Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness

"The Flaws Outweigh the Fun"

Introduction
After completing Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness, there were so many thoughts going through my head as I tried to figure out whether or not I was satisfied with the game or not. Angel of Darkness seems to acquire the same control and camera angle problems faced in previous Tomb Raiders, but in this latest installment, they are just plain awful—perhaps even worse than the previous games. Nonetheless, the game has a fairly interesting and involving plot and a multitude of characters (you don’t just get to play Lara in this one, as you’ll soon discover) with unique personalities. These qualities are the foundations of a great game. However, when they are coupled with horrible controls and camera angles that hinder the game to the point where it’s the controls and camera angles alone that make getting further into the game almost impossible, a serious problem is posed to the game’s enjoyment factor. If one believes that he or she is determined enough to look beyond the game’s flaws, then AOD is probably worth playing. We get action, adventure, third-person shooter, puzzle, and plat-forming elements all in one game; basically, this new installment in the Tomb Raider series is a jack of all trades, but a master of none. Personally, I found AOD to be more annoying than enjoyable, and believe that there are other, better action and/or platform games that can be played instead of this one. But true and loyal Lara Croft fans should not be discouraged; I think that the decent plotline combined with the improved graphics and voice acting (even with the poor aspects) makes this one of the better Tomb Raiders, especially since those fans would be accustomed to the shoddy controls and camera angles by now. Ultimately, it is up to the individual gamer to decide whether this game is right for him or her.

The Traditional Stuff Still Manages to Entertain
Overall, I found most of the puzzles, action/shooting, and stealth segments in the game to be fairly decent. Throughout most of the game, the challenges were pretty interesting and fun to solve and finish. I didn’t want to stop playing most of the time. I must admit that some challenges were very difficult to figure out, and I even had to refer to various FAQ’s to resolve a lot of my inquiries. Those who enjoyed the puzzles of previous Tomb Raider games will find that similar, familiar challenges await them in AOD. The shooting segments of AOD are almost similar to the old Tomb Raiders; the only difference is that ammo is very scarce in this game. Ammo conservation is a must, and the game imposes a fair number of enemies throughout the duration of the game. That being said, times will get tough, and you will have to make sure that you stay alert, keep your goals in mind, and know what you’re doing. In addition to all of the action, some areas intertwine stealth with the game’s puzzles, which in my opinion works really well. For example, getting through the museum really requires patience and focus to figure out how to get through the stage/level. In the puzzle, action/shooting, and stealth areas, Angel of Darkness retains its consistency from previous games and doesn’t really disappoint.

New Stuff
The developers tacked on a new gaming element in Angel of Darkness. In addition to the classic Tomb Raider quirks, the new RPG (sort of) style of somewhat free roaming in certain areas adds a new level of depth to the game. Although this was a decent attempt at making a more realistic setting, the attempt is lacking at best. The “money” concept doesn’t seem to have overwhelming significance. The conversations are completely pointless most of the time; the dialogue/conversation options don’t affect the overall outcome of the game, and there are no severe repercussions for threats or inhospitable comments. You can win no matter what you say, basically. Almost all of the houses, buildings, or areas in the free roaming portions of the game are pretty much blocked off unless they are unlocked by the story. Most of the time, the buildings are there just for show, and they do nothing but take up space. There isn’t really a full city or town ever that Lara can explore, and thus the role-playing elements are hindered in these aspects. If the role-playing elements had been perfected, then the new additions would have added a whole new concept in the world of Tomb Raider, for the better, of course.

