Now this may not sound like much, but what it means is that much more organic and natural-looking shapes can be made in the environments. Most importantly though, the new team at Core revised the polygon engine to construct everything out of triangles. It doesn't end there however, the thing also runs in a higher resolution than before, lending it a sharper, more defined look. Now making use of particle effects for smoke, flames and wispy bits of mist along with some fancy-schmancy colored lighting, the game looks better than ever. As we reported in our exclusive feature back in issue #109, the engine in Tomb 3 has been completely overhauled. the camera tagging along behind Lara's butt-the execution of both the graphics and the level structure is completely new.ДЇirst the graphics. After all, all the Tomb Raiders are starting to look the same, right? Well, in this case-no. A notable chart topper every year since the PlayStation was launched, it would be safe to assume that Tomb Raider 3 stands a pretty good chance of being up there at the top for just as tong as Solid Snake and his cigarettesmoking, box-hiding antics.ДЄs we've mentioned before, you'd be forgiven for initially feeling that things were getting out of hand with this particular franchise. Most promising in the Christmas rush is young Lara Croft and her third adventure. With the barely contained excitement inspired by the likes of Zelda and Metal Gear Solid this holiday season, it's easy to forget that there are a number of other big games ready for release too. Above all, the 19 levels hold another marathon adventure that'll keep you busy forever. Puzzles haven't changed much from the throw switch-es/pull blocks variety (although Area 51's MGS-style stealth antics fall flat). The South Pacific packs some cool Lost World-style surprises, as well, and Antarctica's mine cart is a romping Temple of Doom rip-off. The London and Area 51 stages are extremely atmospheric and just seem more real than the environments of the previous games (you'll see what I mean when you reach the subway, although that train is pretty annoying). So, what TRIM really falls back on is its level design, which is mostly excellent-at least once you get past the horrible India levels. In fact, the entire game suffers from little bugs, making me think it was rushed for the holidays (the ultra-lame ending is even more proof). It feels like an awkward analog-digital hybrid, and the calibration even glitches at times. Avoid the analog control at all costs, too.

Yes, the hi-res visuals are an improvement, but not by much, and some areas are just too dark (I hate having to rely on flares). I wouldn't go so far as to call Tomb Raider III a misstep for the franchise it just doesn't make a broad enough leap in graphics or gameplay to get me overly excited about Lara's third outing.

Tomb raider 3