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Slay the Spire 2Tomb Raider 3
Tomb Raider 3 (Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft, 1998) is Core Design's third game, in which Lara Croft tracks four artifacts carved from an Antarctic meteorite through India, Nevada, the South Pacific and London. It scores 76 on Metacritic and is the longest classic Tomb Raider to finish.
Tomb Raider 3 is the 1998 third game in the series, made by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive for PC and PlayStation, in which Lara Croft tracks four artifacts linked to a meteorite and confronts Dr. Willard, in Crystal Dynamics' summary. It was the first game in the series to let you choose the order of its middle chapters, and at 20.5 hours for the main story on HowLongToBeat it is the longest of the six classic games. Critics rated it below Tomb Raider 2, at 76 on Metacritic.
Quick facts
| Official title | Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft |
| Released | Nov 21, 1998 (Metacritic's date) |
| Developer | Core Design |
| Publisher | Eidos Interactive |
| Platforms | PC, PlayStation |
| Lara's voice | Judith Gibbins |
| Locations | India, Nevada, South Pacific, London, Antarctica |
| Bonus level | All Hallows, unlocked by finding every secret |
| Expansion | The Lost Artifact |
| Metacritic | 76 (PlayStation), as of Nov 1, 2026 |
| Steam reviews | Very Positive, 84% of 1,322, as of Nov 1, 2026 |
| Length | 20.5 hours main story, 26.5 completionist (HowLongToBeat) |
| Buy today | Steam or Tomb Raider I-III Remastered |
Sources: Metacritic, Nov 1, 2026; Steam, Nov 1, 2026; Stella's Tomb Raider Site, Nov 2, 2026; LevelUp, Oct 31, 2021; HowLongToBeat, Nov 2, 2026.
What is Tomb Raider 3 about?
Long ago a meteor struck Antarctica, and Steam's description says its effects are still felt; Lara follows the clues toward "a mystery from beyond Earth." She starts in India hunting one artifact and learns from a Scottish scientist, Dr. Willard, that it is one of four pieces carved from the meteorite, as Stella's Tomb Raider Site sets out the opening. The other three take her to Nevada's Area 51, an island in the South Pacific and London before the trail ends in Antarctica.
Levels in brief
After India, the Nevada, South Pacific and London chapters can be played in any order, a first for the series, per Stella's guide. Antarctica comes last.
| Region | Levels |
|---|---|
| India | Jungle, Temple Ruins, The River Ganges, Caves of Kaliya |
| Nevada | Nevada Desert, High Security Compound, Area 51 |
| South Pacific | Coastal Village, Crash Site, Madubu Gorge, Temple of Puna |
| London | Thames Wharf, Aldwych, Lud's Gate, City |
| Antarctica | Antarctica, RX-Tech Mines, Lost City of Tinnos, Meteorite Cavern |
| Bonus | All Hallows (London) |
Source: Stella's Tomb Raider Site: Tomb Raider 3 Game Info and Walkthrough, Nov 2, 2026. Lara's Home, the training level, adds an assault course and a racetrack.
Secrets vary from none to six per level, and finding every one in the game opens All Hallows. On PlayStation each save costs a save crystal, as in the first game; PC players save anywhere, per Stella.
What changed since Tomb Raider 2
Stella's guide lists the changes: dynamic lighting, rain, snow and mist; the Desert Eagle and a rocket launcher, with an MP5 in place of the M-16; new vehicles (a quad bike, an underwater propulsion unit, a kayak, an inflatable boat and a mine cart); and new moves, from crawling and crouching to sprinting and monkey swings.
Reception
Tomb Raider 3 holds 76 on Metacritic for PlayStation from 14 critics, 10 positive and 4 mixed, nine points under Tomb Raider 2. Players remember it more warmly: its Metacritic user score is 8.0 from 178 ratings, and the PC original on Steam was Very Positive, 84% of 1,322 reviews, on Nov 1, 2026. No sales figure for this game alone has been published by its owners; the series totals are on Tomb Raider Sales.
The Lost Artifact
Tomb Raider 3's expansion is The Lost Artifact. It was sold for Windows and Mac only, according to Stella, and is now included in Tomb Raider I-III Remastered.
How to play it today
The original PC version is on Steam, in English only. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (Aspyr, Feb 14, 2024) bundles it with The Lost Artifact and new graphics you can switch off at any time, and is on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC and, since Mar 12, 2026, phones. See Where to Buy Tomb Raider Games.
Frequently asked questions
When did Tomb Raider 3 come out? Tomb Raider 3 came out in November 1998 for PC and PlayStation; Metacritic dates it Nov 21, 1998.
Can you play Tomb Raider 3 levels in any order? Partly. After India, Tomb Raider 3 lets you choose the order of the Nevada, South Pacific and London chapters; Antarctica always comes last.
How do you unlock All Hallows in Tomb Raider 3? All Hallows, Tomb Raider 3's bonus level in London, opens when you have found every secret in the game.
How long is Tomb Raider 3? HowLongToBeat puts Tomb Raider 3 at 20.5 hours for the main story and 26.5 hours to complete everything, the longest of the six classic Tomb Raider games.
