Eidos was one of the biggest names in the 1990s, with Lara Croft leading the way to blockbuster sales and plenty of media coverage. But things have quieted down a little in the new century, with even the Tomb Raider herself feeling the pinch. These days Eidos is struggling to get back to the top of the heap they were accustomed to. But it hasn't been easy, especially when you look at the current crop of games. But that isn't stopping Eidos from waging a full out attack.

2005 will see Eidos going down a few brand new roads, including fully online games and new genres. With games like 25 to Life, Project: Snowblind, and Crash & Burn, Eidos is going to take over the market by ripping off today's hottest games (SOCOM, Halo, and Burnout 3, respectively). Whether it works or not, at least it has nothing to do with the Insane Clown Posse. I wish I could say the same for this website.

Look and Design: I've been glaring at Eidos' front page for quite a while now and there are just very few things I like about it. Starting with the god-awful Insane Clown Posse animated clip in the upper right corner to the way they have broken the page up, just about everything about this front page makes me frown. The middle column features their recently released (and upcoming) games, but if their goal is to sell us on these games, they are failing miserably. Where is the excitement, where is the fireworks and red flags? These guys wouldn't last a minute working commission at Circuit City!

But as bad as the front page is, I wasn't prepared for the game pages. I know I usually ask for more info about the games, and not just bullet points, but I cannot get behind this layout. The white background is fine, but who decided it would be a good idea to scrunch all of the text together? And has anybody heard of using some graphics to break up what looks more like a Word document than a website. There are actually more problems here than I want to mention, if only because I want to keep this show moving.

Accessibility: The plain look haunts you as you search for games, news, or anything else on the site. It's all fairly easy to find, but I can't help but wonder if there is not a better way of organizing the games, special features, and extras. It's easy to find all of the newest games, but anything over a year old will take you a few minutes to locate. You get all of the basic search modes, but nothing really stands out, and ultimately you will probably find your way to GameSpot or IGN to get more info on the game. Eidos does have a lot for you to download and explore, but most of it is the epitome of dull. It's clear they are trying, but somebody should point them to a good website for inspiration.

Insider Information: Well ... there's a What's New section, does that count? From what I can tell there actually isn't a news section proper on Eidos' site. They have a gaming news link that goes to a very broken IGN link, but nothing beyond that. Is this an oversight or do they simply have nothing to say? I whine and moan about these other sites that barely try, but at least they try. This just leaves me with nothing to talk about, and makes me have to come up with something longer for the parting thoughts. Damn you Eidos, damn you!!

Parting Thoughts: Am I missing something with the decision to make a fighting game with the Insane Clown Posse? Were they not eligible for the Def Jam Vendetta series? And seriously, why the Insane Clown Posse?? There are hundreds of better suited musicians than these rap wannabes. Why not give Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails his own game? Or Marilyn Manson . battling the evil forces of Cannibal Corpse? When it comes to lame music crossovers the sky is the limit. I mean, isn't it about time pacifist Moby got his revenge on bully Eminem? I think so.

FINAL GRADE: D
(Important Note: This review was written in 2004. As is the case with websites things tend to change and get moved around. We've decided to cover major companies who should have a presence on the web for many years to come, but the actual reviews of the layout may not be relevant for more than a month to a year. Having said that, we're hoping this article was still interesting, and if not, at least you go this extra little paragraph of explanation that you wouldn't normally get on the other websites.)