She’s back
If asked the question “Was the wait worth it and
does the lycra stretch enough?” frankly my answer
would be yes. Never much liking the first two installments
of the Tomb Raider series, I thought I’d make a
pretty poor reviewer, but as it happens I liked this
vision much more than the last two jaded attempts.
Once I accepted the game for what it is (and not just
a jaunt with a girl looking like Dolly Pardon packing
too many weapons in all wrong departments) I found it
challenging and surprisingly fun!
You’ll also need a Mac with a bit of power. I
recommend using a Rage card on a Mac with plenty of
MHz to spare.
So
what is new?
I have to say the general game was worth the extra development
time, there is no question about that. TR III features
faster graphics, slicker game play and improved Lara
handling. A new gore setting to reduce or increases
the blood spillage, keeps the game respectable for younger
children.
The whole ambiance of the Tomb Raider experience is
greatly boosted by many new and improved background
effects, sounds and scenery. You’ll also find your
enemies much smarter and harder to kill, they'll not
just stand there and be shot at, you’ll have to
chase and be chased.
You’ll find the first major benefit made plainly
clear within a few minutes of game play, Lara Croft
has now become more agile and at last can out maneuver
the bad guys.
I found all previous versions of Tomb Raider clumsy
and at times uncontrollable. For me this ruined the
time and effort put in porting the PC versions to the
Mac. A common error most developers make. This time
I was glad to see developers using the benefits of the
Mac and building and learning from their mistakes.
Lara also gets a few new toys in this epic. The kayak
and a quad bike have been added and are indeed a great
addition to the game play and thankfully quick to paddle
and drive respectively. Three new weapons, the desert
eagle hand gun [replaces the Magnum from TR II], special
forces semi-automatic MP5 H&K submachine and a deadly
rocket launcher all add a more effective way of dealing
with anything that should unfortunately try to stop
you reaching your goal.
You’ll have to battle your way through the continents,
from London to the Nevada desert and even such diverse
locations as the Pacific and Antarctica.
Know thy Enemy I was going to spill the beans on the new and best
ways to kill the bad guys but I think I’ll leave
that to you to find out for yourself. But saying that,
take a look at Miss Croft running like a 100 Meter sprinter
from a pack of hungry T-Rex’s out on a Sunday walk.
You’ll find a few trusty old enemies
but plenty of new blood to keep your trigger finger
happy.
Conclusion Yup damn it I liked it, can’t believe I did
but there you go. The developers promised and delivered
a great PC/PlayStation port. All the improvements are
noticeable from the start of game play. Out just in
time for Christmas this would make an excellent present
for any Mac gamer.
The game is not with out fault, but you’ll be
hard pushed to find any to moan too long about. So put
on your tight top, camouflage trousers and select your
weapons, it’s going to be a back flipping, slip
sliding, hop stepping, monkey swinging New Year.
Requirements:
- System 7.5.3 or later.
- Without hardware acceleration: PowerPC 603e
at 180 MHz or faster.
- With hardware acceleration: PowerPC 603e at
150MHz or faster.
- At least 16MB RAM.
- QuickTime 4.0 - included in the install.
- 4x CD-ROM drive
Darren Edwards has been working on Mac's since
the 128k back in 1984 when he was a tender 12 years
old. His principal role these days consists of being
Editor-in-Chief and founder of 1984
Mac Online ezine. He also provides systems support,
builds web sites and generally loves Mac tinkering.
HandHelditems.com - Personalize your iPod with us. Shop hundreds of unique iPod accessories and
save up to 80%.
Apple Store
- The size of a pack of gum, iPod shuffle weighs less than a car key. Which means there's nowhere your skip-free iPod shuffle can"t go. Click Here
Copyright 1996-2007 by Cider Press Publishing LLC all rights reserved. MacReviewZone is not authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Computer. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iPod, iBook, iMac, eMac, and PowerBook are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.
by
So
what is new?
(5 possible) 
