- New Lara, new attitude
- Sub-plots emerge through the course of the game
- Cutting-edge graphics
- Brand new control system and new range of moves
- New playable character, Kurtis Trent, with his own distinctive moves
- Character evolution--improve Lara’s abilities depending on how you play
- Character interaction--Lara's conversations with other characters affect the outcome
It's been three long years but finally Lara's back in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness with all the puzzle-solving, platform-clambering action you'd expect. The game's intro sees Lara being hunted down by Parisian gendarmes and accused of a crime she didn't commit. This forces her, once she escapes their initial attacks, to uncover the mystery of the evil Nephilim.
The first thing you'll notice when playing The Angel of Darkness is that they've changed the control system to try and make it fully analogue--but it hasn't really worked and lining up for jumps in particular is now infuriatingly difficult. You do get used to it but there's going to be a goodly proportion of fans who'll just immediately give up in disgust. This is a shame because apart from that one (admittedly fairly major) blunder the game is pretty good and far more inventive than any previous Tomb Raider game. For starters there's no set path through the game, but plenty of minor and major plot branching: you now have the chance to talk to people and further affect the route the game's plot takes.
You can also try out a new stealth mode, hand-to-hand fighting, a rather spurious RPG-style attribute upgrade system and even play as a new male character. The Angel of Darkness isn't even close to perfect but apart from the appalling new control system it's mostly all good news and once you start clambering over and under all the new buildings and tombs you'll start to remember just why this series has remained so popular over the years. --David Jenkins
Product Description
In Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, a series of grisly murders brings Lara into conflict with a sinister Alchemist from the past and a secret alliance of powerful individuals shrouded in mystery. At the centre of these mysteries are the Obscura Paintings--five 14th century pieces of art that the Alchemist is desperate to repossess. Accused of the murder of her one-time mentor, Werner von Croy, Lara becomes a fugitive on the run. Pursued by the police, she follows the Alchemist into a dark world of blood, betrayal and vengeance where it is up to her to defeat this unholy alliance, and stop them from unleashing their incredible powers on the world.
PlayStation2