Stunted!
Alas, something happened between the demo and the finished game. No way to turn it on/off (I looked for nearly twenty minutes through the manuals and game menus), so it was more than just a meager aggravation. Secondly, the crystal function is back. While I liked the crystals in Tomb Raider, I didn't always like their placement. Tomb Raider II was good in releasing the "hold" if you will over saving a game, but TR III got the best of both worlds. I enjoyed the save system, you can do it anywhere but you're limited, adding to the game's difficulty. The traps and levels were good, redundant at times, but otherwise well thought and placed ( except the entire London Act, which I despised ). The game was way too dark. Adding to the atmosphere, yes, but taking away from it by not being able to see, no. flares were in short supply, and it was my opinion that a game as dark as TR III should have had infinite flares.
And what happened with the infinite weapons after completing the game? It would have been a welcome addition and not another annoyance that we had been rewarded in the firt two installments, only to be denied in what was supposed to be the "best to date". The story was good, but without a true opening scene to set up the first Act and storyline, it felt rushed and not complete. We got the idea that something happened in the past that led to the events in Lara's present time, but what those mean for each of the four people in the present isn't exactly implied or explicit. WHY they want the artifacts isn't known.
Globetrotting is a huge plus AND you get to choose where to go! Just don't choose Area 51 last, you don't get back your weapons and face Antarctica powerless. Not a good developmental choice, but necessary to throw people off. It just sucked when I had gotten through the jungle (with the raptors) and lost all my powerful weapons, many never to be seen again.
Other than those, it was--and still is--a great game with a great premise, though a bit tired, makes for a replayable game and a thumbs-up.