Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft was released in 1998 for the original PlayStation and PC, arriving at the height of the late-90s 3D platformer boom. It is the third main entry in the Tomb Raider series and continued the rapid yearly release schedule the franchise followed at the time.

The game was developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive, the team responsible for turning Tomb Raider into a global phenomenon.

The story centers on Lara’s hunt for the mysterious Infada Stones, which are fragments of a powerful ancient meteorite with supernatural properties.

This was the first game in the series to include a sprint button, allowing Lara short bursts of speed instead of her usual steady run.

Lara also gained the ability to crawl through tight spaces, adding more stealth and puzzle-focused movement options.

The game introduced mischievous monkeys that could steal Lara’s weapons and items, forcing players to chase them down.

The adventure spans India, Nevada, London, Antarctica, and the South Pacific, with each area having its own distinctive atmosphere.

It was one of the first Tomb Raider titles to let players choose the order of certain level hubs, increasing replay value.

New heavy-duty weapons such as the Desert Eagle, MP5 submachine gun, rocket launcher, and grenade launcher gave combat a more action-oriented feel than in previous games.

Underwater switches and puzzles became more complex, often requiring careful management of Lara’s air supply while navigating sunken ruins.

The game also introduced quicksand traps that slowly pull Lara down if players panic instead of making precise jumps.

The PlayStation version supported the DualShock controller’s rumble feature, which activated during explosions, gunfire, and enemy attacks.

Tomb Raider III gained a reputation for being one of the darkest and most challenging entries, offering far less guidance than earlier titles.

PlayStation players had to rely on limited save crystals, while the PC version allowed saving freely at any time.

The game used an upgraded version of Core Design’s proprietary engine, improving lighting, textures, and animation smoothness.