The Differences Between Uncharted And Tomb Raider, According To Lara Croft Dev

Eidos Montreal tells Gamespot what it thinks the main differences are between the Tomb Raider series and its rival, Uncharted.

"The tone is a little different--they're more grounded with their mythology, and we're more magical," Jason Dozois, Shadow's narrative director, told GameSpot. "They're more humor-oriented and we're a bit more drama-oriented. I think we have a uniqueness on the exploration side."

[ArchangelMike]

For me the difference is in the writing, as evidenced in the depth and believability of the characters, especially the supporting cast. Then there's the over all production values and attention to detail; in each subsequent game there has been significant gameplay iteration and innovation.

Tomb Raid has come a long long way, and I loved Rise of the Tomb Raider (I actually bought two copies so that me and my mate could play the co-op - I loved it that much). However I think Uncharted stands in a league of it own, especially with Uncharted 2 and 4 setting Gold standards.

[Spurg]

I completely agree with you but when it comes to gameplay Tomb Raider is more adventurous than Uncharted. Uncharted has worked with the same formula with slight changes here and there.Tomb raiders gunplay, platforming and exploration makes the gameplay better than Uncharted.

[SCW1982]

Tomb raiders gunplay is terrible, the only good weapon in the entire game is the bow.

[DrumBeat]

Agreed. Tomb Raider's supporting characters aren't compelling at all, and Uncharted's visuals are a clear step above that of Tomb Raider's.

Jonah is just goddamn annoying. Something big needs to happen with him. Like death. If not death, maybe get romantically involved with Lara and end the story. He's been a frustrating throwaway since Rise, so I hope something significant happens with him here.

[carcarias]

Heh, the subjectivity of games never ceases to surprise. So many people here talking as if certain aspects of one game being better than another are objective fact. I remember being blown away by Shadow of the Colossus and excitedly lending it to a friend, who largely loved the same kind of games I did, only to have him return it to me saying it was weird and boring. Was he wrong? Of course not, if he found it boring then that was his experience of it. End of story.

When it comes to these two giant franchises, my experience has been as follows.

- I prefer Uncharted's characters; better scripts, more lovable, more humorous, more believable.

- I thought Uncharted's production values and environments just about pip Tomb Raiders at the post but only because of Uncharted 2&3. It's really close. I preferred the last two Tomb Raiders in these aspects to the other two Uncharted games though.

- I had a great sense of exploration in the Uncharted games but I do love the slight Metroid-like feel of Tomb Raider. I'm tempted to say it's a draw but I'm gonna give it to Uncharted by a hair's breadth.

- I enjoy Tomb Raider's combat more, namely with regard to stealth, stealth take downs and violent melee finishers. Gunplay is a draw.

- I very much enjoy the skill trees of Tomb Raider and how I can accentuate certain aspects of the gameplay based on my preferences. I also enjoy the feeling of satisfaction that comes from becoming more powerful, knowing that my thorough exploration of all areas, as well as all that XP from stealth kills and headshots, led me to these rewards as soon as possible. I didn't give a rat's arse about collecting stuff in Uncharted. Obviously Uncharted doesn't have skill trees so it's a win for TR in this area because that's my bag baby ;)

- I give the edge to TR in terms of amusing puzzles too since they have lots of little puzzles of a great variety throughout the environment and also quite a few actual Tombs, which are larger and more intensive. Don't get me wrong, I liked Uncharted's big set piece puzzles, they were very grand, but they are few and far between compared to TR.

- I prefer TR's all out embracing of the mystical. Yeah, it's the Indiana Jones kid in me.

So, the bottom line is that I enjoy these two franchises very much but, since I always prioritise gameplay mechanics, I have to give the edge to TR but that's like saying I slightly prefer Sapphire to Ruby. No, the gemstones not the Pokemon :)

In the end, I feel I'm just a lucky gamer to have both of these titles in my life.

[ForeverTheGoat]

Ehhh story wise uncharted beats tomb raider but gameplay tomb raider is better. I wouldn’t say it stands in a league of its own like you do

[rainslacker]

For me, the set pieces aren't as clever in TR.

Story I agree with you. UC always has good stories, and the only time they're said to not be good, is in comparison to UC2.

TR seems more formulistic, despite UC actually playing out more like a serial type narrative.

UC, you actually care about the characters, because they all have their motivations clear, they're likable, and they all have their own personalities which fit well into the story. TR, they just have these random people who are helping Lara who we're supposed to care about because apparently Lara does, but her motivations are pretty trivial, and she acts like a wide eyed kindergartner every time she discovers something which apparently she should be pretty used to. Also, Lara really has no character development which doesn't feel forced.

ROTTR I did feel had better level design for the open world. It was open, but not boring, and it felt more natural moving from one story part or quest to another because of the way it was all laid out. UC4 had open areas, but they were still linear to the next section. Other UC games didn't try to be as open, so I won't compare them.

Game play wise, I find them both really good, so I can't say one is better than the other. But I did feel that the climbing aspects in ROTTR felt rather sluggish compared to UC, which was usually pretty fun....although they did too much of it for too long of a stretch in UC4.

