In the Call Me Ishtar column we look back at some of the biggest bombs in video games over the years that have earned a special place in the infamy of the medium.
The Tomb Raider series has suffered tumultuous past. While the original was, along with Super Mario 64, one of the titles that defined 3D platforming, almost every subsequent title in the series was a let down. Tomb Raider II was more of the same, but refined to near perfection. From there, however, the series went in a downward spiral.
Still, it wasn’t until Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness that gamers learned just how far the series could fall. Hyped as an vast expansion of the series, Angel of Darkness marked the series’ debut on the PlayStation 2. It managed to bring with it many sins of the past, and a few it cooked up on its own.
Post the original title, many of the Tomb Raider games delighted in taking series star Lara Croft out of tombs. She was essentially just a raider, and not the fun kind that play in Oakland. There seemed to be a weird sort of confusion that the games were entirely about Lara and her action star credentials, rather than the tomb exploring gameplay. The movies got it wrong, and sadly so did the latter games.
Still, a miscue in level design was not Angel of Darkness’ only sin. Pile on poor control, a weird RPG based leveling system, and you end up with a Tomb nobody cares to raid. It was supposed to Lara’s triumphant return, and at the same time a bold new vision for the series on next generation consoles. It was neither. That wouldn’t come until several years later with a new developer and the critically acclaimed Tomb Raider: Legened.
Critical Reception
GameSpot
In development for years, this latest Tomb Raider was intended as a reinvention of the series, with a darker edge and all-new gameplay elements. That is indeed the case, but unfortunately, it’s easy to tell that Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, despite all the time spent in the making, shipped before it was completely finished. Numerous bugs and glitches, some superficial and some serious, as well as a cumbersome and often frustrating control scheme seriously hurt the game, making it considerably less enjoyable than it could have been.
IGN
Yes, the new moves and the playable Kurtis Trent are interesting, but Angel of Darkness is essentially a slightly broader adventure game than before, riddled with horrible control, awkward movement, and a silly combat system. For a game with such notoriety, of such popularity, and one that was once known for intelligent design and innovative 3D movement, the new addition is a disappointment, but not a surprising one.
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