Incredible, Tiny Details in Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Skin Blemishes and Imperfections
In the real world, as much as some people would hate to admit it, nobody’s perfect. And that’s a trait that the teams at Eidos Montreal and Crystal Dynamics have ensured are passed onto the many different characters in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Taking a look at Lara’s loyal companion, Jonah, up close in cutscenes, you’ll notice that his face isn’t some perfectly clear-skinned masterpiece. He’s been through some stuff, and he’s only human.
So he’s got all the usual human things to have. The odd mole above his eyebrow, a couple freckles here and there, bags under his eyes. Jonah generally looks like your typical everyday guy who’s been on a few too many life-endangering adventures. The fact that the developers spent so much time painstakingly detailing characters’ faces for cutscenes and general gameplay is staggering, particularly considering many wouldn’t even notice if Jonah was bright-eyed and had perfect skin.
Incredible, Tiny Details in Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Stunning Foliage
While Lara is certainly the star of the show in the Tomb Raider franchise, the environmental artists and designers over at Eidos Montreal and Crystal Dynamics really outdid themselves in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. From towering trees covered in bugs going about their daily lives, to individual blades of grass, Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s environments are teeming with realistic, lush foliage that really helps to nail that uncharted territory feel.
Though we doubt the average player is going to obsessively angle their camera as we did above to appreciate the detail, you don’t need to. Simply running through the dense Peruvian jungle will give you enough time and get you close enough to marvel at the light beating down on waxy leaves, or the brown, dead sections of leaf contrasting against the dark greens of their surroundings. It’s not just certain plants, either. Each and every plant, tree, or other bit of foliage you spot has been painstakingly modeled to make you feel as though you’re actually walking through a dynamic and real-life environment.
Incredible, Tiny Details in Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Lara’s Insanely Detailed Hair
It’s not just the characters’ skin that look incredibly realistic, but their hair, too. In particular, it’s Lara’s that stood out to us as we leapt across enormous gaps, rappelled down cliff faces, and scrambled up the side of buildings. With every movement that Lara makes, her hair reacts. Sprinting sees it bouncing around and flapping in the wind. Each strand of hair almost individually reacting to its surroundings.
Hair physics aren’t in every game right now, especially those that have hairless characters, ’cause that’d be weird! Yet, it’s these tiny, excruciating details that help to bring the likes of Lara and Jonah to life, and makes the environments they’re exploring feel more than some static toy world they’re free to explore without consequences. Heck, Lara’s hair even gets unkempt and a bit messy at points, too!
Incredible, Tiny Details in Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Nod Yo Head
Shadow of the Tomb Raider sees Lara exploring all manner of locations, from cities, to lush jungles, and of course, creepy tombs filled with ancient secrets and wondrous technology. Sometimes, though, you’ll come across something on your adventure that gives Lara the chance to take a break from all the hard work entailed in saving the world from a Mayan apocalypse. Be it taking a break at one of the base camps, helping out an NPC with a more menial problem, or just enjoying the musical talents of the locals.
Every once in a while, you’ll come across groups of natives who are playing and dancing to music. Should Lara head over to join them and stand by them, it won’t be long until the rhythm is too much for her to resist, and she’ll begin happily bobbing and nodding her head along with the music. Proof that even the most hardened explorers can find the time to appreciate some quality music… and that they love a good bop, too!
Incredible, Tiny Details in Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Lara’s Necklace
If you thought skin imperfections and incredibly detailed hair physics were incredible, albeit possibly unnecessary, you haven’t seen nothing yet. Eidos Montreal and Crystal Dynamics outdid themselves a little bit here. Whenever you’re watching a cutscene with Lara, take a quick look at the insane level of detailing. No no, not on the straps of her backpack, or even the textured look of her clothing, but that necklace.
Though it may be a little more difficult to see in the image above, Lara’s necklace in Shadow of the Tomb Raider has an insane level of detail from the pendant itself, to the piece of string keeping it around her neck.
Look carefully, and you’ll actually be able to make out the intricate pattern and indentations on the pendant. And if you really peer at the necklace itself, you can make out the individual strands of material woven together to make it more durable. Would anyone have even noticed if it had been a simple loop of fabric with a plain pendant dangling off it? Probably not, but we certainly appreciate how incredible the character models look thanks to all of these minor details the developer has added to each of them.
Published: Sep 17, 2018 09:30 am