Collector's Editions

Tomb Raider Survival Edition

Tomb Raider, a reboot of the long running game series, was released in early 2013 for multiple systems. Three different retail versions of the game were made available: the regular one, the Collector’s Edition (the contents of which vary by region), and the Survival Edition, which is the one right here. Finally, there are some versions that were exclusive to certain retail stores in the UK, with some unique digital content. The Survival Edition was released only in Europe.

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The Survival Edition comes in a nice looking card-paper box, that folds open sideways. The first thing we like about this is the fact that, contrary to most collector’s editions made of paper, this one feels really sturdy. There’s a nice art on it, and the front and back have a fancy sheen to them.

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Of course some extras are also included.

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The first thing you’ll see when opening the box, is the so called ‘Protective Survival Pouch’, which is a small, black bag with the game’s logo on it as well as some symbols. It has a string attached to it and can be opened and closed using velcro.

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The next item included is a ‘double-sided island map and poster’. This means there’s a poster on one side and map of the game’s island on the other. The problem with including a poster is the fact that it has to be folded in order to fit into the box, so it’s never really going to look good on your wall. But the map is a nice extra, you don’t see that so often anymore.

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Then there’s an art book, which is a bit small, but at least it has a hard cover, and we like the dimensions of the pages. There are some really nice artworks in it, especially the environments. On the first page there’s a comment by the senior art director, and the end is reserved for character artworks.

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Also included: some downloadable content. The first code gives you access to 10 downloadable tracks from the original score. While it is nice to have the soundtrack, we really prefer to have it on CD as opposed to a download you can only use on your console. Also, 10 tracks seems a little bit meager, but, oh well.

Tomb-Raider

There’s also a code with which you can register on Square-Enix’ website, and one for the multiplayer that gives you a ‘Hitman Absolution Weapons Pack’: 3 guns from Hitman to be used in the Tomb Raider online mode. Lastly, the game comes with a 14 day Gold trial for Xbox Live.

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While this may not be the most amazing collector’s edition we’ve seen, there isn’t much to complain about either. We like the box, it’s sturdy and compact, and the art book is better than what you usually get. You also have to keep in mind that this was never intended as an expensive collector’s item, it was about the same price as the regular version, with the Collector’s Edition being the pricy choice. So, a pretty good collector’s edition for its price.