Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness Rating:  Publisher: Eidos
Something of a cultural icon for the '90s, it has now been eight long years since Lara Croft first reared her mishapen head, unwittingly helping to bring gaming into the mainstream. The medium has undergone some revolutionary changes since then though, leaving Ms Croft somewhat marginalised, and without a release for some time. This represents her comeback, and indeed her debut outing on the PS2. As such, she looks better than ever.
Costume changes abound as our nubile heroine minces through the backstreets of Paris and a snowbound Prague (in frankly unsuitable attire) in search of a plot that meanders from stolen paintings to diabolical cabals. Along the way she encounters one Kurtis Trent, a pseudo-mystical nu-metal victim with whom she shares a tangible frisson of sexual tension. And in a first for the series, you actually get to control the character of Trent. He may have a few nifty moves but he doesn't look quite as good in a pair of hotpants.
Other innovations include Lara being able to speak, with multiple-choice dialogue sections harking back to ancient adventure games. There is also an alleged role-playing element, whereby she can augment her strength and speed in a rudimentary fashion. Ultimately though, it's mainly a case of the time-honoured frustration and reward gameplay, with all the puzzle-solving, lever-pulling, ledge-grabbing, monkey-swinging, tooth-grinding action that entails - same as it ever was. Good.
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