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How accurate is The Louvre in Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness?

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One of the more interesting capers in ‘Tomb Raider – The Angel of Darkness’ would have to be Lara Croft’s break-and-enter into the world’s most famous art gallery.

Having just completed the Paris levels in the 2025 remastered version of this game – and been lucky enough to visit The Louvre a couple of times in person – I thought it would be interesting to check the accuracy and attention-to-detail within this replica of such an iconic location.

I can say right away that a pretty good job was done here, keeping in mind that there is only a small area of the galleries to explore in the game. Whilst the fictional layout of the museum is not correct, the designers have certainly captured the vibe of the place, and in some areas have really nailed it!

A good example would be The Louvre’s medieval-looking basement that appears more like a castle or barricade, and in the story this is where Lara breaks into the building. Below is a comparison shot between the game’s depiction of this area and a photo that I took back in 2018 – and I think you will agree that the creators have got this just about right.

The architecture has been faithfully recreated for the game as well, and a good example of this is the curved glass ceilings that run along the lengths of the corridors, although the hallways in the game are considerably shorter than those at the real location.

Perhaps the most accurate representation inside the museum would be of this painting below – despite the artwork being inverted or reversed for the game – as the designers have got both its size and positioning close to the mark.

This masterpiece is known as ‘The Wedding Feast at Cana’ by Paolo Veronese and in real life is hanging on the wall opposite the ‘Mona Lisa’ across a very wide gallery.

As for the main attraction itself, the Tomb Raider version of the world’s most famous work of art is very different from how it really appears. Whilst the game shows the ‘Mona Lisa’ hanging on a side wall, in reality it is the only painting on display at the farthest end of the gallery – and is protected by bomb-proof glass and sliding wall panels.

I have put together a few more comparison photos, just so you can see how well – or not so well, depending on your opinion – the creative minds behind this game have fared in bringing The Louvre to life.

Now it’s time to dive a little deeper into the individual artworks that are seen on the walls throughout the game, and I shall identify each painting and reveal to you which works are actually on display at The Louvre, and those that are housed elsewhere around the world. I should also point out that the game has reverse-imaged much of the artwork they have replicated, but nevertheless they are fairly easy to identify.

Painting #1 is ‘The Rape of Europa’ by Peter Paul Rubens. (Museo del Prado – Madrid, Spain.)

Painting #2 is ‘Jupiter and Antiope’ aka ‘Pardo Venus’ – Titian. (The Louvre, Paris.)

Painting #3 is ‘The School of Athens’ – Raphael. (Vatican Museums.)

We now move onto the next section in the gallery…

Painting #4 is ‘Virgin of The Rocks’ by Leonardo Da Vinci. (Two versions: One at The Louvre and another at The National Gallery, London.)

Painting #5 is ‘The Last Supper’ by Leonardo Da Vinci. (Santa Maria delle Grazie – Milan, Italy.)

Painting #6 is ‘The Battle between the Israelites and the Amalekites, Aaron and Hur supporting Moses’ arms on a hilltop beyond.’ by Luca Giordano. (Museum of Fine Arts – Houston, USA.)

Painting #7 is ‘The Death of the Virgin’ by Caravaggio. (The Louvre, Paris.)

Painting #8 is ‘The Fall of the Rebel Angels’ by Luca Giordano. (Kunsthistorisches Museum – Vienna, Austria.)

Here are the next four paintings…

Painting #9 is ‘Pieta’ by Rosso Fiorentino. (The Louvre, Paris.)

Painting #10 is ‘Medusa’ by Caravaggio. (Uffizi Museum, Florence.)

Painting #11 is ‘Supper at Emmaus’ by Caravaggio. (National Gallery, London.)

Painting #12 is ‘Transfiguration’ by Raphael. (Vatican Museums.)

These are all of the paintings on show in the main gallery area in the game, but there are three more large works on the corridor walls that can also be identified.

This one was a little hard to find, as I don’t believe it was officially given a name. As far as I know, it is on display at Palazzo Blu in Pisa – and might be called ‘Sunset on the River Arno.’

This painting is titled ‘The Birth of Venus’ by Botticelli and can be found at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. 

And finally, this piece is titled ‘Loth and his Daughters’ by Albrecht Altdorfer. It is on display at the Kunsthistorisches Museum – Vienna, Austria.

I must say that the great detail undertaken in recreating this artwork was noteworthy, but there were a couple of other moments during this adventure at The Louvre that are also worth pointing out.

Firstly, there is a brief scene when Lara makes her way onto the museum roof. This setting comes across as another honest reproduction of a real-life location – by this I mean the accurate design of the architecture and building exteriors. Being able to look down through the glass and identify corridors where you have previously explored was a nice touch as well.

However, a not-so-great moment is when Lara can be positioned close to a large window, where you can use the viewing angles to see what is outside. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the glass pyramid all lit up, but sadly all that was on offer is a lame blurry skyline – as seen in the image below. This was a missed opportunity in my opinion.

Overall, The Louvre adventure in ‘Tomb Raider – The Angel of Darkness’ was a bit of a treat, and faithfully recreated the essence of this famous museum. Investigating the artwork that was on display was interesting, as well as learning that most of the paintings in the game don’t actually belong in The Louvre – but this is only a trivial side note and takes nothing away from how good this looked.

