Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness

"A worthy addition to your gaming library"

Intro:
Tomb Raider is one of the best series that has ever been created, and finally Eidos has released the newest title. Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness is NOT classic Tomb Raider but it is a welcome addition to your gaming library.

Story:
The story for AOD is a very unique one (for a game) and defiantly is a detour from the previous games in the series. The game begins with Lara meeting with Werner Von Croy. He begs her to find the Obscura paintings when and seems very paranoid, suddenly he is murdered and Lara is seen escaping the scene. Now all of Paris is on her tail. The story is different from all of the others in the series considered at first you are not looking for an artifact the entire quest. Another interesting twist is that your cousin could play through the game without getting something or talking with someone and the story will unfold in a different way. Keep in mind; it all depends on how you talk to someone. Overall entire story is original and worth a second chance. 8/10*

Gameplay:
The story introduces many good gameplay elements to the Tomb Raider mix. One thing that is new to the classic gameplay is stealth. Lara begins with no weapons and so stealth is very important for her continued survival. Though, at first look you will notice there are not challenging puzzles and maneuvering around frightening alleys is extremely easy the gameplay does become like Zelda in a way. The game becomes littered with jump puzzles and extremely rewarding fetch quests (this is the whole Link/Lara connection) that you will not believe this is the same pull lever-jump-press button Tomb Raider. The gunplay in AOD is almost like Resident Evil's Gun survivor series because it auto-locks the target but has a little trouble seeking the target when it moves. Still, it is very fun. Also, Eidos figures they need to give Tomb Raider a manly touch by adding another playable character, Kurtis Trent. Maybe this isn’t like previous outings, but it sure is fun! 9/10*

Graphics and Sound:
The game can have great sound at times and yes, Lara has become chatty. “No” has been turned into “That door is locked; I need to find its key; I’ll talk to Bernard, maybe he can help.” And it all sounds good on my 2 inch wide speakers! Now the most important part of the game: the graphics in AOD are very nice looking! The game really shows off what the PS2 can do and the graphics are sharp and colorful. As you play, you’ll notice the tiny details such as Lara’s braid, and other…things (ahem) that are better left un-said. At places in the game you will find the doorways and such far away could be a little grainy looking but it doesn’t spoil my rating completely. Since the cutscenes are all in-game I won’t get into these. Although the game doesn’t show off the PS2’s best graphic abilities it still looks darn good. 7/10*

Replay Value:
Tomb Raiders always have a little bit of replay value. If you completed the game without collecting all the secrets, sure, give it another go. If you completed it 100% you may want to pick up another game and play this one later. 4/10*

Any final words, Ms. Croft?
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness would easily be one of Eidos best games. If you liked this game, GOOD NEWS, there is a written trilogy of Tomb Raider games on the PS2/3 engine! Lets hope this happens. Peace out gamers.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/22/03, Updated 06/22/03