Tomb Raider III

"Where the first TR challenged your wit, the third is more of a challenge to your reflexes."

This is still an above average game... but only *barely*. The first Tomb Raider was a classic and it will always be a favorite of mine. The second Tomb Raider was forgetable and overly-done in many areas... But Tomb Raider Three...

TR 3 is DIFFICULT. Maddingly frusterating to an insane degree. That is exactly what was running through my mind the first time I played the game. I am thoroughly convinced that there is no way in Hades I ever could have finished this game without the help of a walkthrough. It's THAT hard!

Difficulty isn't, however, the worst thing about TR 3. The worst thing is that it's the same old... same old... run around, throw the switch, shimmy across the edge, shoot a tyrannosaurus... the concept it getting old.

GAMEPLAY:
the bad: The levels are set up strangely at times. For instance; there is many occurances where there are ledges or paths that you follow down, thinking you're really onto something good, but they end up dead ends. I ran around literally for *hours* trying to figure out what to do next or where to go due to these poor areas in the level design. Proceeding at times can be a real pain. You won't know weather to slide down a ledge, go over backwards and grab the end, or just jump off as far as you can. Sometimes you'll just fall into a mess of barbed wire unexpectedly (remember that part in the kitchen, behind the big fans!) and be forced to repeat your progress.

the good: Locations are varied (jungle, NV desert [where I'm currently living! woo!] ect.) and exotic. While there are *plently* of times where you'll be confused as to what path to take, or what to do with this key, ect. there are also MANY times when the levels come to a very intelligent puzzle and have to be rationed out carefully. Save gems are numerous enough to be put to use, but they are limited enough to also keep you sharp and careful about tricky areas.

GRAPHICS/VISUAL:
the bad: The 'next ledge' and even enemies are sometimes hard to see given the flat, bland backgrounds. The game lacks color and cheerfulness, even in the jungle levels. The charecters and overall visual impressions are undetailed and hard on the eye. Keys can be extremly difficult to find as they tend to blend right into the surroundings.

the good: Flares light up the immediete area and can even be dropped if you are standing on a ledge so you can see what's *at* the bottom of that ladder before you climb down. Enemies are vivid enough so they don't blend in and are spotted quickly. Lara gets a change of clothes thoughout different levels, making even her a little more varied. Ladders and hand over hand areas are easy to spot.

SOUND/MUSIC:
the bad: The soundtrack is TOO sparse! I realise that this was done for effect but there's too much silence in the game for me. And the music is the same throughout the game: get to a puzzle it'll do the slow, doooooo... do do doooooo tune. Get to a part where you're got to MOVE, and the dramatics will come one. A little variation, even at random, would be nice.

the good: What music there is is *excellent*. None of it is annoying or inappropriate, and it sets the mood well. I especially like the music that was present in the first game and has been reworked a bit for a dramatic effect.

STORYLINE/PLOT:
the bad: ...pretty much sums it up. It's the same as the first game- the big bad guy turns out to be your employer. You have to collect several artifacts while his cronies are gunning for you... ect. ect. ect. The writing is hard to follow, the dialog uninspiring.

the good: ...semi-interesting at times. IE- The Beagle's voyage, the Polynisians, the British soldiers in the Pacific Islands level. That's pretty much all I can say...

Overall, this game feels a little bit tired and very much uncharismatic. There is no claim to origionality anywhere. While this isn't a particularly *bad* thing, if this 'stuck in a rut' trend continues for this series we may not see many more of them. I wouldn't want to see the game drastically altered or revamped, but a little tweaking and evolution here and there would be very very nice. Perhaps it would benefit from a little RPG element: for instance; being able to talk to or interact somehow with the British soldiers in the Pacific Islands level would've been interesting. Ditto with the thugs in the Nevada levels.

In a nut shell: a nice game for a bored Sunday but keep in mind there are times when you'll want to nuke your controller.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99