Despite the many flaws of this game, I have enjoyed the Paris levels and would recommend any Tomb Raider fan to put aside any reservations you might have about this title and give the new remastered version a chance.

Tomb Raider Remastered – Vol II is available at the PlayStation store.

All screenshots are courtesy of PlayStation, Aspyr, Crystal Dynamics and various online museum sites.

Tomb Raider and the Parisian Ghetto

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Yes, ‘Parisian Ghetto’ is the name of an actual Tomb Raider level; or rather a series of interconnecting areas in the 2003 game ‘Tomb Raider – The Angel of Darkness.’

I am currently working through the new remastered edition – having not played it since taking on the PlayStation 2 version twenty years ago – and despite being polished up, it still remains the worst Tomb Raider release of all time. But that being said, there is still a lot to like about this often-criticised game, particularly the moody and atmospheric notes that it constantly hits; especially in the above-mentioned level set in Paris.

A lot of the negativity surrounding this game centred on the clunky controls, which was immediately apparent as soon as you started playing. The first few minutes of gameplay served as a tutorial of sorts, but the running, jumping and turning were made difficult by the camera angles that were all over the place; looking more like a Resident Evil game at times – with the screenshots below being prime examples.

The good news is that by the time you reach the Ghetto area, most of the issues with the controls should be ironed out as you have become accustomed to them, but unfortunately some camera-panning problems do remain.

I suppose the only other major grievance is that this appears to be a Tomb Raider game without any tombs or ancient sites to explore. Instead of jumping into an awe-inspiring setting, we are given the seedy and near-deserted back streets of Paris to work with. In fact, you have to play almost half the game before you come across any underground temple action, which I imagine would have annoyed many fans.

Added to this are the numerous dialogue scenes that play into the murder-mystery elements of the story, where Lara speaks with the locals in order to gain clues and be pointed in the right direction. These discussions are quite interesting, although some of Lara’s ‘tough talk’ doesn’t work for me, as she threatens most people she comes across with cheesy girl boss lines.

Now that the glaring criticisms are out of the way, I can focus on the more enjoyable aspects of the Parisian chapters of this adventure – and there is a lot to appreciate here. This includes the utterly bizarre and bat shit crazy things that have been added to this game; some of which are beyond comprehension.

So, with that being said, I think the best place to start would be the nightclub!

Pumping disco beats and pulsating lights are not usually associated with Tomb Raider games, so the Serpent Rouge nightclub is perhaps top of the list when it comes to the oddities experienced in this title. Lara’s reasons for breaking into the club during daytime hours depends on whom she speaks to in the neighbourhood and which local she agrees to run an errand for.

In my case, I decided to help out Pierre – the owner of the nearby cafe – who asks Lara to retrieve some items he hid inside one of the light boxes. I believe the alternate mission involves entering the club via the auto workshop nextdoor, at the request of an old man feeding the pigeons at the park. If I remember correctly, there was also a creepy guy loitering around the church that asks Lara to perform a task for her, so I might have my wires crossed here.

I told you this was a weird game!

Next up is the boxing match taking place in St Aicard’s Church. Not only can Lara work out on the heavy bags, but she can place a bet with the head coach on which boxer will win the fight. If you happen to pick the winner, the trainer will hand over his expensive watch.

Then there is Lara’s odd foray into burglary, where she visits a woman named Francine at her apartment to obtain some important information. Having received the clues she needs, Lara can then rustle through the cabinet drawers while her host stands frozen only a few feet away. The reward for such a brazen thieving spree is an expensive sports watch – and a PlayStation achievement trophy titled ‘Kleptomaniac.’

The deserted streets were also a bit odd, reminding me a little of the Rome levels in ‘Tomb Raider Chronicles’ – with no passing cars, no sounds of the city or even the odd stray dog running about. Despite this, the settings looked good and there was definitely a moody vibe to the rundown lanes and alleyways. I actually enjoyed exploring these parts and appreciated the detail and design that went into creating this location.

The overall objective of this level is to interact with the locals and receive clues as to the whereabouts of a character named Bouchard. Eventually you acquire the information you need and this leads into the sewers to find this elusive individual. Once you locate his hideout, the weird dial gets turned up even higher, as the first person you come across is a man lying on a bed suffering from some kind of metallic skin infection. Bizarre!

Following this crazy scene, Lara eventually meets Bouchard and is directed to the local pawnshop, where – surprise, surprise – the poor shop owner is discovered murdered, with symbols written in blood on the floor. I guess the prime suspect would be the creepy guy Lara passes in the hallway, but it would be a waste of time explaining this to the local Gendarmes.

These events lead into a timed explosion, where Lara is forced to move quickly to escape the building through the tunnels below. Having survived, the mission then moves onto The Louvre – which I will write about in greater detail at a later date.

Overall, as far as an adventure/mystery game goes, these levels set in the backstreets of Paris are engaging enough. The only question is: – should a Tomb Raider game be spending so much time in an urban area? To be fair, we’ve seen these types of settings before with Venice in ‘Tomb Raider II’ and Rome in ‘Tomb Raider Chronicles’, but there was a sense of history in those levels – as opposed to the sleazy surroundings featured in this game.

