Unleashing the Angel: A Look Back at Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness
Hey, fellow gamers! Can you believe it’s been 20 years since Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness graced our screens? I remember being a wide-eyed 13-year-old, eagerly rushing out to buy the game and diving headfirst into Lara Croft’s next-gen adventure. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.
A Break from Tradition
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness dared to break away from the formula established by its predecessors, and boy, did it deliver. The game introduced exciting new features like skill leveling, non-hostile areas with vendor NPCs where you could gather information and stock up, and even a second playable character. It was a breath of fresh air while still retaining the shooty-shooty-puzzle-solvey goodness we had come to love from the series.
Unfortunately, the developers at Core Design were forced to rush the game’s release, cutting off crucial development time. The result? A game that, in many ways, deserved the label “unplayable.” But here’s the thing, my fellow gamers, everything I praised about the game earlier still holds true. Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness is a complex masterpiece. It’s like a misunderstood hero, fighting against the odds.
A Movie Tie-In Gone Wrong?
Ever wondered why the game was rushed? Well, one theory suggests that it was treated as a marketing tie-in to the second Tomb Raider movie. You know how movie tie-in video games tend to have a bad reputation? Yeah, it seems like poor AoD fell victim to that curse. It’s frustrating to see a game hurriedly released to promote a movie that supposedly capitalizes on the franchise’s popularity in the gaming scene.
Some fans argue that The Angel of Darkness killed the Angelina Jolie film franchise, while others believe that the push to make the film the center of attention was the death knell for the original continuity of the games and the studio that created them. It’s a tale of conflicting opinions, my friends.
A Game Ahead of Its Time
Here’s the thing, though. If Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness had been given enough time to cook as a game sequel independent of the budding movie franchise, it might have been remembered as a major turning point for Tomb Raider. Instead, it became a mid-series game that introduced cool new ideas but didn’t quite implement them optimally.
But guess what? Many of those ideas were later picked up in subsequent games, especially the 2013 series reboot. This serves as evidence that The Angel of Darkness was, in many ways, simply ahead of its time. It had the potential to become a trilogy, and even the spin-offs featuring Kurtis Trent, the male co-lead, could have been something special. Seriously, check out the backstory written by lead writer Murti Schofield. It’s pure early-2000s military-dystopian urban fantasy brilliance.
Look Beyond the Surface
I know there are Tomb Raider fans out there who haven’t given The Angel of Darkness a chance. And yes, on a technical level, it has its flaws. But I implore you, my fellow TR enthusiasts, to look beyond the surface. The strength of its narrative, its exploration of darker themes, and the introduction of ambitious new systems make it, in my opinion, the best of the original Tomb Raider games produced by Core Design. It may have its faults, but it’s also a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.
If you’re up for the challenge, you can grab the game on Steam for just £1/$1 at the time of writing. Trust me, it’s worth every penny. And if you prefer physical copies, you can find a PS2 version on Amazon.
Conclusion
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness may not have received the love and recognition it deserved, but that doesn’t mean we should overlook its strengths. It’s a game that dared to be different, pushing the boundaries of what a Tomb Raider game could be. So let’s give it the appreciation it deserves and dive into Lara Croft’s next-gen adventure once again. Who knows, maybe you’ll discover a hidden treasure that you’ve been missing all these years.
Happy gaming!