The following lists basic controls, as well as complex moves involving combinations of controls, and controls for vehicles in Tomb Raider 3 and the Lost Artifact expansion. Most Macintosh keys are the same as those for the PC. Where they differ, Mac controls are listed in green. PlayStation controls are in blue. Instructions for saving and loading games, using the inventory, etc., are at the bottom of the page.
Follow this link for official manual in PDF format.
Follow this link for Mipo's Seamless Controller Setup for Original Tomb Raider Games, using JoyToKey.
Follow this link for a Tomb Raider 3: Logitech Profiler Game Profile created by CrimsonBlitz and posted on the Steam community forum.
Whether you are using a keyboard for the Windows or Macintosh game, a PlayStation controller or gamepad, you can change the controls to suit your taste. (See Menu/Inventory System & Hotkeys, below.)
This page also includes notes about Weapons & Ammunition and links to All Weapon Locations. More details are available in the walkthrough.
Follow this link for notes on adjusting brightness/gamma in the PC version.
IMPORTANT: Tomb Raider 3 includes some moves not available in the first two games, but some of the moves and skills Lara has in TR4 and 5 aren't yet available. She cannot climb poles, swing on ropes, tightrope walk, etc. If you have never played Tomb Raider before, you should also familiarize yourself with the unique control system for jumping. It seems odd at first, but it is actually very easy to make Lara do what you want if you just follow certain basic steps, covered on my Tips & Strategy page.
Basic Moves
MOVE |
CONTROLS |
DESCRIPTION/NOTES |
Run |
Up Arrow |
Press forward with left or right to move in that direction. |
Hop Back |
Down Arrow |
|
Turn Right |
Right Arrow |
Hold to pivot on the spot. |
Turn Left |
Left Arrow |
Hold to pivot on the spot. |
Walk |
Shift |
Used in combination with the direction keys/buttons or for slower movement. Lara will never walk off an edge, though she will run off. It's also handy for areas with spikes, broken glass, barbed wire, etc. Lara won't take damage if she WALKS through these. |
Jump |
Alt |
Makes Lara jump straight up. More complex jumps are covered under combo moves, below. |
Sidestep Left/Right |
Shift + Left/Right Arrow |
This control differs from TR1 and 2. Instead of separate keys for sidestepping, hold Walk and press Left or Right. |
Roll/Reverse |
End,
or 5 on numeric keypad, or Up + Down Arrows together |
Lara drops to the ground and comes up facing the opposite direction. |
Draw/Holster Weapon |
Space Bar |
|
Action |
Ctrl |
Actions include firing weapons, picking up objects on the ground, using switches, keys, puzzle items, etc. (Also used to make Lara grab in certain combo moves, below.) |
Look |
0 on numeric keypad + arrow keys |
Look (labeled "Ins" on some keyboards) shifts perspective to what Lara sees. Hold Look while pressing direction keys/buttons to look in different directions. |
Light/Throw Flare |
Comma [,] |
Press once to pull out a flare and light it; press again to throw it in the direction Lara's facing. Lara can climb or swim while holding a flare, but she'll drop it when it goes out or she draws weapons. |
Crouch/Duck |
period [.] |
Used alone, Lara will crouch. She can draw weapons that doesn't require two hands to hold (i.e., pistols, Uzis) and shoot from a crouching position. (Also used to crawl, under combo moves, below.) |
Combo Moves
MOVE |
CONTROLS |
DESCRIPTION/NOTES |
Standing Jump |
Alt + Up Arrow |
Press keys/buttons together to jump forward approximately 1 terrain square (see Tips & Strategy) |
Backflip |
Alt + Down Arrow |
|
Sideflip |
Alt + Left/Right Arrow |
|
Running Jump |
Up Arrow then Alt |
Press Forward and then immediately press Jump to run two steps then jump forward approximately 2 terrain squares (see Tips & Strategy) |
Jump and Grab |
[standing or running jump] + Ctrl/X |
Do the standing or running jump (above), adding Action to grab a ledge or other object ahead (see Tips & Strategy) |
Safety Drop |
Ctrl + Down Arrow |