I’m ‘on the fence’ here – as I enjoyed the grimy Paris setting and appreciated the effort and detail that helped build this fictional world, and would recommend any fan of the series to be patient and give this game a chance. However, on the other hand I would prefer a Tomb Raider game to be more about exploring ancient temples and ruins.

More Indiana Jones and less Jason Bourne, if that makes sense.

Tomb Raider Trilogy Remastered – Vol II is available at the PlayStation store.

All screenshots are courtesy of PlayStation, Crystal Dynamics and Aspyr.

Tomb Raider Chronicles – The New York Levels

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The whirlwind adventure that is ‘Tomb Raider Chronicles’ comes to a dramatic finale as Lara Croft dons a leather catsuit and infiltrates the high-security Von Croy Enterprises building in New York City, or rather Jersey City – if the positioning of the Manhattan skyline in the distance can be used as a marker.

I should explain the geography a little here, as I was quite keen to learn the exact location of where this adventure was taking place. With the World Trade Centre featuring prominently in the background whenever our heroine positioned herself close to a window overlooking the river, I thought it would be interesting to use this view to pinpoint where this fictional building was supposed to be.

Now, I’ve never been to New York City so correct me if I am wrong here. If you logically follow the three photos above – factoring in that the building Lara is standing in is a little further back from the river – then I think a reasonably accurate location for the Von Croy headquarters would be somewhere within the yellow circle on the map.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did the developers keep the World Trade Centre in the remastered version of the game, but actually enhanced the view to a considerable degree. Whenever I entered a room with a window, I often stayed there for a while to admire the scenery; and sometimes would use the zoom to scan up and down the skyline.

But I should now move onto the story itself, where Lara’s mission is to break into the high-tech building and steal the powerful Iris artifact. Easier said than done!

Standing in Lara’s way are dozens of armed security guards, laser traps and machine gun turrets that are motion sensor activated. Fortunately, there are a few employees who are not as good at their jobs as some of their more trigger-happy colleagues – like old mate in the screenshot below.

Like every other level in this game, these chapters play out more along the lines of vignettes rather than expansive, complicated missions as seen in previous Tomb Raider titles. However, keeping the areas brief and the pace moving at a decent speed does have its advantages – and there were more than enough tricky puzzles, dangerous opponents and difficult stunts in these levels to satisfy most fans.

Having stolen the Iris at the end of the first chapter titled ‘The 13th Floor’, the next stage is the aptly-named ‘Escape With The Iris’ and begins with Lara having to disarm herself in order not to set off the deadly sensors in a scene reminiscent of ‘Total Recall‘ – see photo below.

Having to deal with armed guards without any weapons to fire back at them was a little testy at times, but some of the cloths and bottles of chloroform left lying around the place certainly came in handy. Exactly why these items would be found in the executive’s offices is a little beyond me, but I’ll take any help where I can get it!

I should also point out that the decor of the building reminded me of Nakatomi Plaza in ‘Die Hard’, and I suspect the game designers were heavily-inspired by this film – and that includes when Lara is crawling through the ventilation shafts.

The final level of the game is titled ‘Red Alert’ – and is all about Lara’s quest to gain access to the rooftop helipad in order to escape the building. This time around, there are some truly formidable foes – including a crazy helicopter that blasts machine gun rounds through the windows whenever Lara comes into view (see photo below).

There are two cyborgs hunting Lara down as well, and both are extremely difficult to kill. The first one needs to be electrocuted by flooding a room with water and then shot up a few times, with the second cyborg needing to be trapped and then gassed. Both mechanical men hold one half of the escape key, so Lara cannot get away until these villains have been dealt with.

Once you combine the key, it is a simple matter of backtracking to the exit and opening the door – where the game ends with a cut scene of Lara escaping on a hang glider.

Overall, I thought that some of the puzzles and jumping tricks featured in these levels – especially in the elevator shafts and broken stairwell – were some of the hardest to pass through in the entire game. In fact, I’m going out on a limb here and will say that the Von Croy Building was the most difficult of all the locations featured in ‘Tomb Raider Chronicles.’

For those old enough to remember the original PlayStation game from 2000, it was a shame that back then the final level was ruined by numerous bugs and glitches – where one false save in the wrong place meant you had to start the entire stage from the beginning. If I recall correctly, there were doors that wouldn’t open and missing grappling hook ammo – meaning that the ‘Red Alert’ level was impossible to pass. The good news is that all of these issues have been sorted out in the remastered edition.

I will now present a few comparison screenshots – with the 2025 version on top, and the original from all those years ago featured on the bottom. I will pick the ones that best highlight the improvements made for the newer game.

I would rate ‘Tomb Raider Chronicles’ as an enjoyable – but lightweight – entry into the series. To be honest, after the Rome and Russian Submarine stories, the chances of me rating this release highly were not looking good – but the second half of the game set in Ireland and New York were quite strong and got it over the line.

I still think this remains one of the weaker Tomb Raider games, and with the exception of the Hydra fight in Rome and a rope swinging trick in the Ireland levels, I did not come across too many frustrating hurdles during my progress. There was the odd timed-switch run and one-off challenges here and there, but it felt like there were a few extra seconds afforded to these sprints when compared to similar tests in earlier titles.

