What it is
Tomb Raider is Crystal Dynamics’ 2013 reboot of Lara Croft’s adventure series, recasting her as an inexperienced archaeologist fighting to survive a disastrous expedition. The Xbox 360 version remains a polished, highly cinematic action-adventure, although its emphasis is firmly on shooting and set pieces rather than the large, demanding tomb puzzles associated with earlier games.
- UK release
- Tuesday, 5 March 2013
- Platform
- Xbox 360 original release
- Developer
- Crystal Dynamics
- Publisher
- Square Enix
- UK price
- £39.99 standard-edition RRP at launch
- PEGI
- 18
- Genre
- Action-adventure with shooting, platforming and puzzle exploration
- Online mode
- Yes — competitive multiplayer for up to 8 players
Story and setting
Lara joins an expedition aboard the Endurance in search of Yamatai, a lost kingdom somewhere in the Dragon’s Triangle off the coast of Japan. A violent storm wrecks the ship, scattering Lara and the surviving crew across a remote island where hostile inhabitants, dangerous weather and the remains of earlier expeditions point to a much older mystery.
The story follows Lara’s transformation from a frightened young woman into the hardened survivor familiar from the later Survivor trilogy. It is deliberately more grounded and brutal than the earlier games, with Lara learning to hunt, climb, improvise equipment and defend herself while trying to rescue her friends. The island is a semi-open collection of connected areas rather than a conventional open world, and revisiting them with new gear reveals optional routes, collectibles and challenge tombs.
How it plays
Tomb Raider combines third-person shooting, platforming, stealth, exploration and environmental puzzles. Lara begins with limited equipment, then gains a bow, climbing axe, rope tools and weapon upgrades that open new paths through the island. Combat is based around free aiming, cover, movement and weapon switching, with stealth kills and long-range bow shots offering alternatives to simply exchanging gunfire.
The central campaign is mostly linear and heavily scripted, built around chases, collapses and large action sequences. Optional tombs provide the clearest link to classic Tomb Raider, but they are short, self-contained puzzles rather than sprawling multi-room expeditions. The skill and salvage systems add useful progression without turning the game into a full role-playing game, while fast travel makes it practical to return for missed secrets after completing a story section.
Online and post-launch content
The Xbox 360 release includes competitive online multiplayer for up to eight players, developed by Eidos-Montréal alongside Crystal Dynamics’ single-player campaign. It adapts Lara’s weapons, traversal and survival equipment into team-based matches between survivors and Solarii, with several modes, character unlocks and weapon upgrades. It is separate from the story campaign and does not provide online co-operative play through the main adventure.
Post-launch support added multiplayer maps, characters and outfits, alongside the optional Tomb of the Lost Adventurer challenge tomb. The complete later releases gathered the available downloadable content, including six bonus Lara outfits, eight online multiplayer maps and four multiplayer characters. There was no new full-length story campaign added to the original Xbox 360 version. The current operational status of its Xbox 360 matchmaking is not clearly confirmed by the publisher.
Platforms, editions and UK price
The original version launched in the UK on Tuesday, 5 March 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. This page concerns the Xbox 360 edition. A separate Definitive Edition arrived in 2014 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, rebuilding the presentation for newer hardware and bundling the downloadable content rather than serving as a patch for the original 360 disc.
The standard UK retail release had an RRP of £39.99. Collector’s and Survival editions were also produced, with physical extras and bonus content, but they are now used-market items rather than normally stocked new releases. Microsoft closed the Xbox 360 Store and Marketplace to new purchases on 29 July 2024. Previously purchased games and DLC remain playable, while the current Xbox storefront listing is for the separately sold Definitive Edition, which is cloud-playable with an eligible Game Pass subscription but still requires purchase.
Reception and verdict
Tomb Raider was well received at launch. Game Informer awarded the Xbox 360 version 9.25 out of 10, praising its balance of traversal, exploration and combat while describing the multiplayer as the weaker part of the package. Eurogamer scored it 8 out of 10, and IGN awarded 9.1 out of 10. Metacritic records an overall critic score of 86 out of 100 across platforms.
The main criticisms remain fair: Lara’s rapid shift from traumatised novice to highly capable killer can feel abrupt, the supporting cast is thin, and the optional tombs rarely match the ingenuity of the classic games. Even so, the bow combat, fluid traversal, strong animation and carefully staged survival sequences still make this one of the more accessible entries in the series. On Xbox 360, expect the original last-generation presentation, with a softer image and occasional performance dips in demanding scenes compared with the later Definitive Edition.
Not yet confirmed
- The current operational status of Tomb Raider’s Xbox 360 multiplayer matchmaking is not clearly confirmed by the publisher.
Tomb Raider: your questions
Is Tomb Raider 2013 available on Xbox 360?
Yes. The original Tomb Raider launched on Xbox 360 in the UK on 5 March 2013. Physical copies remain the straightforward way to buy it now, as the Xbox 360 Store stopped accepting new purchases in July 2024.
Does Tomb Raider have online multiplayer?
Yes. The Xbox 360 version includes competitive multiplayer for up to eight players, with team-based matches, several modes, unlockable characters and weapon upgrades. It is separate from the single-player campaign and does not include campaign co-op.
What is the difference between Tomb Raider and the Definitive Edition?
The Xbox 360 release is the original 2013 version. Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is a separate 2014 rebuild for newer consoles, with improved visuals and the released downloadable content included.
Is Tomb Raider 2013 on Game Pass?
The current Xbox listing is for Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, which is sold separately and can be played through cloud gaming with an eligible Game Pass subscription. The original Xbox 360 edition is not presented as the current Game Pass version.
Is Tomb Raider 2013 suitable for children?
No. The UK release is rated PEGI 18 for its violence and strong language, with several graphic death scenes and intense combat.
