ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- If you would like to support my channel, how about becoming a member?: / @axmania
This year the most controversial Tomb Raider game of all-time celebrated it's 20th anniversary. For the first time in well over a decade, I sat down to play through it again, to rank all of the levels in the game.
A special thanks to:
Dean Kopri for letting me use Wicked One in this video:
Facebook: / deanmusicproduction
Instagram: / dean_kopri
Twitter: / kopridean
Website: www.dean-kopri...
TH-cam: / deanmusicproductionideankopri - เกม
These videos are always a comfort zone, please keep them coming
I agree. Also, comfort zone is very accurate definition.
Thank you so much, I'm very happy to hear that!
This game was a whole phase in my teen years. I cannot believe how much I obsessed over AoD, LaraXKurtis, dev interviews, and the OSTs. The fan pages were endless
I’m still obsessed with it. Yes it’s buggy especially on Ps2. I played and finished it finally this year after playing it since I was little. I also have a PC copy and have used many mods that enhance the gameplay. Wish they could re make this game and continue the story that was supposed to happen.
Yeah, it's without question one of the most interesting Tomb Raider games ever. It's such a fascinating entry in the series.
Yeah, me too. It really deserves it. We live in an age of remakes and remasters, so maybe it will happen 🤞
@@AxMania
Unfortunately the majority of remake and remasters aren’t what they should be.
It probably would look like legends in a coat of paint of AoD.
My condolences :(
I love this game! It's sad that we'll never see what they had planned after this for the original timeline.
Yeah, it really is. So much wasted potential.
For the later tomb raider? Yes.
For their Kurtis Trent vs satan spin off? Eeeh…
18:03 That's the thing, it WAS going to be an in-game feature. Players were SUPPOSED to be able to use Kurtis' Far See multiple times during gameplay, but it was unfortunately one of the things that got axed/couldn't be implemented before the game was released 😞
Oh, really!? I actually had no idea about that part specifically. It would've given The Sanitarium a lot more interesting gameplay, had it been implemented as intended.
Honestly, to this day, Sanitarium scares the shit out of me. I remember just standing in the first area for ages, not wanting to enter the facility on my first playthrough, and the ambiance of screams and murmuring in the distance is so fucked up. Those bladed dudes were pure nightmare fuel and so were their bullshit 'behind you' spawns.
isn't it a beautiful game? I mean look at the places the colors the atmosphere the ideas in it makes it different but yet amazing.
I actually never thought about ranking the levels but all I know is that I love :
-Eckhardt's lab
-the bio research facility
-the serpent rouge
-the hall of seasons (with it's "seasons")
-tomb of ancients
-the sanitarium
-aquatic research area
anyway the video was very much fun to watch thanks so much and thanks for playing this game and giving it a chance to shine 💜⭐ and I can't get over the ending 😭💜
It really is! It's a gorgeous looking game. I think the graphics of this game are great. All those levels you highlight there are really good, for many different reasons. It's funny, I actually prefer The Hall of Seasons without its "seasons" 😂
Thank you so much for watching, I really appreciate it!
Next to TR2 my favorite Tomb Raider. I just love this dark atmosphere and the epic music. Also they really had really cool ideas for the game (implemented or not). Pretty sad they never really got to finish it completely
Yeah, it really is. The game they had in mind sounded fantastic.
I agree!! When I played for the very first time it was so incredible for me. I was like 7 or 8 years old and I loved it.
They didn't, there are whole corridors and areas locked that you can access with a noclip programs, especially the first level and the sanitarium plus pretty sure the ending was a cliffhanger that sadly we'll never get to uravel.
This video is an early christmas gift! 😄 Thank you for doing it. I haven't played this in 15 years but it makes me happy that there's a lot of people who love this game.
I remember that I loved The Louvre and the greenhouse. And I still listen to the tracks at Strahov and Louvre 😊
Btw I have a new christmas tradition. Last year I wrapped my presents while watching your ranking of all the Original levels and I did it this year and will continue doing so in the future. So thanks again for all the wonderful videos you do!