At times, the narrative did feel more like deleted scenes or excess adventures that had been slapped together hastily to create a full game and cash in at the height of Lara Croft’s popularity – which would have been at around the turn of the century. But as I mentioned above, the second half of the game featured some good storytelling and unique surroundings, and it’s always better to finish strongly than to fade away.

My final score for this game is a handy 6.5* out of 10.

*As with all the other remastered Tomb Raider titles, the work that has gone in to update and modernise this game has been brilliant to say the least – and this certainly adds marks to the final score.

All screenshots are courtesy of Aspyr, Crystal Dynamics, PlayStation and Google Maps.

Tomb Raider Chronicles takes a creepy turn!

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I remember playing these levels twenty-five years ago when ‘Tomb Raider Chronicles’ was released on PlayStation One, but I don’t recall them being so macabre. I refer of course to the eerie adventure set on an island off the Irish coast, featuring a teenage Lara Croft.

Taking on this flashback story with a young Lara creates an interesting dynamic, and is different from the rest of the game – with no weapons available and the surrounds being very dark and gloomy; requiring a degree of stealth and cunning to pass through.

The opening chapter is titled ‘Gallows Tree’ and Lara is quickly introduced to a ghoul hanging from a branch with a hole in his chest where his heart had been cut out. Quite sinister for a Tomb Raider game, right?

The freak show doesn’t end there though, as Lara is forced to contend with deadly imp creatures who follow her around and will lash out if she allows them to get too close. I should mention that these little monsters are called ‘changelings’ in the official guide, but I shall refer to them as ‘imps’ – as I never witnessed them change into anything.

The next stage is named ‘Labyrinth’ and features some truly scary supernatural entities; from floating apparitions to sword-wielding skeletons. As I played along, I became convinced that there was a scene in this level where Lara is chased by a large monster, but this did not eventuate – proving that my memory remains a little foggy with regards to this game. Perhaps I got mixed up with a different Tomb Raider title?

However, like the ‘Gallows Tree’ chapter, the atmosphere and mystical settings here are fantastic – and the remastered edition adds a few extra macabre details to certain backgrounds, which I will point out when I post the side-by-side comparisons later.

The labyrinth that the level is named after is a series of rotating wooden bridges and it wasn’t too hard to find a way out – but to add a little more difficulty, a few fiends crawled out of crypts to attack Lara just when it felt like she was safe. Fun times for all!

The third and final level is ‘The Old Mill’ – featuring some challenging rope swings and tricky jump sequences – all of which my ageing reflexes struggled with. As far as bad guys go, we have a Demon Knight, an evil underwater mermaid-like creature and a cameo appearance from a group of deadly imps.

In the end, Lara defeats both foes by firstly tricking the sea hag into a cage, and then beating the Demon Knight by reading out a passage from an ancient bestiary.

Overall, the Ireland adventure in ‘Chronicles’ was a refreshing change from what we normally expect from a Tomb Raider game. Not only did the young and inexperienced – as well as unarmed – Lara Croft add an extra degree of intrigue to the story, but the disturbing surrounds really set this apart from the Rome and Russian Submarine levels featured previously.

As I mentioned earlier, the developers really went to town with the remastered version and added a number of well-placed additions to the scenery. I have selected some of the better comparison shots below – with the 2025 game featured on top and the original PS One displayed on the bottom. I think the first screenshot is the best and most imaginative, with that ‘thing’ under the sheet being an unnerving ‘improvement’ – luckily it was only there for show.

Having made it three-quarters of the way through ‘Tomb Raider Chronicles’, my honest assessment of what I have experienced so far is a game with very short levels that I have had little to no difficulty passing through. That being said, I enjoyed the Ireland adventure a lot more than the previous stages, and in a strange way got a kick out of the weird and wonderful things that were going on as the story progressed.

So, it is now onto the final stages – set in the Von Croy building in Manhattan – where the original game featured a bug that essentially made it impossible to progress. Apparently, this newer version has ironed out such problems, so we’ll find out soon enough.

‘Tomb Raider Chronicles’ is part of the second remastered Tomb Raider Trilogy and is available at the PlayStation store.

All screenshots are courtesy of Aspyr, Crystal Dynamics and PlayStation.

Tomb Raider II – Golden Mask bonus levels.

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Despite being a Tomb Raider aficionado – going back to the original PlayStation games – I never played the extra levels offered on the PC versions until now, almost thirty years later when they were added onto the remastered editions on PS5.

A few weeks back I attempted the ‘Unfinished Business’ levels at the end of the first Tomb Raider game, but it ended in disaster as I could no longer tolerate any more Atlantis stages – and quit in a rather un-Australian manner.

Besides the insane difficulty, my major gripe with the bonus levels in Tomb Raider was that the story carried on through the much-hated Atlantis scenery, and a change in location was desperately needed in my opinion. There would be no such problems with the sequel, for the main game ended at the Great Wall of China, and the new adventure kicked off in the Bering Sea – two very different settings indeed.

I did a little research on Google Maps, based on the design of the title screen, and learned that the place circled in red and named ‘Melnikov Island’ is actually called Amukta Island – and this is where the campaign was to begin!

