Way back when, there was this demo disc called Station Magazine Demo – Disc One and on this, you get to see virtual Lara. Looking at it now she wiggles like a fish however back then, it was pretty damn cool as she explains about her new adventures being Tomb Raider 3 – Adventures of Lara Croft. Of course she describes that Tomb Raider 3 is the most exciting adventure yet as she has new outfits to wear, new locations to explore, advance AI, new features like sprint and so on however there was a key element right at the end of this clip stating she hopes we take good care of her. Well, whilst Tomb Raider 3 has all these new features, once thing is for certain, it's the hardest of the three by a mile.
Whilst made all of those promises, and they are the words straight from Lara herself, the game play hasn't really changed much from the previous installments. Granted she does all those acrobatic maneuvers and showing no signs of vertigo, it still is the same game with different locations. Being the third installment, you think developers Core Design improves some of the game play like better camera angles or have the ability to use the mouse. Unfortunately this was not the case so veterans of the other two games shouldn't have any issues with the controls or putting up with the odd perk like the camera facing directly at Lara front on whilst jumping. Newcomers though will have great difficulty though.
Thankfully there's an option where you can train in Lara's very own mansion where she gets to perform all those acrobatic feats like spinning in mid-air, mantling, sprinting and so on. Also there's a timed obstacle course where it combines all her stunts and if you are clever enough, you can grab a buggy or even view Lara's hidden treasure room – it's definitely worth the effort. And if you get annoyed by Lara's butler, just trap him in the freezer. So it's highly advisable to learn these stunts as each and every one of them will play a part in the main game and I'm sorry to say, if you cannot perform any of them, you might as well quit the game – yes I'm that serious.
The level designs for each level can be viewed as one huge obstacle course. Yes there are pretty effects like lighting, rippling water and smoke, it looks like the two main attentiveness were the brutal maps and of course Lara. The level designs are nothing less than intricately created as one false move will either make Lara start the entire map all over again or simply kill her. Granted the levels are large in comparison with the latter two games and some even have multiple paths, most of them though you wind up exiting the level just a moment higher than where you have originally started.
So for instance, if you cannot reach, say a wall near the beginning of a level as Lara keeps missing the ledge by only a millimetre, it's a safe bet that that's the end of that level so you have to complete the entire level, only to wind up being near the starting position in the end. And what makes matters worse, there are a couple of cut scenes where, after you have endured two hours of killing Lara in countless ways, you wind up with a cut scene say a guy drinking soup very close where you have originally started. So you feel like saying 'didn't you see me wandering around outside like a complete lunatic all over the place only to find a key to open this door?’ – Other words, this is a shot to your ego when finishing a level.
Yet to those who likes to explore (or punish themselves for that matter), there are many secret places to discover. And if you manage to locate all of them unlocks a bonus level. Great incentive I say however locating all the secrets is like winning the lottery…twice in a row. Yes those secrets are so difficult that only a strategy guide can help you. And what's makes this even worse, some secrets plays on Lara's weakness – that is the unusual camera angle. Meaning there are places you cannot see unless you accidentally (or purposely) kill Lara only to realise you just entered a secret location instead of snapping her neck. And let's not forget those timed door ones where the ‘hidden’ door opens on the other side of the map and only a mad sprint from one end of the map, whilst dodging every possible trap to the other is the only way to get its goodies.
Some of the more positives though is that there are five totally different locations to visit and three of them can be played in any order. I thought this was a great idea as it places you in control of the game however the first and last levels must be played in that order – that is India will be your first and Antarctica the last. However, and sadly so, even though you get to see scenic beaches in the Pacific level or viewing the canyons in Nevada, the game play essentially is the same. This to me is a lost opportunity as in Nevada for instance, could be played more like a stealth game or say Antarctica infuses with horror elements as the background scores had horror like sounds with plenty of flashing lights, capturing silhouettes of mutants in the distance. If the five levels played out using different game playing styles, I feel, and as Lara puts it, be more adventurous.
Depending on how clever you are dictates the length to finish the game. For me, and I call myself a decent player, on average I took around two hours per level. Some of the more experienced players can knock it within thirty minutes or so. And because there are nineteen (or twenty if you include the bonus level) it took me forty hours to beat the game or twenty or so for experienced players. Shorter even if you are not going to locate all the secrets however because of the same game play style, I regrettably have to say, it became more of a chore near the latter part of the game. However I must say, when the ending credits rolled in, it did bring me a total sense of achievement so if you are a newcomer to this game, try out Tomb Raider 1 or 2 first however veterans will either be tired doing the same stuff or wanting a real challenge for which you will definitely be getting with this game.