Is Tomb Raider 3 in Tomb Raider I-III Remastered? Yes. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered includes Tomb Raider 3 and its expansion, The Lost Artifact.
Sources
- Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft, Metacritic, Nov 1, 2026
- Tomb Raider III (1998), Steam, Nov 1, 2026
- Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft, Steam, Nov 1, 2026
- Lara Croft, Crystal Dynamics, Nov 1, 2026
- Tomb Raider 3 Game Info and Walkthrough, Stella's Tomb Raider Site, Nov 2, 2026
- Tomb Raider: actrices de voz originales de Lara se reuniran en nuevo juego de la serie, Mardokeo Galvan, LevelUp, Oct 31, 2021
- How long is Tomb Raider, HowLongToBeat, Nov 2, 2026
- History of Tomb Raider (1996 - 2018), Nick930, Sep 7, 2018 (video)
Moments
History of Tomb Raider (1996 - 2018)
Nick930
- Tomb Raider 3 is the 1998 third game in the series, made by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive for PC and…
- After India, the Nevada, South Pacific and London chapters can be played in any order, a first for the series, per…
- Stella's guide lists the changes: dynamic lighting, rain, snow and mist; the Desert Eagle and a rocket launcher, with…
Related
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Crystal DynamicsCrystal Dynamics is the California studio that has made Tomb Raider since 2003, from Tomb Raider Legend to the Survivor trilogy. Owned by Embracer Group since 2022, it is making Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis with Flying Wild Hog and Tomb Raider Catalyst, both published by Amazon Game Studios.
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Lara Croft Spin-offsThe Lara Croft spin-offs are the Tomb Raider games outside the main series, led by the co-op games Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (2010) and Temple of Osiris (2014), the puzzle game Lara Croft GO (2015), the runner Relic Run (2015) and Tomb Raider Reloaded (2023).
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Rise of the Tomb RaiderRise of the Tomb Raider (2015) is Crystal Dynamics' second Survivor game, sending Lara Croft to Siberia in search of the Lost City of Kitezh. Critics rated it among the best Tomb Raider games, at 86 on both Metacritic and OpenCritic.
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Shadow of the Tomb RaiderShadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) ends the Survivor trilogy, with Lara Croft trying to stop a Maya apocalypse in the jungle. Eidos-Montréal led it with Crystal Dynamics; critics liked it less than the two before it, at 82 on Metacritic for Xbox One and 80 on OpenCritic.
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The Angel of DarknessTomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (Tomb Raider 6, 2003) was Core Design's last Tomb Raider, a troubled PlayStation 2 and PC game rated 52 and 49 on Metacritic, the lowest of any main-series game. Weeks after it launched, Eidos moved the series to Crystal Dynamics.
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The Last RevelationTomb Raider: The Last Revelation (Tomb Raider 4, 1999) is Core Design's Egypt game, in which Lara Croft frees the god Set and must imprison him again, and which ends with her apparent death. Metacritic lists no critic score for it, but its users rate it 8.3.
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Tomb Raider (1996)Tomb Raider (1996) is the first Tomb Raider game, made by Core Design in Derby and published by Eidos Interactive in late 1996 on Sega Saturn, PlayStation and PC. Lara Croft hunts the Scion across 15 levels in Peru, Greece, Egypt and Atlantis; it sold over 7 million copies.
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Tomb Raider (2013)Tomb Raider (2013) is Crystal Dynamics' reboot, Lara Croft's origin story on a stormbound island, published by Square Enix on Mar 5, 2013 with Camilla Luddington as Lara. It scored 86 to 87 on Metacritic and had sold 11 million copies by 2018, though Square Enix first called its sales below target.
See also
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Core DesignCore Design was the studio in Derby, England, that created Tomb Raider and Lara Croft, made the first six games from 1996 to 2003 for publisher Eidos, then lost the series to Crystal Dynamics. Toby Gard, credited with creating Lara, left after the first game and returned at Crystal Dynamics in 2004.
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Tomb Raider 2Tomb Raider 2 (Tomb Raider II, 1997) is Core Design's first sequel, sending Lara Croft after the Dagger of Xian from the Great Wall of China to Venice, a sunken ship and Tibet. It holds an 85 on Metacritic for PlayStation, one of the best scores in the series.
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Tomb Raider I-III RemasteredTomb Raider I-III Remastered is Aspyr's Feb 14, 2024 collection of the first three Tomb Raider games and their expansions, with new graphics you can switch off at any time, modern or classic controls and a photo mode. It scored 75 on Metacritic for PS5; a Challenge Mode came on Mar 12, 2026.
- Tomb Raider SalesTomb Raider has sold over 100 million games, Crystal Dynamics said in October 2024, the figure behind Lara Croft's Guinness World Record as the best-selling videogame heroine. Tomb Raider (2013) is the best seller among the games with published figures, at 11 million by 2018, but Crystal Dynamics has not said which game sells best.
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Where to Buy Tomb Raider GamesEvery main Tomb Raider game from 1996 to 2018 is sold on Steam, and the six Core Design games are also in Tomb Raider I-III Remastered and IV-VI Remastered on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Steam, Epic and GOG. Legacy of Atlantis is on pre-order for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 and Steam.