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Old 04-10-11, 19:31   #1
pooksprat
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Default This game is a disaster...

And I love disasters! It's a love it or hate it kind of game. The masses are the ones who shove this game into a grave, but only the most devoted and loyal of the series will appreciate this. You know who you are. From a technical standpoint I actually prefer this over anything Crystal has done thus far with the franchise. Yes, it's a deeply flawed game riddled with a couple bugs and a wonky control scheme. Wait! Did I just mention bugs and wonky controls in a the same sentence? In a Tomb Raider game? No way! Seriously, this is what the series was known for up until Legend. In my opinion, it's not a Tomb Raider game if you aren't cursing at Lara or throwing your controller at the screen. What I like most in AOD is that it still controls relatively the same as previous games (maybe a little worse), but it's still essentially the same concept. This was Lara's first outing into the 128-bit scene and for that you sort of have to give this game some props- if you want. Technically speaking, the game does show good use of what the PS2 was capable of. The particle effects are spectacular! For example, the wind effects in the THE BREATH OF HADES level really lures the player into the atmosphere. You can almost feel it. Okay, so the game is broken, but yes I'd say both EIDOS and CORE are to blame, but I'm not debating this entirely. CORE was obviously inspired by other ambitious titles on PS2 such as Metal Gear Solid 2 and Final Fantasy X. Those are great titles, but the problem here is that some of the game-play elements taken from those games DO NOT work in Tomb Raider. We learned that stealth play and half assed RPG segments is a big NO NO! But kutos to CORE for branching out and trying a different approach to a series they tried to appeal to the masses. If only they carried over more of what was done in The Last Revelation. That means ditch the Stealth, power ups, and focused purely on exploration and puzzles, which AOD does well. I actually praise the inspirations of classic adventure games implemented into this game. If only the Tree Dialog was more developed. But the mystery/ murder plot was fantastic and very refreshing. Also, the concept of a second playable character would have worked if it played more like Primal. the game featured two very engaging and interactive characters you could swap between. It's too bad it wasn't played out well in AOD, where Kurtis seems rather pointless. Angel of Darkness did have some very interesting characters though. This is a game that is fun to place every once in a while on a lazy rainy sunday afternoon. It's not nearly as developed or refined as Crystals games, but this game is a bit symbolic. It was the death of a beloved company (yes, I love CORE and I'm currently playing through Project Eden) and of an era. This was a series that dug its own grave- Angel of Darkness being the last nail in the coffin. A bittersweet classic. It's a gem that sticks out THE MOST out of TR1 through Underworld. Love it or hate it.

PROS

-Plot (nephilim, french hooker and criminals, murders, good stuff!)
-Visuals (stunning effects, lighting, realistic/believable modern environments)
-Interesting Characters
-Black Tank top and military shorts/pants
-Nice Adventure feel
-Music Score

CONS

-Flawed game-play (Stealth, power ups,broken boss fights, Kurtis, etc)
-Plot holes
-Unfinished segments
-Training Level
-Lara's Blue Jean outfit (seriously? Could have worked if David Bowies "Blue Jean" played in the background.)

Blue Jean-I just met me a girl named Blue Jean
Blue Jean-she got a camouflaged face and no money
Remember they always let you down when you need 'em
Oh, Blue Jean - is heaven any sweeter than Blue Jean



Last edited by pooksprat; 04-10-11 at 19:48.
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Old 04-10-11, 19:44   #2
Zelda master
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In a Tomb Raider game? No way! Seriously, this is what the series was known for up until Legend.
I see were not counting the glitches you come across in Anniversary and Underworld... Come on the entire series even with CD is a buggfilled mess
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Old 04-10-11, 19:45   #3
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Love this game! My favorite TR game ever! If the cut stuff was there and all problems fixed i'm sure it would have been one of the best games of all time to everyone!
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Old 04-10-11, 20:51   #4
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This particular disaster is like food poisoning... in video-game form.
The controls, the gameplay, the silly upgrades, the crap fighting controls.. ughhh. Disaster is indeed the right word. Glad I sold it.
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Old 04-10-11, 21:14   #5
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Thanks God this poison works like a drug.
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Old 04-10-11, 21:20   #6
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Thanks God this poison works like a drug.
LOL I was just waiting for you to post a comeback like that.
Unfortunately this drug is rohypnol...
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Old 04-10-11, 21:23   #7
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Eh... I don't know. (Actually, "eh" kind of sums up the whole game for me )

I used to hate this game, as I got so frustrated with it and, as a Tomb Raider game, it just failed on so many levels for me.

Now that I've gotten a bit better with the controls, it's not quite as bad. And I find the music, the story, and the overall atmosphere of the game very engaging, the graphics are also pretty top-notch for the most part.

HOWEVER, the games scores about a 2.5/10 in terms of gameplay. It's frustrating, it's bland, it's repetitive, and it's just downright boring most of the time. The stealth system was not executed well enough, the same for the conversation system. Kurtis is a very poor excuse for a second playable character, considering he actually has no extra abilities that Lara doesn't (in fact, he actually has less XD). The combat system is wonky, jumping/climbing in general is a nightmare, and the first 8 levels are awful. Lara spending her time on the Parisian streets, talking to hookers and going to nightclubs... sorry, but that's not Tomb Raider for me at all.

The game does have a few gems, though, particularly the Louvre and the Aquatic Research Area/Vault of Trophies parts.

I'd say the game scores probably a 5.5/10 from me. It's not a good game, but it's not really a bad one either.
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Old 04-10-11, 21:35   #8
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Another thread set up for members to bash AOD.

Well, I disagree, the game is not a disaster at all. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Imo only TR3 is a better TR game.

TR1 for example is a far more disastrous game if you ask me.

Last edited by Seth94; 04-10-11 at 21:40.
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Old 04-10-11, 21:38   #9
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TR1 for example is a far more disastrous games if you ask me.
Well, you're welcome to create a thread saying "This game is a disaster..." in the TR1 section, if you'd like. Except you would be totally wrong.

(But seriously, how is TR1 a disaster and AoD not? )
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Old 04-10-11, 21:43   #10
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Well, you're welcome to create a thread saying "This game is a disaster..." in the TR1 section, if you'd like. Except you would be totally wrong.
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the thread, I'm saying that it's set up for another 'let's bash AOD' thread.

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Originally Posted by sheepman23 View Post
(But seriously, how is TR1 a disaster and AoD not? )
For the same reasons that people seem to mention about AOD:

- generally poor gameplay and puzzles
- slow animations
- texture glitches, (yes, there are even some missing textures I've spotted in the past)
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