Bugs and Patches

If you just started the PC version of the game, I strongly recommend downloading and installing the official patch from my Downloads page. This will prevent some of the more serious bugs.

The specific bugs I am aware of are described in detail on the walkthrough pages for the levels where they occur. They include the following:

• Temple Ruins invisible walls—The patch claims to fix this. Note that your pre-patch savegames for this level will not work. Possible alternatives for those without the patch (including PS1 players) are described in the walkthrough.
  
  
• Location loops—After finishing one set of levels and progressing on to the next location, you choose to return to a previous location. After playing on, you find you can't progress to the next area. The PC patch fixes this looping for India, but apparently it doesn't for the South Pacific or Nevada. If you don't have the patch (or are playing the PlayStation version) I suggest you DON'T RETURN TO ANY LEVEL AFTER COMPLETING IT. If you're stuck in a loop, you can download a save file for the location you need.
  
  If you've missed secrets and want the bonus level, either use the cheat for PS1, get a savegame for PC or Macintosh, or replay from the beginning.
  
  Alternative for PlayStation: If you finish the India levels and are sent back to level 1, an alternative to replaying the whole section is to reset the PS1 without a memory card. (Apparently this contributes to the loop bug, even if you don't load a game from the card.) Then start a new game. Use the level-skip cheat to get to the beginning of the Caves of Kaliya level. Then complete that level as normal. (You may want to use the all weapons cheat as well.) Do not skip the final India level or you will be missing a necessary artifact, the Infada stone. Do not save at any point or you may trigger the loop bug. Once you have chosen the next destination, you may insert the memory card and save. (Special thanks to Joe for this tip.)
  
  
• Game Returns to Main Menu After India Levels—The most likely reason for this is that you have a demo version of the game. One that I'm aware of is a game called "Tomb Raider III: Adventures in India." It's published by The Learning Company, under the imprint "Smart Saver," and the cover looks like this. It includes the four India levels only. I have heard there may be another four-level demo version as well, but I haven't seen it yet. (If anyone can send me a scan of the box and/or CD cover for the second demo version, I'd appreciate it. If you don't have a scanner, please anyway. Maybe we can work out a swap.)
  
  
• Coastal Village invisible wall near serpent stone gate—For some people, placing one of the stones in its receptacle then going back level to find the other two stones can result in an invisible wall where the first gate was. Solution: Find all the stones before putting them in place.*
  
  
• Aldwych invisible walls—Invisible walls in the maze room after leaving and returning. Patch doesn't fix this. No alternative yet.*
  
  
• Aldwych dropped drill—The drill descends below floor level so you can't get the second Solomon's Key. I have one possible cure on my walkthrough page, as well as savegames for the PC version (linked to the walkthrough page).
  
  
• Lud's Gate invisible wall—Patch doesn't fix this. Possible alternatives are described in the walkthrough.
  
  
• Tinnos secret #2 phantom block—The block that enables you to reach the second secret is insubstantial; Lara can walk through it but can't climb on it. This bug is apparently caused by pulling the switch that drops the block (in the Earth Element area) more than once. If you have already done this and don't want to go back to an earlier save, you can get around it using the corner bug. See the walkthrough and Useful Bugs pages for details.
  
  
• Second time through—Several people have written to say that after finishing the game, they started a new game with all weapons only to encounter another type of "loop" bug. Apparently, after India, the game only lets you go to Nevada, then after finishing that zone, you're only able to go to Antarctica. I am looking into this but so far have no solution. For now, you may want to start a completely new game and use the all-weapons cheat instead.
  
  
• Directional arrow keys disabled—If you're playing the PC version and suddenly your direction buttons stop working, go into the Tomb Raider III folder and delete the file called 'config.txt'. You'll have to reassign keys and sound/graphics settings the next time you play, but it'll take care of the problem.
  
  

*Thanks to Theresa's tombraiders.com site for info on these two bugs, which none of my readers have been unlucky enough to encounter.

Suggested Order for Playing the Middle Regions

Although you can play the three middle areas (Nevada, London and South Pacific) in any order you like, I recommend playing Nevada first. If you don't mind a spoiler, read the beginning of the walkthrough for the High Security Compound.

Return to the TR3 page | main page

Walkthrough text and related diagrams copyright © 1998-2009 Stellalune. All rights reserved. Feel free to print this page for personal use. You may link to it from your own web site but do not copy it. To give me your feedback, send email to or use my contact form.

Stella's Tomb Raider Site: http://tombraiders.net.