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Old 01-07-18, 14:41   #1
NoahCrofRaider
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Default NoahCrofRaider's TR:AoD Review

Hi everyone! I just completed AoD for the first time, and I wanted to write a review on it to give my thoughts on what is, or was, frequently considered a controversial game among fans. So, let's dive in.

1. Story
Boy, where do I begin? The story was very beautifully written, even with all the known corners they had to cut from the game. The dialogue was something really special to me, the mystery entangled throughout the plot was simple enough, but with its own interesting twist, and the general flow of the story was particularly brilliant to me. I absolutely loved how we gradually became more and more aware of the fact that finding the Obscura Paintings was more than just a simple client's job, and was in fact linked to a secret organization and race. The characters were also very well done imo. Kurtis was a fantastic character that I still want to see more of, Karel was a very interesting villain, even for the small taste we got, and the cast of random people you'd talk to were sometimes funny, but also enjoyable through and through. As for Janice, well, she was a legend that shall be missed until her iconic comeback. I personally enjoyed how much of a savage Lara was, and how she wasn't having any of it. She was hilariously savage, and I loved every part of it. It is a real shame we never got the remaining two parts of this wonderful story. 9/10

2. Gameplay
First off, I'd like to say that I did use Sasho's control/recovery patch, so my opinions on the gameplay could be "tainted", if you will. Moving on...

The gameplay felt like a fantastic evolution of the classics' formula, so going into it, I was already extremely comfortable and familiar with what I was doing. The gameplay and level design obviously felt much easier than TR4, but it was still really enjoyable with a fair share of puzzles and brainteasers that were a lot of fun. The combat was definitely not as fluid and enjoyable as the other classics, Legend, or Anniversary, but it was good enough and I enjoyed it nonetheless. Kurtis' gameplay was certainly clunkier than I would've liked, but even he was still fairly enjoyable. One of my favorite levels (and it's a fan favorite too IIRC) was The Hall of Seasons. That level was remarkably creative and a lot of fun. Bravo to the creators of it. 8.5/10

3. Graphics
It's no secret that AoD's graphics were a huge step up from the first five games, and I must applaud Core for delivering quality graphics overall. Lara looks stunning, and she is my favorite Lara model we've ever gotten truthfully. She was a perfect evolution of the previous models, except with a very much appreciated more realistic look. The environments and other characters also looked really great too, and I loved how Paris looked. It was gorgeous, even despite the rain and stormy weather. The animations for this game, more particularly Lara, were so fluid and beautiful. I loved them. 9/10

4. Music
The music was exceptionally gorgeous and fitting for each situation and setting, and it's a true gem that greatly contributes to the feeling and enjoyment of the game.

5. Overall Opinion
I love this game to bits. It's beautiful in many ways and I enjoyed it so, so much. It only makes me sad that we never got the remaining two games of the canceled trilogy. I think I would've loved them as much, if not more, as AoD. This game brought a new character, Kurtis Trent, that I love so much and I would love to see him again, perhaps in a future LC title or something. This game was so full of life and atmosphere, and I loved nearly every moment of it. I'd give the game a 9 or 9.5 out of 10. It's seriously that good. If you haven't, I would highly recommend picking it up on the current Steam summer sale, or elsewhere. It's a diamond in the rough that is greatly worth trying imo.
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Old 01-07-18, 15:56   #2
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I think you need to cut back on the uppers a bit...
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Old 01-07-18, 16:30   #3
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Such a positive review! I’m so glad this game gained one more fan

I basically agree with everything you wrote. Concerning the controls, I get it you played on PC, right? I got a very similar experience and I was very puzzled as to why so many people complained about Lara controlling like a drunk or being irresponsive, then I heard PC controls are far better than the one on console which are a broken mess. For the record, I played the base game without Sasho’s patch and even in that case I didn’t have any problem.

Just like you, one of my biggest regrets when it comes to the TR franchise is seeing the AOD trilogy going down the drain and vanish forever, and seeing AOD cut and unfinished with many levels left behind. Just imagine what could’ve been.
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Old 01-07-18, 16:42   #4
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I agree with you in every point, AOD is such a fantastic game. I do understand why people hate it, but it’s just so good. I can forgive gameplay problems and some bugs (I too used fix for those, so... although not everything was solved).

Parisian Ghetto is one of my favorite levels, probably because I spent so much time in it as a kid. I didn’t understand a word of english and my sister would translate things very roughly, so I understood the bare minimum. She was rarely home tho, so I had to deal with it the best I could (which resulted in me spending ages in this level and dying a lot throughout the game ).

Which one did you like the most?
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Old 01-07-18, 17:12   #5
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yesss this is the kind of love my girl AOD deserves!
it's a broken game but it's a beautiful one at that.

maybe some will find your review overly positive and maybe you yourself will start to shift your opinion as time goes on but for the time being i'm so glad you liked it!
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Old 01-07-18, 17:23   #6
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Yay!

AoD is rarely appreciated for what it does right and I'm so glad you enjoyed the experience
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Old 01-07-18, 18:21   #7
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So nice to see AOD gaining a new fan!!!

