Tomb Raider: Underworld

2008 Crystal Dynamics Action, Adventure

Windows 11With a fix

MacNot sold

LinuxGold

Steam DeckUnsupported

Gamicality score

Metacritic 804

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 751

How it’s combined

Playability today

3.5

Runs today3.5/5

Design today3/5

Steam user reviews

Mostly Positive

77%

6,186 reviews1

Get it on Steam Watch the trailer

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Tomb Raider: Underworld run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11With a fix

Runs with a fix. See the steps below.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not sold

No Mac version is sold.

LinuxGold

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Gold, runs perfectly after tweaks.3

Steam DeckUnsupported

Unsupported, as rated by Valve.1

Played Tomb Raider: Underworld lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

How to get Tomb Raider: Underworld running today

If the game crashes at startup on a CPU with more than 31 threads, install the TRLAU Menu Hook, or start it with a batch command that limits it to fewer cores, as described on PCGamingWiki.
Turn on VSync and run at 60 Hz or a 60 FPS cap, since higher frame rates break physics objects and puzzles (PCGamingWiki).
If audio crackles, set the Windows output sample rate to 96000 Hz or lower (PCGamingWiki).

Synopsis

Tomb Raider: Underworld is a third-person action adventure that closes Crystal Dynamics' Legend trilogy, following Lara Croft on a hunt tied to Norse myth from the Mediterranean seabed to Thailand and Mexico. Levels are large, mostly open ruins built around climbing, swimming, physics puzzles with ancient machinery and occasional gunfights.

Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Released: 2008
Genre: Action, Adventure
Where to get it: Steam

Reception

Critics liked it, with a PC Metascore of 80, praising the scale of the tombs, the puzzles and the detailed scenery. The same reviews faulted a troublesome camera, jumps and grabs that do not always go where Lara faces, and too little guidance, which leaves players unsure where to go. Today Steam players rate it Mostly Positive at about 77 percent, while many note that it needs VSync or a frame cap to stop physics and puzzle bugs on modern PCs.

Trailer from Steam

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

3.5/5

Sold or given away today by an official source
Needs fan patches to run well on Windows 11
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
Some content no longer works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
The two story DLC episodes, Beneath the Ashes and Lara's Shadow, were Xbox 360 exclusives and never came to PC (PCGamingWiki).
Supports modern resolutions and widescreen
Native 16:9 and 16:10 support with 4K, while ultrawide needs a hack and field of view cannot be changed (PCGamingWiki).
Full controller support or remappable controls
Full controller support with remapping for both gamepad and keyboard (PCGamingWiki).
Not Steam Deck Verified or Playable
No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
Startup crashes on CPUs with many threads and physics bugs at high frame rates both have known workarounds, and the remaining soft locks can be undone by loading an earlier save (PCGamingWiki).

Design today

3/5

Controls feel awkward on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Jump and grab inputs are unreliable: Lara sometimes leaps away from the direction she faces or misses ledges that look climbable, which causes many cheap deaths. Source: cubed3.com, metacritic.com.
Menus, text and interface are clear on today's screens
The game renders natively in 16:9 and 16:10 up to 4K, and its menus and sparse on-screen display stay readable on modern screens. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.
Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progress
Passing a checkpoint saves automatically and the game reloads there after a death or restart, and manual saves can be made at any time as a backup, so little progress is lost. Source: tombraiders.net.
Hard to make progress without a guide
Grabbable ledges are no longer clearly marked and some puzzles are cryptic, so players often stand around unsure what to do next. Source: cubed3.com, metacritic.com.
Pacing holds up: little grind, filler or forced backtracking
Each level is a self-contained tomb with a steady mix of climbing, puzzles and short fights, and reviewers singled out the level design as a strength. Source: cubed3.com, metacritic.com.
Camera or movement fights the player
The camera often plays up during climbing and jumps, a complaint several critics shared at release. Source: cubed3.com, metacritic.com.