SCANNER

PLAYSTATION/PC PREVIEW Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

Lara goes fourth: Tomb Raider The Last Revelation

It has been said that the second and third instalments of the Lara Croft saga lacked the spark of the first. Relying, as they did, on graphical trickery, increased combat and the universal appeal of the main character, they never quite reached the same heights of playability that Tomb Raider scaled at its first attempt. Whether developers Core or publishers Eidos have taken heed of this talk is debatable, but what is certain is that TR4, named The Last Revelation, will be a return to the original tomb raiding

philosophy.

Based entirely in Egypt, The Last Revelation will follow Lara's quest to save the world from a terrible prophecy involving the god Set and his plans for Armageddon. Obviously, the use of familiar Egyptian mythology immediately makes the player feel at home, as well as offering a huge potential for vast underground caverns, tight crawl spaces and everything in between. Exploration and puzzle solving become the main emphasis rather than mindless combat and a new inventory system - yes, the spinning items are gone has been developed to allow the manipulation of items. This has greatly increased the brain-teasing aspect of the game beyond simple switch-pulling and key-finding.

Lara herself has been touched up, if you‘ll excuse the expression, with her look, her movement and her range of moves all receiving attention. The graphic engine has also had a little overhaul, so it looks cleaner and smoother than before. New creatures abound and, with so much mythological background to play with, the story should prove engaging.

However, what will really affect the game is the level design. Tomb Raider still stands as the only game to induce vertigo in a player, and if Core can recapture that degree of immersion, with subtle challenges and believable environments, The Last Revelation will be an absolute mouth-watering proposal. And, as the name suggests, will this be Lara's last ever game? Why, that would be telling, wouldn’t it? (lain Davidson)

Tomb Raider; The Last Revelation will be available on 26 Nov, priced around [40.

system and a huge statistical database ensures that you Will come back again and again to jOITi your teammates in battle.

Constituting a step-up in on-line gaming, Fireteam grants a totally different experience for the player. Dial up now. (ID)

PLAYSTATION Sled Storm (Electronic Arts) £39.99 i ~t— .v

Games companies are quickly running out of powered vehicles to Simulate. The snowmobile, for example, is a utility vehicle for crossing open snovvscapes faster than by ski. It is not, however, designed to leap from cliffs, smash through ice walls and powerslide over frozen lakes. Therefore EA’s Sled Storm, With its pretensions of spectacular racing and stunting, is actually a rather dull affair.

After choosrng your rider, you race over a variety of snowbound tracks, pull stunts over every bump and collect money to upgrade your machine. The

courses look fantastic, With hillsides, ravrnes and purpose-burlt circuits all neatly presented. Your opponents are troublesome and the ability to upgrade keeps you attempting tricks to gain money.

And yet undermining everything are the snowmobiles themselves. Approach an incline at less than top speed or at an acute angle, and you Will stutter to a stop before the summit. Drrvrng through powder feels like dredging porridge. Fancy attempting a turn? Check your diary first to make sure y0u have the time. A little artistic license With the game's physics could have made all the difference. Sled Storm won’t make you trade in your board. (ID)

REVIEWER THIS ISSUE: lain Davrdson

i STAR RATINGS

3 t g t i. t. unmissable

I a .-. .4. i Very ood

: t it I Wort a shot

3 i x Below average

You've been warned

Totally wired

The weird world of the Web. The Hunger Site

http://wi.vw.thehungersitecom

Before we slip off into the ridiculous, here is a very worthy site by rust clic king on a link, you can help to feed a hungry mouth It's hosted by the U N through corporate sponsors who advertise on the site, and who pledge some money every time you Visit You can, however, only Visit once a day, but the money they’ve received so far has helped to feed thousands

Chris Morris http://www.rethinkdemoncouk

.\

...|lanny now

The man behind some of the last decade's most controversial broadcast comedy » is he a comedy god or media terrorist? Laugh or squirm to audio clips from all his various proiects over the years There are some truly brilliant, awful, terrible, classic gems here.

Blair Witch Project

httpzllwww.blairwitch.com

With Hallowe'en and the release of the film coming up, anybody who hasn’t seen this site yet should do so, As atmospheric and frightening as the film itself purports to be. The world hasn’t seen hype like this since . what7 The Phantom Menace? But it’s enough to put the Willies up you

Ghost Stories http://ghostories.com/

Here's some ones for the campfire, though

some are so wet they might put it out. One

of the most established ghost story srtes on the Net, however, it's amazing to read What little things actually scare people. Ooh, there‘s a wasp

Are You a Witch?

http://www.comedybutchers.com/

daveswitchprojecthtm

This fact is always useful to know. Sometimes the green skin, the pornted hat, the broomstick, and the long nose and chin aren't enough of a giveaway for some people. This decisive, funny, and easy to use guide Will let you know for Sure. lt'll reveal your true identity, warts and all.

A Mystic Site

http://Www.facade.c0m/

Some modern-day Witchery. Get a personalised Tarot

reading online, or I-Ching, or runes, or check out your

biorhythms (sometimes scarin accurate), and see What

your month has in store for you. This is Where Russell

Grant goes When he’s stuck. But it's actually pretty

good, and doesn't sport that mullet perm.

Farts.com

httpzllwwwfartscom

From things that go bump in the night, to things that

make a longer, more rasping sound. Here you get to

hear the ’Squeek of the Week’ (src), kindly submitted

by some flatulent contributor, followed by a

profeSSIonal critique thereof by the site owner, Dr Rex.

Check out the audio archive of Windy extrusrons it’s a

gas. (Steve Blair)

Oct 21—4 Nov 1999 THE lIST123