The Introduction Tomb Raider was one of the most anticipated games originally announced for the Sega Saturn. With a sultry female lead and the promise of caverns and perils galore, the game ended up coming out on both the PlayStation and the Saturn. While the Saturn version is pretty admirable in its own right, the PlayStation version regretfully began to show the true short comings of the Saturn. In this episode of Battle Mode, we'll cover the reasons why the PSX version did so well against the original version.

Evidence A: Following the clues...

Here we have the first area of the game, a small cavern entrance that Lara will enter after taking down a pack of wolves in the opening CG movie. If you click the movie into 720p mode, you'll have a better view of the differences. The wall textures look pretty even to the naked eye, but it's the snow that gives away the Saturn's problem with texture rendering. You begin to see the pixels in the white snow areas, which then lead your eyes to seeing how the lower resolution scans are on the rock walls and overhangs. Also take note of how the Saturn has a much more muddy lighting style. While it does give a more spooky atmosphere, it's clear it's not a lighting effect, but a short coming in the Sega machine's visuals. Tack that onto the PlayStation's better FMV quality and this first blow goes to Sega. Conclusion: PlayStation

Evidence B: My, what big...5 o'clock shadows you have...

Remember that lighting issue? It takes center stage here on the characters. Specifically, notice in the Saturn how the texture isn't blended properly - it looks like Lara needs to shave, and her arm wire frame is clearly visible. More obvious is the water - a fairly clear texture resides on the water's surface in PlayStation, but the Saturn version looks like someone dumped a box of soap suds into the cavern. Hell, Larson looks like two completely different people.  Conclusion: PlayStation

Evidence C: The tale of two textures...

This screenshot from the PlayStation version's game page was the perfect chance to show off the Saturn's "mud" issue. The ancient ruin ahead of Lara looks like it was soaked in chocolate sauce in the Sega version. Another oddity is the water. The PSX has the green tint on both sides of the surface - meaning it's still green if you were swimming below it. In the Saturn, the green only appears to you if you're approaching from below. Not sure if this was an oversight or a short coming.   Conclusion: PlayStation

 

Evidence D: One last swim...

Finally, here's the up close study of Lara's bu...I mean the water. The Sony version has this blue filter that helps with the illusion of being in water - note how Lara's tone matches her environment. With the Saturn, it's clear that well...it's just clear. The use of bubbles coming from her movement are the only clue you're underwater when no surface is in view. The foam also rears its ugly head again, you can't even see that corner rock structure that's in front of Lara in the Saturn version. Conclusion: PlayStation Final Verdict: Duh... No one's going to argue the amazing overall quality of the game itself. No matter your gear, it's a nostalgic romp in one of the industry's biggest trend setters. When it comes down to the superiority in visual quality though, the treasures are all on the PlayStation.