I never beat the first level. Kept drowning. I'd shoot the butler a lot because he scared me.
Remaster version like the other 2
Definitely the weakest entry of the 3, it has some good highs, some good puzzles, a good balance of combat, but the lows are pretty low, especially some vehicle sections. The level design can be extremely cheap and gotcha, with some puzzles being way too cryptic and some secrets probably impossible to find without a guide.
Still decent, and it wouldn't take too much to make it way better. I liked the "pick your adventure" aspect, and it kept the locations fresh.
A bit weird that the remaster didn't fix a soft lock I encountered in the infamous aldwych level, forcing me to restart the level after an hour of exploration.
Definitely the weakest entry of the 3, it has some good highs, some good puzzles, a good balance of combat, but the lows are pretty low, especially some vehicle sections. The level design can be extremely cheap and gotcha, with some puzzles being way too cryptic and some secrets probably impossible to find without a guide.
Still decent, and it wouldn't take too much to make it way better. I liked the "pick your adventure" aspect, and it kept the locations fresh.
A bit weird that the remaster didn't fix a soft lock I encountered in the infamous aldwych level, forcing me to restart the level after an hour of exploration.
Reaching the end of a trilogy is always exciting to me. Ideally, it's the conclusion of all the previous lessons learned and the moment everything gets tied together into one satisfying bundle. The PS1 is probably the console I think of the most when it comes to looking back at trilogies by single developers, simply because it had so many different ones during its life-span. Crash, Spyro, Resident Evil and even to some extent Final Fantasy. I think there is something special about seeing a game series in different stages of refinement, clearly being able to observe how a developer's ideas evolve over time. And yes, of course Tomb Raider went through that aswell. With the continued smash hit of TR2, Lara Croft was now without question video game royalty and Core Design was yet again given no breaks in pumping out another sequel for publisher Eidos Interactive. Setting aside the undoubtedly horrid working conditions at Core Design during the development process, I find it once again incredible how TR3 released only a year after its predecessor. And after my new-found love for this franchise was only reinforced by how much I enjoyed TR2, I was excited to jump into Lara's third adventure.
Sadly, as you can already guess from the rating, this turned out to be a massive disappointment. As the hours passed and the downward spiral of bad level design began, I became more and more miserable having to put up with everything Tomb Raider 3 was throwing at me. I was worn down and finally broken when I reached the end. I don't want this to be a rant about how much I hate this game. I still do, but there are so many fantastic qualities here that I can not even stoop so low as to call this a lazy sequel. Core Design really cared. It's just that all the visible care and love gets utterly crushed under the weight of unfair difficulty and a lack of polish, most likely due to razor tight deadlines along with an overworked staff. So let me go through the positives first before I start falling down the rabbit hole that has become my absolute hatred for this game.
Tomb Raider 3 has the best locations in the series so far. There is an incredible leap in art design at display here. Be it the opening trek through the jungles of India, the massive canyons in Nevada or looking out over the rooftops of Nighttime London. Levels feel lived in, in a way Tomb Raider 2 was still struggling with. The updated engine makes everything look so much less blocky, which the designers take full advantage off. I love the lighting, the colors and the great texture work. The atmosphere is so good, and I wish more games would take what Core Design accomplished here as an example. Really, in terms of atmosphere, TR3 doesn't miss even once. I love just standing in these maps and soaking it all in, ready to be pulled along into more adventures. It helps of course that the soundtrack is amazing aswell. There is a tone of ambiance to each location, of course classic series leitmotifs return and new tracks have been added that round everything out. It doesn't matter if it's discovering ancient ruins or if you find yourself face to face with horrifying creatures. It always fits, and I'm in love with the overall sound of TR3.
When it comes to the story, we find our favorite adventurer once again on the trail of a mysterious artifact. While on a treasure hunt deep in the jungles of India, she encounters a scientist named Dr Willard. He is looking for the missing pieces of a meteor that crashed down on earth millions of years ago, is responsible for having whipped out the Dinosaurs and starting the chain reaction of modern evolution. Supposedly these pieces also contain mysterious powers, once even being worshiped by Polynesian trips for their god like properties. And that's all we need to trot across the Globe. It's a dumb story even for the schlocky standards of classic Tomb Raider, but I still very much enjoyed it. The increased focus on cutscenes and Lara having more fun interactions with different characters helps the story flow much better than it did previously. This finally feels like a continues narrative and not just a semi connected sequence of video game stages. There is of course the obvious issue in how Lara has now been fully reduced to nothing more then what can only be described as a full on sociopath. More than ever before, she is an absolute bitch that cares about no one but herself and is willing to kill anybody that just so much as glances at her wrong. I'm still somewhat fine with her because the point was always to have an uncompromising action heroine, but previous games at least gave her some shred of humanity. The absolute girl boss attitude I fell in love is still present, but there is certainly a discussion to be had about crossing the line from girl boss to unlikeable cunt. This crosses that line way to often. TR2 is also guilty of this to a lesser extent, but toed the line in keeping her likeable much better in my opinion.
When it comes to combat, I'm happy to say that Core massively overhauled their approach to how you fight enemies. The fundamental controls are the same, but enemie encounters are spread out way smarter. Gone are the days of spawning goons right on top of the player. There are often spots you can jump to that give Lara a clear advantage, and even late game foes can be taken down with just a bit of effort and only the standard handguns. And that's basically all I wanted to see, and I'm glad they at least took the time to improve an aspect of the series that desperately needed a revision. Croft Manor now has been expanded with a shooting range as well. This version of Croft Manor is for sure the best one. Many secrets to find and all the tutorials you could ever need. Lara's home is practically its own giant level now. Once again I fully recommend you play around in the tutorial not only because it's a lot of fun but because it will also helps in familiarizing you with the expanded move set. Lara can now crawl, grab on to certain ceilings in order to use them as monkey bars, and is able to use a short dash that can be ended on a quick roll forward. These added options are mostly used to great effect, but I will admit that the dash stays fairly underutilized. There are only very few spots where it's actually needed, and even then I find those challenges more annoying than anything else.
And that's about all the positives I can think of. For all the love I can express for TR3, it just wouldn't be honest if I omitted all my frustrations and all the reasons why I ultimately came away with the conclusion that this is simply a very bad video game.
Starting off with the basic structure: You're now allowed to pick between locations in between the opening chapter and the finale. What sounds cool on paper, turns out to be a nightmare in reality. The three places you can pick from: Nevada, the South Pacific Islands and London vary so wildly in complexity and challenge that you're most likely going to fuck yourself over if you happen to choose wrong. Pro-tip: Always start with Nevada. I didn't, and it screwed me over hard by the final stretch. Nevada contains the easiest and most enjoyable set of levels, and most importantly: There is a similar bit to TR1 and 2 where all your items will be taken away from you, as Lara is once again captured by armed guards. Unlike previous games there is a high chance you will not get most of your inventory back, meaning that if you happen to pick Nevada last, you might lose hours of collected guns, ammo and med packs. At that point, you are just stuck desperately searching for scraps during the final 4 segments of Antarctica. It's a horrible design decision that I despise with a passion, and they should have either ditched the level select entirely or put actual effort in balancing each locations difficulty. And while the South Pacific Islands are a mostly tolerable set of levels, London is where the game fully backflips into of pit of rusty spicks.
