I had did 3D games before, and boy Tomb Raider was rough to look at even then, but for me it was a very 'community' experience. I mean, I always played with one or another of my friends, and we'd always work each other into a scare. The tombs really were fucking pitch black, and you could hear the footsteps of fucking bears and shit. And because of the shit controls, when a fucking bear came at you, you'd be hopping around the fucking grid trying desperately to shoot the damn thing. It felt terrifying :lol
Also, I injured myself playing Tomb Raider. T-Rex level. I'm walking through a dark tunnel and I hear footsteps in the darkness. My heart is pounding, I creep slowly around the corner. Suddenly a fucking RAPTOR jumps past my shoulder.
I jump out of my seat so high that when I land back down I injure my leg, unable to walk for like a week.
There was a certain quality to these games though... it conveyed that idea like you were exploring ancient architecture, where nobody had been for thousands of years. The music was so perfect, just the right times it would come in to get your heart pounding or pump up the sense of mystery. And those damn traps/puzzles were devious.