Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness

52%
Game Brain Score Based on 592 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness Game Cover
The latest installment to the Tomb Raider universe delivers new features, terrific graphics, and an engaging storyline. In a plot that's like an action-thriller movie, Lara Croft runs through the back alleys of Paris and Prague to clear her name of the murder of her former mentor. The ability to upg
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In Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness , Lara Croft is accused of her mentor's murder and pursued by the police. She must navigate a dark world of betrayal and vengeance, following a sinister Alchemist and uncovering a secret alliance with immense powers. It's up to Lara to stop them from unleashing their evil plans on the world.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Gog Com
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 2
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

52%
Audience ScoreBased on 592 reviews
story123 positive mentions
gameplay25 negative mentions
  • The game features a captivating story with dark themes and engaging characters.
  • The graphics and environments are impressive for their time, showcasing detailed locations like Paris and the Louvre.
  • The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • The controls are clunky and unresponsive, making gameplay frustrating and difficult.
  • The game is plagued with bugs and glitches that can disrupt the experience.
  • Many features and mechanics feel unfinished or poorly implemented, leading to a disjointed gameplay experience.
  • story308 mentions

    The story of "Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness" is often praised for its darker themes and intriguing narrative, which follows Lara Croft as she navigates a murder mystery and conspiracy while on the run. Many players appreciate the atmospheric setting and character development, noting that the plot has significant potential despite being marred by bugs and an unfinished feel due to rushed development. While some find the story engaging and a highlight of the series, others criticize it for being convoluted and lacking coherence, ultimately leaving it feeling incomplete.

    • “The story is incredible, the music is tear-jerking and the characters and dialogue are unmatched.”
    • “The story is the most complex, interesting, and well-developed of all the Tomb Raider games, Core or Crystal Dynamics, to date.”
    • “Despite all the bugs it is my absolute favorite TR game :) I've played them all and love the story in this one best.”
    • “The narrative has also garnered a lot of praise from some of the fanbase, but I feel like that's more about the untapped ideas and potential this game had, because as a story, this thing falls apart rather quickly.”
    • “Ultimately, this game is just a mish-mash of half-finished ideas, crappy levels, and a story that is borderline engaging but mostly just boring and forgettable.”
    • “Defenders of this game will praise the story and the ability to interact with characters, but the story doesn't go much of anywhere; it ends on a cliffhanger that assumed that the Angel of Darkness would be part one of a trilogy, and the aforementioned characters only exist in the first quarter of the game, they are uninteresting, and they simply repeat themselves whenever you talk to them without getting a new plot device first.”
  • gameplay140 mentions

    The gameplay of "Angel of Darkness" is widely criticized for its numerous flaws, including clunky controls, unfinished mechanics, and a lack of polish that detracts from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the story and atmospheric design, many find the gameplay frustrating and riddled with bugs, making it feel unrefined compared to earlier titles in the series. Despite attempts to introduce new mechanics, the execution often falls short, leading to a mixed reception where fans of the franchise may struggle to overlook its shortcomings.

    • “Even though Angel of Darkness is really flawed and broken in a lot of ways, I enjoyed the story and parts of the gameplay that are characteristic of the classic titles.”
    • “Some of the mechanics will take some getting used to, especially for Tomb Raider veterans, but all in all this is a solid, entertaining time.”
    • “Thanks to an angel, we finally can return to see the light and exit from the darkness of the previous chapters, and for the first time in the series, there are some improvements on both graphics, game mechanics, and other little things. We are still far from the beauty of the actual modern Tomb Raider we all know, but you'll have a great experience with this one; really a nice game.”
    • “However, from Prague onwards, the game's quality diminishes significantly, both in terms of level design and gameplay mechanics.”
    • “What you are up against is not the challenge the developers intended, but a set-up of severely flawed and sometimes incomplete game mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay is by far the worst among Tomb Raider games; it's full of bugs, the gameplay shows its age badly, and it's almost hostile to the player in how unfinished it seems.”
  • graphics117 mentions

    The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their stunning quality and impressive animations, especially considering its 2003 release. Many reviewers noted significant improvements over previous titles, highlighting the detailed environments and aesthetic design that contribute to an immersive experience. However, some players experienced graphical glitches and technical issues, suggesting that while the visuals are commendable, they are not without flaws.

    • “The game offers stunning graphics and great animations, along with a stellar soundtrack that helps create a truly immersive experience.”
    • “The graphics are outstanding, even now.”
    • “For its time, it was running off of a truly next-gen engine, coupled with gorgeous graphics.”
    • “However, these improvements come at the cost of frequent graphical glitches, with patches doing little to fix the problem.”
    • “The graphics are much improved, and the story is awesome, but the controls and glitches make it super frustrating to play.”
    • “Defenders of this game will praise the graphics being better than the previous games, but if they can't produce a cohesive, believable world, I don't see the point; and yes, this game is very buggy, and even with the patch that comes with the Steam version, not everything is fixed.”
  • music76 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised as one of its standout features, with many reviewers highlighting the orchestral score composed by Peter Connelly and Martin Iveson as breathtaking and atmospheric. The soundtrack enhances the immersive experience, perfectly complementing the game's dark themes and environments, and is often described as the best in the Tomb Raider series. Overall, the music significantly elevates the game's narrative and emotional impact, making it a memorable aspect for players.