London is a confusing labyrinth of dark hallways that loop around in the most unintuitive ways. I got lost so many times just backtracking, not knowing what my goal even was, and finding crucial progression items in spots that made me scream in agony. Of course, one of the keys needed to progress in on top of a mining drill you just escaped from in order to not get crushed to death. It's not like every sane human being would see the section now occupied by the giant death drill as blocked off for good. Add to that weird angled jumps that shouldn't work, but sometimes just do, and hard to make out wall texture that are supposse to signal climbable surfaces. Trust me, you will run past those surfaces for a couple of hours before looking up a guide and then promptly feeling the primal urge to buy a gun along with a time machine in order to pay Core Designs studio a friendly visit back in the late 90s. All that misery and I haven't even mentioned the vehicle sections yet. Oh, the fucking vehicles. TR2 had the exact same issue, but the meaningful difference is again that this was limited to only 2 sections. We had a boat, that controlled fine, and a snowmobile that controlled like shit. TR3 on the other hand has at least one vehicle for each location. There is an ATV, a kayak, a weird underwater robot, a Donkey Kong style minecart ride and another boat. I don't know which one is the worst for me, but it has to be a tie between the kayak and the minecart. Paddling the kayak through the rapids of the south pacific rain forest is pure luck, as you can't really control it and are at the mercy of the game's geometry in order for Lara to not straight up smash into a pile of rocks and drown. The minecart on the other hand will make you randomly fly off the tracks if you happen to pull the break at the wrong time, that is if you even know where to fucking go in the nightmare labyrinth known as the RX Tech Mines. Either way, the conclusion is always: try to get somewhere, die, reload, repeat that step about 50 times per stage until you get that one lucky try that lets you progress.
I hate Tomb Raider 3. I can't recommend it to anyone ever. The final boss was a giant spider mutant that makes you run around in a circle for 40 minutes so you can pick up some shinny rocks. Watch the game end with Lara shooting a totally innocent Helicopter pilot in the face and a shot of her ass while the credits play. Fuck this game, I need to game something good next.
Sadly, as you can already guess from the rating, this turned out to be a massive disappointment. As the hours passed and the downward spiral of bad level design began, I became more and more miserable having to put up with everything Tomb Raider 3 was throwing at me. I was worn down and finally broken when I reached the end. I don't want this to be a rant about how much I hate this game. I still do, but there are so many fantastic qualities here that I can not even stoop so low as to call this a lazy sequel. Core Design really cared. It's just that all the visible care and love gets utterly crushed under the weight of unfair difficulty and a lack of polish, most likely due to razor tight deadlines along with an overworked staff. So let me go through the positives first before I start falling down the rabbit hole that has become my absolute hatred for this game.
Tomb Raider 3 has the best locations in the series so far. There is an incredible leap in art design at display here. Be it the opening trek through the jungles of India, the massive canyons in Nevada or looking out over the rooftops of Nighttime London. Levels feel lived in, in a way Tomb Raider 2 was still struggling with. The updated engine makes everything look so much less blocky, which the designers take full advantage off. I love the lighting, the colors and the great texture work. The atmosphere is so good, and I wish more games would take what Core Design accomplished here as an example. Really, in terms of atmosphere, TR3 doesn't miss even once. I love just standing in these maps and soaking it all in, ready to be pulled along into more adventures. It helps of course that the soundtrack is amazing aswell. There is a tone of ambiance to each location, of course classic series leitmotifs return and new tracks have been added that round everything out. It doesn't matter if it's discovering ancient ruins or if you find yourself face to face with horrifying creatures. It always fits, and I'm in love with the overall sound of TR3.
When it comes to the story, we find our favorite adventurer once again on the trail of a mysterious artifact. While on a treasure hunt deep in the jungles of India, she encounters a scientist named Dr Willard. He is looking for the missing pieces of a meteor that crashed down on earth millions of years ago, is responsible for having whipped out the Dinosaurs and starting the chain reaction of modern evolution. Supposedly these pieces also contain mysterious powers, once even being worshiped by Polynesian trips for their god like properties. And that's all we need to trot across the Globe. It's a dumb story even for the schlocky standards of classic Tomb Raider, but I still very much enjoyed it. The increased focus on cutscenes and Lara having more fun interactions with different characters helps the story flow much better than it did previously. This finally feels like a continues narrative and not just a semi connected sequence of video game stages. There is of course the obvious issue in how Lara has now been fully reduced to nothing more then what can only be described as a full on sociopath. More than ever before, she is an absolute bitch that cares about no one but herself and is willing to kill anybody that just so much as glances at her wrong. I'm still somewhat fine with her because the point was always to have an uncompromising action heroine, but previous games at least gave her some shred of humanity. The absolute girl boss attitude I fell in love is still present, but there is certainly a discussion to be had about crossing the line from girl boss to unlikeable cunt. This crosses that line way to often. TR2 is also guilty of this to a lesser extent, but toed the line in keeping her likeable much better in my opinion.
When it comes to combat, I'm happy to say that Core massively overhauled their approach to how you fight enemies. The fundamental controls are the same, but enemie encounters are spread out way smarter. Gone are the days of spawning goons right on top of the player. There are often spots you can jump to that give Lara a clear advantage, and even late game foes can be taken down with just a bit of effort and only the standard handguns. And that's basically all I wanted to see, and I'm glad they at least took the time to improve an aspect of the series that desperately needed a revision. Croft Manor now has been expanded with a shooting range as well. This version of Croft Manor is for sure the best one. Many secrets to find and all the tutorials you could ever need. Lara's home is practically its own giant level now. Once again I fully recommend you play around in the tutorial not only because it's a lot of fun but because it will also helps in familiarizing you with the expanded move set. Lara can now crawl, grab on to certain ceilings in order to use them as monkey bars, and is able to use a short dash that can be ended on a quick roll forward. These added options are mostly used to great effect, but I will admit that the dash stays fairly underutilized. There are only very few spots where it's actually needed, and even then I find those challenges more annoying than anything else.
And that's about all the positives I can think of. For all the love I can express for TR3, it just wouldn't be honest if I omitted all my frustrations and all the reasons why I ultimately came away with the conclusion that this is simply a very bad video game.
Starting off with the basic structure: You're now allowed to pick between locations in between the opening chapter and the finale. What sounds cool on paper, turns out to be a nightmare in reality. The three places you can pick from: Nevada, the South Pacific Islands and London vary so wildly in complexity and challenge that you're most likely going to fuck yourself over if you happen to choose wrong. Pro-tip: Always start with Nevada. I didn't, and it screwed me over hard by the final stretch. Nevada contains the easiest and most enjoyable set of levels, and most importantly: There is a similar bit to TR1 and 2 where all your items will be taken away from you, as Lara is once again captured by armed guards. Unlike previous games there is a high chance you will not get most of your inventory back, meaning that if you happen to pick Nevada last, you might lose hours of collected guns, ammo and med packs. At that point, you are just stuck desperately searching for scraps during the final 4 segments of Antarctica. It's a horrible design decision that I despise with a passion, and they should have either ditched the level select entirely or put actual effort in balancing each locations difficulty. And while the South Pacific Islands are a mostly tolerable set of levels, London is where the game fully backflips into of pit of rusty spicks.
