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spend your money elsewhere

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: August 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Lara Croft games have NEVER been any good. I remember when the very first one came out 10 years ago. Teens were practically DROOLING on their controller every time they saw Lara's pretty face. Tomb Raider must have been advertised like it was the most groundbreaking video game to ever hit the freakin' market. The thing is, the games are boring and Lara Croft isn't very pretty.

If polygon-breasted girls are your thing, go for it. But they aren't MY thing, and I know I'm not the only one to think so. Lara Croft isn't good-looking to the millions of internet gamers who understand that a blocky-looking computer babe isn't going to automatically make a game any fun to play. I'll give Lara Croft SOME credit. She was one of the originators of the "running around half-naked female shooter/adventure" type of video games. In fact, you might even say she was a MAJOR influence because soon after her very first adventure, more and more game companies were making the main characters in their games half-naked chicks. Lara brought something new to the world of video games and I will give her credit for that.

Sometimes influence doesn't matter when a game is really bad. This is one of those cases. The Tomb Raider series on the original Playstation is a joke. I absolutely *groan* when I think about playing a Tomb Raider game because I remember how ugly and dark the environments are, the glitchy problems that dominate all three Tomb Raider games, the annoying and difficult jumping style of Lara Croft (which makes it nearly impossible to progress to the end of the game. Good luck- she NEVER jumps where you want her to) and of course, mentioned above, Lara's supposed beautiful face (she's NOT pretty, remember?)

It also doesn't help that the puzzles you have to solve are ALWAYS really awful (and appear frequently) and, because of the jumping problem, very frustrating to complete. Trying to aim your gun at an emeny isn't exactly a walk in the park, either. The whole series has been an overrated disaster up to this point.

By the time Tomb Raider 3 was released people were REALLY getting fed up with the series. Now, these same people will tell you this was because they kept releasing more and more Tomb Raider games, but I actually think people got sick of Tomb Raider because games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill came along with a similar style and improved on it *drastically*, making Tomb Raider look awfully dated by comparison.

At least the third Tomb Raider game has SOME decent-looking background levels. I guess the company who created Lara Croft finally understood that Lara's pretty face ALONE isn't going to get the job done anymore. I mean, at least in some places the backgrounds LOOK good . Not exactly the prettiest environments available on the Playstation of course, and most of the time all you see is darkness or candlelight. But what's THERE is okay to look at, at least.

Tomb Raider 3 features a challenge that is mostly only challenging because of the above-mentioned jumping problem. She simply doesn't jump the way you want her to. You'd THINK the game company would've dealt with this problem with all the new moves for Lara they added to the game, but no, none of these new moves make the game any easier. The artifact-finding storyline had potential but unfortunately the frustrating challenge ruined it.

BOY am I glad I never bought any of these games (all these years I've been watching OTHER people play them). Reading reviews for the more recent Tomb Raider games on the Playstation 2, I see NO improvements have been made. Let the series END already.

A goodin!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 25, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Ok, alot of people hate this game - but i cant complain with it.Although some of the levels are annoying (i hate the 2nd level of india with a passion) at least it held mostly to the name of Tomb raider (the 2nd, and 4th onwards) should be named "City Raider" the graphics are kinda yellowish. the lighting can be harsh. but its a lengthy game - took me almost 6months to beat (partially cause i jumped triliogy installments)but its an ok game. its better than the 2nd, and way better than all the others afterwards - but doesnt messure up to the original.

Tom Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft (1998)

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 22, 2006
Author: Amazon User

In 1996, the brilliant TOMB RAIDER was released. Although the graphics weren't great, the gameplay was. The puzzles were difficult but intriguing and fun, the pace was fast, the amount of action kept things going and there wasn't one bad level.
The next year, TOMB RAIDER II was introduced to the world, and God, it was good! It improved upon the original, with each level longer and more action-packed. Even the first level was a treat!
Then in 1998, there was TOMB RAIDER III, and it really fails to reach the height of the first two games. Although everybody likes a challenge, this game is just far too difficult. I've only got as far as Level 2, so I had to use cheats, and I couldn't complete any of the other levels. It's still a good, fun little game, but it's very disappointing.
This time, Lara Croft must find different artifacts dotted around the globes. All of the artifacts are connected to a meteorite that struck the Earth long ago.
Once again, the graphics aren't perfect, although not entirely bad, but it doesn't matter anyway.
To conclude, the first two games were fantastic - so enjoyable - but TOMB RAIDER III can be very boring in parts, and it's just too difficult for alot of people. It's not really the best way to start the series if your new to TOMB RAIDER.

Gameplay: 3/5
Graphics: 3/5
Overrall: 3/5

A review by Dale White.

Not the best to begin the series with.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is my fav Tomb Raider game (the 1st is a close 2nd), but.... It's way too hard for people just starting with the series. You really have to check out all of your options, because secrets are often irretrievable once you passed a certain point (The level River Ganges even has 2 alternative routes, one of which makes you miss out on a secret!) and in other points you really start to think the makers of this game are a sadistic bunch hellbent on annoying the hell out of you.
Some, in retrospect fairly easy, moves kept me occupied for hours. But, all in all, a game isn't a game if it isn't challenging. And this game is challenging to the max!

