Rise of the Tomb Raider 20 Year Celebration Switch 2 Review – Revisiting Lara and Her Rise

To think that it has been nearly 11 years since Rise of the Tomb Raider was released. I played the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot on PS3, and when I heard that it would take the series in a grittier direction while retelling Lara Croft’s origin story, I was skeptical. I grew up with the original PlayStation games, polygons and all, during the era when Lara became one of gaming’s biggest icons. Surprisingly, I didn’t mind the rebooted origin story. It was a solid experience and an enjoyable adventure.

Now that Rise of the Tomb Raider has arrived on the Nintendo Switch 2, does it still hold up after all these years? Overall, yes. Granted, plenty of time has passed, and some of the mechanics and gameplay now feel dated, but this port retains what made the original version so enjoyable while introducing some general improvements. The team at Aspyr has done a fine job, much like it did with the other recent Tomb Raider collections.

Game Name: Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration
Platform(s): Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, macOS, Linux, Stadia, Nintendo Switch 2
Reviewed On: Nintendo Switch 2
Publisher: Aspyr
Developer: Crystal Dynamics, Aspyr
Release Date(s): June 8, 2026

A Product of Its Time

There are still plenty of things to enjoy in this rerelease of Rise of the Tomb Raider. It comes from a time when games felt simpler and action titles often placed greater emphasis on telling a focused story. This second chapter of Lara Croft’s rebooted journey sends her to Siberia in search of the lost city of Kitezh. Along the way, the story continues developing Lara into the Tomb Raider fans know, especially those who grew up with the original games. She faces Trinity, a secret organization searching for the source of immortality, while also learning more about her father’s history and the Croft legacy.

A simple and straightforward story still manages to deliver its share of twists and turns. The action sequences, environmental exploration, and relic hunting retain the gameplay loop introduced in Lara’s first rebooted adventure and expand upon it here. Nearly every activity rewards XP, which can be used to unlock skills covering stealth, crafting, survival, and combat. So, if you have a completionist mentality and enjoy working through a checklist, this is the game for you. The voice performances remain strong, and discovering an artifact often unlocks an audio recording that helps pull you deeper into its history and the larger story.

Nintendo Switch 2 Differences

In terms of content, you are getting everything. This includes Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch, Cold Darkness Awakened, Blood Ties, Lara’s Nightmare, Endurance Mode, and Co-op Endurance. Lara’s alternative outfits and additional weapons are also included. Every major piece of content released for the game is included in this edition.

Now, what about performance? On a 1080p display, the game delivers a solid presentation with convincing effects. Fire, water, and the surrounding environments all look good, while the temples and mountain views remain impressive to look at. The draw distance is also impressive and rarely breaks the illusion. That said, this is still a nearly 11-year-old game originally designed for Xbox 360 and Xbox One, so the Switch 2 should be capable of handling it comfortably. The game’s muted, gray-heavy color palette also reflects the era in which it was released, and I had to adjust the contrast and display settings to get the image where I wanted it. There were also moments when the in-game sun glare became intense enough that I needed to make a few more adjustments. Still, the dirt, dust, and environmental detail do a good job of making the tombs feel old, dangerous, and lived in.

My biggest gripe with the port is its frame rate. I would have preferred the game to run more smoothly than its 30 FPS target, especially on the more powerful Switch 2 hardware. Call me spoiled by modern releases, but after playing Nintendo Switch 2 editions of games such as Breath of the Wild and Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, I know that developers and porting studios can deliver significant performance improvements when the hardware is properly utilized. That being said, Aspyr has still done a respectable job with the port. The studio has already shown that it understands Tomb Raider through its recent remastered collections, and that experience is visible here.

If Aspyr is eventually tasked with bringing Shadow of the Tomb Raider to the Nintendo Switch 2, this port gives me confidence that the studio could handle it. In handheld mode, the game maintained a stable 30 FPS, while docked mode offered a sharper image. As long as you do not mind the frame-rate cap, you should have a good time. Leaderboards are also available for players who want to compete for high scores, providing another decent way to extend the playtime.

A Fine Port and Worthy Journey

Simply put, this is a great way to experience one of Lara Croft’s older adventures. If you can overlook some dated design choices and the limited frame rate, it remains a solid game that should be experienced at least once. Although I wish Aspyr had raised the frame-rate ceiling, the core gameplay still delivers the tomb hunting, exploration, gunplay, and dangerous adventures fans have come to expect. The history behind the artifacts is engrossing, and this second chapter of Lara Croft’s rebooted origin story remains a solid tale. Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration is still a fine game and a worthwhile addition to the Nintendo Switch 2 library.

Review Disclosure Statement: Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration for Nintendo Switch 2 was provided to us by Square Enix for review purposes. For more information on how we review games and other media, please see our Review Guidelines/Scoring Policy.

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