Tomb Raider III Revealed (1998)

The Croft Times

Much has been said and written about the upcoming Tomb Raider III. In an attempt to find out what is really going on, we checked several sources and spoke with Mike Schmitt, associate producer at Eidos Interactive. You'll find what we learned, but first some basic facts... The first Tomb Raider was an amazing game. It had a great gameplay, great atmosphere, great graphics and a great character. It set a standard.

Now there are a lot of clones going around, some with great features, and although none of them really feels like TR, they do take some shine of the next releases.

People cry for improvements. But what kind of improvements? The basic look and feel of the game must remain the same or it won't be Tomb Raider. Technical improvements? Sure, as long as they don't detract from the gameplay, or better yet, add to it instead. Gameplay improvements? Sure, as long as they improve the existing gameplay, not change it.

The old Tomb Raider team is rumoured to be working on the next generation engine. The team behind TR3 is a new one, but as you will see in the next few pages, this new Core team addressed these issues in the correct way. There was no major fault in TR2, except for the clipping problems and they claim it is solved, but the new technical features will help the basic look and feel we all love. The gameplay was also improved in the right way, with a return to adventuring and exploring as opposed to shoot'em up route that TR2 followed.

Who wants a new engine if it takes a super-fast Pentium II with 128mb of RAM to run it...leaving behind most of the gaming population! Who really cares if the game engine is new or re-written? What we really want is the good old Tomb Raider game, with problems corrected and new great features added to it in the right measure.

And that is exactly what we will get in November, when Tomb Raider III releases...

TR3 PLOT AND MAIN FEATURES: The game is a continuation of Lara Croft's artifact-hunting platform capers, this time leading to the recovery of four pieces of the Comet of Vermuelin. Scientists believe that a comet hit the earth 64 million years ago. It was then split into four pieces and sent to four different locations around the world, hopefully never to be found again. The people of the ancient town of Turella say that the comet will tell the story of the past and even the future of the earth - a whole gateway to the evolution of man and the world they live on.

If you know Lara there is a good opportunity to find this treasure. She must set off to search the globe to find the pieces of the missing comet in the usual exotic locations.

Some new features include: * A much improved game engine, with lightning and environment effects. * New difficulty level settings affecting the save system. * Even bigger levels, with new features permitted by the use of triangular surfaces making them more complex and organic. * A return to the adventure side of playing with much less linear levels. * New enemies with much improved AI and level bosses.

* New and more realistic weapons.
* New vehicles.
* Lara will have new outfits and several new moves.


THE GAME ENGINE:

According to Mike Schmitt, the controversy around the game engine makes no real sense: "I sometimes think too much emphasis is placed on engines and technology and people seem less concerned about gameplay (which should take the highest priority.) The TR engine was written specifically for Tomb Raider and it seems to work fairly well. I'm amazed at how many new features Core Design was able to add to Tomb 3 in such a short amount of time.

It would be real easy to crank out a simple set of new levels every year and TR fans would buy it simply because they love playing Tomb Raider (I know I would) but Core has added so many more gameplay elements in addition to exciting new levels and they do it in 10 months! I don't think they get enough credit sometimes for this sort of accomplishment. I played all the new Tomb Raider-style games at E3 and while some of them had some exciting new features, etc... I can honestly say that none of them played as good & felt quite as 'right' as Tomb Raider does."

THE ENGINE'S NEW FEATURES: It might not be completely new, but "almost all of the main engine elements have been re-written. Multicoloured lighting has made a vast difference to the overall atmosphere of the game. The environments, baddies and Lara herself all look far more realistic with the different coloured light-sources. An improved texture palette has also allowed us to generate more detailed surroundings," says Mike. Lead level designer Richard Morton adds: "The PC version will have a 16-bit colour screen instead of a 256, so it'll have all the transparency effects - even without a 3D card."

Also according to Mike, "The level editor has been improved for TRIII. Instead of using squares to generate height and surfaces, we can now use triangles. This means that the maps themselves can be more complex and organic - less 'blocky' than the previous two games. Also, the textures that we apply to the maps are more detailed than in Tomb 1 & 2". This is a big improvement; it adds "the ability to manipulate individual points so you can create far more rounded backgrounds. You can have domes and things like that in there", confirms Richard.

THE NEW EFFECTS:

"The new water reflection effects and surfaces also add to the realism, as do semi-transparencies (light beams and mist)," says Mike, "we've also got weather effects such as snow and rain and a number of other effects such as:

* Leaves blowing in the wind
* Footsteps in snow/sand etc.
* Different sound effects for Lara's footsteps (depending on the surface).
* New particle effect for flames and explosions... you can even see Lara's breath when it's cold!
* Lara's guns will smoke when she fires and you'll even see the shells. Bullet holes in the walls, etc...
* Birds, bats flying around certain levels.
* And a few more surprises.