That was enough to pique my interest, and I immediately jumped into the game – or rather into an icy lake occupied by a Great White Shark.

The opening level of the bonus stages is called ‘Cold War’ and takes place at a remote Soviet base, where mercenaries have seemingly taken over and set out to kill Lara at every opportunity. Despite these orders, most of the goons are unwilling to shoot through wide gaps in bars – even when you stand there like a sitting duck.

We also meet a new kind of ‘frenemy’ in the invisible, Predator-like entities that are first encountered below the base in an icy cavern. These guys operate in the same way as the Barkhang Monks from earlier in the game: – leave them alone and not only will they not attack you, but they will help fight the other bad guys!

Can you see the invisible man that I accidentally shot in the photo below?

‘Fool’s Gold’ is the name of the second stage, and is set primarily in a different section of the abandoned Soviet facility on the island. Once again, the mercenaries are everywhere and come at you with flame throwers and snowmobiles fitted with machine guns.

There are some great scenes here, and the remastered version brings out a lot of the detail. In particular, take note of the Soviet symbolism and propaganda all over the place.

Having shot through this level, the game progresses onto ‘Furnace of the Gods’ where the mystery behind the invisible entities is revealed. It turns out that these chaps are monk-like warriors who transform into humans during this stage, and do a great job helping Lara kill dozens of the heavily-armed thugs running about.

This level is more of a classic Tomb Raider challenge, moving away from the industrial setting of the Russian base, and into an underground area where a river of molten gold flows through cave systems and ancient temples.

The Golden Mask bonus levels are a roller-coaster of different settings – and climates – as we started with an icy tundra, then moved on to a volcanic underworld before emerging back outside into a tropical jungle for the final stage titled ‘Kingdom’.

The main enemies here are dozens of Sasquatches, which are versions of the Yetis we met in the Tibet stages of the main game, only without the white fur. They do attack in great numbers, but thanks to the daylight conditions they are fairly easy to spot and kill, as opposed to their cousins from earlier in the game who preferred to hide in the darkness.

The level does have a few areas where the use of flares are needed, and also features some temple settings where the ancient warriors and mercenaries come to blows once again.

The level concludes with the Golden Mask in Lara’s possession being placed into a mystical puzzle square, after which we get to meet a relative of another monster we fought earlier in the main story.

In WWE fashion, a different version of the bird creature from the Ice Palace in Tibet (with the impressive six-pack) makes a spectacular entrance by walking down a golden ramp and into battle with Lara.

I got a little closer to him this time – just to take a few screenshots – before backing off to a safe distance and shooting him dead with a machine gun to end the game.

Overall, these were pretty good levels and there was a fair mix of locations over a relatively short time span. The recycling of bad guys for the final stage was okay, I suppose – but it would have been better to meet some creatures that we had not seen before. However, to be fair – these were ‘bonus levels’.

To wrap things up, here are a series of split screenshots comparing the 2024 remastered version to the 1997 original – with new on top and old on the bottom.

I suppose the best way to measure my reaction to the Golden Mask bonus levels is to say that I played them all the way through, unlike the Unfinished Business stages in the previous game. There were some great scenes throughout, and some challenging areas to navigate – so I would recommend any Tomb Raider fan who missed out on these additions twenty-five years ago to give them a crack!

As I mentioned earlier, the extra levels for the first three Tomb Raider games come with the Remastered Trilogy that is available at the PlayStation store.

Screenshots courtesy of PlayStation, Crystal Dynamics and Aspyr.

I completed the new Tomb Raider II.

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I first played ‘Tomb Raider II’ when it came out on PlayStation back in 1997, and in those days my reflexes were in their prime. A couple of months ago, I decided to tackle the remastered version that was released last year. Using the Easter break to my advantage, I put the hours in and finally made it through this challenging adventure.

As I have mentioned before when reviewing ‘Tomb Raider Remastered’, the improvements and enhancements to the graphics are outstanding. Now that I have finished the first two games, I can honestly say that they both played like their original versions, yet at times took on the appearance of a brand new release.

I will go through each location of ‘Tomb Raider II’ in order and share some thoughts, before getting into the comparisons between the original game and the remastered edition.

The adventure starts at the Great Wall of China, where Lara Croft has to find her way beneath a guard tower and into a cave system below.

This was a short level for me, as I forgot to drop down into the canyon where – if memory serves – a T-Rex or two are lurking in the darkness. There are a few other enemies around as well, such as aggressive tigers, swooping eagles and hard-to-see spiders. A number of deadly booby traps are scattered about too, so it’s not exactly a walk in the park.

The chapter concludes when you discover a mysterious door, where an easily-overwhelmed henchman reveals that a certain Marco Bartoli in Venice has the answers to what lies beyond.

As I have already written a more detailed article about the Venice levels in this game, I will keep things brief here. There are three inter-connected chapters set in this city, relating to Lara finding her way to the elusive Marco Bartoli. Of course, this is a very powerful person, and at his disposal are dozens of thugs and assassins who are there to ensure that Lara does not achieve her goal – and it all plays out around the scenic canals and courtyards of this iconic location.