Tomb Raider Three Is Not The First In The Series You Should Play-

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: December 20, 2005
Author: Amazon User

For a few reasons new people of the Tomb Raider games should not start out on this one, unless they are really skilled at video games. Seriously I beat Tomb Raider One and Two and even Four with a heck of a lot more ease than I did with part Three. So no I would not recommend this to new gamers but people that want a challenge this is the game to get.

One of the biggest reasons this game is so hard are the secrets. They sometimes put the secrets in places you would never even notice. So I advise, if you want the secret level at the end of this game, to get a strategy guide cause 99% of the time you cannot find all the secrets on your own. The secret level though is not neccessary to beat the game at the end, and not truly worth the bother to me. I was so happy and exhausted to just finally beat the game that I could have cared less about a secret level and wouldn't have wanted to play it anyway.
And that was another problem. How hard the ultimate boss at the end was. I thought the dragon in part two was difficult- at least when it hit me I didn't automatically lose. With the ultimate boss in part three if you get too close he will spew this stuff at you and right away you drop dead. It was difficult and frustrating and took me forever to beat. Yet I cannot say it is impossible, for I did at last beat it, but it is NEARLY impossible and will take you most likely a long while like I. What I did was the best, I got out my rocket launcher and just kept blowing away at him while jumping around and around that platform. I definitely would not stand there or get too close make sure you are as far away as possible for he will not spew that stuff at you unless you are close.
Then I guess the next hardest part of part three was just the levels themselves. Some parts of the game were very difficult and without the strategy guide next to me I would have encountered many, many dead ends or stepped into a place that just ended Lara. It grew pretty frustrating at times and the worst part of it all is that you cannot save anytime you like- so unless you cheat and get a load of crystals you will do some backtracking.

Worst part of the game:

Nevada- In this part all the medi packs you saved up, all the ammo you saved up before- the guards take it all away from you so you have to go through the levels finding your guns and picking up as many medi packs as you can. It grew to be very difficult and I hated that part of the game. The only good part of this level was at the very end when you got to see a few alien bodies.

Best parts of the game:

South America- For its lovely scenes and it wasn't impossible to beat. I also liked the dinosaurs they put in, it reminded me of Tomb Raider One all over again.

And London- London was fun as well I enjoyed playing there, with what looked like the same Sphinx- like statue placed in this part as was in Tomb Raider One, except this time you don't go into this one.

So- So Levels:

India- Sometimes a challenge that got on my nerves but then the rest of the time it was just normal Tomb Raider stuff, a little boring of a level compared to the others. The statues coming alive were pretty scary though.

Anartica- Creepy part of the game. At the ending part of all Tomb Raider games there is some breed of creatures you have to fight- in part one it was what looked like animals turned inside out- in part two she fought what looked like action figures- and now in part three she has to fight mutants. Creepy definitely. Got a little scary sometimes. And this part of the game was not too hard, but indeed I was always kept on alert with those mutants. One problem I hated in this part though was the carts- those mine carts drove me crazy I was always dying in them. Just keep working at it though, eventually you get around those corners without dying.

Overall I give this game a 3.5 to a 4 star rating. It is definitely not as good as the first two, just a heck of a lot more frustrating but indeed it was a challenge and Lara Croft is still a fun character to play with so I can't hate this game, but I definitely will not play it again for a long time. It is just too stressful and hard of a game to play all the time.

Do not think Tomb Raider Four is just as stressful and nearly impossible- Part Four is a lot better and I recommend it highly.

Not difficult, impossible. However...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: November 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Yes, TR3 is a bear (so to speak ;-). E.g., there's a particular spot at the very outset of the game, hiding under the leaves, which you have to make a blind leap to find, and would never guess is there if someone hadn't told you. But that is in the grand old tradition of Adventure -- the one point remainder (a postage stamp, usually, in the old days, or dropping the magazine in a particular place when you're at your wit's end). The impossible puzzle drags you out of the game and forces you to kickstart your social life, and ASK REAL PEOPLE for the answer. Very legitimate. Same as, "Don't kill monks at Barkhang Monastery" (TR2), and don't kill monkeys either (TR3)! This game is a heckuva lot of fun on a great many levels OTHER THAN gameplay. It's full of visual splendors that rival the next to last discontinuous maze of TR2, and I enjoy everything about it ... except playing. The game part is tedious, unfair and annoying beyond belief. But it's a real collector's item, especially on PlayStation 2 (be sure to keep your PS1 memory card!), and in our family, it's in its second generation of total immersion.

The worst one in the whole series.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 22, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I love the tomb raider series,except for this one!!!!! It's way to hard and it won't let you save unless you find a save crystle. After that, I switched to the pc vesion which has unlimited saves but there is only one problem...IT'S TO OLD FOR WINDOWS XP!!So buy at own risk but if you want to play it and you have an old computer I recommend the pc version.