London is a confusing labyrinth of dark hallways that loop around in the most unintuitive ways. I got lost so many times just backtracking, not knowing what my goal even was, and finding crucial progression items in spots that made me scream in agony. Of course, one of the keys needed to progress in on top of a mining drill you just escaped from in order to not get crushed to death. It's not like every sane human being would see the section now occupied by the giant death drill as blocked off for good. Add to that weird angled jumps that shouldn't work, but sometimes just do, and hard to make out wall texture that are supposse to signal climbable surfaces. Trust me, you will run past those surfaces for a couple of hours before looking up a guide and then promptly feeling the primal urge to buy a gun along with a time machine in order to pay Core Designs studio a friendly visit back in the late 90s. All that misery and I haven't even mentioned the vehicle sections yet. Oh, the fucking vehicles. TR2 had the exact same issue, but the meaningful difference is again that this was limited to only 2 sections. We had a boat, that controlled fine, and a snowmobile that controlled like shit. TR3 on the other hand has at least one vehicle for each location. There is an ATV, a kayak, a weird underwater robot, a Donkey Kong style minecart ride and another boat. I don't know which one is the worst for me, but it has to be a tie between the kayak and the minecart. Paddling the kayak through the rapids of the south pacific rain forest is pure luck, as you can't really control it and are at the mercy of the game's geometry in order for Lara to not straight up smash into a pile of rocks and drown. The minecart on the other hand will make you randomly fly off the tracks if you happen to pull the break at the wrong time, that is if you even know where to fucking go in the nightmare labyrinth known as the RX Tech Mines. Either way, the conclusion is always: try to get somewhere, die, reload, repeat that step about 50 times per stage until you get that one lucky try that lets you progress.
I hate Tomb Raider 3. I can't recommend it to anyone ever. The final boss was a giant spider mutant that makes you run around in a circle for 40 minutes so you can pick up some shinny rocks. Watch the game end with Lara shooting a totally innocent Helicopter pilot in the face and a shot of her ass while the credits play. Fuck this game, I need to game something good next.
This review contains spoilers
The 2nd hardest game of the Tomb Raider franchise, in my opinion, but still one of the best. Some levels are confusing and there is more than one way to pick to complete each level, some ways have secret areas while others don't, and some ways are also longer than others, so choose wisely the way you think is the best to take. We travel across India, London, Area 51, the South Pacific islands, and Antarctica.
I hated fighting against Sophia Leigh so much, it was satisfying to see her dying.
I hated fighting against Sophia Leigh so much, it was satisfying to see her dying.
Самая хардкорная часть Tomb Raider это точно. Ну в принципе этого и ожидаешь, как никак уже третья часть приключений Лары Крофт и сложность должна только нарастать. Куча сложного платформинга, особенно с ловушками, и боссы стали сложнее и интереснее. Приятно ещё, что механики платформинга разрабы тоже расширяют, добавили спринт, лазание по верхним областям в некоторых местах, движение в присяде. И продолжительность тоже возрасла по сравнению с прошлыми частями.
Видел, что третью часть считают самой длинной Tomb Raider, но вообще нет. Лично я четвертую часть примерно часов на 10 больше проходил. В ревью на неё я ещё говорил, что не понимаю хейта в её сторону. Пройдя три прошлые части теперь я все же наверное понимаю. В первой части сильных непоняток не было вообще. Во второй и третьей были, но их не так много. Четвертая же часть уж слишком нарушала привычную логику игры и там знание прошлых частей наоборот вредило, и я там часто тупил. Первые же три части я прошёл спокойно без прохождения, максимум зная только о самых неочевидных штуках из одного видоса.
Третью часть принято ругать за отсутствие больших изменений, но мне их хватило. Много разнообразных уровней, расширение платформинга, спринт, интересные боссы, да тут даже при прохождении дают выбрать какой уровень пройти сначала - всё это добавляет масштабу третьей части. Короче остался всем доволен и кайфанул, жду скидок и поебашу проходить Chronicles и Angel of Darkness.
Видел, что третью часть считают самой длинной Tomb Raider, но вообще нет. Лично я четвертую часть примерно часов на 10 больше проходил. В ревью на неё я ещё говорил, что не понимаю хейта в её сторону. Пройдя три прошлые части теперь я все же наверное понимаю. В первой части сильных непоняток не было вообще. Во второй и третьей были, но их не так много. Четвертая же часть уж слишком нарушала привычную логику игры и там знание прошлых частей наоборот вредило, и я там часто тупил. Первые же три части я прошёл спокойно без прохождения, максимум зная только о самых неочевидных штуках из одного видоса.
Третью часть принято ругать за отсутствие больших изменений, но мне их хватило. Много разнообразных уровней, расширение платформинга, спринт, интересные боссы, да тут даже при прохождении дают выбрать какой уровень пройти сначала - всё это добавляет масштабу третьей части. Короче остался всем доволен и кайфанул, жду скидок и поебашу проходить Chronicles и Angel of Darkness.
J’ai toujours été fasciné par Tomb Raider III, probablement le plus varié de tous en termes de niveau. Malheureusement le plus dur aussi, proche de l’injouable, jamais je n’aurais pu l’explorer sans les codes. Dommage.
I had a great time with this one but (so far) it really was the hardest. I feel really bad for the people who played on PS1 without infinite saves.
There are one or two times where the game disrespects its puzzle design philosphy in ways you're not expecting which may leave you without knowing what to do.
Don't get me wrong, the solutions to some of these puzzles are ingenious but sometimes you might not be compelled to try certain things because the series so far taught you not to stray too far from the formula.
I both appreciate and understand these decisions though, it was just extremely unexpected.
Also, there's something really off about the gamma levels /lighting. For the first time in the series I felt the need to adjust the gamma setting because otherwise I was burning through my flares like no tomorrow and they last only a couple of seconds this time around.
All in all a great game, I'm looking forward to its remastered version.
There are one or two times where the game disrespects its puzzle design philosphy in ways you're not expecting which may leave you without knowing what to do.
Don't get me wrong, the solutions to some of these puzzles are ingenious but sometimes you might not be compelled to try certain things because the series so far taught you not to stray too far from the formula.
I both appreciate and understand these decisions though, it was just extremely unexpected.
Also, there's something really off about the gamma levels /lighting. For the first time in the series I felt the need to adjust the gamma setting because otherwise I was burning through my flares like no tomorrow and they last only a couple of seconds this time around.
All in all a great game, I'm looking forward to its remastered version.
This review contains spoilers
Worst instalment in the series in my opinion.
I am a big fan of the Tomb Raider series. Solving puzzles, collecting (secret) items, the platforming, it is simply great. But strange enough was Tomb Raider III the absolute worst I have played so far in the series. It has so many problems that it became a real chore to finish. And I never post a review about a game if I did not finish it first.
Tomb Raider III is still a classic game that follows the same format as the first two installments and has all the elements the other games have too. You go on an adventure to collect an ancient artifact while avoiding traps, killing enemies and solve puzzles along the way. But it has too many shortcomings.
To start, Tomb Raider III has too much “everyday live” stuff in it, if that makes sense. Entire levels are just in a city or a military encampment, a secret base, a complex, subway etc. Only the first and last levels take place in actual ancient tombs or ruins, the thing that defined the other games so much. Many of the traps are not mechanical activated spikes or blades, but industrial crushers or rock crushers. The whole purpose for me in Tomb Raider, is raiding tombs. Luckily the fourth game did it absolutely right and is still my favourite.
Second, it has to many cheap deaths, impossible jumps, enemies that spawn out of nowhere, game mechanics that change on the spot and ladder disembarks that must be done in such a way that a normal human would not figure out by themselves unless they used a guide. An example is three instances in which you are on a ladder and need to access a platform directly next to it. You need to let yourself fall, grab the ladder again and immediately go to the left or else Lara will go into her “ladder stance” again. When you activate a switch, the second after that a freaking Raptor spawns out of nowhere, attaches itself to your ass and never let go. You press a button and two angry natives with spears spawn in front of you and maul your ass. When you ride on certain vehicles throughout the game, you can never “jump off” the thing. You need to be standing still, press the arrow key + end and disembark. However, the boat in the last level, Antarctica changes the mechanics around completely. Here you need to get close to a ledge and then jump out on the platform. I spend hours on this part before I realized this.