I completely agree with your review. AOD is such a beautiful, fantastic game. I love it so much!
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Old 01-07-18, 18:50   #8
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Honestly AOD for me is complex to rank, I'll always like it, but on the other hand its got loads of flaws, on the other hand, its minor compared to say, 2013/Rise, and unlike those games, its almost always because Eidos ****ed Core design, in the wrong hole, without lube, with a Hedge Trimmer.

Controls? Eidos forced them to change to analog stick camera-based movement instead of Tank Controls Late in Development.
Story issues/rushed sections? Eidos took 8 months off the development time.

Its absurd how almost every problem if you dig deep enough, falls down to Eidos screwing Core in a way.

Plus its actually a TR game unlike the Second Reboot

Then again, I also liked it when I played it as a kid back in 2013, before I was even aware Eidos screwed over Core.

Also its the only TR game where you can do this : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxpQJtB5hZY , which I'll take over the Axes any day.

Last edited by Samz; 01-07-18 at 18:51.
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Old 01-07-18, 23:08   #9
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Good review. Nice to see other people with a more positive view of the game.

I to like Angel of Darkness. Though I think you may like it more than me.

In the Core era it is my third overall favorite. I have it on PC but without the control patch.
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Old 01-07-18, 23:37   #10
NoahCrofRaider
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Helegad View Post
I think you need to cut back on the uppers a bit...
But it’s so good!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hazelphoenix View Post
Such a positive review! I’m so glad this game gained one more fan

I basically agree with everything you wrote. Concerning the controls, I get it you played on PC, right? I got a very similar experience and I was very puzzled as to why so many people complained about Lara controlling like a drunk or being irresponsive, then I heard PC controls are far better than the one on console which are a broken mess. For the record, I played the base game without Sasho’s patch and even in that case I didn’t have any problem.

Just like you, one of my biggest regrets when it comes to the TR franchise is seeing the AOD trilogy going down the drain and vanish forever, and seeing AOD cut and unfinished with many levels left behind. Just imagine what could’ve been.
Thanks, and yes, I did play on PC. We can only dream what the game and the trilogy as a whole would’ve been. I am at least glad we know what each game would’ve been called and some of what the second game would’ve been like, thanks to Meagan’s book.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leon2703 View Post
I agree with you in every point, AOD is such a fantastic game. I do understand why people hate it, but it’s just so good. I can forgive gameplay problems and some bugs (I too used fix for those, so... although not everything was solved).

Parisian Ghetto is one of my favorite levels, probably because I spent so much time in it as a kid. I didn’t understand a word of english and my sister would translate things very roughly, so I understood the bare minimum. She was rarely home tho, so I had to deal with it the best I could (which resulted in me spending ages in this level and dying a lot throughout the game ).

Which one did you like the most?
I know! Sometimes I wondered if I was almost too forgiving of the game. I think my most favorite level was probably Hall of Seasons. Strahov Fortress and Parisian Ghetto were also really good. I think Hall of Seasons wins because I just really love how creative it was while still being sufficiently simple of a concept.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OrangeJuice View Post
yesss this is the kind of love my girl AOD deserves!
it's a broken game but it's a beautiful one at that.

maybe some will find your review overly positive and maybe you yourself will start to shift your opinion as time goes on but for the time being i'm so glad you liked it!
Thank you so much!
Quote:
Originally Posted by HarleyCroft View Post
Yay!

AoD is rarely appreciated for what it does right and I'm so glad you enjoyed the experience
Yes, I wish more people liked it and saw the good in it and what it tried to achieve. I’m just glad that it seems to get more love now that when it released.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amunet View Post
So nice to see AOD gaining a new fan!!!

I completely agree with your review. AOD is such a beautiful, fantastic game. I love it so much!
Me too! I know I’ll be replaying it in the future!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Samz View Post
Honestly AOD for me is complex to rank, I'll always like it, but on the other hand its got loads of flaws, on the other hand, its minor compared to say, 2013/Rise, and unlike those games, its almost always because Eidos ****ed Core design, in the wrong hole, without lube, with a Hedge Trimmer.

Controls? Eidos forced them to change to analog stick camera-based movement instead of Tank Controls Late in Development.
Story issues/rushed sections? Eidos took 8 months off the development time.

Its absurd how almost every problem if you dig deep enough, falls down to Eidos screwing Core in a way.

Plus its actually a TR game unlike the Second Reboot

Then again, I also liked it when I played it as a kid back in 2013, before I was even aware Eidos screwed over Core.

Also its the only TR game where you can do this : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxpQJtB5hZY , which I'll take over the Axes any day.
Haha, yeah! I didn’t get to try the melee combat too much, but it is fun from the little I tried.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lord Lulu View Post
Good review. Nice to see other people with a more positive view of the game.

I to like Angel of Darkness. Though I think you may like it more than me.

In the Core era it is my third overall favorite. I have it on PC but without the control patch.
Thank you. I think AoD is probably my new third favorite too, with TR3 as first and TR1 as second.
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