I will stop rambling now.
...Merry Christmas!
Oh wow, thank you so much, I really appreciate it! Please continue "rambling" if it's this sweet and nice 😉🥰 I'm truly honored that my videos have become a part of your Christmas traditions 😮 Thank you so much LadyCroft86, Merry Christmas to you too 🎄🥰
What an absolute treat after the day I’ve had 😅 I really needed this wonderful video! Thank you so much Alexander 🥰 I thoroughly enjoyed this ranking and agree with most if not all of it 😍 Still laughing so much over the “I said big dig” 😂😂😂 Von Croy’s apartment is a personal favourite of mine! I love it so much, the apartment itself is beautiful and I like looking through Von Croy’s stuff and feeling like we get to know him a bit better. Also love the photos of cats we can find 😂 “you unsavoury little runt” is such an iconic line 😅 Along with “you call these dossiers? Yuck!!!” 🥹 I am firmly in the AOD is a beautiful disaster camp, I just love this game with a passion 😍 Maybe with a passion it doesn’t deserve, but oh well 🙈 The Serpent Rouge is a level I could replay over and over again 😍 I love the level itself and of course the music! Always have such a great time playing this level 🥰 I agree though, Louvre Galleries is the top level in this game! It’s a masterpiece and one of the few levels that doesn’t have major issues except for controls of course ❤️ Thanks so much for this amazing video! I enjoyed it so much 🥰 Hope you have a wonderful Christmas Alexander ❤️
Holy crap!!! 😮 Thank you SO much Suzanne! ❤️ Seriously, thank you!!! For your kind words, for your support, for this donation! That's so kind of you 🥰❤️ Please let me know if you have any video requests for my channel 😃
I agree completely, there's so much to love about this game. It's such a shame that the controls can be such a hindrance from truly loving it however. With the controls of a Tomb Raider Legend or something, this game would've been AMAZING!!! Cat photos!? 😮 Oh my God, I need to go back and find those 😅 Had I known that, Von Croy's Apartment would've been 1st place 😉😛 Once again, thank you so much, and Merry Christmas to you too! 🎄❤️
@@AxMania you are more than welcome Alexander! I wish I could give you more for the hours of entertainment you have given me over the past year 🥰 It is so appreciated ❤️ oh cool! I will think of any videos I would like and let you know, and I promise it won’t be ranking the bats 😂😂😂❤️ This game with Legend controls would be amazing! Haha yes there’s 2 cats hiding in Von Croy’s apartment. They’re real cats with names. I forget them now but I mentioned them in my playthrough of the level 😍
Thank you so much and Merry Christmas to you too! Hope you have a wonderful holiday season 🥰❤️
@@suzannetheraider You are so kind Suzanne, I appreciate this so much ❤️ Thank GOD you don't want me to actually do that bat ranking though!! 😂 Oh yes, that's actually a great thing about me finally finishing this AOD project; I can now go back and watch all your playthroughs. I was playing through the game myself around that time, but at one point I had to start over, and I never got around to continue watching your series because I wanted to experience each level "fresh" myself first. I really look forward to that.
