PC CD-Rom minimum system requirements: Pentium 60; 8MB RAM; 20MB hard disk space;
DOS 5.0 or Windows 95; Dual speed CD-Rom drive; SVGA. (£29.99); Sony PlayStation (£44.99)
NO waiting, no prerelease hype, no outlandish claims and no promises - in reality Tomb Raider had very little going for it. So, when we installed the game and started to play, it was more than a surprise to find that Tomb Raider was nothing short of brilliant.
Normally such games don't go unnoticed - even before they have hit the shelves. The spies in the camps and the publicity machines usually make sure that appetites are well whetted before the game has even been packaged. Often the resu4lt (even with some of the better games) is that they invariably fail to meet the exalting standards set by all the pre release pledges. Tomb Raider, by contrast, came out of the blue, relatively speaking.
You are Lara Croft, the daughter of an English aristocrat. After turning her back on the claustrophobic atmosphere of upper class British society, she is now a well respected archaeologist, and her reputation for discovering important ancient sites is renowned throughout the world. Her task now, on this particular expedition, is to recover the pieces of an ancient artefact known as the Scion.
As controlling the somewhat acrobatic Lara can take some getting used to, before starting your quest there is an interactive training level to become more acquainted with her manoeuvres. Once you have become proficient with the basics, the real action begins. Lara, who isn't unlike a modern day Indiana Jones, is splendidly drawn - and her 3D environment (which is colossal) is as good as you will see on PC.
Initially our heroine has only a pair of pistols with which to defend herself but as the game gets harder, and the creatures she encounters become more ferocious, so do her weapons. In the early stages wolves and bats are the staple diet, but don't be lured into a false sense of security.
Being an all action heroine Lara has far more to contend with than just a few nasty creatures. The puzzles in Tomb Raider involve both quick thinking and nimble movement. Often Lara will have to climb, jump, swing and even swim her way to her next goal and, it must be said, the swimming sections are particularly impressive.
Tomb Raider has almost everything one would want from this type of game. The atmosphere is enthralling, the puzzles are clever without being frustrating, it's mind numbingly addictive and it is so big that you will, in fact, think there is no end to it all. Coupled with all of that is the superb animation and free floating camera angles which never hide Lara from your view. Tomb Raider is there to be discovered. . . discover it.
Graphics: 94%
Sound: 90%
Gameplay: 94%