On the PSX the game is also running in hi-res mode (512x240 versus 383x240). This makes a huge difference visually. Shapes/textures of distant objects can now be seen where in the other Tomb games you'd see nothing but a blur. We cut a PSX version recently where we could toggle back & forth between resolution modes and it's amazing what a difference the hi-res mode makes. Finally on PSX, we're supporting the Sony Dual Shock Controller. The different weapons and explosions vibrate differently, etc..."

THE SAVE SYSTEM: Some rumours say that instead of being able to save your game anywhere, like in the PC version, Core will be returning to the first PSX version of TR where you could only save in predetermined spots (the crystals). The truth is that "the current plan is for the save game system to be the same in the PC & PSX versions", says Mike. "A lot of us prefer the save game crystal method from the original console version of tomb raider (more of a challenge... there was a great sense of anticipation as you made your way through the levels wondering where the next save game crystal would be.)

Our plan is to link the save game method to a difficulty setting. If you choose 'easy' you can use the save anywhere method (like TR2), but if you choose 'advanced' you'll use the save game crystals. Players will be rewarded differently depending on which method they choose to use." Will the crystal system work as in the first PSX version or the rumoured method of having a few crystals and be able to use them anywhere?

"That still isn't finalised. We might go straight back the TR1 save crystal method (set points) or we may give the user 3-4 crystals (for example) to use anywhere on the level. We would probably make crystals available as in-game pickups if that was the case."

THE LEVEL DESIGN: "The levels themselves are huge...They seem to get bigger each game!" says Mike. "The levels are definitely less linear than the first two TR games. There are tons of areas where Lara will see numerous places to go. There are different routes she can take in certain levels that will get her to where she needs to go. Some routes will be easy, other more difficult (but with better pickups)...offering more exploration options for the player. Lara's new moves (crawl, dash, monkey swing) have also allowed for the creation of new types of puzzle elements within the levels."

The game will start in India, but after that you'll have a choice to play the London, Area 51/Nevada Desert or South Pacific stages in any order you want. You'll end up in Antarctica for the final showdown. Check the final sections for a rundown on each stage.

THE ENEMIES: "The enemy AI [artificial intelligence] has been completely re-written", says Mike Schmitt, "so all enemies (humans, animals, ??) will behave in a much more life-like manner, rather than just running at Lara and attacking immediately. The new AI has also been linked to the other characters in the game so that on some missions you will have to decide how to tackle the level. In many cases, it may be better to use some of Lara's new 'stealth side' rather than charge in 'guns blazing'...

The new AI features add such a huge new dimension to Tomb Raider. We've recently cut a test level where some of the new routines are being tweaked. Lara's new crawl works great for hiding/crawling behind walls while trying to stay out of the line of sight of a patrolling guard. I think TR fans will really love this new strategy element".

There will be lots of new enemies (check the final sections) and "some areas will also feature some boss characters as well", promises Mike as well as "some last level surprises"!

The T-Rex is back with a whole level designed around it. And it's more clever than ever: it will "behave more like the one in Jurassic Park - if you stand still, he can't see you; light a flare and throw it and he'll chase after that", says Richard Morton. And then adds: "We've got a lot more dinosaur species, but overall we've gone for the more 'mutanty'-type characters rather than just animals".

THE WEAPONS: There are also lots of changes to the weapons and combat system: not all guns will automatically lock on targets. And "all of the current weapons are being revisited", says Mike. "A new particle system has been implemented so all of the weapons look much more realistic. Smoke comes out of the gun barrel, shells are flying all over, the explosions from the rocket launcher are amazing, etc... The harpoon gun will probably be removed (no one was happy with it). Lara has a new grenade launcher that is great for clearing rivers of flesh-eating piranha fish!" and Richard adds: "We've got a rocket launcher that now acts and looks like a proper one. The explosions have proper radius too. And it's not an auto-targeting weapon; you'll have to aim it manually."

Mike says yet that "certain enemies carry flame-throwers and there's a chance Lara may be able to 'acquire' one of them... still not decided yet though". Let's hope that Core manages to get that feature in the game.

THE VEHICLES:

Vehicles were one of the most popular features of Tomb Raider II, so TR3 will have one in each level. We've heard about parachutes, underwater propulsion units, jeeps and quad-bikes. Although the developers won't confirm most of them, Richard said that "we've got quad-bikes in the India stages, but they're not working too well at the moment". Core is still experimenting with vehicles, so it's understandable that they will only confirm the ones that are already working in perfection.

Mike Schmitt says that "the snowmobile & boat will most likely return (people seemed to really like them in TR2). In addition Lara will able to paddle a canoe through some white water river rapids. This level looks awesome. She can get out of the canoe at certain points and go exploring as well. You'll have to paddle the raft while negotiating water currents and rocks! Certain forks in the river may lead to instant death, so you'll have to be careful!". We've learned that Core watched Deliverance as part of their research for this level, so it will be really great!

