I really enjoyed Angel of Darkness (AoG). I am a tomb raider (TR) fan so I could appreciate what Core was trying to do in this game. AoG introduces a lot of new elements to the tomb raider formula, some work some don't. If you are new to TR you probably will not enjoy this game.
First thing is the controls are just bad for the whole game. Laura does not react very fast to any of your inputs and sometimes will move forward when you want her to move backward. They are very clunky. There are times where you will take control of Kurtis, a new character, and his controls are even worse. Like any game over time you will get use to the controls.
The game adds a lot to the formula and most of it feels like they never developed it fully. Like it never got past the idea stage. The game introduces a stamina bar, upper and lower body “strength” upgrades, a stealth mode, a pretty wide assortment of guns (most you never use), and a interesting dialog system. Most of these are pretty bad, but I appreciate them trying something new and not just putting out another game.
The graphics are pretty solid compared to the Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation. By 2023 standards it looks bad, but I did enjoy the look. The game has a darker tone and Laura has a more determined look than in her other adventures. Core was taking the character in a new direction for once, which I think was a good thing. This game was planed to be part one of a three part trilogy, but the sales were so bad Core got pulled from making them and they rebooted the whole thing with another developer.
Again, I really enjoyed it because I could see they were trying to take the series in a new direction and some of the ideas are interesting. The stamina system is nice and depending on what dialog choices you make, you get more information from certain characters. If you are looking for a classic Tomb Raider experience, this is not it though.
I finished it with no fixes and an xbox controller.
