Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness

"What is going on? Did Eidos just give up?"

When I first got this game I was hoping for something good. Not great mind you, but something good. I wanted this to be like Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance. After so many so-so games, I knew this one had to be good. Eidos couldn’t keep making bad Tomb Raider games, could they? Well unlike Midway, which put out a good sequel in Deadly Alliance, Eidos put out a worse sequel. This game is easily the worse game I have played in a long while...

Gameplay: 2/10
This is where it really fails. The Gameplay in this game is unimproved from the old Tomb Raiders. I was hoping for some smoother movements and better controls. I didn’t get either. If Eidos plans to make a new Tomb Raider after this, they better fix everything. In fact, it would be easier to start from scratch. Not only that, but the problems are more then just controls and smoothness. Multiple times I have missed a key item, not noticed, and continued on in the game. While this isn’t usually a problem, it was a huge one here. What happens is the item just disappears, which leaves you stuck and out of options. In all, this game just feels very unfinished. This game had potential, but it lacked effort. Its sad to see a series like Tomb Raider take such a horrible turn down South.

Presentation: 7/10
In this category it was quite nice. The menus look nice and the cut scenes were very well done. The story isn’t half bad either. This one feels more dramatic then the old ones and has a movie feel to it. The presentation really meets par and is probably the best part of this game. And another thing that’s nice to see is that Lara finally has a personality, unlike the passive action hero she was in the past. Very nicely done in the presentation department.

Graphics: 6/10
The graphics are very much like the old ones, with the Next Generation console feel of course. It’s still got grand 3D worlds that nice architecture and great textures. The only problem is that sometimes the frame rate suffers, which makes it very hard to play. But after the frame rate calms down, it’s a very nice game to look at.

Sound: 7/10
The music in this game is great. Eidos actually got the London Symphony Orchestra to do a lot of the music. In addition, the music also goes very well with the game. Also, when the characters are talking, it’s also very nice. However, sometimes it does sound forced and at times its also awkward. But other then that, the voices were very well done. The downside to the sound is Lara Crafts random noises. She grunts, and she constantly screams. In time, her random noises become the most annoying part of the game.

Longevity: 4/10
There isn’t really much to say here. Eidos didn’t add much to make this game have much life. After I played it through the first time, I never want to play it again. So don’t expect to be playing this game for hours and hours. It’ll take you about 10 hours to beat it, and after that its done.

Buy or Rent: I’m going to have to say neither. This game is easily not worth 50 bucks, and I wouldn’t even pay 5 bucks for it. But if you are a hardcore Tomb Raider fan, then maybe you should try it out. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 07/27/03, Updated 07/27/03