Crystal Dynamics could be reviving the 1999 action-adventure Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and its sequel. At San Diego Comic-Con this week, statues referencing 'Legacy of Kain I & II Remastered' have been spotted on display. This follows Dark Horse Comics announcing the comic book 'Legacy...
News Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Patch Makes Big Gameplay Changes On Xbox
Adds an outfit selector!
The latest patch for Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered has now landed, and it contains some pretty major features and updates for Xbox players. The team is "improving combat" when using the modern control scheme in this latest patch - and it's also added a new Outfit Selector option amongst a bunch of other fixes and changes...
Soapbox The Best Modern Tomb Raider Is Well Worth Your Time On Xbox Game Pass
The island of Yamatai awaits
May 2024's very first Xbox Game Pass update has brought Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition to the service more than 10 years after it launched on Xbox One, however, don't let the game's age put you off trying it out. This Tomb Raider reboot may have originated as an Xbox 360 game way back in 2013, but it's easily the best...
News Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (May 2)
A top-tier Tomb Raider title
Your first Xbox Game Pass title for May 2024 is officially here! Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is now live on the service, as Crystal Dynamics brings the Xbox One version of its Tomb Raider reboot to Game Pass. To this day we reckon this is one of the best Tomb Raider games ever, so if you've not tried it yet, we...
News Shadow Of The Tomb Raider Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (April 11)
A huge AAA adventure joins the library
Today's Xbox Game Pass update is delivering on all-things tomb raiding, as Eidos Montreal's Shadow of the Tomb Raider heads to the service. This title serves as the epic conclusion to Crystal Dynamics' rebooted Tomb Raider trilogy, and it's absolutely worth a play on Game Pass. Now, when this addition was
News Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Update Now Live, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
With a potential frame rate boost
A month ago, Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered finally brought the first three classic Tomb Raider titles to Xbox, and now the developer has deployed a new update that brings lots of fixes and changes across all three games. Now, alongside the patch notes — which we'll drop down below — we're seeing reports of the...
News Tomb Raider Fans Spot 'The Last Revelation' Teaser In 1-3 Remastered
Is Tomb Raider 4 coming?!
Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered only landed on Xbox last week, and fans are already discovering some interesting secrets tucked into the new collection. Specifically, TR fans have spotted what appears to be a teaser for Tomb Raider 4, or 'The Last Revelation', hidden within Tomb Raider 3 Remastered. Yep,
News Here's What The Reviews Are Saying About Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered
Available now on Xbox
Lara Croft is back on Xbox this week with a remaster of her original trilogy by Aspyr. Before we get into what other critics thought about Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered, be sure to check out our review here on Pure Xbox first. While we didn't necessarily agree with every decision made in the remaster collection, it still does a...
News Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Features Modern Control Scheme & 'A Few More Surprises'
Diving deep into the tombs
Believe it or not Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered is less than a month away from coming to Xbox, and ahead of its impending launch, the team at Aspyr has provided a deeper look at lots of the new features coming with these classic Tomb Raider reimaginings. Some of the headline changes here, or additions should we say, are to...
News Four Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (December 5)
It's a big day for the service!
December on Xbox Game Pass is really kicking into gear now! We've got four titles coming to the library today, including Crystal Dynamics' Rise of the Tomb Raider and Saber's World War Z - which includes the big Aftermath update featuring a first-person mode! Here are all the games coming to Xbox Game Pass today,...
News Xbox's Matt Booty Has Played The Perfect Dark Reboot And Is 'Very Excited'
He can't wait for fans to see it
One game absent from the recent Xbox Games Showcase was The Intiative's anticipated reboot of Perfect Dark. Fortunately, Xbox studio chief Matt Booty has provided a small but reassuring update during a chat with Axios, mentioning how he's actually been playing builds of the game and is loo
Talking Point Where Do You Want 'Tomb Raider' To Go Next?
The reboot is now 10 years old!