Walk to the edge of a drop-off. Turn around so Lara's back is toward the edge. Then press Action + Back to drop and hang from the edge. Continue holding Action to hang on. Release it to let go and drop. The safety drop minimizes damage taken from falling. |
Reverse/Safety Drop |
End + Ctrl |
Stand facing a drop-off about 2 steps from the edge. Press the keys/buttons for Roll then Action to drop, roll and hang from the ledge. Release Action to let go and drop. |
Traverse (shimmy) |
Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow |
While hanging from a ledge (holding Action), use direction keys/buttons to move to either side. Release Action to let go and drop. |
Hand-over-hand Traverse/"Monkey Swing" |
Ctrl + Arrow Keys |
In TR3 Lara can traverse hand-over-hand monkey-bar style. Jump and grab an overhead surface using Action. Hold Action and use direction keys/buttons to move. Release Action to drop. |
Pull Up/Vault |
Ctrl + Up Arrow |
While hanging from a ledge (holding Action) press Up to pull up. While standing, use the same combo to vault up on a low block or ledge. |
Handstand/Walkover |
Ctrl + Shift + Up Arrow |
While hanging from a ledge (holding Action), hold Walk then press Up, and Lara will pull up to a handstand then do a walkover onto the ledge (generally useless but spiffy). |
Grab & Pull Up |
Alt + Ctrl + Up Arrow |
If a ledge is too high to climb using just Action + Up, position Lara against the wall below the ledge and then use this combo to jump up, grab the edge and pull up. |
Push/Pull Block |
Ctrl + Up/Down Arrow |
Position Lara so her chest is against a movable block. Hold Action and she'll go into a crouch, then press Up or Down to push or pull the block |
Forward Roll |
Up Arrow...Walk + Jump |
Same as the Swan Dive (below) but used on a flat surface. While running, press Jump and Walk and Lara will take a flying leap, somersault and come up onto her feet. (Not necessary but can help avoid damage from certain traps.) |
Mid-air Turn |
Alt + End |
Begin with a standard forward jump or backflip, press Roll on takeoff and Lara will turn in the air to land facing the opposite direction. (NOTE: Jump + Roll alone is useful for changing direction while sliding down a slope.) |
Mount Ladder |
Ctrl + Up Arrow |
Facing ladder or other climbable surface, press Action then Forward and Lara will climb onto the ladder. She can also take a standing or running jump, above, and grab a ladder with Action. Release Action to let go. |
Climb Ladder |
Ctrl + Arrow Keys |
Mount/safety drop down to ladder, hold Action to hang on, then use direction keys/buttons to go up/down or side to side. (NOTE: To rapidly descend a long ladder, briefly release the Action key to fall a short distance and then re-press it to grab the ladder again.) |
Backflip Dismount |
Alt |
While hanging onto a ladder (or other climbable surface), press Jump to backflip off the ladder and land on the ground or on a platform behind Lara (see Tips & Strategy). |
Mid-air Turn & Grab |
Alt + End + Ctrl |
When Lara needs to jump from a ladder and grab another ladder behind her, press Jump and either Roll or Forward to jump and turn in midair, then Action to grab the second ladder (see Tips & Strategy). |
Crawl |
period [.] + Arrow Keys |
Hold crouch and use direction keys/buttons to crawl. Lara can't use weapons while crawling, but she can come up into a crouch and then draw one-handed weapons (pistols, Uzis). To climb into an elevated crawlspace, press Action + Crouch + Forward. To climb down from a raised opening, back up to the opening and safety drop (Action + Reverse). |
Sprint/Dash |
forward slash [/] + Arrow Keys |
Hold the sprint key while running to put on a burst of speed. Lara can only sprint for a short time, indicated by the stamina meter. Press Jump while sprinting and Lara will do a nifty forward somersault. Release Forward but continue to hold Sprint and she'll skid to a stop. |
Swimming
MOVE |
CONTROLS |
DESCRIPTION/NOTES |
Swan Dive |
Shift + Alt + Up Arrow |
Standing on a platform (ideally above water), hold Walk and press Jump and Forward and Lara will do a graceful swan dive. (Note that she gets a bit of an arc on this dive, so if you're aiming for a small pool, you may need to step back from the edge before diving.) |
Swan Dive with Somersault |
Shift + Alt + Up Arrow... End |