Thank you so much Suzanne, I had a wonderful Christmas, how about you? Happy New Year, I wish both you and your channel a glorious 2024, with lots of new subscribers and views! 🥰❤️
@@AxMania you deserve it! You have entertained us all so much ❤️ Haha I wouldn’t be so mean to ask for the bat video 😅 Oh awesome! I hope you’ll enjoy watching through the videos whenever you have time! I totally get what you mean, I don’t watch any other Tomb Raider gameplays while I’m doing mine, as I want my reactions to be genuine and to have those moments where I don’t remember things and have to figure it out, it’s nice to go into things fresh ☺️ I’m so happy to hear that you had a good Christmas 🥰 I had a nice one too thanks. Our flight to Norway got cancelled so we had a last minute Christmas at home 😂 But we flew to Norway on the 26th and we’re here now having a great time with my fiancés family 🥰 Thank you so much for your well wishes for the New Year! I hope the New Year brings you everything you hope for ☺️❤️
@@suzannetheraider Yeah, I saw that 😕 That delayed flight really sucked, but I'm happy to hear that you were able to make most out of the situation, and that you finally made it to Norway. Norway must be an absolutely magical place to be during this time of the year - such a stunning country! 😍 Thank you so much Suzanne, you too. I wish you and your fiancé an amazing New Year's Eve 🎇🎉 See you around in 2024! 😎
This game broke my heart
It's really a shame what happened... 😢
Omg, you finally made a video for Angel of Darkness, so happy. Time to watch it at least 5 times 😁
Haha, wow, thank you x5! 😃
@@AxMania hope you make more videos about AOD, yes it had a rough development history, but the story was amazing and dark and had potential for something more
@@bananashiki7288 I'd love to! Thank you!
I actually didn't care much for the museum level (Louvre galleries). IMO Aquatic Research Facility was the best level in AOD. Hoping we get a remaster of 4, 5 & AOD after 1, 2 & 3.
The Aquatic Research Area is awesome, so I agree with that 😉 Yeah, me too. I think if the first remasters do well, we'll get more.
Oh man, that's some another level of nostalgia. I had a friend who was really into TR games and she was the one who disected this game for me, still remember exploring the locked content with a program simply called "Pizza" that let you wander into unfinished areas and unlocked some of the unused animations. It's still sad to me because AoD had so much potential and I always wondered what would be the game CORE wanted to make.
Oh and Sanitarium gave me all the nightmares back in the days and music was pretty damn great too, still have good few tracks!
I had no idea about that program, that sounds really cool! That's what's so fascinating about this game; it went through so many changes that there's so much cut content that's interesting to learn about.
The Sanitarium is straight up a horror video game level 😅
@@AxManiaYeah, that tutorial level has entire modeled section with a police car that's behind one of the closed gates, still vividly remember exploring that, I think it even had some ammo or health packs too. Sanitarium has a very long, untextured corridor behind one of the locked doors too. Those are the ones I'm 100% sure of :)
This game marked my childhood... Yes, I played it as a child and it creeped the f out of me but was part of why I was so in love with it (dark games have always been my thing it seems). Yes it feels clunky but the graphics and atmosphere captivated me to the point I really didn't care much about it. This remains my favorite tomb raider game to this day and I would be SO freaking happy if this gets the remake/remaster it deserves. Also, I pretty much rank the levels the same as you did, seems we enjoyed the same things (Louvre number 1 especially).
That's awesome to hear. I love how dedicated fans The Angel of Darkness has. I obviously love the game a lot as well, and I agree that it has an incredible atmosphere. I think that's the game's biggest feature actually.
Fun fact about 22, Boaz, me and my father took a lot of time to kill her because of a mistake in the PS2 manual .. The button to change target was wrong, so at first we guessed about the weaks spots but since the game didn't allow us to shoot them, we tried a ton of others things to get her, they never work .. and then, we discovered that the button to change target was wrong in the manual .. so much lost time
Holy crap. I struggled with that exact thing when I was a kiddo.
So. Much. Lost. Time. 😢 So much frustration.
Oh my God, that's horrible! 😫 They had ONE job 😅 I would have been absolutely furious.
@@AxMania They reverted the circle and square button if I remember right, I was young, like 10 yrs old
Same...
I recall 2 things about this bossfight;
The first is that on our first playthrough, my brother and I beat Boaz without knowing you could swap targets 😅
And on one of my saves, we completely ran out of ammo and had no idea that the game gave you drops towards the edges of the arena (we legit thought we had an unfinishable save because we wasted ammo).
Well hello there!
