Lara Croft is at it again, uncovering mysteries as she traverses the globe on whatever quest she's undertaken. This time, she journeys to an ancient crater in Antarctica. It seems that a meteorite of a very unique material was worshiped by Polynesians, who crafted four mysterious artifacts from the rock. These artifacts were takes by Darwin's HMS Beagle expedition and scattered around the world. Lara's job is to collect the four artifacts, uncover the dark plots of the bad guys, and discover the secret of the meteorite. Her journeys take her to the jungles of India, the islands of the South Pacific, London, the top secret Area 51 and a final showdown in Antarctica.

The graphic effects are in the same style as the previous games, only much smoother and with more water and shadow effects. However, this time around, the developers overdid it with the shadows. In fact, so much of the game is dark that its hard to see any graphics at all. Flares are vital to navigate Lara. Unfortunately, they are in short supply, which results in extended periods of confusion and staring at a black TV screen. I can understand the developers going for realism in the dark recesses of the jungle or night-time London, but at the same time they should have provided more mobile light sources like a flashlight or even a miner's helmet for Lara.

Sound effects are scarce, just like in the previous games. Most of the sounds are water effects, jungle and city noises, and other environmental ambiances. Music kicks in at dramatic moments. Also in great abundance are cool cut-scenes between levels which reward the player for finishing and advance the story.

Gameplay for Tomb Raider III has advanced over the previous games. In addition to the usual walking, running, jumping, swimming, and scaling abilities, Lara can now sprint, hang on ceilings, and crawl. With these new abilities, many new puzzle possibilities have been implemented which add further depth to the experience. More weapons are available then ever before, including an all powerful rocket launcher. New and better vehicles are provided to traverse the huge levels. These include a Quad bike, a kayak, a boat, mine cart, and an underwater propulsion unit.

Another big change involves the save system. In the first Tomb Raider, the player had to reach floating save crystals to save. In the sequel, the player could save anytime. The third game features a hybrid system where the player can collect save crystals and then use them anywhere he or she wants to. This system is still very challenging since dangerous zones can pop up without warning, resulting in repeating of sections over and over again to conserve the all important save crystals. Some may like this set-up, but others may look at it as unnecessary frustration.

Finally, each level allows the player multiple paths to complete which generates a less linear game flow. Also, once the jungle levels are completed, the player has a choice of three locations to complete. Only after all three are completed in any order can Lara advance to the final area. Again, such options serve to give the gamer more freedom of choice during the game.

Tomb Raider III is slight improvement over the earlier installments. However, it is not without its faults. Excessive shadows and an awkward save system keep it from being as enjoyable as it could have been. Anyone for Tomb Raider IV?