Same as the Swan Dive (above) except pressing the Roll key after diving makes Lara do a somersault (or two if there's time) on the way down. |
Dive/Swim Underwater |
Alt + Arrow Keys |
Jump alone makes Lara dive below the surface; it also makes her swim underwater in whatever direction she's facing. (Use with direction keys/buttons.) |
Pivot Underwater |
Arrow Keys |
Direction buttons alone will make Lara pivot underwater or angle toward the bottom (Up) or the surface (Down) |
Underwater Roll |
End,
or 5 on numeric keypad, or Up + Down Arrows together |
Same as rolling on land. Useful in tight spaces or after pulling an underwater lever. |
Swim on Surface |
Arrow Keys, Delete, Page Down |
Dog paddle (Up), backstroke (Down), pivot (Left/Right), sidestroke (same as Sidestep Left/Right). Note that Lara swims much faster underwater than she does on the surface. |
Climb Out of Water |
Ctrl + Up |
Swim to the water's edge and press Action and Up to pull up onto a ledge. |
Vehicles
MOVE |
CONTROLS |
DESCRIPTION/NOTES |
Get on Board |
Ctrl |
Position Lara at the side of the vehicle (or near the handlebars for the UPV) and press Action to get in (grab on). (She can also jump into a boat from above or climb in from the water, using Action + Up.) |
Climb Out/Dismount |
End + Left/Right Arrow |
This control often causes confusion. First, it is different from dismount in TR2. Here, you press Roll + Left or Right. If you are used to using Up + Down together to roll, you may need to use the actual Roll key (End on the PC, backslash on the Mac). Or, if your End key is remapped to another function, you may need to reassign the Roll key and use the new key. |
Quad Bike |
Forward (same as Action) |
Turbo is activated by holding the hand brake key (same as Sprint), revving the engine (Action), then releasing the brake. |
Underwater Propulsion Vehicle (UPV) |
Forward (same as Jump) |
The screen display shows the number of harpoons remaining. |
Kayak |
Paddle (Arrow Keys/D-Pad) |
The paddle turn is a sharper turn, in which Lara digs her paddle into the water on one side of the kayak or the other, using it like a rudder to slow the kayak and change direction. |
Inflatable Boat |
Accelerate (same as Action) |
|
Mine Cart |
Brake (same as Jump) |
The mine cart runs on tracks and cannot be steered, so Lara uses a wrench to whack switches in order to direct the cart onto different tracks. She will need to duck down to avoid certain obstacles. |
Weapons & Ammunition
WEAPON |
AMMO (per pickup) |
Pistols |
unlimited |
Shotgun |
2 rounds/box |
Desert Eagle |
5 rounds/pair of clips |
Uzis |
20 rounds/pair of clips |
MP5 |
30 rounds/pair of clips |
Rocket Launcher |
single rockets |
Grenade Launcher |
2 grenades/pickup |
Harpoon Gun |
3 harpoons/bundle |
As you play through the game, you'll collect various weapons and ammunition. Often you'll find ammo for weapons you don't yet have, since the more powerful guns aren't available until later in the game.
Note that for some weapons, ammo is tracked differently before and after you obtain the weapon. For example, each grenade pickup is actually a pair of grenades. Before you obtain the grenade launcher, each pair of grenades is counted as one item in your inventory. Later, when you get the launcher, the number of grenades in your inventory appears to double, but actually the game starts counting individual grenades instead of pairs. So for example 2 pairs of grenades are counted as 4 individual grenades once you get the launcher. (screenshot) Similarly, if you've collected 10 Uzi clip pickups, they're counted as 200 individual rounds once you get the Uzis. Shotgun shells, rockets, and harpoons are counted individually both before and after you obtain the weapon.
The weapons found in each level are noted in the walkthrough headers. For example, if you check the header for the first India level, you'll see that the Pistols are available from the start and the shotgun can be found somewhere in that level. The walkthrough describes where. Every weapon can be obtained in more than one location. So don't worry if you miss one; there will be other opportunities. All weapon locations are linked from the next section.
