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Old 05-06-18, 01:26   #21
yeti
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I find this one possibly the most replayable due to not only its difficulty but its level design. It was frustrating in 1998, at times it may seem unfair, it is brutal, and a lot of times it's logic is lacking. But I dig it, especially the ps1 version.

This game is the antithesis of modern AAA games which are hand-holding and highly-scripted (albeit almost always super cheesy) playable telenovelas with very little room for exploration or nonlinear gameplay.

I like the lack of comprehensible storyline and the fact that you can get lost exploring. To me, that's part of the charm. There is a certain sense of video game accomplishment in trudging through imo.

The tank controls are easily overcome within an hour or so of gameplay and the gaming experience, to me, is incredibly immersive. No qte, no button cues on screen, no hand holding to constantly remind you that you are playing a video game. To me that's a charm of the classics and triii has it in spades.

Last edited by yeti; 05-06-18 at 01:44.
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Old 02-10-18, 01:18   #22
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^^ I agree!!!!! I love you. You know me. I'm yours. Marry me. Breed me!!

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Originally Posted by LaraCablara View Post
Oh on the other hand I think it's very appropriate. Unlike a lot of games from that time, nearly all of Tomb Raider 3's flaws come from bad level design decisions and not from a limitation of resources. Yeah, the graphics on the other hand are an exception since they were limited to blocks and all, but as for the choice of textures and how they are applied, well that's on them (and the time constraints they were under)
I disagree wholeheartedly. To me, TR3 has some of the best level design in the whole series. Huge, maze-like levels with lots of variation. And I love the unfair trolly things the game throws your way. The London section is the my all time favorite TR levels

Last edited by remyma; 02-10-18 at 01:20.
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Old 04-10-18, 02:22   #23
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When I look at it now, I always think TR3 is the one game in the series I can't believe people finished without a guide. That secret in Aldwych with the drill thing descending and all the jumps - it's hard enough to learn it when you've already got it written down, worked out by someone else. Figuring it out for yourself must have been wild. Thankfully I got to watch my dad copying the method from a guide, and then learned it myself before attempting it, but still...

I think there were lots of little things that maybe didn't need to be included. Almost like they tried to do too much? Like, I keep saying that one day I'll do make a TRLE out of the maps I did of an alternate Madubu Gorge that doesn't have the kayak to contend with. Everyone likes the concept of Madubu Gorge but hates controlling the kayak.

I ended up liking The Lost Artifact better. It's got a lot of the things I liked about TR3, without feeling too jam-packed with extra stuff.
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Old 04-10-18, 08:30   #24
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I will take a middle ground here and understand the merits in both arguments.

The game is old, which means not only the graphics are dated, but the gameplay as well. Nowadays designers have years of game design to look back upon and can study which gameplay elements work and which don't. In 1998 this study was far less developed and TR3 only had it's predecessors to see what worked and didn't.

As a result, there are a lot of gameplay elements that are simply bad. Finding a coin to buy a ticket to get over a obstacle one can normally easily climb would be comical normally. Having only one ticketbox where you can buy said ticket (and the other ones do nothing) is horrible design. Same as falling ceiling (without warning) or the RX-minecart which was too fast for reflexes and required endless trial and error.

That said, these are smaller flaws in a bigger design. The (stone) Kali statue in the first Temple room was extremely intimidating even though it never moved. A great warning for what was to come. Most of the traps in India were fair and fun. Releasing the prisoners in Nevada to build your personal army was amazing, the raptors in the pacific were terrifying and the whole 'The Thing' vibe in Antartica worked really well! (and I'm sure London also had some good parts?).

So yeah, it's not perfect, but a few flaws don't make the game that bad, right?
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Old 04-10-18, 16:17   #25
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I understand these common points of criticisms of Tomb Raider III, but I actually have a solution for it: Play the PC version. I always did. It's much prettier to look at (it even looks sort of good today, if you accept the blockyness of the 90's) and there's no bull**** save crystal problem. It's still a challenging game, but not in a bull****ty way.

So... the PC version is not as dark, it's prettier - MUCH prettier, and it doesn't limit the player's ability to save the game. And because of all of this, it's not bull**** hard. I have no idea why people play the PlayStation version when it's so obviously inferior to the PC version. Is there anything the PlayStation version does better, other than if you just prefer to play with a controller instead of a keyboard? I went on a mission a couple of years back, to complete all the classic Tomb Raider games on their "home platform" the PlayStation, when the games were released digitally for PS3. I started with Tomb Raider III, and I couldn't do it, because it was so dark and ugly.

I'm actually a console guy But in the case of the classic Tomb Raider games, I easily prefer the PC versions.

Last edited by Final Count; 04-10-18 at 16:21.
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Old 05-10-18, 08:06   #26
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TR3 was hard for sure.. but I enjoy it.
I agree that a first timer would find it more challenging than it is.

The level design was an absolute bugger at times, but once you know what to do, even levels like Aldywch are not that hard.

Someone said that the tunnels have no sign about killer trains - there actually are signs.
If you look, there are red lights on the tiles which activate trains when Lara goes too far past those.
I agree that the ticket machine was badly designed though.. they could have had that one lit up or something flickering.

Loved the lighting and new triangle which made the levels less blocky. Antarctica was just lovely to look at at times.

PC looks better but it lacked the deeper coloured lighting. Area 51 on PSX is so colourful yet PC is washed out.

TR2 will always be my fave though

Last edited by dcw123; 05-10-18 at 08:08.
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Old 05-10-18, 14:11   #27
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I absolutely love Tomb Raider III, but only played it on the pc. I also play it with Sardoc's mod that removes all the save / health crystals. The climate and areas vary in an excellent way. There are lots of different vehicles, a huge arsenal to choose from. Classic treats everywhere (dinosaurs!). Not to forget that Lara herself is a total badass in this game. TR III was not my first game, so I'm not blinded by nostalgia either
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Old 15-10-18, 16:42   #28
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I posted already in a similar thread, but I absolutely love TR3! By far the best entry of the Core era. Personally, I love the PSX version due to the save crystals! Makes it more immersive and challenging. However, I'll have to try Sardoc's mod that Maverin mentions. Still, I think the unlimited saving in PC version ruins the experience, but at least I can do proper no medpack runs on PC version. I love doing save crystal saves/ no medpack runs on PSX version. Very challenging! Personally, I find TR1-2 and 4&5 too easy. This is why I love replaying TR3. Always a challenge.

Last edited by jackraider; 15-10-18 at 16:44.
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Old 19-10-18, 13:12   #29
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lmao, i love seeing the classic fans being so brutally honest about the classics, mostly because if any reboot fans tried to do the same they'd get torn apart
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Old 21-10-18, 15:54   #30
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This game can be horrible at times. When starting the game there's a marked improvement over the previous 2 titles (except the TR2 DLC which follows the same trend) in the environment and being 'lost' as in thinking I'm finishing the level and I'm actually one step away from the beginning of the same level, making grand loops at times. But this is also the game's downfall in some levels where long loops with horrendous design and idiotic artistic choices make everything frustrating.

The first level is great. The last level is great. The levels I choose between don't feel connected, probably made by different subteams in a hurry and just thrown in the game. And how well it shows, South Pacific is good (maybe same subteam as first/last levels?), Nevada is meh, London is horrendous (but with a good first level). I can't even blame the designer for them, at that point it was the 3rd game in the series (and unlike current 'trilogies' those games actually build on the previous one, even the tutorials don't explain the movements from previous games again) and maybe they were trying to halt the next game's release by making this one very difficult/with average/bad reviews but it didn't turn out well.
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