The year is 1998 and Lara returns to the screens with what I consider to be the best adventure in the entire classic series. Noticeably more mature than its predecessors in terms of graphics and detail, the third instalment put even experienced raiders to the test due to its high level of difficulty. Core Design experimented, albeit cautiously, with new elements: Alternative level routes, drivable vehicles and free choice of levels were just some of the innovations. Lara could now crawl, "monkey-swing" and even make short sprints. The third part began in the Indian jungle and left it up to the player to decide where the journey should take them next. It's amazing that large parts of the game are peppered with water levels. Tomb Raider III was also much more puzzle-orientated than its predecessor, but managed to strike a good balance between action and puzzle units. In terms of storytelling, the extensive animated cutscenes were also quite impressive for the time: After Lara has acquired a strange artefact called the Infada Stone, she chases the remaining lost shards around the world to uncover their secret. To this day, the first encounter with the statues in India, the wild canoe trip through an island in the South Pacific and the exploration of Area 51 and the London underground bring tears of nostalgia to my eyes. The levels were consistently quite challenging and, with a few nasty exceptions, brilliantly thought out. The game was also significantly darker than its two predecessors, both in terms of lighting and the graphic depiction of violence. I suspect that gamers could simply take more back then...! Those who made the effort to collect all the secrets were also extremely well rewarded with their own bonus level (All Hollows). A stand-alone expansion with six new levels titled "The Lost Artefact" was released in 2000 and follows on almost seamlessly from the previous main storyline.