Weapon Locations
The links below lead to the relevant sections of the guide (with possible spoilers). If all else fails, you can use cheat codes to obtain all weapons, or download a save file to obtain all the weapons normally available at a particular point in the game.
PISTOLS: starting weapon
SHOTGUN: Jungle (secret #1), Temple Ruins (two opportunities), River Ganges (secret #1), Area 51, Thames Wharf, Aldwych, Lud's Gate, Antarctica.
DESERT EAGLE: High Security Compound, Temple of Puna (secret).
UZIS: Nevada Desert (secret #3), Aldwych (two opportunities), Antarctica, All Hallows (PlayStation only).
MP5: Area 51, Crash Site, Aldwych (secret #1), Antarctica (secret #1).
ROCKET LAUNCHER: Madubu Gorge, Aldwych (secret #5), Lud's Gate (secret #2), Lost City of Tinnos.
GRENADE LAUNCHER: Caves of Kaliya, High Security Compound (secret #2), Area 51.
HARPOON GUN: Coastal Village, Lud's Gate.
Menu/Inventory System & Hotkeys
At start-up, press Left/Right to rotate between snapshot (training level), passport (game options: new game, load saved game, exit), Walkman™ (music/sound volume), and keyboard/controller (customize controls). Press Enter to choose one. Additional hotkeys for adjusting graphics settings in-game are found in the instruction booklet. Use the following controls during gameplay: |
|
PC & MacintoshEscape = pause the game and go to the menu rings to access inventory, stopwatch and statistics, collected items and Passport (to save/load/quit) left/right arrows = rotate menu ring; turn pages in passport once it is selected (to choose between save game, load saved game and exit) up/down arrows = switch between the different menu rings Enter = to choose item from ring Escape = press to deselect an item, press again to return to the game F5 = shortcut to save game F6 = shortcut to load saved game Alt + F4/Command + Q = quick exit Number keys = draw weapons or use medi packs without having to escape to menus (1=pistols, 2=shotgun, 3=Desert Eagle pistol, 4=Uzis, 5=harpoon gun, 6=MP5, 7=rocket launcher, 8=grenade launcher, 9=large medipak, 0=small medipak) |
PlayStationSelect = pause the game and go to the menu rings to access inventory, compass, collected items and Passport (to save/load/quit) D-Pad left/right = rotate menu ring; turn pages in passport once it is selected (to choose between save game, load saved game and exit) D-Pad up/down = switch between the different menu rings X or Select = to choose item from ring Start or Triangle = press to deselect an item, press again to return to the game To Change the Controls (PC, Mac or PlayStation)Following the steps above, go to the Controls icon in the main menu ring. Press Enter/Select. Press left/right arrows or D-Pad left/right to switch from Default Keys to User Keys. Use arrow keys or D-Pad to move to the control you want to change. Press Enter/Select to highlight it. Then press the desired key/button. If you choose a key that's already in use, the conflicting controls will blink until you change one of them. When you're finished, press Escape or Start/Triangle to return to the game. |
Adjusting Screen Brightness/Gamma
This game was designed to be very dark in certain areas, but if you're struggling, you can change the brightness in the PC and Macintosh versions. To do this, start the game and select Detail Levels (sunglasses) in the main menu. Or, while playing, press Esc, then Down Arrow to access the lower menu ring. Then select Detail Levels (sunglasses).
In the Detail Levels menu, press Down Arrow until Gamma is selected, then use Left/Right Arrow keys to adjust this setting. (Number 3 is the default, 1 is darkest, and 10 is brightest.) Press Enter to confirm, then return to the game.
This should work in all PC/Mac versions of the game, but if you're using a newer version of Windows and your game crashes when trying to save after making these changes, here's a work-around:
Now, when you run the game, your settings should be applied and you should be able to save the game normally. Thanks to Kenny H. for this tip!
Main Controls Page | TR3 Walkthrough | Lost Artifact Walkthrough | Main Page
Copyright © 1998- Stellalune. All rights reserved. Special thanks to Maurice for the PlayStation menu controls. Feel free to link to this page but do not copy it. To give me your feedback, send email to or visit tombraiders.net. Lara Croft, Tomb Raider, and the Tomb Raider logo are trademarks of the Crystal Dynamics group of companies. All rights reserved.