One special note must be made for the Area 51 levels in the Nevada campaign. Here, your weapons are taken from you. If you collected sooooo much stuff throughout the other campaigns, it is all gone. All that work for nothing. No MP5 (which I never found again), no Desert Eagle, nothing. I thought I was getting it back at the end but no. It is one of the cheapest things I experienced in this game.
But the main reason I did not like Tomb Raider III, was the cryptic nature of the game. Yes, I know you are supposed to solve puzzles and that you must find the right path. But this is not normal. You NEVER know where to go or what to do, every texture looks the same and cannot be distinguished from anything else, the levels are chaotic and repetitive and on top of that, some routes make no sense. Peddling UP a river to reach the correct platform, I mean come on. And then you got the switches you press to open a certain area ten kilometres back and you do not have the slightest clue what it opened. No animation, no screenshot nothing. Later on, in the game you get some indications about what a button, key or switch does, but in the beginning, you can figure that out for yourself my friend. Long story short, it is one big boring mess which does whatever it wants.
Now I know Tomb Raider games are hard, especially the earlier instalments, they do not hold your hand throughout the game like games nowadays. But this is taking it to the next level and I never had so much trouble and anger with any other Tomb Raider game, and I played Tomb Raider I, II and IV as well.
The last reason I did not like this instalment in the Tomb Raider series was the boss and ending. It is without doubt one of the cheapest and most unfair boss fights I have ever played out of any game. One hit death, two seconds to react, no breathing time. You fail miserably, you consult a strategy guide, get specific instructions to do exactly in time, it works but you are thinking: “How the hell could people from 1998 figure this out, how did kids stand a chance back then?” And even when you kill the bloody thing, the level still goes on and you need to kill 8 more guards with machine guns and flamethrowers. Holy sh…
All this combined made Tomb Raider III a real chore to finish and I never had this feeling of disappointment and irritation with any other Tomb Raider game.
Do not recommend this one.
I am a big fan of the Tomb Raider series. Solving puzzles, collecting (secret) items, the platforming, it is simply great. But strange enough was Tomb Raider III the absolute worst I have played so far in the series. It has so many problems that it became a real chore to finish. And I never post a review about a game if I did not finish it first.
Tomb Raider III is still a classic game that follows the same format as the first two installments and has all the elements the other games have too. You go on an adventure to collect an ancient artifact while avoiding traps, killing enemies and solve puzzles along the way. But it has too many shortcomings.
To start, Tomb Raider III has too much “everyday live” stuff in it, if that makes sense. Entire levels are just in a city or a military encampment, a secret base, a complex, subway etc. Only the first and last levels take place in actual ancient tombs or ruins, the thing that defined the other games so much. Many of the traps are not mechanical activated spikes or blades, but industrial crushers or rock crushers. The whole purpose for me in Tomb Raider, is raiding tombs. Luckily the fourth game did it absolutely right and is still my favourite.
Second, it has to many cheap deaths, impossible jumps, enemies that spawn out of nowhere, game mechanics that change on the spot and ladder disembarks that must be done in such a way that a normal human would not figure out by themselves unless they used a guide. An example is three instances in which you are on a ladder and need to access a platform directly next to it. You need to let yourself fall, grab the ladder again and immediately go to the left or else Lara will go into her “ladder stance” again. When you activate a switch, the second after that a freaking Raptor spawns out of nowhere, attaches itself to your ass and never let go. You press a button and two angry natives with spears spawn in front of you and maul your ass. When you ride on certain vehicles throughout the game, you can never “jump off” the thing. You need to be standing still, press the arrow key + end and disembark. However, the boat in the last level, Antarctica changes the mechanics around completely. Here you need to get close to a ledge and then jump out on the platform. I spend hours on this part before I realized this.
One special note must be made for the Area 51 levels in the Nevada campaign. Here, your weapons are taken from you. If you collected sooooo much stuff throughout the other campaigns, it is all gone. All that work for nothing. No MP5 (which I never found again), no Desert Eagle, nothing. I thought I was getting it back at the end but no. It is one of the cheapest things I experienced in this game.
But the main reason I did not like Tomb Raider III, was the cryptic nature of the game. Yes, I know you are supposed to solve puzzles and that you must find the right path. But this is not normal. You NEVER know where to go or what to do, every texture looks the same and cannot be distinguished from anything else, the levels are chaotic and repetitive and on top of that, some routes make no sense. Peddling UP a river to reach the correct platform, I mean come on. And then you got the switches you press to open a certain area ten kilometres back and you do not have the slightest clue what it opened. No animation, no screenshot nothing. Later on, in the game you get some indications about what a button, key or switch does, but in the beginning, you can figure that out for yourself my friend. Long story short, it is one big boring mess which does whatever it wants.
Now I know Tomb Raider games are hard, especially the earlier instalments, they do not hold your hand throughout the game like games nowadays. But this is taking it to the next level and I never had so much trouble and anger with any other Tomb Raider game, and I played Tomb Raider I, II and IV as well.
The last reason I did not like this instalment in the Tomb Raider series was the boss and ending. It is without doubt one of the cheapest and most unfair boss fights I have ever played out of any game. One hit death, two seconds to react, no breathing time. You fail miserably, you consult a strategy guide, get specific instructions to do exactly in time, it works but you are thinking: “How the hell could people from 1998 figure this out, how did kids stand a chance back then?” And even when you kill the bloody thing, the level still goes on and you need to kill 8 more guards with machine guns and flamethrowers. Holy sh…
All this combined made Tomb Raider III a real chore to finish and I never had this feeling of disappointment and irritation with any other Tomb Raider game.
Do not recommend this one.
A solid continuation, but I found the level design weaker in this one, still pretty good.
Jumped from 1 to 3 directly and while the og's best aspects feel even grander the same can be said of its lows
• Script
My only memory of this game is playing it at my gran's house on her old PS1 and finding it hilarious that in the game's hub world, you could walk into a lit fireplace and Lara would die from it. I showed it to my grandad and he just got really offended about me killing a fictional character. Years later, I realise it probably contributed to how unhinged I am today.
Se tirasse Londres inteira desse jogo eu aumentaria meia estrela.
had to pull out a guide every two steps i took in this game god dammit
It's BRUTALLY, maddeningly difficult, on Steam getting a controller to play nice with it will take years off your life, and the depiction of Lara gunning down native villagers will have you tugging at your collar and making nervous glances towards the screen, but fuck it, this is easily the best Tomb Raider now that I've had time to replay it and think on it.
I think the main spice with this one is the variety, how it feels like a globetrotting adventure, as this game is LONG and dense, contains some of the most exciting set-pieces and challenges, and dials back the dumbass gunplay from II for more varied enemy encounters to make what is probably the most well-rounded game in the series. There are more movement options for Lara to make her feel more dynamic and expressive than before, and even the difficulty spikes are only really noticeable in the first few missions, as once you understand what's going on in TR3 you find yourself dying less.
