Savegame Crystal

The Savegame Crystal (also known as Save Game Beacon ) is a gameplay mechanic featured in the PlayStation versions of Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft. They are mostly stationary revolving diamond-like objects found in various locations throughout these games which allow the player to save their progress.

Appearances
In the original Tomb Raider, Savegame Crystals are stationary and can only be used once. They are found in various key locations throughout the levels. When approached and interacted with, the player is given the option to save their progress, at which point the game is saved in the game's only slot that is used in the PlayStation Memory Card and then the crystal disappears (in this regard, Savegame Crystals act more like checkpoints). If another crystal is interacted with later, the player will be prompted to overwrite the previous save in the same slot. This saving mechanic contrasts with those present in other versions of the game (mainly the PC version), where several slots are available to the player, as well as the ability to save at any time and as many times as desired.

In Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft, these crystals are collectible and can be used anywhere and anytime.

The Savegame Crystals make their return in the Nintendo Game Boy Color games, Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword. These crystals are stationary and have unlimited uses.

Savegame Crystals are also used in the mobile Java version of Tomb Raider: Underworld, where they act as checkpoint markers. They are stationary and reappear after a short while after being used by moving over them.