Tomb Raider III is finished! I definitely was not expecting to spend most of the year playing these games - but I'm not complaining! It's been a lot of fun. Part of the reason there's so much time between reviews is that after I finish each game, I continue playing in order to pick up achievement badges. I paid attention this time, and I played an extra 40 hours across approximately five weeks, before moving on to the next game. (It's the curse of being a completionist).
Additionally, the reason this review is as late as it is, is partly because I spent more time than usual backtracking through the levels looking for secrets and missed pickups (in a few places it was a real headache, but I wanted the glory of accomplishing it without using a walkthrough), and partly because I was intending to wait until after I'd not only completed the full game plus the expansion levels, but also finished all my badge hunting so I could report my final progress, as this is the last game in the collection. But it turns out there were a bunch of hidden achievements that I missed, so now I have to go back through the games and play clean up - and I can't say how long that's gonna take.
What I remember most about my first time playing Tomb Raider 3 (circa 1998), is that it was the point in the series when I switched to playing these games on PlayStation, since the bugs on the PC version (which had always been an issue, since the very first game) finally got to the point where it actively prevented me from playing. It was also the last Tomb Raider game I played - until the release of Tomb Raider Anniversary in 2007 rekindled my interest in the series.
Lotta new stuff introduced in this game. The graphics are smoother than ever - with square blocks split into triangles, for better gradation of terrain (i.e., changing slopes). Lara's got some new moves - ducking and crawling, navigating monkey bars, and sprinting - which means new areas to explore, and more places to hide things! The secrets are back to being managed like in the first game, with a top secret level at the end of the game you can only play if you find every secret in the game. New vehicles are hit-and-miss - the quadbike handles better than the snowmobile, but the kayak, while a super cool idea, is a nightmare to paddle. New weapons are (mostly) a plus - the rocket launcher offers an improvement over the grenade launcher, while the MP5 shoots so sporadically it's almost not worth using. But the real MVP is the Desert Eagle, with its power-packed punch. Flares die out faster this time, but there's more than enough of them to last you through the game (dark as it is).
Following from the last game, the ratio between tomb-y and urban environments is fairly evenly mixed. What's exciting is that, excepting the opening and closing chapters, the middle three locations can be tackled in any order you like! And to further enhance this feeling of nonlinearity, some of the levels feature branching paths toward the exit. You start out in the dense jungle of the Indian rainforest, and it's a sight to behold. Cheeky monkeys will try to run off with your item pickups if you don't stop them first. Swarms of flesh-eating piranha will teach you to think twice before diving into the swift-flowing currents of the Ganges. And tread lightly through the underbrush, for you'll regret succumbing to the venomous bite of the cobra. New for this game, getting poisoned won't require a special antidote, but it will force you to use a medipack before your life slowly drains out. And watch out for the quicksand!
Although the dusty environs of the Nevada desert offer some novelty, the Area 51 levels are largely industrial, recalling a drier version of the Oil Rig from TR2. Still, infiltrating the military complex is fun - avoiding tripwires, sneaking past guards, and stealing access passes is a different sort of skillset for Lara - and who can forget the big climax in the flying saucer? The South Pacific Islands are a dream. Although dinosaurs were relegated to a short (but memorable) cameo in TR2, Crash Site is basically a whole level that feels like Jurassic Park. Now there are Compys, and you can distract the T-Rex with your flares! Madubu Gorge is truly spectacular. Populated by wicked gremlins, it is marred only by the aforementioned frustration of navigating the kayak. Meanwhile, the London levels play like a grittier Venice. To be fair, having Lara slink about in a leather catsuit will fulfill any cat burglar fantasies you may have. Running across rooftops is a thrill, and the underground subway station effectively evokes a liminal atmosphere. But the history museum is the closest this game comes to ransacking the pyramids of Egypt - and it's a pale substitute.
Finally we come to Antarctica, which offers a sci-fi/horror vibe straight out of John Carpenter's The Thing, with a hint of H.P. Lovecraft. Exercise caution while swimming in the ice cold water, for you'll freeze long before you run out of breath! After two games with really memorable climactic levels (Atlantis, and the Temple of Xian), I didn't even remember The Lost City of Tinnos until after I started playing through it (highlights include the fighting arena, and the elemental challenges - not so much the glowing wasps). Far more memorable were the ship and the abandoned camp from a previous level, and the eerie mood of the mines (minus the frustrating mine cart sequences). I did like the final boss encounter, though - featuring the creepiest monster yet, seemingly inspired by the nightmare creature from Stephen King's IT (and I don't mean its clown persona).
For the first time in three games, I beat the game using only pistols on my first playthrough! The secret bonus level was fantastic - relatively short, but definitely a highlight. And the expansion levels (once again, played for my first time ever), were quite remarkable. You get to infiltrate a Scottish castle - with architecture that recalls the Great Wall of China from TR2, peppered with some Indian jungle flare - haunted by the black dog of folklore (with glowing, red eyes). Afterward, the Chunnel channels a blend of the urban and underground environments from Nevada and London, with a touch of the Maria Doria sprinkled in. It's worth noting that one secret in each level really goes all out to impress the player. I don't want to spoil the discovery, but I will say there's a surprise cameo by a beloved cryptid (I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I gasped audibly when it popped out at me!). And the zoo level was very imaginative.
Though I was fully prepared to close the book on Tomb Raider Remastered at this time, I have recently learned that remastered versions of the next three games are scheduled for release next February! I've only ever played 4 and 5 once (during that period when the release of Tomb Raider Anniversary rekindled my interest in the series), and 6 I've never played before! So I'm excited. Looks like it's gonna be another year of playing classic Tomb Raider for me. :-p