[Automatic79]

I love both games in there own right. I would say the narrative driven rxperiences/stories are worlds apart, the TombRaiding and exploration are what set TombRaider apart, Uncharted has a charming/light hearted/gritty approach to action and exploration. The climbing mechanics are completely different but similar on both games. The biggest difference for me is in the weapons and leveling up system for TombRaider its leagues ahead of Uncharted. Uncharted has yet to touch Crossbows and the guns become repetitive as opposed to how you can improve them on TombRaider. I am happy there is two great action/adventure games.

[Skankinruby]

I hated the leveling up system in tomb raider, this is not the kind of game you tack rpg elements onto. It was tedious and annoying.

[LucasRuinedChildhood]

I appreciate the new Tomb Raider games but mechanically, Uncharted far surpasses Tomb Raider. The shooting, climbing, cover system, etc are just far better. You're given finer control over Nathan than Lara. These aspects of Rise Of The Tomb Raider are inferior to Uncharted 2, let alone Uncharted 4. There's a reason that the multiplayer in the first Tomb Raider reboot didn't work out. The gameplay is fun but it's less responsive and not good enough to smoothly translate to MP. Uncharted's gameplay, on the hand, was well suited to mp. Random RPG systems don't automatically mean that a game has better gameplay.

I despise these situations where if a game has a incredible story or it's a tad more linear, then it's gameplay gets downplayed or disqualified. I've already seen people do it with RDR2 (minus the linearity).

[ForeverTheGoat]

Nah. I mean if you played any third person shooter, You’ve played uncharted. Gameplay wise tomb raider is better because at least you’re given more options on how to handle things. You say the RPG system don’t mean anything but it keeps tomb raider gameplay from getting kinda stale like uncharted does after some hours.

[AspiringProGenji]

Drake is already a professional. He doesn’t need Leveling system. You could use crossbows in U2 and were really OP as well

[DrumBeat]

Tomb Raider is a little less linear, and a bulk of the game revolves around hunting and scrounging, which you get absorbed in. This gives you more to do, so I can see how some people prefer Tomb Raider's exploratory gameplay. I'll still take Uncharted over Tomb Raider any day of the week, though.

[rainslacker]

While the leveling system in Rise was OK, although didn't make sense considering you can make better weapons through random crap found around the world(something I felt in TLOU also), it actually broke the game if you leveled up enough. You could put silencers on all your weapons, and the bow was already a silent killer. This made the game exceptionally easy, even on the Survivor mode. For the most part, stealth was too easy in Rise, and too much space was given to stealth through any situation. Some areas of UC4 were like this, but getting through any area completely stealthed was rare on some of the harder parts.

[Jls1]

uncharted= easy, tomb raider =more challenging. I almost missed the plat just because of this stage alone.
https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[LucasRuinedChildhood]

Rise Of The Tomb Raider on the hardest difficulty was piss easy (minus the version of the highest difficulty with no checkpoints), especially since you can abuse the healing system if you get into any trouble. All of the Uncharted games' basic hard mode provided a much greater challenge. I liked Rise Of The Tomb Raider btw but it was easy.

[Jls1]

Im not talking about the story of rise of the tomb raider. Im talking about getting gold on score attack on all levels.
In uncharted 4 you can cheat use infinite ammo, with the barok, and use auto aim on crushing mode. The only Uncharted that was challenging was the first one and it got easier from then on.

[AspiringProGenji]

The Don’t use the cheats. How about that?

[Jls1]

how about learn to spell lol.

[Snookies12]

@Jls1 - You're talking about spelling errors when you lack any capitalization? Oh the irony...

[rainslacker]

More challenging? I can't agree. Particularly if you level up your weapons. The leveling system actually broke the game IMO. I got gold on score attack on all levels in about two days. It wasn't particularly difficult when you use the card modifiers. A couple levels were harder, but if you were careful enough, you could cheese your way through most of them. one or two challenging levels does not a more challenging game make. UC4 on the hardest setting, had areas where you simply couldn't cheese your way through, stealth was impossible for the whole stage, and resource management was a must. Not once on my survivor playthrough of ROTTR did I feel that challenged, and I usually don't care to play the hardest mode just for a trohphy because I find it annoying more often than not.

[TheGamingArt]

Is this a joke comment?

[Moe-Gunz]

Uncharted I cared about not only the main character but the supporting cast too. Tomb Raider I can't even name them.

[InKnight7s]

Lara origins and mmmm... waiting for Lara with two pistols.

[Wotbot]

Both great franchises with different styles of game mechanics and story telling, tomb raider is far more grittier and more appealing in certain areas and Uncharted has all the treasure hunting adventure charm you want, I’m so glad they are different but still brilliant at the same time.