More New Stuff worth Mentioning
The designers also experimented with other game-play factors in AOD, but just like the role-playing elements, the “building-up strength” and the ability to play as another character doesn’t add much to the game at all. I won’t spoil the details for you, but you will eventually switch to a male playable character that controls very similarly to Lara—almost identically, in fact. There really is no difference between Lara and the “other guy,” besides the fact that he looks different… and he has “special” abilities. The portion of the game during which you play as him is fairly interesting, but he could have easily been replaced with Lara and the whole concept would have been completely unnecessary. Lara can also “build up” her strength, becoming stronger as you complete various jumps or other physically demanding tasks. In fact, she will even be so proud as to finish her task and tell you that “she’s getting stronger.” What does this mean? Adapting to the controls is hard enough, (read next paragraph) but the “getting stronger” concept doesn’t do anything but make things more frustrating. For example, let’s say that you’ve just gotten used to timing her jumps so you don’t splatter into the concrete over and over. You come across a huge gap. Lara completes her jump and tells you that she’s getting stronger. You pat yourself on the back. You come across another hole. You jump again, fly over the whole and splatter yourself on the concrete. Get the picture? As you progress through the game, there are few points (if any) that are inaccessible because you don’t have enough “strength.” Therefore, the whole concept of getting stronger is rendered useless, besides forcing people to adjust to new jumping distances. If you still don’t get why it’s useless, here’s a simplification of what I mean:
Start, get stronger , get stronger , get stronger , Finish
Never once do you ever have to turn back using your new strength to get any missed quests, items, or whatnot. The new concepts are just in AOD for the sake of being there. Perhaps the game developers were experimenting with new ideas. The lesson learned here is that anything new should be approached with caution, and/or perfected before the game is ever released.

The Frustration
What makes Tomb Raider: AOD so horrendously frustrating are the controls and the camera angles; I think that the controls and camera angles are the main complaint of any gamer that has experienced AOD. In a game where a simple jump can mean life or death, the controls and camera angles can be excruciatingly difficult in particular situations and one will become frustrated in a short matter of time. Poor turning, jumping, and horrendous shots of what is behind Lara instead of what’s in front of her can really convince a player to give up. Indeed, many times throughout the game I truly felt like giving up because at certain points the areas were near impossible to finish. Really, I was interested in the story, but sometimes I had to force myself to continue, because of the poor controls and camera angles. I spent long amounts of time, even in a small area. One excellent example is a timed jumping sequence towards the end of the game. There is a field of platforms and a deep chasm for Lara to plummet to death in. With one pull of a switch, a door on the other side opens, and Lara has a short amount of time to navigate her way through the platforms across the field. The camera shows Lara’s front and everything behind her. Most of the time this wouldn’t matter, but the sequence is timed, meaning that Lara has to rush through (and memorize the layout of the area) before the door closes. The camera angles and controls are a frustrating reality in AOD, and tragically render what could have been a great game on the borderline of mediocrity. I don’t think in any other Tomb Raiders have the controls or camera angles been more horrible. One may find themselves beating their head on the keyboard if they can’t figure out how to manipulate the controls and camera angles. Also, with skill at saving at pivotal points, you can prevent yourself from lot of trouble, but I’ve heard that the loading times for the PS2 are ridiculous. PC users can reload the game fairly quickly, but even so, games in this day and age shouldn’t face simple problems like this. My point is that the controls and the camera angles hinder the enjoyment of the game the most, and if you can live with them, then AOD is worth playing.

Indecisiveness
I can’t offer a solid buy/not buy recommendation for this one. If you have a PS2, and you are a fan of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider series, by all means, go ahead and rent this game, and purchase it if you really enjoy it. If you have a PC, I probably wouldn’t recommend this to anyone besides the truly dedicated Tomb Raider fans. I rate this game a 6/10. AOD would have been a 9/10 without its imperfections. There are simply too many flaws to make the game enjoyable as a whole. I honestly tried to look past the problems, but they would not go away. You will share my opinion as you get yourself killed multiple times in a single area and are forced to reload again and again. I think that many people will pull their hair out playing this one. Although the game is fairly challenging, it’s all too frustrating. As an alternative, if one is truly interested in how the adventures of Lara Croft continue, one can probably read about it or ask someone who has gone through AOD. On the other hand, he or she can play the game; it is, after all, beatable, and somewhat enjoyable I suppose. So now the options lay in your hands. Try it if you want. Just don’t say that you haven’t been thoroughly warned.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 12/27/03, Updated 01/13/04