The location variety is the big thing I'm thankful as fuck for, as I still have nightmares about that godforsaken boat you spend 5 levels on in Tomb Raider II. You journey around the world with notorious evil-doer Lara Croft and she has many different outfits in this game, such as the hard as fuck leather jumpsuit from the London missions, or her suddenly more practical arctic gear, it's just FUN to travel with her!! Even when she is being insanely evil, that's why we like her.
It makes me think of how badly the reboot trilogy dropped the ball by having Lara stuck in one location with a bunch of shit characters for 20 hours, when the real character ARE the environments and how hostile they are to Lara. So to have her spend all that time popping shots at goons from behind cover is such a colossal waste of the IP. Even Uncharted, the series that the Tomb Raider reboots are ripping off more than anything, understand this. Why do the reboots fail at that constantly? It's because they are made by the Gex team, so good game design is illegal at their studio. But that is beside the point.
Point is, Tomb Raider III is a ton of fun, I've spent hours on it and I will spend more, I think it's more diverse and varied than II while maintaining I's more platforming focused spirit, so if you are into Tomb Raider's gameplay loop you shouldn't let the difficulty of this one scare you off because I think it's LESS bullshit than some of the bullshit II throws at you, it just requires more patience.
And if you are still a "this game has aged bad" cretin, continue not playing these games or anything that doesn't fit neatly into a certain mold of design because you are fundamentally too incurious to have any interesting thoughts or criticisms about games and you are better off not playing anything, fuck you.
I think the main spice with this one is the variety, how it feels like a globetrotting adventure, as this game is LONG and dense, contains some of the most exciting set-pieces and challenges, and dials back the dumbass gunplay from II for more varied enemy encounters to make what is probably the most well-rounded game in the series. There are more movement options for Lara to make her feel more dynamic and expressive than before, and even the difficulty spikes are only really noticeable in the first few missions, as once you understand what's going on in TR3 you find yourself dying less.
The location variety is the big thing I'm thankful as fuck for, as I still have nightmares about that godforsaken boat you spend 5 levels on in Tomb Raider II. You journey around the world with notorious evil-doer Lara Croft and she has many different outfits in this game, such as the hard as fuck leather jumpsuit from the London missions, or her suddenly more practical arctic gear, it's just FUN to travel with her!! Even when she is being insanely evil, that's why we like her.
It makes me think of how badly the reboot trilogy dropped the ball by having Lara stuck in one location with a bunch of shit characters for 20 hours, when the real character ARE the environments and how hostile they are to Lara. So to have her spend all that time popping shots at goons from behind cover is such a colossal waste of the IP. Even Uncharted, the series that the Tomb Raider reboots are ripping off more than anything, understand this. Why do the reboots fail at that constantly? It's because they are made by the Gex team, so good game design is illegal at their studio. But that is beside the point.
Point is, Tomb Raider III is a ton of fun, I've spent hours on it and I will spend more, I think it's more diverse and varied than II while maintaining I's more platforming focused spirit, so if you are into Tomb Raider's gameplay loop you shouldn't let the difficulty of this one scare you off because I think it's LESS bullshit than some of the bullshit II throws at you, it just requires more patience.
And if you are still a "this game has aged bad" cretin, continue not playing these games or anything that doesn't fit neatly into a certain mold of design because you are fundamentally too incurious to have any interesting thoughts or criticisms about games and you are better off not playing anything, fuck you.
Die dritte Runde des bewährten "3D-Prince-of-Persia"-Prinzips - nur eben mit Lara, nicht dem Prinzen.
Diesmal wurde ordentlich an der Grafik geschraubt. Die Enginge ist unverkennbar immer noch die gleiche, aber nun sind alle Objekte wie Items oder Schalter echte 3D-Objekte, es gibt Partikeleffekte, die klassischen Quader der Umgebung können "halbiert" sein und vor allem: es wurde wirklich stimmungsvoll mit Licht gearbeitet.
Die Level sind deutlich komplexer gestaltet als in den vorherigen Teilen - hier muss man wirklich manchmal eine ganze Weile suchen, knobeln, überlegen, um den Pfad durch die Level zu finden. Was früher der Pfad zu einem Geheimnis war ist hier oft der von den Designern erwartete Pfad, der zu beschreiten ist. Von der Gewöhnung der Vorgänger, dass es einen "richtigen" Weg gibt und der auch offensichtlich ist, muss man sich hier lösen. Gleichzeitig gibt es speziell im Startgebiet Dschungel deutlich mehr Fallen, die teils schon an der Grenze zur Unfairness wandeln. Die Anzahl der Gegner wurde hingegen deutlich nach unten korrigiert, sodass diese kaum noch eine Gefahr darstellen.
An den Waffen wurde ein bisschen gedreht, es gibt wieder einige Fahrzeuge. Das Kajak ist eine einzige Gemeinheit, auch die Passagen mit der Minenlore lassen graue Haare wachsen.
Ein designtechnischer Totalausfall ist leider das letzte echte Level und wieder der Endgegner. Im letzten Level haben sie es auch für mich dann einfach übertrieben mit der Kniffeligkeit, führen mit den Wespen einen unheimlich nervigen Gegnertyp ein, der nicht sonderlich schwer ist sondern einfach nur Zeit raubt, und die Passage mit dem Erdbeben ist wirklich komplett katastrophal. Auch beim Endgegner wieder kein Sound, dafür viel im Kreis laufen. Unterwältigend.
Erwährenswert ist jedoch das verbesserte Sounddesign in den Levels, die Soundeffekte und Musik untermalen Schreckeffekte, Entdeckungen, neue Abschnitte deutlich besser als in den Vorgängern und sorgen, vor allem im Zusammenspiel mit der Beleuchtung, für eine größere Immersion.
Den stark angezogenen Knobelfaktor muss man mögen, bzw. man muss sich auf ihn einlassen. Wenn man das will, passt das Spiel insgesamt besser als bei den Vorgängern zusammen. Ich kann jedoch verstehen dass die Diskrepanz aus den Passagen, die man teils mit sehr hohem Tempo spielen muss und den Passagen, wo man quasi nach jedem Schritt alles absuchen muss, um den weiterführenden Weg oder Secrets zu finde, manche nervt und zur Abwertung führt.
Für mich war das Spiel lange auf dem Weg zur 4/5, das letzte Level und der Endgegner waren aber so nervig, dass ich doch nur die 3,5/5 gebe.
Diesmal wurde ordentlich an der Grafik geschraubt. Die Enginge ist unverkennbar immer noch die gleiche, aber nun sind alle Objekte wie Items oder Schalter echte 3D-Objekte, es gibt Partikeleffekte, die klassischen Quader der Umgebung können "halbiert" sein und vor allem: es wurde wirklich stimmungsvoll mit Licht gearbeitet.
Die Level sind deutlich komplexer gestaltet als in den vorherigen Teilen - hier muss man wirklich manchmal eine ganze Weile suchen, knobeln, überlegen, um den Pfad durch die Level zu finden. Was früher der Pfad zu einem Geheimnis war ist hier oft der von den Designern erwartete Pfad, der zu beschreiten ist. Von der Gewöhnung der Vorgänger, dass es einen "richtigen" Weg gibt und der auch offensichtlich ist, muss man sich hier lösen. Gleichzeitig gibt es speziell im Startgebiet Dschungel deutlich mehr Fallen, die teils schon an der Grenze zur Unfairness wandeln. Die Anzahl der Gegner wurde hingegen deutlich nach unten korrigiert, sodass diese kaum noch eine Gefahr darstellen.
An den Waffen wurde ein bisschen gedreht, es gibt wieder einige Fahrzeuge. Das Kajak ist eine einzige Gemeinheit, auch die Passagen mit der Minenlore lassen graue Haare wachsen.