Lara does eventually catch up with Bartoli, and manages to sneak on board his seaplane en route to an offshore rig. But before she can confront her target, our heroine is captured and imprisoned, and this is where the next part of the story commences.

This chapter does not start ideally, as not only are you locked up but your weapons have been confiscated. Unfortunately, none of the bad guys have such problems and you are forced to run around for a short time hitting switches and opening doors while goons merrily open fire upon you. It is quite a stressful opening to the level – and I hated it to be honest – but the tables will quickly turn once you reacquire your guns.

I didn’t like these levels much, although I appreciated some of the sound effects used such as the occasional loud banging of metal and other vibrating noises. There are tons of bad guys roaming around here, with some hiding underwater in scuba gear firing their spear guns at you. The objectives and aesthetics of the three different stages are pretty much the same, and after a while you can’t wait to get off this stupid rig.

However, there was one brief respite when climbing a ladder all the way to the roof to catch a spectacular sunset – where it’s tempting to throw in a Daniel Andrews joke. Anyway, I could have stayed up here in relative safety all day, but there was the small matter of an adventure to complete.

Speaking of which, we eventually say goodbye to the dreary platform and head to the bottom of the ocean by hitching a ride on a mini submarine.

If you were hoping things would get a little easier, then think again. These underwater chapters were brutal, even though the locations were quite unique – if not a little eerie.

From struggling through the engine rooms, to exploring your way around the upside-down interior of the vessel, the perils continue at every turn. There must have been a garrison of Bartoli’s goons wandering around this wreck – called the Maria Doria – sitting at the bottom of the sea, which begs the following questions: How did they all get down there and is there enough air for everyone to breathe?

Every pocket of water you are forced to swim through is infested with sharks and barracudas, with even the odd giant eel popping up for a jump scare at one point. Eventually you make your way to the deck, which has somehow ended up in a giant cavern, where even more thugs and dangerous sea creatures await you.

The number of henchmen Bartoli has stationed at the bottom of the ocean is ridiculous, but casting science and logic aside, it does make for an exciting adventure! After many gun battles, Lara locates the artifact she was looking for – the Seraph – and then heads to Tibet to discover its true purpose.

A little outdoor scenery proved to be a pleasant break from the claustrophobic offshore rig and Maria Doria levels. The Tibetan foothills was no easy ride though, with snow leopards and more of the Venetian bullies here to cause Lara some serious grief.

Riding a snowmobile was a lot of fun, even if the controls were a little clunky. It was also handy to learn that you can kill enemies simply by running them over – with that rule applying to both men and beasts!

Lara then makes her way to the Barkhang Monastery – a memorable Tomb Raider level – where not only are the idols and statues recreated magnificently, but a never-before-seen type of gameplay is introduced into the series.

What I refer to is the dynamic between the Barkhang Monks and Bartoli’s goons who attack the holy place in great numbers. Quite simply, if Lara does not injure any of the monks – even though they glare at her menacingly – they will not go after her. Better still, these monks will take care of the Italian trespassers more often than not, despite the disadvantage of bringing sticks to a gun fight.

As I mentioned before, the effort that has gone into bringing this remote monastery to life is commendable – check out the screenshots below.

Sadly, the Barkhang Monastery would be the highlight of the Tibetan adventures, with the next two chapters taking us deep underground where more dangerous enemies are waiting for you in the shadows.

I really struggled through these levels, especially the Catacombs of the Tallion. It wasn’t just the constant onslaught of Bartoli’s henchmen and snow leopards this time around, but now we have abominable snowmen thrown into the mix – dozens of them!

But what was truly insane here was the lighting – or lack thereof – with your surroundings becoming literally pitch-black at times. These darkest areas also happened to be infested with growling yetis – making matters worse – and I ended up igniting my entire supply of flares just to see where I was going. I only mention this because my excessive use of this limited resource came back to bite me at a later stage.

These annoying levels came to an end after battling a giant bird-like creature with an impressive six-pack. This dude might have been in great shape, but he was hardly a challenge as I picked him off with a machine gun from the safety of a high ledge. Too much weights, not enough speed work, perhaps?

Following this, we return to the door underneath the Great Wall of China, which is a nice roundabout way to continue the adventure.

The Temple of Xian is what awaits Lara beyond the mysterious door, and it is quite a challenging level to navigate through. Interestingly, all the enemies here are animals; tigers, fish, birds and spiders – both small and large – but they are not the most difficult part. This level was designed as one giant booby-trapped maze, and you can meet your demise in any number of ways.

It is also quite dark at times, and I regretted wasting all my flares back in Tibet. I ended up using the light from the muzzle flash of the pistols to find switches and doors that were hidden in the darkness – which was not an ideal way to play the game.

Having conquered the temple, the story then delves into a mystical realm known as the Floating Islands and it is quite a spectacle – and extremely dangerous too.

The design here is excellent, and the remastered version takes things to another level completely. As far as villains go, we meet some of the deadliest foes in the game – the jade statue guardians who come to life and attack Lara with lethal force. It is a good idea to save your grenade launcher for these guys because they don’t fight fairly; often coming at you two or three at a time.

We then move on to what is the final level, where Lara comes face-to-face with some extremely difficult opponents. There are a dozen or more of the jade statues to contend with, who are now being a nuisance by standing in front of important switches. Also, some newer Bartoli henchmen are around – cult members I believe – who are a lot tougher to kill and can inflict a ton of damage if not dealt with quickly.