[HeisenbergX]

One is a chick the other one is a dude

[thexmanone]

And i will take the chick over the dude anyday

[HeisenbergX]

as would i xD

but Uncharted > Tomb Raider anyday

[343_Guilty_Spark]

One is a Metroidvania the other isn’t

[XxExacutionerxX]

I just can’t connect with the characters or story in Tomb Raider the same as I did with Uncharted... I just have a hard time believing that Lara Croft can kill as many people as she does like Rambo and then interact the way that she does with other characters who are not as interesting as herself. I know that Nathan Drake does almost the same thing but I feel closer to that character and the other characters in Uncharted because he’s taking me on an adventure and me get to meet other interesting characters along the way and bad guys. I havent played Uncharted in a long time but I remember a lot of things that happen after because it was that much a thrill ride. I don’t remember much of both Tomb Raider games, it doesn’t have that “ unforgettable wow scene”. Tomb Raider is like rated R survival movie with a low budget and Uncharted is like a summer action blockbuster movie that simply just has a larger audience.

[capjacksparrow]

Tomb Raider does a better job of allowing the player to explore the world and do more things. The issue for me is this; you have to give me a reason to want to do that. I have no interest in the characters or storytelling. I beat Rise of the Tomb Raider and only completed one additional tomb. Even though Uncharted games are linear, they have a lot of heart and the characters have depth. I care about Nate, Sully, and Elena. The end of Uncharted 4 was perfect. Loved those games. In RotTR, I watched two characters conversing, wondering whether Jonah (or was it Jonas?) was in the previous game. Completely missed what was actually going on and didn't care to go back and figure it out. Characters and events are forgettable. It's a shallow romp, but it can be fun for people who just want some gameplay style with light substance.

[rainslacker]

LOL. I wondered the same about Jonah as well. Wasn't sure if he was just some random dude they threw in for narrative progression, or if he was an established character. I also wondered whatever happened to that asian friend of hers that was her entire motivation for the narrative of the first game. Then realized I couldn't remember her, or any other persons name from the first. I also wondered whatever happened to all of that supportive cast she had in the first game, that apparently she required to do anything, because she didn't seem like that good of an explorer without their help. Then I realized that in the first game, I really can't remember anything that happened except the ship crashing, the sexual assault scene because the press made a fuss about it, and a scene where she gets impaled while going down a river...because it was on Conon O'Brian and I remember his reaction to it over and over again.

And you know what....I never cared to go see if Jonah was in the first either.

But for giggles, I did go look it up to reply to this comment, and he was in it. I don't remember his part, or what his purpose for being there was, or how he interacted with Lara in the first, but he's listed as one of the characters.

[capjacksparrow]

You remember more than I do. It really is quite a sad state of affairs when your characters and previous plot line are so forgettable that you spend time trying to remember what happened in the previous game while a cutscene passes you by.

[DrumBeat]

Shadow of the Tomb Raider seems lukewarm to me, which is never a good state to be in. From what I've seen, it lacks character, and is vapid. It looks like more for the sake of more. Honestly I was surprised at how quickly the game was announced and subsequently finished. It felt rushed, and the videos seem to reflect that. Not even a visual bump, in fact one could make the case the visuals have regressed.

That said, I'll probably purchase it and play it when I'm desperate. Perhaps by then a more complete edition will be out. This game is low priority for me.

[galmi]

story goes to uncharted, gameplay goes to tomb raider

[Knightofelemia]

I like both Uncharted and Tomb Raider I got Shadow of the Tomb Raider preordered and I wish Sony would pump out a new Uncharted game soon.

[InTheLab]

I would prefer Tomb Raider go back to it's original style. I played the latest TR and thought, I've played this game already and it's called Uncharted.

The classic TR franchise should have been updated. Don't copy the genre leader. Try and beat them!

[AK91]

Uncharted - better storytelling, writing, acting, graphics and production values.

Tomb Raider - much more varied gameplay.

[chiefJohn117]

Narrative and adventure.
Uncharted has better built characters and narrative while TR is more adventurous.

[Davidgr2]

Naughty Dog takes their time to do their research to make sure Uncharted’s setting is accurate.
Eidos Montréal half baked their first Tomb Raider game, and somehow Mayans existed in South America. Character models, water detail, and AI is horrible compared to Rise of the Tomb Raider. Crystal Dynamics did an amazing job with Tomb Raider 2013 and Rise of the Tomb Raider, who’s dumb idea was to change the developer for the third current gen game?

[-Foxtrot]

Ones better then the other and 4 games in along with a prequel it didn’t need to change its roots to be relevant where it’s basically a new IP

Unlike LARA: First Blood III

[Jinger]

Tomb raider just has better gameplay while uncharted had the better character and stories... besides 4... that damn forced in brother, terribly done origin story, poor pacing and lack of any mysticism really killed uc4 for me

[microgenius]

There is just one system that can pay both
:-)

[Shineon]

Dont talk negative about uncharted its an exclusive

[bumbleforce]

Listen guys. Dont aite here and say uncharted has good gunplay. Its average gunplay wrapped in pretty graphics and a great story. Tomb raider has Awesome gameplay wrapped in a good but not great story.

[BlaqMagiq1]

I love both but I'll take Uncharted over Tomb Raider any day.