Maxing Out Your Graphics Card With Tomb Raider Legend

Next Generation Content: All Or Nothing

In Tomb Raider Legend, Eidos does not offer much color about system requirements for Next Generation Content - and it either works or it does not. You're safe with a Geforce 6 or above, or with a Radeon from the X1x00 series, as far as graphics hardware power goes. However, Web forums report many problems, such as image glitches. The rumored cause is a badly optimized graphics driver, but a patent explanation does not exist. Meanwhile, the normal mode makes the game look much better than when Next Generation Content is turned on, and in other situations the graphics associated with Next Generation Content are just breathtaking.

Below, we use screenshots to show the optimum points for using both graphics modes. All images and settings were created and tested with a Geforce 6800 GT and Forceware driver 84.21. The images have not been modified, so that you can better see the differences.

With Next Generation mode activated, the first level is not impressive. Many plants disappear, and the environment is gloomy. You cannot do anything without turning on the flashlight or switching to normal mode.

Lara is not always brightly lit, whilethe stone squares and rocks have depth and structure. Rays of light are more strongly cross faded.

In Lara's apartment light and shadow are perfectly matched.. The images of the walls show you just what you would be missing without Next Generation Content.