Then there is the final battle with Marco Bartoli, who has used the Dagger of Xian to transform himself into a fire-breathing dragon. If one uses the water passages correctly to swim under the beast and attack it from multiple angles, then this can be quite an easy fight. Well, it was for me anyway – and I’m not the best player going around!

There is a brief epilogue after killing the dragon, where the remainder of Bartoli’s goons come to Lara’s house to exact revenge for their fallen boss. There isn’t much to this – as you only need to grab the shotgun and more than enough ammo to take care of the intruders and their attack dogs.

Before I get into my final thoughts on the game, I have selected some comparison shots between the new remastered version of ‘Tomb Raider II’ and the 1997 original. I have chosen photos that best show the differences between the two releases, with the 2024 edition featured on the top half of the screenshot, while the older version is shown below.

Overall, I really enjoyed playing this game – and a big part of giving this a positive review is the strong way in which the story concluded. Unlike the previous entry, whose last few levels became a bore and went off the boil, this game went the opposite way and finished off with a string of visually-enthralling chapters.

However, the last two Tibetan Levels – Catacombs of the Tallion and Ice Palace really annoyed the life out of me, with the lighting being the main issue. In fact, I stopped playing the game for a couple of weeks as a result. The offshore rig was alright, but was a little uninspiring, and the undersea levels were well-designed and planned but became too much of the same thing after a while.

Shooting my way around Venice was a novelty for me though, and I also give a lot of praise to the Barkhang Monastery stage, which was well mapped-out. As I mentioned before, the final chapters that were set underneath the Great Wall of China were top notch and ensured that the game finished on a high note.

Was it better than the original? No, but that is a hard act to follow. The difference here is that the best chapters in the first Tomb Raider game – St Francis’ Folly, Temple of Khamoon et al – reached stratospheric heights, whereas the top levels in the sequel – Barkhang Monastery and Floating Islands – are excellent at best.

Full marks to the team who upgraded the graphics, and for delivering an entertaining game that is set in some interesting locations across multiple continents. There were some levels here that I absolutely hated, but nevertheless I rate ‘Tomb Raider II Remastered’ a solid seven and a half out of ten.

‘Tomb Raider I-III Remastered’ has been out for over a year now and is available to buy as a physical copy, or online at the PlayStation Store. I should also mention that a few months ago, the next three remastered episodes of the Tomb Raider series were released as a trilogy. Both are retailing for around $45 Australian dollars.

Screenshots courtesy of PlayStation, Crystal Dynamics and Aspyr.

Tomb Raider II – Venice remastered.

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True fans of the original Tomb Raider games on PS1 would have already played through the remastered versions that came out last year, so I admit that this report is considerably behind the times.

However, I like to take things slowly when playing and often pause the action to capture screenshots of the new and improved game, and then create a side-by-side comparison with the original title from twenty-five years ago.

All excuses aside, here are my best captures from Venice; arguably the most iconic location featured across the entire Tomb Raider series. I have chosen shots where the differences between the new and old versions are at their most obvious.

Within each screenshot, the 2024 remastered version is featured above, while the original 1997 game is shown below.

Outside the entrance to Bartoli’s Hideout.

Exploring a mansion. (Note the difference in lighting.)

An outside courtyard, complete with lemon trees.

The tricky chandelier puzzle room.

Climbable bookshelf and escape window. See how the lighting issues in the newer version of the game persist?

The domed roof of the opera house.

Interior shot of the opera house. Note the addition of a chandelier in the updated game.

I love the wooden paneling, and the ornamental light is a nice touch.

And finally, the seaplane in which Lara escapes on. The artwork on the side of the aircraft (possibly inspired by Jane Fonda as Barbarella) is improved out-of-sight in the remastered version.

Following on from the comparison shots, below is a collection of single snaps from the Venice chapters of Tomb Raider II; pictures that I feel capture the essence of the game and highlight the excellent work that went into upgrading the graphics.

This is a great shot, and the late afternoon sky looks amazing.

Jumping from chandelier to chandelier in Marco Bartoli’s hideout.

The opera house – with maze-like balconies and villains aplenty.

Taking a speedboat ride through the canals.

And last but not least, a snapshot of some swinging crates. How or why they are able to sway perpetually and with such force is never explained. It may defy science, but it looks good!

Overall, the Venice levels in Tomb Raider II were enjoyable to play, and featured a mixture of breathtaking yet bizarre locations. The bad guys were tough – as were their attack dogs – and for a while there I had to survive on half a health bar and no medipacks. But as the levels progressed there were plenty of pickups available and I managed to pass the test without too many difficulties.

I’m still working my way through the game, but am struggling a bit with the catacombs level in Tibet. I have taken a ton of screenshots though, so I might share my thoughts on the underwater chapters or the initial Tibetan stages at a later date.

Artwork and screenshots courtesy of Core Design and Aspyr.

Tomb Raider Remastered – The Khamoon Levels.

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I have already posted several articles about the remastered version of ‘Tomb Raider’ that was released last year – and I have not held back with my glowing reviews of this game.