Ein designtechnischer Totalausfall ist leider das letzte echte Level und wieder der Endgegner. Im letzten Level haben sie es auch für mich dann einfach übertrieben mit der Kniffeligkeit, führen mit den Wespen einen unheimlich nervigen Gegnertyp ein, der nicht sonderlich schwer ist sondern einfach nur Zeit raubt, und die Passage mit dem Erdbeben ist wirklich komplett katastrophal. Auch beim Endgegner wieder kein Sound, dafür viel im Kreis laufen. Unterwältigend.
Erwährenswert ist jedoch das verbesserte Sounddesign in den Levels, die Soundeffekte und Musik untermalen Schreckeffekte, Entdeckungen, neue Abschnitte deutlich besser als in den Vorgängern und sorgen, vor allem im Zusammenspiel mit der Beleuchtung, für eine größere Immersion.
Den stark angezogenen Knobelfaktor muss man mögen, bzw. man muss sich auf ihn einlassen. Wenn man das will, passt das Spiel insgesamt besser als bei den Vorgängern zusammen. Ich kann jedoch verstehen dass die Diskrepanz aus den Passagen, die man teils mit sehr hohem Tempo spielen muss und den Passagen, wo man quasi nach jedem Schritt alles absuchen muss, um den weiterführenden Weg oder Secrets zu finde, manche nervt und zur Abwertung führt.
Für mich war das Spiel lange auf dem Weg zur 4/5, das letzte Level und der Endgegner waren aber so nervig, dass ich doch nur die 3,5/5 gebe.
Okay, playing Tomb Raider III nowadays is a trip! Back in the day, this was groundbreaking – huge levels, crazy puzzles, the whole globetrotting adventurer deal. But man, it has not aged well. Lara controls like a tank, the graphics are blocky as heck, and some of the difficulty spikes are just unfair. Still, there's a certain nostalgic charm to it, and if you're curious about the classic Lara Croft adventures, it's worth trying with a very, very patient mindset.
Tomb Raider III is the red-headed stepchild of the series. For the general public, it's the most inaccessible, and for me, it's the only game in the series I have no substantial childhood memories of; I went into this game with none of the emotional connection the other titles have for me.
Which is just as well. This game hates you. When people say this is the hardest game in the series, they're lying. Tomb Raider II is hard. Tomb Raider III is 'go fuck yourself.' Actual combat is fairly easy, and the last half of the game is surprisingly devoid of devious traps or narrow escapes. Instead, this game is deeply tedious: it's player-unfriendly to the point that I'm convinced the point was to get people to buy the strategy guide (GameFAQs didn't exist back then). I dare anyone, in the year of our Lord 2024, to beat this game without referring once to Stella's Tomb Raider site for a walkthrough. God bless that lady. It simply can't be done.
But it's no fun playing a game you have to Alt-Tab out of every few minutes to make sure you're on the right path or not. It's no fun reading ahead to make sure you won't be fucked over by the game's myriad asspulls, and it's no fun wondering to yourself if it's really worth doing this instead of just YouTubing the cutscenes and calling it a day. I tried, I honestly tried, to beat the game honestly - that was part of my intention with marathoning this series. But I also want to do it while I'm still in my twenties, and without developing hypertension. Halfway through, I caved.
If the first Tomb Raider was about the joy of exploration, Tomb Raider III is about the misery of being lost. This is a game where you do not want to find secrets, because it means you're not on the right path. And all of this is by design. When you pulled a lever or pressed a switch in the first two games, the camera would show you which door had opened so you'd know where to go. Tomb Raider III often eschews this in favour of leaving you to wander around wondering, "Now what did that switch do? Did it even do anything?"
Right from the beginning levels you know the game hates you, where certain sections of the walls are actually movable blocks - except they have the same texture as the walls on either side, and no context clue to suggest they can be interacted with. Going around tapping on walls on the off chance there will be some way out of here isn't what I play this series for. Neither is being forced to backtrack and re-do the entire level because I missed a key somewhere. The first two games were really good about closing off areas once you were done with them, and only letting you pass certain sections if you had all the items you needed. Not so in this game.
And yet, you can see they put so much effort into it. This game clearly wasn't half-assed. Everything that crazy animated Lara promised is here. The music and graphics are amazing, the environments are varied and detailed, there are so many particle effects - primitive now, revolutionary then. There's rain and snow and footprints and the fogging of Lara's breath in cold areas. There are so many vehicles to drive (the kayak level is ass though), so many outfits, so many places to visit. There are so many cinematic sequences that looks incredible for 1998. There are stealth elements (though it's no Metal Gear Solid), vengeful Hindu deities, aliens, ATVs, mutant zombies, Pacific Islanders portrayed through the extremely racist caricature of being ooga booga cannibals... This game is absolutely huge. And yet the game is so unwilling to let you enjoy it.
The story is a funny thing. Our heroine is an absolute fucking psychopath here. In the past, enemies she killed were animals trying to tear out her throat, monsters, mobsters, and genuine villains. This game, however, positions her squarely as the bad guy - there's no way around it. Without mercy, Lara kills security guards who are just doing their job, homeless people, and tribesmen who are simply defending their domain. She breaks some dangerous criminals out of an Area 51 prison to kill the guards who arrested her for trespassing, and breezily comments about how Pacific Islanders are fond of 'white meat.' It's so cartoonish it makes me laugh. This is 1998, remember. Video games no longer had the excuse of amorality.
It's a shame, but I really can't recommend Tomb Raider III to any but the most dedicated fans, who are willing to put up with it. There's no real reward to playing through this game, except learning about Lara's comically dark side, perhaps. The thought of Tomb Raider III is far, far more exciting than the actual experience. There are so many great ideas in here, and the technology is leaps and bounds above its predecessors. But the fun factor simply isn't there; it's buried under its obfuscating nature. Some folks tell me this game is better on a second playthrough. I suspect they're the same guys who told Sony, "Re-release Morbius in theatres. It'll be a massive hit."
Which is just as well. This game hates you. When people say this is the hardest game in the series, they're lying. Tomb Raider II is hard. Tomb Raider III is 'go fuck yourself.' Actual combat is fairly easy, and the last half of the game is surprisingly devoid of devious traps or narrow escapes. Instead, this game is deeply tedious: it's player-unfriendly to the point that I'm convinced the point was to get people to buy the strategy guide (GameFAQs didn't exist back then). I dare anyone, in the year of our Lord 2024, to beat this game without referring once to Stella's Tomb Raider site for a walkthrough. God bless that lady. It simply can't be done.
But it's no fun playing a game you have to Alt-Tab out of every few minutes to make sure you're on the right path or not. It's no fun reading ahead to make sure you won't be fucked over by the game's myriad asspulls, and it's no fun wondering to yourself if it's really worth doing this instead of just YouTubing the cutscenes and calling it a day. I tried, I honestly tried, to beat the game honestly - that was part of my intention with marathoning this series. But I also want to do it while I'm still in my twenties, and without developing hypertension. Halfway through, I caved.
If the first Tomb Raider was about the joy of exploration, Tomb Raider III is about the misery of being lost. This is a game where you do not want to find secrets, because it means you're not on the right path. And all of this is by design. When you pulled a lever or pressed a switch in the first two games, the camera would show you which door had opened so you'd know where to go. Tomb Raider III often eschews this in favour of leaving you to wander around wondering, "Now what did that switch do? Did it even do anything?"