Time just goes by too fast doesn't it? My word, it's been a whole decade since developer Crystal Dynamics rebooted the Tomb Raider franchise, ushering gaming icon Lara Croft into a whole new era on March 5th, 2013. Since then, two solid sequels have cemented the reboot trilogy as a brilliant piece of the Tomb Raider...
Soapbox Tomb Raider Deserves A 'Resident Evil-Style' Remake
Embrace modernity
Tomb Raider: Anniversary, Crystal Dynamics' reimagining of the 1996 original, launched 15 years ago on Xbox 360 believe it or not. Yep, it's been a decade and a half since the series' sole remake hit Xbox, and its birthday has got me thinking about the future of the series. While I thoroughly enjoyed Crystal's recent trilogy,...
News 'Legacy Of Kain' Survey Quizzes Fans About Potential Franchise Return
Would you like to see it come back?
Last month, developer Crystal Dynamics announced that it had retained the rights to some of its biggest franchises following the move to Embracer Group. Those franchises include Tomb Raider, of course, but also Legacy of Kain, the team's late 90soriginal Xbox-era dark fantasy action series. Well, the dev now wants...
News Crystal Dynamics 'Takes Control' Of Tomb Raider, Legacy Of Kain Franchises
The current TR dev takes ownership
Some of you may recall that in the recent whirlwind of acquisition news, Embracer Group successfully picked up Square Enix's Western studios & IP. Those series' included Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief and more, and the current developer of Tomb Raider has announced that it will continue to take charge of that...
News Xbox Exec Dispels Negative Rumours About Perfect Dark & Crystal Dynamics
"How we make games is evolving..."
When The Initiative announced last year it would be partnering with Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics to bring the first-person spy thriller Perfect Dark to a new generation, concerns were raised about the state of the game. These claims about development problems were stamped out, with reports the game was...
News Perfect Dark Supposedly Coming Along 'Really Well' Despite Previous Reports
According to WC's Jez Corden
Since Perfect Dark's reboot was announced at TGA 2020, we've not really heard much positivity on its development. In fact, reports have since said that developer The Initiative was struggling to get development going, especially before Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics
News Marvel's Avengers Delayed Update Arrives This Week
Update: Going live today
Update #2 [Tue 29th Mar, 2022 02:30 BST]: The team has now confirmed the game will be going live at some point on 29th March (aka today). You can see the full patch notes over on the official game website. Update [Sat 26th Mar, 2022 04:45 GMT]: It's now looking like this delayed patch could be going live as soon as next...
News Square Enix Suggests Crystal Dynamics Was A Bad Fit For Marvel’s Avengers
"It has unfortunately not proven as successful as we would have liked"
Square Enix has kind of thrown Crystal Dynamics under the bus with a recent statement that suggests the studio was not the right team for Marvel's Avengers. In Square Enix's 2021 annual report, president Yosuke Matsuda spoke about how Marvel's Avengers was not as successful as...
News After Fan Backlash, Marvel's Avengers Removes Its Paid Consumables
"We apologise for not responding sooner"
Paid XP boosts were added to Marvel's Avengers last month which was met with some heavy criticism after Crystal Dynamics originally suggested it would never happen. Following such backlash, the developer has now reversed the decision and apologised. Both Hero Catalysts and Fragment Extractors were added, and...
News Crystal Dynamics Partnering On Perfect Dark Was Too Good To Pass Up, According To Xbox
"Personal connections" played a big role
One announcement we didn't see coming last month was Crystal Dynamics partnering with The Initiative to help bring the new Perfect Dark game to the next generation. Head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, elaborated on this surprise announcement (in the same appearance on the Kinda Funny Gamecast) -...
News Marvel's Avengers First-Look At Its Upcoming Raid Is Met With Backlash
Fans seem more interested in the XP Boosts
Last month, Marvel's Avengers received an updated roadmap for its post-launch content ahead of its Xbox Game Pass launch. One of the biggest inclusions coming to the game was the first-ever raid, and now Crystal Dynamics has provided a glimpse into what players should expect to come across. Based around...