TOO HARD

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: June 13, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Tomb Raider 3 was by far the most difficult Tomb Raider I have ever played. I'll admit, I used every cheat in the book in order to beat the game. But can you really blame me?

The game first starts off with an incredibly difficult jungle level, in which you have the option of finding a few secrets and then beginning the level, but regardless, you'll be jumping to a slope and then jumping over a set of spikes, and then (surprise!) jumping over another set of spikes, and finally landing at the bottom with a save crystal and a bunch of different directions to go. Don't go into the sinking sand and watch out for anything that looks dangerous because chances are, it'll be the last dangerous think you look at.

Finally, after a period of a week to a year, you've finally beat the jungle levels... WITHOUT CHEATS! Well I bet you were quite tempted! Now choose your destination. The strategy guides all tell you to go to the Nevada Desert, and then to the South Pacific, and then London. If you watch the entire "Story So far..." feature, you'll notice that the game plays the scenes with South Pacific first and Nevada Desert last. So nobody cares what order you do it in, it doesn't matter much. And believe me; you WILL get frustrated either way, so go to the one you want to go to first because it will take you FOREVER to finish that section of levels.

Finally, after God-knows-how-long, you finished the whole globe, and get this; you did it ALL WITHOUT CHEAT CODES! I congratulate you. NOW WE GET TO GO TO ANTARTICA!!!

Yippee.

Antarctica is incredibly difficult, and it ends with a big, mumbo-jumbo mother-of-all-spiders human-headed thing. Oh, and one shot with the rocket launcher just won't kill it! And one thing to keep on mind, one-hit K.O. As in, if it hits you once, it will kill you. Good luck!

But in spite of all of that, I really enjoyed seeing Lara in new costumes and playing in her new house. It was a lot of fun to get the racetrack key and find the shortcut at the racetrack. I must say, I really did enjoy Tomb Raider 3.

If you like challenges, then Tomb Raider 3 is definitely for you. And regardless, the Mansion is definitely worth the 5 dollars that Tomb Raider 3 now cost at Game Crazy. But, if you're anything like me and do not enjoy getting so frustrated over a horribly pixilated British woman in a jungle tomb, then get ready to memorize "L2, R2, L2(2), R2, L2, R2, L2, R2, L2(4), R2, L2, R2(4), L2" if you want to beat this game!

What were they thinking?!

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: May 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I must agree with many of the other reviewers in that this is by far THE worst game in the Tomb Raider series. I beat this game a long time ago, but I have been bored lately so I dug it up and started to play again. My opinion has not changed since I labored through it the first time. I would never have even finished it the first time except that I thought it MIGHT get better (or even slightly fun) as the game went on. Nope.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am a huge fan of the whole Tomb Raider extravaganza; it's an excellent and clever collection. But I was disappointed so much in this one that it almost killed my interest to continue on with the later games in the series.

First of all, the levels are unstimulating and repetitive. I hated the levels in India and the South Pacific Islands so much that I purposely killed myself off a few times just to get the frustration out. As a general rule, I think just one nature-based level should be allowed for Lara; they both were so damn similar and I got tired of killing lizards and monkeys.

Then, for someone who loves a good puzzle, the puzzles in this were just ridiculous. I had to buy the strategy guide just to find my way around the confusing dead-ends (and 'dead' I mean literally). And by the way, the strategy guide was misleading and seemed like it didn't even go with the right level at times.

Also, some of the stunts and moves that Lara has to make to reach intricate points in the game are so precise that you have to save your game before even ATTEMPTING them...or say hello to some huge backtracking or unsightly death. But oh wait...you can't save your game anytime you want. You must have the beloved save crystals! Too bad I'm always reluctant to use them in fear that I might need them for something more important than jumping to a tree limb.

I gave this game two stars for two reasons. The first being that Lara has some new moves---crawling, monkey-swinging sprinting, etc---and those were quite nifty at times (unless I was about ready to gnaw my own hands off from everything else). The second reason would have to be that I liked some of her unusual foes---the creepy Shivas, in particular.

But that was about it, my friends. And those few joys did not hold up well against everything else. I recommend TR2 above any and all other TR games. Even without some of the fancy schmancy moves and scenery, it never fails to impress or enthrall. I mean, how can you top the Barkhang Monastery? Give me a good monk any day.

Awesome game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: January 11, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game is the epitomy of greatness as far as Adventure/Action games are concerned. Today is 2004, and I installed this game on my PC after finding it buried in the back of my drawer. I expected crap. Man was I off....

Basically, you are Lara Croft, and run around from the Jungles of India to Area 51 in Nevada, to the abandoned railway tunnels of London's Alwych, to the stone age wilderness of the South Pacific(infested with Raptors, of course ;D), and finally to Antarctica to this really cool lost city.

On the whole, this game breaks down like this:
- Graphics: 7/10 - For it's time, not bad.....
- Sound: 9/10 - Excellent. Music is good, voiceovers believable, etc.....
- Gameplay - 9/10 - Not much different from other TR games yet strangely, it's a lot of fun

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