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Why Tomb Raider’s worst-received game desperately needs a remake
We deserve it.
Core Design / Crystal Dynamics
- Daryl Baxter
Published: Tuesday, 9 June 2026 at 10:00 am
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Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness is an enigma in the series. Released in 2003 for PlayStation 2 and PC after years of development, reception was mixed, to say the least.
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This was Lara Croft’s debut on Sony’s latest console, where players found her on the run from being framed for the murder of her mentor, Von Croy.
The game begins in Paris, where Lara must evade the police before finding herself on a quest to obtain the Obscura Paintings from the game’s antagonist, Eckhart.
The Angel of Darkness brought plenty of new mechanics to the series, such as a second-playable character called Kurtis Trent, RPG elements where talking to NPCs was required, as well as improving Lara’s strength, which resulted in the infamous ‘I feel stronger now’ line.
However, things were not good at developer Core Design when the game was in its final throes. Locations like Germany had to be cut, and the numerous bugs weren’t fixed in time. So reviews weren’t kind, with some, like Eurogamer, deriding the maddening controls, lack of hints, and lacklustre AI.
Players, like this writer, had been looking forward to The Angel of Darkness - but I returned it after two days, frustrated with the controls and lack of tombs early on.
A remaster came out in February 2025, as part of Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered, that thankfully fixed plenty of bugs and even restored some sections and voice lines, but the foundation of The Angel of Darkness is still flawed.
From the empty streets of Paris to a frustrating control scheme, there was only so much the team at Saber Interactive could do for the AOD remaster.
With this in mind, here’s why Crystal Dynamics should consider another remake once Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is released, specifically a reimagining of The Angel of Darkness to finally give the game its due.
Back into the Darkness
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Development began on The Angel of Darkness (AOD) in 2000 when another team was finishing up Tomb Raider: Chronicles for PlayStation 1, Dreamcast, and PC for later that year.
The original plan was an epic trilogy that would take Lara from Paris to a WWII base in Antarctica. The writer of AOD, Murti Schofield, has a site that impressively breaks down his insights, passion, and more into the whole plan of these games, and what could have been.
Speaking to Richard Morton, lead game designer of The Angel of Darkness, it’s a title that hasn’t dated much since its 2003 release. "It was ahead of its time in both storytelling and engaging gameplay, it looked amazing for a PS2 game, and we introduced many layers for the player to reveal."
But there’s plenty that was cut in AOD in order to make its June 2003 release date. One big omission was finding out how Lara escaped the tomb at the end of Chronicles. Thanks to the Tomb Raider community, there’s now a restored cut-scene that explains how Lara escaped with a little help from a character called Putai. As a bonus, Lara’s voice is again performed by Jonell Elliott, who voiced her in TR4, TR5, and AOD.
The remaster restored some items and other aspects, like finally being able to buy items from the pawn shop, but there’s even more that could work in a remake.
Yet the faults can’t be dismissed, which can frustrate players massively, causing them to throw the controller down and never go back to AOD. But to do that would be missing out on some great sections, like the Louvre location.
Morton agrees, along with praising other places in the game. "I love the whole Louvre location. I think we nailed the galleries, but I'm most proud of the Hall of Seasons and its many trap rooms. It's classic Tomb Raider with a new twist. The industrial rooftops were also pretty cool!"
Plenty of sections in AOD are iconic, many of which Morton mentions. But what if we saw all of these rejigged and remade for a new generation, to give Angel of Darkness its redemption arc?
Faster, Better, Stronger Now
A screenshot from Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered. Core Design / Crystal Dynamics
First, Morton has some ideas as to how he’d remake The Angel of Darkness. "I'd make sure Kurtis and his psychic powers were given a higher priority, ensuring they were in the game in all their glory, including the two character co-op levels. I'd also make sure the control system was rolled back to how we had it, maybe 6 months before release, as it was much better. Also, I'd ensure the AI on the NPCs was more refined, and the missing main locations were included in the game. Oh, and let's not forget Putai!"
Using Morton’s ideas as a foundation, as well as extra aspects from speaking to those also involved in the game’s original development, there’s plenty that old and new players to AOD will love. Let’s imagine a remake that’s partly inspired by the Final Fantasy VII Remake, drawn from Schofield’s original plans.
Having spoken to others involved in AOD’s development, cutting much of Paris would be a start; that way, players would start near the Hall of Seasons. Perhaps keep Le Serpent Rouge as an introduction to the game, with Lara running in to hide from the police after escaping Von Croy’s apartment.
Using stealth in the crowds would be a good use of the mechanic here, mixed in with the great music composed by Pete Connolly. Then, players would find themselves underground, eventually leading to the Hall of Seasons. Angel of Darkness can be called ‘Part 1’, followed by ‘The Lost Dominion’, then a Part 3 that uses ideas from the scrapped Kurtis Trent spin-off.
There’s far more that can be used for an AOD remake, but the above is enough to let us imagine just how good a reinterpretation could be.
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However, reasons for a remake stem from a lost opportunity for The Angel of Darkness. Many forget that the games industry was in a huge transition in the early 2000s. Games like Sonic, Metal Gear Solid, Tekken, Final Fantasy, and many more were trying to move over from a previous generation of consoles to the 128-Bit era. Games like Super Mario 64, Tomb Raider, Half-Life, and many more had revolutionised how games could be played.
Many franchises were successful in the transition, but The Angel of Darkness was an unfortunate misfire and victim of its own ambition, leaving many deleted sections and items on the floor while having to abide by a concrete release date dictated by Eidos shareholders.
Granted, the 2025 remaster has ignited justified love for the game, with some on the team, like Morton, being humbled that new players are discovering AOD all over again. "I love that a classic Tomb Raider game, albeit a flawed one, being easily available to a new, younger audience is an honour. I'm so glad new fans are discovering AOD."
There’s also the surprise of seeing Kurtis Trent’s name appear in Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis' recent State of Play trailer, found on a magazine’s front cover towards the end. In addition, those who pre-order the Deluxe Edition can play as Lara in her Angel of Darkness outfit. These don’t feel like simple callbacks to the 2003 title. With Story DLC confirmed, perhaps we’ll see a return to the game’s Paris backstreets someday?
Crystal Dynamics has long described a unified timeline for Tomb Raider, and now they're preparing to release Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst.
But with 2028 being the 25th anniversary of The Angel of Darkness, it feels like a perfect opportunity to right a wrong that’s tainted the series for too long.
Read more on Tomb Raider:
- I wrote the book on Tomb Raider - here's how Sophie Turner and Alix Wilton Regan will rewrite Lara Croft's history
- Tomb Raiders: All 10 actors who've played Lara Croft across games, movies and TV
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Authors
Daryl BaxterContributor
Daryl is a writer and author of three books so far - The Making of Tomb Raider, 50 Years of Boss Fights, and a follow-up to The Making of Tomb Raider, coming later this year.
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