Lara Croft is arriving for fun on Valentine’s Day with the announcement of remasters of her iconic games coming to “next generation” hardware with Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered.
A screenshot from Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (1999), Core Design
However the treasure hunter’s greatest obstacle may not be a horrifying medieval phantom or spiked pit from a century-old tomb, no it may just be a simple PlayStation 2 game, an entry so disastrous it brought the original series to an unplanned and abrupt end. However, it seems that this game is getting another chance after two decades, to finally win the hearts of those original fans.
Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered contains three games in the series, The Last Revelation, Chronicles, and the highly discussed, Angel of Darkness. While the first two games are seen by many fans as PlayStation “Classics” the latter game has an extensive history and is often seen as Lara’s most “disappointing” entry.
A screenshot from Tomb Raider VI: The Angel of Darkness (2003), Core Design
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness was released at a time when the franchise was coming off of milestones, Angelina Jolie had just portrayed Lara Croft’s character in a feature-length Hollywood film, and in eight years Lara had cemented herself as one of gaming’s most famous icons!
The Tomb Raider series had proved that it was more than just a “one-hit wonder” and was now a widely recognizable franchise. With five successful games on the original PlayStation and a second film in development, the calling for a “next generation” Tomb Raider game was ready to be heard.
A screenshot from Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (1999), Core Design
The new game was going to be the franchise’s big launch to the PlayStation 2 to move on from the older more “blocky” designs and game mechanics of the past. The ambitious developers were hoping to create a game with more complex puzzles and bring a darker and more hard-edged approach to the game and world. This was going to be a very different kind of Lara Croft and it would hopefully satisfy the “first generation” of Tomb Raider fans, just like the prior PlayStation 1 hits did.
However, Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness had a troubled development. Core Design, the original development studio behind the PlayStation classics, partook in a long three-year quest to bring Lara Croft to the next generation. The development of this title was plagued with issues from inexperience, lack of leadership, and a fragmented development system.
A screenshot from Tomb Raider VI: The Angel of Darkness (2003), Core Design
Despite all the developmental struggles, the game would finally be released one month before the then-upcoming film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life on June 20, 2003. However, the three-year endeavor had far from paid off in the reception of many fans. Despite its high ambitions, many saw it as dated and riddled with tech issues.
In a 2003 review of the game, IGN’s Douglass C. Perry said on the gameplay, “Simple things such as opening doors and climbing through a window can be a real chore, because of Core’s reliance on the grid-based system. And despite several hours honing my skills jumping and shimmying, Lara’s lack of fluidity, rigid set of moves, and Core’s desire to retain the series’ clunky, awkward mechanics brings on genuine frustration and disappointment. It’s 2003, for God’s sake!”
A screenshot from Tomb Raider VI: The Angel of Darkness (2003), Core Design
Needless to say, The Angel of Darkness failed to compete with the high end competition and industry expectations at the time, but much has changed in the well-over 20 years since the game’s launch in 2003 and many fans seem eager to give this game a second chance.
With many fans taking to X and YouTube comments sections to share their excitement in getting to experience these three games again, Angel of Darkness included.
tomb raider angel of darkness is getting a remaster next year i used to pray for times like this!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/uSuVXJnCyr
— 𝖉𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖆𝖓𝖙 (@dormant_twt) October 13, 2024
READ: ‘Tomb Raider’ Fans Torch Netflix’s Latest Teaser Trailer For ‘Tomb Raider The Legend Of Lara Croft’
When The Angel of Darkness came out, the focus of many studios was to make games as cutting edge as possible while following the high standards of prior entries, Angel of Darkness failed to do either for most consumers and resulted in Core Design, the developers of the original games, losing out on ever making another Tomb Raider again.
Despite the game selling over 2 million copies, the series would be rebooted twice and would find some success with its later entries that departed from the original series roots. However, Tomb Raider as a franchise has recently been having a bit of what could be considered an “identity crisis,” with many original fans voicing concern and a desire for a more traditional Tomb Raider game. Despite the shortcomings, Angel of Darkness was the last time a “classic” Tomb Raider was attempted.
A screenshot from Tomb Raider VI: The Angel of Darkness (2003), Core Design
Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered is being helmed by Aspyr who received critical acclaim for their work on Tomb Raider I–III Remastered. While the original Angel of Darkness team had to battle to stay relevant for the most “cutting-edge” game to rival, the likes of, say Grand Theft Auto 3, Aspyr’s remaster has a very different road ahead of it.
Many of the game’s target audiences have shifted from wanting “the most realistic graphics possible” and instead longing for the more “fun spirit” of the older Tomb Raider entries as well as many video game franchises from that era. The more recent decisions for the franchise and Lara, as a character, has found itself in the crosshairs of the “Culture War” with many longing for a return to less divisive games that are true to the series roots.
Her legacy lives on!
The next remastered collection of Lara Croft’s iconic adventures swan-dive onto the #NintendoSwitch Feb. 14!
Pre-order Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered now: https://t.co/sUQv4a19hA pic.twitter.com/zFr6PplBlW
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) October 11, 2024
Aspyr’s remaster of The Angel of Darkness might finally give both fans, old and new, a chance to experience a game closer to what developers might have hoped for. There are already signs of the game seeing some quality-of-life improvements as some eagle eyed fans have pointed out from the games’ trailer.
Leesplay on YouTube
Many games in recent years have seen remakes and remasters, but it is much more rare to see another crack at games that did not perform as well as their predecessors. Some might even argue that these more polarizing games deserve to get the “remastered” treatment more. Perhaps, Angel of Darkness could be a trendsetter and the start of seeing more games that had ambitious plans, but fell short, have a second life.
Do you think we will see more remakes of other Tomb Raider games such as the ones produced by Crystal Dynamics or perhaps see remasters of other games considered disappointing? Will you be picking up the Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered game and finally making Lara your Valentine after all these years? Sound off in the comments section and check out That Park Place for more articles and news about the upcoming Tomb Raider game!
Nolan Thunder is a video game mysteries historian and filmmaker who creates videos on Lost Media, Internet Mysteries, and the Paranormal. He can be found on his YouTube channel, Nolan Thunder. He can also be found on That Game Place, the That Park Place video game channel.
NEXT: Aspyr Media Addresses Lara Croft Pinups Being Removed From ‘Tomb Raider I-III Remastered’