Most of my admiration has been based upon the improved visuals and graphics, and having now played through into the Egypt stages I can safely say that the game designers continue to exceed all expectations.

As usual, I will place screenshots from both the original 1996 game and the 2024 upgrade together, and the differences should become apparent immediately. The greatest example of this would be the Sphinx Room (below), where the improvement is immeasurable.

And look how the hieroglyphs have been sharpened and improved in the following shots.

The next two comparisons are interesting, as the designers have added a skylight or opening in both ceilings to justify the well-lit chambers. I think it’s a great touch.

The scope and imagination of this title continues to blow me away, and I am looking forward to powering through to the end and then continuing on with ‘Tomb Raider II’.

However, before I start the next Lara Croft adventure, I will post a report on the final Atlantis levels, and will definitely be looking at the ‘Unfinished Business’ expansion that is included in the PS5 version of the game.

But until then, here are a few more 1996/2024 captures from the Khamoon stages.

All screenshots were taken from ‘Tomb Raider Trilogy – Remastered’ on PlayStation 5.

St Francis’ Folly: Is this the greatest ‘Tomb Raider’ level ever?

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I can remember the amazing scale and haunting music of this incredible level back in 1996 when I first played ‘Tomb Raider’ on the original PlayStation. Up until then I had never experienced anything like this in a video game, and almost thirty years later I had the pleasure of doing it all over again – with ‘Tomb Raider Trilogy: Remastered’ on PS5.

To complete this area – where one slip from any of the ledges is certain death – Lara Croft has to access four chambers named after mythological figures: – Thor, Atlas, Damocles and Neptune. Each room contains a puzzle – one relevant to each character – that must be solved in order to gain a special key.

The ‘Thor’ room involves lightning and a large hammer – but no Chris Hemsworth. ‘Damocles’ features an array of over-sized swords that drop from the ceiling at random. ‘Neptune’ involves pulling an underwater switch and claiming the key before running out of breath. ‘Atlas’ contains an aggressive gorilla and a rolling boulder trap a la Indiana Jones.

My reflexes aren’t what they were all those years ago, but this older and slower version of myself still managed to complete the level without too much bother.

I’ve already put up a few posts on social media featuring screenshots of my progress through the game, as the work done in remastering this classic is simply blowing me away. Below are a series of captures placing both the updated version and the 1996 original together for a comparison – with snaps from the newer game on top.

As you may be able to tell, the 2024 version of ‘Tomb Raider’ is a shade darker than the original game, which would be my only criticism – as sometimes I have found it hard to explore and see where I am going. Not only that, but it is easy to miss secrets and pickups, especially if they are tucked away in a dark corner. That tiny gripe aside, the effort put into the design of this game is second-to-none – resulting in a visually spectacular adventure.

If I recall correctly, the next couple of levels – ‘The Colosseum’ and ‘The Cistern’ – were also amazing, so I might put together some more screenshots once I have completed those challenges. However, this might take a few weeks as I cannot somersault and flip about whilst shooting lions and gorillas like I could back in the 1990’s.

‘Tomb Raider Trilogy: Remastered’ is available at the PlayStation store or at any good video game retailer for anywhere between $40-$60 Australian dollars.

More remastered Tomb Raider is coming!

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Following on from the release of the first Tomb Raider trilogy earlier this year – all remastered and updated for the modern PlayStation – it has been announced that the next three games in the series are to get the same treatment early in 2025.

These games are interesting and differ from the earlier titles, and most critics did not take too kindly to them, especially ‘Chronicles’ and ‘The Angel of Darkness’.

‘Tomb Raider – The Last Revelation’ was a real grind, and I recall having a hard time completing it. This game was unique as well, for it was set entirely in one country – Egypt.

(Note – there is a short flashback level at Angkor Wat.)

This was the first Tomb Raider game that beat me up so badly that I had to purchase a walk-through guide in order to complete it. The puzzles were cryptic and difficult to say the least, with some areas of the game being impossible to progress through without receiving some form of assistance.

There were a couple of levels that stood out; namely The Coastal Ruins and The City of the Dead, and even after twenty years I remember them well – and for all the wrong reasons. Boy, these levels were rough – especially the weird abandoned town rigged with automatic machine gun turrets!

‘Tomb Raider Chronicles’ was an interesting game, and was perhaps best remembered for a bug that prevented further progress during the very last level. For this reason alone, this is the only Tomb Raider game (of the first six) that I did not complete.

The levels were pretty good though, with one story line being a flashback to a young Lara Croft battling ghosts and demons on an island off the coast of Ireland. Other stages include stowing away onboard a Russian submarine and infiltrating a modern skyscraper in New York City.

‘Tomb Raider – The Angel of Darkness’ was Lara Croft’s debut adventure on the PS2.

I remember the controls being a little different (not as good) compared to the PS1 games, but I enjoyed it nonetheless, and unlike ‘Chronicles’ was able to play through to the end.

The Paris Ghetto and Louvre levels were the stand-outs for me, with the nightclub scene featuring insane techno beats also rating a mention.

‘Tomb Raider IV, V and VI Remastered’ is coming out on PlayStation in February 2025.

The price will be A$44.95

Screenshots courtesy of the PlayStation store.