Mike also says that "she'll also drive a jeep (chase sequence) in one section of the game..." and promises "a couple of other surprises too, vehicle-wise".

LARA:

How about our heroine? In TR2, Lara had a more rounded chest and a swinging ponytail. How about this time around?

"Well...She's got...ears now. That's a bit of extra detail", says Richard.
But... Hasn't she always had ears?
"No, they were just texture maps before. These are proper ones. Although you can't really... See them", he adds.
But you know they're there.
"Yeah. We know they're there."

Movement wise there are much more improvements: "She can jump up and grab hold of things in a way she couldn't before", says Richard. "In Tomb II the obvious progression was to make her climb walls. In this one she can jump straight up and grab onto some ceilings, and monkey-swing along. We've also given her a dash, so if you are running down a long corridor away from something, you've got a stamina bar, and a limited amount of extra spurt, so to speak. And we're thinking about turning the dive into a special move," he adds.

There's also the new crawl move that will allow Lara to reach some otherwise impossible places, as well as "hiding/crawling behind walls while trying to stay out of the line of sight of a patrolling guard."

There are supposed to be new outfits for Lara, too, but they are not done yet... as you can tell from the screenshots. She's supposed to have a new 'cat-burglar' outfit for London and some warmer clothes for Antarctica, but nothing was seen yet.

THE STAGES:

There will be five major stages in Tomb Raider III. The first one in India, followed by London, Area 51/Nevada Desert and South Pacific, which can be played in any order you wish, before reaching the climax in Antarctica. The following rundown is not complete, as Mike says: "Sorry if I'm vague in spots... We don't want to give everything away!"

STAGE ONE: INDIA

What will happen:
Having parachuted in, Lara gets to explore a jungle during a thunderstorm - with rain and misting effects adding to the atmosphere considerably. She also sneaks around a temple, before the stage reaches a climax with an exciting chase on quad-bikes.

You will find:
As expected in a jungle setting: tigers, monkeys, piranhas, cobras and vultures.

STAGE TWO: LONDON

What will happen:
The level opens with Lara hopping across the London rooftops, with promises of "locations overlooking the Thames and London Bridge". She then breaks into a cathedral and makes her way underground, exploring abandoned tube stations and bomb shelters, secret Masonic lodges and the sewers.

You will find:
Human enemies (mercenaries, security guards, construction workers, sewer dwellers) rats, bats, alligators, "some other surprises too" (undead zombies maybe...).

STAGE THREE: AREA 51/NEVADA DESERT What will happen: Lara starts her journey in the desert with another quad-bike (or jeep) chase and plenty of in-the-desert, cacti-dodging action.

Inevitably, she gets to go inside Area 51 itself, where we are promised she will witness "a number of 'interesting' sights". We're betting on little green men and maybe Mulder or Scully! Finally, the level ends in style with Lara filching a Stealth Bomber!

You will find:
Numerous human enemies (different types of guards with different types of weaponry) scientists, guard dogs, vultures, hyenas. We are hoping for the odd alien too, although Richard says there aren't any...

STAGE FOUR: SOUTH PACIFIC What will happen: This is where you'll find the King Kong / Jurassic Park-inspired level, as Richard says: "It's like King Kong, except there's something else behind the door - it's a dinosaur-infested island. The dinosaurs in Tomb I and Tomb II were so popular, so we wanted to base a whole level around them". There's also a white water rapids section on this island, with kayaks and rocks and everything. You will find: Various types of dinosaurs "(some surprises here!)", natives, mercenaries, crocodiles, jellyfish.

STAGE FIVE: ANTARCTICA What will happen: Lara encounters gigantic ice-breakers and gets to ride around on a skidoo again. There are "limited exposure puzzles" - which basically means that she'll freeze to death if you don't get a move on - and a rollercoaster race through a frozen underground mine. There's also the small matter of a rather famous lost city to discover - which leads to a whole new, final level...

You will find:
Various human enemies (guards, scientists, characters in story) mutants - including one that is a "sea lion lookalike" and killer whales. Plus "some last level surprises as well!"

THE TRAINING LEVEL: The Croft mansion might not be in there! The traditional training level built into Lara's home might be replaced by an out-and-out assault course. Nothing's been coded as yet. Richard says that they are planning on using Jeeves "for target practice - give him a bullet-proof vest, a hood, and a target on his chest. He runs around and you have to get as many shots in as you can". He must be joking!

We sure hope they keep the timed assault course, and maybe add a fail safe method of verifying the times; you can't imagine how many fake screenshots we get on our assault course contest...


CONCLUSION:

We're in for treat! That's for sure. No matter what, Tomb Raider III promises to be a great Lara adventure and we can hardly wait to guide her through it! The game looks better, feels better and should play better too.

Soooo... Start saving... It's not that long until November!