Today I'm feeling like ranking my top 5 favorite crashes in all classic Tomb Raider games. Yay!
So let's get started:
#5: Quad bike vs. Extra Tall Fence - Nevada Desert ending cutscene (or how too much sun exposure can obstruct our cognitive functions)
#4: Australian Air Force Boeing - Crash Site (Puna must not have been too happy with foreign people invading his airspace, so I bet he shot a lightning bolt at them)
#3: Lara on a stolen Jeep against everything in her way - Valley of the Kings, KV5, Temple of Karnak opening cutscene (some say this sequence of road rage levels was acclaimed by Carmageddon developers)
#2: Bartoli's Seaplane Engines Shutdown - Tibetan Foothills opening cutscene (did you know that the woman featured on the side of the plane is Jane Fonda's Barbarella? I hate the idea of that excellent taste artwork being destroyed; I hope it was not too roasted at the end, and eventually provided some entertainment to the monks)
And now, what I believe is the greatest of all TR crashes. Drumroll, please...!
#1: Ta-da! 💥 THE WHOLE TOMB RAIDER ANGEL OF FUCKING DARKNESS ITSELF!!! Come on, man! Nothing crashes more than this crap. Yet... I love it, even though it keeps shutting off and freezing; I love it with all its insane bugs. Let me tell you what's more frightening than being chased by the Proto-Nephilim-baboon (we can name it Shakma's cousin from now on): Being chased by Shakma's cousin WITH HIS FUCKING EYEBALLS FLOATING OUT OF NOWHERE! 🤪
It was so frustrating back in the day, because I was so excited about Lara's comeback, and I assumed that, at one point of the game, they would explain what happened in Egypt (dear Lord, poor me). Also I loved the plot so much. Stupid and sexy Kurtis.
Neat video, Alex, after all you've been through with Lara's face disappearing. 🤣 And what's that at 35:56? Oh, that's a face reveal, isn't it? Bro, I didn't expect you to be so handsome. (😆😆😆)
Merry Christmas, buddy. 🤟🏻
The time stamp is the composer Peter Connelly I believe if I recall correctly it was put in as a joke and stayed there in the final game
@@Tismeabbie Thank you, Abbie. Indeed, you are correct, I'm just messing with Alex, hahaha. 😆 The 'Mona Peter' is one of the many fun facts from behind the scenes. Peter himself makes jokes about it from time to time. Actually, I believe he posted the picture in his X account. You can hear the whole story in his own words, in a playthrough streamed by Tomb of Ash, featuring some of the Core Design developers. There are other hilarious stories involving Peter Connelly, that he recalls in an interview made by Steve of War. 😉
Hahaha, AMAZING top 5! 😂 Even if your #1 is a sad one. It's such a shame that the game failed to deliver on all that potential, but it's still an enjoyable game overall, I think. It's a shame that it was Kurtis that took on the Proto-Nephilim, because it robbed us for Lara vs. Shakma 😢
Haha, thank you so much! 😃 That would've been a BRILLIANT way to do a face reveal actually! 😂
Merry Christmas to you too my friend! 🎄🤟 Thank you for watching!
So cool that you did a level ranking for Angel of Darkness?
Will Legend, Annigersary, and Underworld all be in the next level ranking video, AxMania? I’m excited for it.
Merry Christmas, AxMania! 🎄🎄🎁🎁🎅🎅
Yes, that's the plan 😃 The LAU trilogy some time next year. Thank you so much, Merry Christmas to you too! 🎄🥰
Ah, the Angel Of Darkness. A game where I love the characters, the story, the design in general and especially the music... But I really dislike playing it myself. I never got used to the controls, sadly.
I really liked the levels of the first half of the game, especially the early Paris levels. I love that Lara talks to so many people there (and the player can control some of her answers as well (and can get her killed..))
The Louvre and the Dig are some other levels I enjoyed a lot. The hall of seasons had so much potential but got killed because I'm just so bad at controlling Lara in this game.
