Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (PS2)

When most people hear about a new Tomb Raider game, they say things like, "Not another one!"

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  • System: Sony PlayStation 2
  • Genre: Action
  • Max Players: 1
  • Age Rating: Teen 13+
  • US Release: June 2003
  • Developer: Core Design
  • Publisher: Eidos

When most people hear about a new Tomb Raider game, they say things like, “Not another one!” “What’s the point?” or just simply, “Why?”  But there are some people, like me, who can’t wait for it to be released, and camp outside of the store over night, just to be the very first person in the store.  I didn’t do that, but it crossed my mind.  I bought the game on the first day it was out; I was going to see Hulk with my friends.  During the whole two-and-a-half hours of the film, I was thinking about what my newly purchased game would be like.

Lara Croft is running from the police because she is a suspect for the murder of Werner von Croy.  Meanwhile, a serial killer known as the Monstrum is striking in Europe.  Lara must evade the cops while discovering the identity of the Monstrum.  She must also stop a cabal from collecting the Obscura paintings.  They will use them in hope of resurrecting the Nehalem.

This story takes you to many fun environments.  Lara jumps roof-to-roof in Paris.  She does acrobatics in an old rave club.  She visits a sanitarium, the Louvre, and a tomb that is VERY far below the aodsn1surface of the Earth.  There is even a level for all four elements.  When the final boss is defeated, you are left with a brief ending (I’m talking seconds).  Even though that left me with an empty feeling, seeing the trailer for the new Tomb Raider movie cheered me up.

Lara’s voice actor is about the only decent one in the game.  The others just sound like they are rushing the sentence.  There are some conversations in the game where you can choose what you want to say.  This adds some interactive variety to the game.

The controls in the game freaked me out at first.  Circle is jump.  For the past six years, Square was jump.  Now they switch Square to roll.  I found myself rolling off of many buildings.  It took me a while to get used to the new controls.  They should have added a control menu so classic Tomb Raider fans would be happy, and whoever wanted R1 to pull out your guns would also be satisfied.

The graphics in the game are smooth.  The levels and characters are detailed very well.  Rooms are scattered with tables, chairs, and paper.  The tombs appear realistic.  If you look back through the series, Lara look s a lot better now than in her days of triangle tits.  She has also changed her look.  She no longer wears the tight turquoise top with the short brown shorts.  She has changed into a tight black shirt with a denim jacket and blue jeans.  Her ponytail now flips over her shoulder as a real ponytail would.  To some of us game freaks, that makes a big difference.

This game can be played again if you enjoy it.  I am playing it for the second time right now.  There are alternate paths to take.  For example, I am now entering a building from the basement instead of the back door.  Nothing major happens, but you can choose which road you want.  It gives the game a realistic feel that way.

Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness is best labeled as an exploring game for true adventurers.  This isn’t the best game of the series, but it is still fun.  You need to be patient in some levels.  In other levels you might need help.  In a Yahoo! group for Tomb Raider, I guided many people through levels.  I love to explore, and that is why I love the Tomb Raider series so much.  I recommend this game to anyone that likes to journey into the unknown.

  • GameCola Rates This Game: 7 - Good
  • Score Breakdown

  • Fun Score: 9
  • Audio Score: 6
  • Visuals Score: 8
  • Controls Score: 6
  • Replay Value: 7
2 votes, average: 5.50 out of 102 votes, average: 5.50 out of 102 votes, average: 5.50 out of 102 votes, average: 5.50 out of 102 votes, average: 5.50 out of 102 votes, average: 5.50 out of 102 votes, average: 5.50 out of 102 votes, average: 5.50 out of 102 votes, average: 5.50 out of 102 votes, average: 5.50 out of 10 (You need to be a registered member to rate this post.)
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About the Contributor


From 2004 to 2004

Brian Vanek is a former staff member from GameCola's early days as a monthly email newsletter.

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