Right from the beginning levels you know the game hates you, where certain sections of the walls are actually movable blocks - except they have the same texture as the walls on either side, and no context clue to suggest they can be interacted with. Going around tapping on walls on the off chance there will be some way out of here isn't what I play this series for. Neither is being forced to backtrack and re-do the entire level because I missed a key somewhere. The first two games were really good about closing off areas once you were done with them, and only letting you pass certain sections if you had all the items you needed. Not so in this game.
And yet, you can see they put so much effort into it. This game clearly wasn't half-assed. Everything that crazy animated Lara promised is here. The music and graphics are amazing, the environments are varied and detailed, there are so many particle effects - primitive now, revolutionary then. There's rain and snow and footprints and the fogging of Lara's breath in cold areas. There are so many vehicles to drive (the kayak level is ass though), so many outfits, so many places to visit. There are so many cinematic sequences that looks incredible for 1998. There are stealth elements (though it's no Metal Gear Solid), vengeful Hindu deities, aliens, ATVs, mutant zombies, Pacific Islanders portrayed through the extremely racist caricature of being ooga booga cannibals... This game is absolutely huge. And yet the game is so unwilling to let you enjoy it.
The story is a funny thing. Our heroine is an absolute fucking psychopath here. In the past, enemies she killed were animals trying to tear out her throat, monsters, mobsters, and genuine villains. This game, however, positions her squarely as the bad guy - there's no way around it. Without mercy, Lara kills security guards who are just doing their job, homeless people, and tribesmen who are simply defending their domain. She breaks some dangerous criminals out of an Area 51 prison to kill the guards who arrested her for trespassing, and breezily comments about how Pacific Islanders are fond of 'white meat.' It's so cartoonish it makes me laugh. This is 1998, remember. Video games no longer had the excuse of amorality.
It's a shame, but I really can't recommend Tomb Raider III to any but the most dedicated fans, who are willing to put up with it. There's no real reward to playing through this game, except learning about Lara's comically dark side, perhaps. The thought of Tomb Raider III is far, far more exciting than the actual experience. There are so many great ideas in here, and the technology is leaps and bounds above its predecessors. But the fun factor simply isn't there; it's buried under its obfuscating nature. Some folks tell me this game is better on a second playthrough. I suspect they're the same guys who told Sony, "Re-release Morbius in theatres. It'll be a massive hit."
I remember how magazines were writing at that time: well, people were starting to get tired of Tomb Raider games since they were not changed, and Eidos sold us the same game again and again.
Just remind you that professional reviewers never play games and tell random words about everything.
While Tomb Raider 1 was a perfect game, and Tomb Raider 2 was action-based DLC with fresh ideas in levels, Tomb Raider 3 is sadistic torture for a healthy mind.
I had a good first impression, and I remember from being a kid how different stories, levels, and costumes in this one. So I thought: ok, probably at the end of the day I will give it good review with a mark "can't recommend but I loved it".
I still can't recommend it and I don't love it. I dropped it right before last chapter, or I should say I rage-quitted it and going to never touch this piece again.
People often remember how brutal traps are in here, there are many places where the game doesn't give a chance to the player and one-shot him just because it is funny I believe. It is not a big problem since we can save game any time.
But endless backtracking and total lack of sense or logic, these things killed me before I completed it.
And this makes me mad. On paper, Tomb Raider 3 is great, it has enough good ideas and features, and it felt different from previous entries. But it is insanely painful to play, to rinse and repeat many areas, to wander around without any clue about what the last button opened.
Just remind you that professional reviewers never play games and tell random words about everything.
While Tomb Raider 1 was a perfect game, and Tomb Raider 2 was action-based DLC with fresh ideas in levels, Tomb Raider 3 is sadistic torture for a healthy mind.
I had a good first impression, and I remember from being a kid how different stories, levels, and costumes in this one. So I thought: ok, probably at the end of the day I will give it good review with a mark "can't recommend but I loved it".
I still can't recommend it and I don't love it. I dropped it right before last chapter, or I should say I rage-quitted it and going to never touch this piece again.
People often remember how brutal traps are in here, there are many places where the game doesn't give a chance to the player and one-shot him just because it is funny I believe. It is not a big problem since we can save game any time.
But endless backtracking and total lack of sense or logic, these things killed me before I completed it.
And this makes me mad. On paper, Tomb Raider 3 is great, it has enough good ideas and features, and it felt different from previous entries. But it is insanely painful to play, to rinse and repeat many areas, to wander around without any clue about what the last button opened.
NÍVEIS TERRÍVEIS, HISTORIA SECANTE, RACISMO, PUZZLES HORROROSOS, DESIGN DO NIVEL FEITO POR UM MACACO
Cool game!
The puzzles were interesting.
The puzzles were interesting.
my first game, has a special place in my mind
My favorite TR!
-Nice variety of locations
-Expanded arsenal
-I kept getting lost in some areas, but it was worth it
-Nice variety of locations
-Expanded arsenal
-I kept getting lost in some areas, but it was worth it
Why did you put vehicles in my 3D cinematic platformer?
Tomb Raider 3 – Review
Released in 1998 Tomb Raider 3 was the highly anticipated follow up to one of the best games in the Tomb Raider series, Tomb Raider 2. Tomb Rader 1 had taken over the world in 1996 and thanks to the phenomenal Tomb Raider 2 a year later Lara Croft was still riding high as a pop culture phenomenon in 1998. Eidos therefore demanded another game the next year to ensure the success of the Tomb Raider series continued. So a year later we got Tomb Raider 3, was it as much as a leap forward as Tomb Raider 2 was or was it more of the same?
The story of Tomb Raider 3 see’s a corporation called RX Tech excavate a crash site of a meteorite that impacted on Antarctica millions of years ago and finds strange Rapa Nui-like statues alongside the grave of one of HMS Beagle's sailors. Meanwhile, archaeologist-adventurer Lara Croft is searching for an artefact known as the Infada Stone in the ruins of an ancient Indian Hindu temple once inhabited by the Infada tribe. After taking the artefact from a researcher working for RX Tech, Lara is approached by RX Tech scientist Dr. Willard, who explains that polynesians came across a meteorite crater in Antarctica thousands of years ago and found that it held incredible power. Using rock from the meteorite, they crafted four crystalline artefacts, one of which is the Infada Stone. They then fled Antarctica for unknown reasons, but in the 19th century a group of sailors travelling with Charles Darwin came to Antarctica and rediscovered the artefacts. The four artefacts were then distributed across the globe. Dr. Willard has been able to track the artefacts by using the diary of one of the sailors. Lara agrees to help him find the other three.
The story as in the last two games is presented in FMV and in game cutscenes. Its’ a serviceable story that moves the game along but it still suffers from the same issues as the last two games in that it’s not always clear what’s going on. Again this is due to FMV cutscenes that seem lacking in story and direction as well as a script that’s rather poor. It’s a problem that Core have still not addressed from the last two games and again in hurts Tomb Raider 3. It does however take Lara on a globe hopping adventure from India to the East Indies, Area 51, London and Finally Antarctica. The level design here is solid if not a little uninspired for Tomb Raider.