I remember that I didn't like the Kurtis Levels (even tho I like him a lot). Especially that Boaz Boss fight.
In general I didn't really like most of the bosses in that game.
It was so interesting and entertaining to see your ranking! Like always I enjoyed it. Thanks a lot for this early Christmas gift! :) I'm looking forward to your next project. :)
I think it was Game Informer magazine that gave a review that described controlling Lara as operating a rubbish dump truck. Because of how sluggish and clunky and frustrating she moves. I still have the fold-out poster from that magazine. Rare merch from a forgotten game. Forgotten by Lara's new owners, not the fans.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed it. Yeah, The Angel of Darkness is a really troubled game. It took me a long time to record all this footage, because I had to start over at one point, and because some parts of the game (like The Hall of Seasons trials in particular) can be horribly frustrating with the controls of the game. If only the controls had been better, the other things that the game is missing would be much less of an issue.
I applaud you for playing through it again because aside from the plot (which was fantastic), the overall game experience was turdious maximus 💩
3/10 at best. Would have worked better as a graphic novel than a game.
Haha, there's no question that The Angel of Darkness is the most divisive Tomb Raider game ever. It gets a lot of love and hate, not much in-between 😅
My least fav level was the busy guy and I think I got stuck there. Legends say he's still busy and rude to this day.
Hahaha, you know what? I think you are right.
18:35 I can't believe they put Shakma in a Tomb Raider game!
ok
That's a obscure reference lol
@@Decompoze The Proto Nephilim is even banging against the door right before the boss fight, just like Shakma does in the movie! 😂
Early Christmas gift!!!!
Haha! Merry Christmas! 🎄
The only one I haven't played longer than 30 min. I just couldn't. I'd rather play chronicles.
But thank you for the video. Always happy when you upload something :>
I wish you some happy holidays mate
Haha, that little dig at Chronicles made me laugh out loud 😂 Thank you so much mate, I really appreciate. Happy holidays to you too!
Great video as always ! Personally, the Hall Of Seasons wins my 1st place. But in global, it’s more or less like your ranking 😁
Thanks man, I really appreciate it! Yeah, I love The Hall of Seasons as well, and I actually had it higher in the ranking initially, but I really dislike the boss fight at the end, so 😅
@@AxMania haha I can understand that 😂 I’m glad AoD gets some love at least. Really wish the story was continued.
Man, I never thought you'd go to this game, Ax, but it was a fun one. I know it's a heavily flawed game, but gosh darnit, I still have a fondness for it that I can't let go of. Core really had something, and if it hadn't been rushed so much like it had been, it might very well have been the greatest trilogy since they had originally envisioned it as 3 games. It's sad because there was so much potential in all of it, and it just stumbled one too many times. Yet I can't get over the atmosphere and story they had.
Yeah, I agree. That's the thing about this game; there's something so bitter about it. What could've been, and all that. But it still is an enjoyable game, when all is said and done.
Alex is back, it' a christmas miracle! 😭 Regarding AoD, it's not the endless bugs or the horrible controls that killed the game for me. It's the setting. They already tested this idea in Chronicles and it didn't work. What were they thinking? 😭 I get that they wanted to try something fresh, but changing the setting to a city-crawler gutted the whole premise of the franchise. I'm sure I'm not alone with the opinion that finding hidden secrets in ancient temples and forgotten corners of the world was what pulled me into the games. While AoD has a few interesting ideas, it does not come close to the wonder of finding a long lost ruin in the middle of the jungle. AoD would have maybe worked as a spin-off, but as it was, it was doomed to fail. The buggy code was just the nail in the coffin.
Haha, thank you so much! 😃🥰 Yeah, I agree completely. I don't mind city-settings in Tomb Raider games if they are used for a few levels (Tomb Raider III), but when the entire game is set in big modern cities, it loses a bit of its "Tomb Raider charm". Yeah, I agree. I think the game is very enjoyable if you are able to overcome the awkward controls, but the game is certainly troubled still.
