Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness

Written by Chris Reiter on February 25, 2002

First Impressions: Ms. Big Boobs McGee's Great Adventure!

Tomb Raider. Just that single name has been spread like wildfire throughout the gaming world as one of the most recognized, and also despised titles. For four years in a row, Tomb Raider titles spanned out of the offices over at Eidos and Core like as if they were candy given to children. As Lara Croft the sexy heroine Indiana Jones type grew, there were more and more people who despised her (except for me...there'll always be a place in my heart for Tomb Raider). Now, Eidos and Core plan to shape Lara Croft's image into a more dark, sinister, and edgier feeling one than ever before. Forget adventurous Croft. Meet dangerous Croft!

To start out, Lara Croft's story begins as she arrives in the setting of Paris. While visiting a dear friend in France's most elegant of locations, the tables have turned for the once famed explorer Lara Croft as she's framed for a crime she didn't commit. A painting that was stolen was the crime and the piece of the puzzle Lara needs to find out who is conspiring against her. And to find the hidden enemy, Lara must now travel from one location to the next in order to discover the ones who are against her before the authorities are able to book her red handed.

Instead of like in past titles where Lara was able to equip a large artillery of weapons to aid her in battles against humans, animals, and even mythical demon types, Lara's new adventure will consist more heavily on stealth and puzzle solving elements, aside from the occasional gun play. Through elaborate settings in foreign lands, Lara will have to sneak her way a lot of the time through different areas instead of using her guns first without questions being asked. Not to say that the next Tomb Raider won't be a title without guns, it's just that in order to change the appearance of the game, a lot of remodeling has to be done in order to make a new experience of the series that hopefully will please old as well as new fans of the Raider fame.

Speaking of change, the side flipping, overhead shimmying, dashing forward Lara Croft you once knew is being modulated in a way you didn't think was possible. Eidos has explained that they're revamping Lara Croft's old design of moves available to her for something more easily to use than the past type of jerky gameplay. Similar to games like Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda titles on the Nintendo 64, Lara will also be able to explore the game using a more freely designed motion. If that indicates anything, from what Eidos has shared so far, the new twists in gameplay just may make the difference of the series' new outcome.

Another thing to add to the list is the addition of a new playable game character. Curtis, a man on a similar mission that joins up with Lara in the game, will serve as a helper of sorts. Within the gameplay, certain missions will require a two-man team to solve specific puzzles. Switching from Lara to Curtis will come in handy a lot of the time, being that through the game's mass of riddles to solve will be more grand than they once were.

Tracking on to the visual aspect, they're stunning, and nothing short of beautiful. Comparing the new title to the earlier PlayStation games, Lara's once polygonal body is getting an overhaul by the boatloads. The new Lara will feature a buxom, fit 3D model, complete with crisp as the morning sun look. Suffice to say, the new Lara and the new worlds she'll explore will appear on screen like you'd never think was possible. From a large scale of extravagant lighting effects, to rooms with rich textures -- in rock formation structures and palace settings, the new Raider is turning out great.