    • “The soundtrack is unbelievable, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.”
    • “The music is brilliant and it really sets up the feeling for the environment you're playing in.”
    • “The soundtrack is breathtakingly beautiful and adds to the atmosphere in ways to bring the game to life.”
    • “There's a lot of music at the start of the game and a lot less at the end.”
    • “The music of the game is its only positive feature.”
    • “The soundtrack, for one, is haunting.”
  • stability68 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and unfinished mechanics that hinder gameplay. Many players note that the rushed development led to significant issues, including game-breaking glitches and poor controls, making it frustrating for newcomers. While some fans appreciate the game's charm and story, the overall consensus is that its stability problems detract from the experience, especially on PC.

    • “The PC port is not that bad; it's not buggy like I expected it to be.”
    • “This game is rushed, buggy, and unfinished, a disappointment that ended up destroying its developer.”
    • “The game also is quite buggy and crashed for me semi-frequently while playing.”
    • “To save a lot of time, avoid this title due to game-breaking glitches, horrible control schemes, and an outright unimpressive copycat storyline.”
  • atmosphere47 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning art, immersive sound design, and dark, gritty environments that enhance the storytelling experience. Many reviewers highlight the compelling and unique atmosphere as a standout feature, despite some criticisms regarding level design and controls. Overall, the atmospheric elements, including a beautiful soundtrack and engaging settings, contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a memorable entry in the series.

    • “The atmosphere of the game is fantastic and the story is still one of the best from the entire series.”
    • “It’s a game world in which everything you see and hear oozes with the atmosphere of a film noir.”
    • “The music, which was already good to begin with, gets even better, and perfectly matches the atmosphere of each level.”
    • “It sticks out so much in the otherwise pretty good animation, that it really takes you out of the game's atmosphere.”
    • “The control is awful, the storyline is not decent at all, and most importantly, it lost the atmosphere of 'Tomb Raider' which we are playing for.”
    • “Despite these flaws it still is an average action-adventure-puzzle game with great level design and a surprisingly dark atmosphere.”
  • humor17 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of unintentional hilarity and absurdity, with players finding amusement in its numerous glitches, awkward animations, and nonsensical design choices. While some aspects, like Lara's slow stair climbing and bizarre puzzle solutions, are deemed "hilariously bad," others appreciate the light-hearted jokes and voice acting that provide moments of genuine humor. Overall, the game's comedic elements stem from its flaws, making it a source of both frustration and laughter for players.

    • “It's so bafflingly bad that it becomes kinda hilarious.”
    • “Speaking of so bad it's hilarious, the way Lara runs up and down stairs is simultaneously the worst and the best thing in the game.”
    • “But hey, at least it has some hilarious ragdoll physics.”
  • optimization11 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players noting smooth performance on high-end systems, while others criticize significant issues, particularly with controls and bugs, especially in the Steam version. Many users feel that the game was rushed to release, resulting in poor optimization that detracts from the overall experience. Despite some improvements through patches, the consensus is that the game still struggles with optimization, making it hard to recommend.

    • “And this game can still run smoothly on my computer, no bugs at all.”
    • “After fixing the movement issues with patches, the controls are far better optimized for both keyboard and mouse.”
    • “Still, it's one of my favorite games, and if you can get used to the controls (which is a mix between tank and analog, optimized for the PS2), I'd recommend picking it up.”
    • “This game is an industry disaster because of the very clunky controls which were mostly not optimized even after the initial release of the game in 2003.”
    • “This game is clearly not optimized as it was forced to the shelves before it was ready due to great pressure from the publisher to the developers. Go read the story behind this game if you care about that; it’s a good read, believe me.”
    • “In conclusion though, I still can't recommend this game, specifically because the Steam version of it is optimized so badly.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is viewed as limited, with some users suggesting that modifications may enhance the experience. While it is considered more playable than previous versions, many reviewers feel it lacks rewarding elements and diverse pathways that could boost replay value, rating it around 3/10.

    • “Infinitely replayable.”
    • “Good idea: introduce RPG elements to an adventure game to increase the replay value, create various pathways/solutions to obstacles that can be utilized via whatever skills/stats you have (see: Deus Ex series).”
    • “Far more playable than the PS2 version.”
    • “Replay value: 3/10”
    • “Now I'm not saying that it is unplayable, but technically it has no replay value nor is it rewarding.”
    • “Good idea: introduce RPG elements to an adventure game to increase the replay value, create various pathways/solutions to obstacles that can be utilized via whatever skills/stats you have (see: Deus Ex series)”
  • character development3 mentions

    The game features exceptional character design and a compelling story, with notable character development that enhances the overall experience. While it diverges from previous titles in terms of gameplay mechanics, it offers a diverse range of combat methods and player interactions that contribute to its uniqueness.

    • “The character designs are amazing and definitely a step-up.”
    • “On the good side, the game has a beautiful story, great character development, and this goes perfectly alongside its gorgeous scenery and architecture. Although it may not be like any of the previous titles where you would be physically thrown into tombs and battles, it does have a perfect range of combat methods, characters, and player choice interactions, allowing for the game to be more unique and different from the rest.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect manageable, especially with features like quick saves that alleviate the frustration of dying. However, some feel that grinding can be demanding enough to require significant time investment or even a "second life" to fully engage with it.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The game is praised for presenting a more relatable and emotionally nuanced version of Lara Croft compared to previous iterations, while criticism is directed at the emotional depth of other characters, who are perceived as lacking authenticity and depth.

    • “This game managed to create a much more emotional and relatable Lara than what Crystal Dynamics attempted.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The game's monetization strategy has been effective, with strong initial sales attributed to a robust advertising campaign.

    • “The game feels more like a cash grab than a genuine experience, with constant prompts to spend money.”
    • “In-game purchases are heavily pushed, making it difficult to enjoy the game without spending extra.”
    • “The monetization strategy is frustrating, as it often feels like progress is locked behind a paywall.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

62% average critic score

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Play time

10hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
10-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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