Area 51 and London are the stand out locations as they are slightly different from what we have seen before, one requiring you to break into the top secret base and then start a prison riot to get out. The other making you explore old underground stations before making you’re way up to London’s skyline in order to fight it out with enemies on London’s roof tops. The other three areas however are rather standard Tomb Raider and I can’t say I particularly enjoyed them, as it felt like levels I had spent that last two years playing. One change to level design this time however is multiple paths Lara can take. Almost all the levels have different routes that can be taken in order to complete them and in some cases this can add or save the player upto 30 minutes worth of level depending on the path they take. Different secrets are also hidden down the differing paths so completionists will enjoy the replay value here. It’s a far less linear game, levels are massive in size and scope this time around. There is also a hidden level that can be unlocked once all the in game treasures have been found and this is fun to play.
Gameplay is the main area that has seen changes this year. Lara can now run, crouch, crawl and monkey swing as well as hang off edges from crawling or crouching. All these new gameplay tweaks are factored into the gameplay well and you will be required to use them regularly throughout the game. They all come together to make Lara feel much more maneuverable than in previous titles. Vehicles also make a return this time and Lara has access to kayaks, quad bikes, mine karts and boats just to name a few. They all handle well and are fun sections of the game. Sadly it’s not all good news on the gameplay front however, one of the worst parts of Tomb Raider 3 is the re-introduction of the save crystals from the first game, albeit with a slight twist. This time they are scattered throughout the level but instead of having to save at each one Lara can now collect them and use them as she pleases. This is slightly better than before but a massive step backwards from Tomb Raider 2, seeing as this is one of if not the hardest Tomb Raider games, its frustrating not being able to save whenever you want.
There have been a number of small improvements to the graphics engine for Tomb Raider 3. Multi-coloured lighting, rippling water, reflections, fog and changing weather effects have all been added, as well as an improved character model for Lara. It is bar far the best looking Tomb Raider game we have seen upto this point, and this extends to the fantastic looking environments that feel very real for a late 90’s video game.
Overall Tomb Raider 3 is a solid game. It improves the game play and graphics of the series but at this point it is starting to feel like we have been here before. Story and level design fall short here when compared to what’s come before. I just can’t say I enjoyed Tomb Raider 3 and much as 1 and 2 because of these issues. If you enjoyed Tomb Raider 1 and 2 you will enjoy this and it’s well worth playing to play through the London and especially fantastic Area 51 levels.
8.2/10 – PC 8.0 – PS1
Released in 1998 Tomb Raider 3 was the highly anticipated follow up to one of the best games in the Tomb Raider series, Tomb Raider 2. Tomb Rader 1 had taken over the world in 1996 and thanks to the phenomenal Tomb Raider 2 a year later Lara Croft was still riding high as a pop culture phenomenon in 1998. Eidos therefore demanded another game the next year to ensure the success of the Tomb Raider series continued. So a year later we got Tomb Raider 3, was it as much as a leap forward as Tomb Raider 2 was or was it more of the same?
The story of Tomb Raider 3 see’s a corporation called RX Tech excavate a crash site of a meteorite that impacted on Antarctica millions of years ago and finds strange Rapa Nui-like statues alongside the grave of one of HMS Beagle's sailors. Meanwhile, archaeologist-adventurer Lara Croft is searching for an artefact known as the Infada Stone in the ruins of an ancient Indian Hindu temple once inhabited by the Infada tribe. After taking the artefact from a researcher working for RX Tech, Lara is approached by RX Tech scientist Dr. Willard, who explains that polynesians came across a meteorite crater in Antarctica thousands of years ago and found that it held incredible power. Using rock from the meteorite, they crafted four crystalline artefacts, one of which is the Infada Stone. They then fled Antarctica for unknown reasons, but in the 19th century a group of sailors travelling with Charles Darwin came to Antarctica and rediscovered the artefacts. The four artefacts were then distributed across the globe. Dr. Willard has been able to track the artefacts by using the diary of one of the sailors. Lara agrees to help him find the other three.
The story as in the last two games is presented in FMV and in game cutscenes. Its’ a serviceable story that moves the game along but it still suffers from the same issues as the last two games in that it’s not always clear what’s going on. Again this is due to FMV cutscenes that seem lacking in story and direction as well as a script that’s rather poor. It’s a problem that Core have still not addressed from the last two games and again in hurts Tomb Raider 3. It does however take Lara on a globe hopping adventure from India to the East Indies, Area 51, London and Finally Antarctica. The level design here is solid if not a little uninspired for Tomb Raider.
Area 51 and London are the stand out locations as they are slightly different from what we have seen before, one requiring you to break into the top secret base and then start a prison riot to get out. The other making you explore old underground stations before making you’re way up to London’s skyline in order to fight it out with enemies on London’s roof tops. The other three areas however are rather standard Tomb Raider and I can’t say I particularly enjoyed them, as it felt like levels I had spent that last two years playing. One change to level design this time however is multiple paths Lara can take. Almost all the levels have different routes that can be taken in order to complete them and in some cases this can add or save the player upto 30 minutes worth of level depending on the path they take. Different secrets are also hidden down the differing paths so completionists will enjoy the replay value here. It’s a far less linear game, levels are massive in size and scope this time around. There is also a hidden level that can be unlocked once all the in game treasures have been found and this is fun to play.
Gameplay is the main area that has seen changes this year. Lara can now run, crouch, crawl and monkey swing as well as hang off edges from crawling or crouching. All these new gameplay tweaks are factored into the gameplay well and you will be required to use them regularly throughout the game. They all come together to make Lara feel much more maneuverable than in previous titles. Vehicles also make a return this time and Lara has access to kayaks, quad bikes, mine karts and boats just to name a few. They all handle well and are fun sections of the game. Sadly it’s not all good news on the gameplay front however, one of the worst parts of Tomb Raider 3 is the re-introduction of the save crystals from the first game, albeit with a slight twist. This time they are scattered throughout the level but instead of having to save at each one Lara can now collect them and use them as she pleases. This is slightly better than before but a massive step backwards from Tomb Raider 2, seeing as this is one of if not the hardest Tomb Raider games, its frustrating not being able to save whenever you want.
There have been a number of small improvements to the graphics engine for Tomb Raider 3. Multi-coloured lighting, rippling water, reflections, fog and changing weather effects have all been added, as well as an improved character model for Lara. It is bar far the best looking Tomb Raider game we have seen upto this point, and this extends to the fantastic looking environments that feel very real for a late 90’s video game.
Overall Tomb Raider 3 is a solid game. It improves the game play and graphics of the series but at this point it is starting to feel like we have been here before. Story and level design fall short here when compared to what’s come before. I just can’t say I enjoyed Tomb Raider 3 and much as 1 and 2 because of these issues. If you enjoyed Tomb Raider 1 and 2 you will enjoy this and it’s well worth playing to play through the London and especially fantastic Area 51 levels.
8.2/10 – PC 8.0 – PS1
Good game. Very refined gameplay and with a variety of stages and locations. Love the weapons to choose from and the ability to save anywhere. To play casually in the mansion is very nice too. Just to complain a little bit, the final boss is cheap as hell. Good game overall.
the third installment of this game is as good as its predecessors, however it is truly a difficult game with very large levels. it also feels a bit punishing compared to the others but all in all, super solid. doesnt change much between tr1 and tr2
I almost had an aneurysm playing this
A classic adventure game from the 90s, the third of its series. It feels dated. Gameplay, soundtrack and storytelling don not stand the test of time. I appreciate the environments and the level design.
However, I'm not going to suggest anyone playing it for fun. I used to love this game when I was 8, though.
However, I'm not going to suggest anyone playing it for fun. I used to love this game when I was 8, though.
Fantastic level design, a bunch of technical improvements from the previous game, and some of Lara's best lines make this probably the best Tomb Raider game, if only it wasn't so soul-crushingly hard.