The third in this series continues Lara Croft's adventures into strange new worlds. With new moves, weapons, puzzles, worlds, and more, this installment will keep every Tomb Raider fan happy. Even someone who hasn't dabbled into this series , but admires some action, will enjoy this game.
Installation:
This version of Tomb Raider continues the traditional installation. Allowing you to completely customize the installation, everything you need to run the game properly is included. After the installation, you can either run the setup application, or go straight into the game. At that time, Tomb Raider will configure itself to your installed hardware.
Usage:
When you first start the game, even if you have played previous versions of the Tomb Raider series, I suggest you make use of Lara's house and gym. Through her gym, you will learn all the moves necessary to play the game. Plus, after that, you can head for her pool and learn how to swim. After you have gotten used to the keys, you can complete a few puzzles in and out of her house. This is a great way to prime yourself for the game.
After you finish her learning how to play in her house, it's time to move on to the game. The first thing I noticed when starting the first level was how fast it loaded. From selecting new game, to being able to move was under 10 seconds. Then my adventure started. Right from the start you are confronted with secrets, traps, and puzzles. In fact, you can miss the shotgun unless you just happen upon it somehow (or know exactly where it is). But I'm not giving out any secrets ;).
One of the things that seems to always change is the type of creatures you do battle with. In this incarnation, you must defend yourself from monkeys, snakes, piranhas, and even giant statues. However, Lara's legendary fighting style hasn't changed. When an enemy creature is within range, Lara will aim whatever weapon you have garnished, and all you have to do is shoot. While this can make for easier fighting than some people like, that's not what this game is built upon.
To fight these monsters, Lara gets some brand new weapons. A Rocket Launcher, Desert Eagles, and the Submachine Gun are among the new items of combat. However, unlike previous versions, these weapons aren't just lying around. Like the shotgun, it can be very difficult to obtain them, unless you know exactly where they are. This does detract a little from the fun of fighting (hey, always using only one or two weapons for an entire game can get boring), but makes the puzzles all that more important to figure out.
Along with new weapons and monsters, Lara has two new moves to help her get through her adventures. The monkey swing allows Lara to climb across paces as if she were on a monkey bars. Only certain ceilings can be used to do this. The other one, is the crouch/crawl. In Tomb Raider III, you have to get through some tight spaces, and sometimes crawling is the only way to go. Also, you will be able to use the crouch position to avoid deadly traps and monsters.
The last new thing Lara has to use is the most fun, vehicles.Her new vehicles include a quad bike (a.k.a four-wheeler), kayak, a motor boat, underwater propulsion unit, and a mine cart. One of the most fun things to do is zoom around in these things, and just see what you can do. Ever want to blow Lara to a million pieces? Drive the quad bike off a tall cliff. Maneuvering these things can be difficult, but who cares, it's fun!
Exploring these levels in this incarnation is nothing new. Walking around, figuring out puzzles, and shooting the bad guys. However, it never ceases to amaze me how this simple formula continues to be fun. You would think that after many hours of doing nearly the same thing, you would completely get bored with it, never wanting to look at it again. However, this just isn't the case. Every time you do some notable, you want to continue on your quest. It just seems to bring you in, and won't let go.
While you are playing, look at yourself from a third person point of view. You may find yourself moving your head or body to try to see around stuff. Of course, this won't help you in the least. But it sure it funny when you realize just how much you do this. In fact, I think I will need a head restraint just to make me stop.
One last note, Tomb Raider III contains a lot more blood and guts than its predecessors. Luckily, the great folks at Aspyr realized this, and put in customization controls, so parents won't get so worried about it. This is a Mac only feature, that is welcomed by those who would otherwise not be able to play.
Problems:
No problems were encountered while playing Tomb Raider III for many many hours on end. Never once did I encounter a freeze, crash, or any other kind of glitch. It looks like Westlake has done an awesome job creating very clean code. Kudos to them.
Conclusion:
This game, like the previous Tomb Raider series games, has an incredible mix of action, adventure, and puzzles. While some lightning quick reflexes are required, your brain is used more often than not. The new moves, vehicles, and weapons make this a perfect trequel.
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Pros: | Cons: |
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Great mix of action, adventure, and puzzle solving
Use your mental powers just as more than your reflexes
Lara's house is a great primer to the game
All new moves, vehicles, and weapons
Great graphics and sounds
Blood and Guts controls
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Slim manual
Still not the highest quality movies
Not revolutionary
A lot of the same
Staggered storyline
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Rating: 7 out of ten Mac Faces.
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