Here are a couple things you'll need to know to get you up to speed with Lara's latest adventure.

The Story
A large meteor plummeted to earth many millennia past, landing in a lush jungle. The area natives regarded the meteor as a godly omen, fashioning portions of its precious innards into four sacred statues. As the continents shifted, the dense jungle cooled, eventually becoming the desolate wasteland that is now Antarctica.

In the eighteenth century, a group of sea-faring treasure hunters accidentally stumbled upon the ancient ruins of the lost civilization. The four remarkable relics were discovered and hidden throughout the world, amid a bizarre curse that led to the death of all but one of the original explorers.

Modern-day archeologists exploring the frozen continent have stumbled upon the ruins - and found much more than what they bargained for. It's now up to Lara to locate the four priceless relics hidden in the far corners of the globe.

Game Play
Like previous Tomb Raider games, there is a heavy emphasis on exploration and problem solving. Blasting enemies is an unfortunate necessity, but it is not the central focus of gameplay. Instead, you'll find yourself crawling through small crevices in search of hidden keys and scaling rugged cliffs to find hidden pathways.

Tomb Raider III introduces some nonlinear gameplay elements. Once you finish the first level (India), you can progress to any of the three midlevels (Nevada Desert, South Pacific, and London). How hard each level is depends upon what order you play the game in. South Pacific, for instance, will be a far easier task if you choose to travel there after your excursion to India.

Next: Show me Lara's Weapons