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Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (TR6)
Overview & Walkthrough

Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness Overview

The Angel of Darkness was released in mid-2003. For critics, as well as many hardcore fans, it signaled the end of an era. Although the game was fraught with technical problems, and some players took issue with the sinister turn the plotline took, AOD is not without its supporters. I have mixed feelings about it myself. It's clear the developers took some risks, tried to build in some new features, and succeeded in some areas but failed in others.

The story begins with the brutal murder of Lara's former mentor, Werner Von Croy. Lara comes under suspicion and flees from the police in order to find evidence that will help prove her innocence. In the process, she comes up against a sinister alchemist and his cohorts, and meets up with a mysterious stranger, who carries his own burdens and happens to be seeking the same answers.

Platforms: Available for PC, Macintosh and PlayStation 2.

What's New Since TR5: Lots, actually. Overall the graphics are much improved. Scenery is less blocky and there are plenty of lovely things to look at. Lara is smoother and more realistic than before. The control system has also been revamped-but not necessarily for the better. There are a few new moves and modified mouse-look, which unfortunately doesn't always function as it should. I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions. If you need help, check the Controls & Gameplay page.

Other new features include a second playable character, a limited dialogue system and ability upgrades for Lara. These seem like great ideas but weren't all that well executed. During several levels you play as Lara's new partner/rival, Kurtis Trent, which is refreshing at first but becomes frustrating during certain boss battles, where Kurtis handles like a tank compared to Lara's APC. ;) In the dialogue segments, Lara's interactions with non-player characters affect the course of the plot, but only in very limited ways. The concept of ability upgrades, as done in countless role-playing games, is solid: complete tasks to get better, stronger, faster. But in Angel of Darkness, the tasks seem arbitrary rather than evolutionary. Lara gains only upper- and lower-body strength, no actual skills.

Still, there are many interesting twists in this game. I wouldn't suggest that any fan pass it by, but I do recommend you be aware of its flaws before diving in, and expect to struggle at times (or plan to download savegame files to skip the more frustrating bits).

Saving Your Game: Unlimited saves on all platforms. (PC and Macintosh savegame files are available in case you make a bad save, want to skip a level, etc.)

Secrets: None.

Bonus Levels: There are no actual bonus levels for Angel of Darkness; however, there is an unfinished training area in the first level that can be accessed by cheating or exploiting glitches in the game. This page explains how.

Collector's Edition DVD: A DVD companion to the game was released as an exclusive for Electronics Boutique customers who pre-ordered the game. It includes game FMVs from TR 1-5, various Tomb Raider ads and trailers, a making-of video, Virtual Lara interview, character profiles of Lara and Kurtis, a history of the real-life Lara Croft models and more. This DVD can be hard to find now, but I've seen copies on eBay.*

Tomb Raider Interactive DVD Game: The above special edition is not to be confused with "Lara Croft Tomb Raider The Action Adventure," an interactive DVD game designed to be played with your DVD remote control. This follows the same basic storyline as Angel of Darkness only radically dumbed down. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone except avid collectors who just want to own anything Tomb Raider. Again, eBay is probably the place to go for this one.

Angel of Darkness & Windows 7, Vista or XP: This game was designed to be XP-compatible and should not have trouble running with Windows Vista or Windows 7. I do recommend installing all available patches before playing. If you do run into difficulties, you're welcome to start your troubleshooting process with my Downloads and Tech Support Links pages.

Becoming an Expert Raider: If you've never played Tomb Raider before—or even if you have—I encourage you to check out my Controls & Gameplay Tips page, which includes pointers on moving Lara through her environment, conserving health and ammo, using the menu and inventory systems, and more.