Thank uuuuuuuu thank uuuuu man!!! It's the most awaited video for me!!! It Will be amazing and I didn't watched yet hahaha
Please NEVER stop making these videos! You hacked into my most prized section of nostalgia down to how I viewed tomb raider we have a lot in common as to our views on all the tomb raiders
Thank you so much for your kind words, I really appreciate it! I'll keep making these videos as long as people watch them, I promise ☺️
Waiting for you to rank all the classic levels, AoD levels and 2nd trilogy levels in one video🤣
Hahaha, that video would be, like, 5 hours long, I imagine 😬
I remember the launch of this game, I was 10 and was just starting playing games. I saw Lara Croft on the cover of a gaming magazine so I bought it because I mean logically the game should be on athe disc right :D? Eh kids :D Tomb Raider wasn't on the disc with the magazine but that was the day I started buying video game magazines.
Haha, that's funny, my first ever Tomb Raider experience was actually from a PC magazine demo disc 😃 It was the Tomb Raider II demo, and I didn't like it because I thought Lara was impossible to control 😅
Like!!! Go for some ice cream!!! And sit down to watch a 35 minutes GREAT video about TR 6!!! One of My favourite TR ever
Haha, you are very welcome, I hope it lived up to your expectations! 🤞
This is the most disappointing Tomb Raider of them all. You can clearly see how this game could have been not just good, but great. But it would have needed another year or so in the oven. The controls make the game borderline unplayable without a mod and the character upgrades - while a nice idea - pretend to be a learning-by-doing system, that is incomplete, so all upgrades happen at specific trigger points in game. And to top it off, the game is terrible at explaining its weapons and the non-lethal options. So many people experience Lara being on a killing spree in the Louvre, just murdering every random guard they come about. If you pick up the taser in the previous level you can get through this by just disabling the guards and not killing them. I enjoyed playing it, but it could have been so much better.
Yeah, as much as I like The Angel of Darkness, I agree that it is the most disappointing game, because there was so much potential. That's actually a really good point regarding the non-lethal options not being explained to the player. The game never explains how to switch between targets either, which is an issue in the Boaz boss fight.
Whoever designed this game placed more focus on graphics than playability. The gameplay has bad clunky controls, and the level design have nothing going on 😅 still beautiful and great music but thats it.
Yeah 😕 It's a beautiful game that sounds great, but gameplay certainly isn't up to snuff.
I know we all know this game is unfinished but feck me its my absolute favourite after TR2 I spent so much time knocking about in paris and le serpent rouge and still do
This game is such a fan favorite. Many Tomb Raider fans absolutely adore it, so Core Design clearly did slmehhing right, in spite of it all.
I am a simple man: I see an AxMania Tomb Raider level ranking, I click on it!
Soundtrack, atmosphere and story were excellent, but those controls? Ouch! I like AoD about as much as Last Revelation and Chronicles. Didn't have sections that were as much as a drag as Cairo and Giza, and had a lot of cool ideas that Chronicles lacked, but it felt very rough round the edges that made me appreciate how robust the controls and gameplay were in the previous two games (Red Alert aside, of course).
Toss up between Louvre Galleries and Bio-Research Facility for my highlights of the game. Roughly speaking, how would you rank them amongst the 5 PS1 rankings? You certainly seemed a lot meaner with Old Mill than Cavier's Apartment, for example.
Haha, thank you so much, I really appreciate it! 😃😎 I agree completely! I don't think there's any section of The Angel of Darkness that's downright rough to get through actually, unlike The Last Revelation and Chronicles. The Angel of Darkness is pretty even and well-balanced throughout the entire game, in terms of pacing and so on. There's no level in my ranking here, that I actively disliked for example, whereas The Last Revelation and Chronicles had plenty of those.
Haha, nothing in the Tomb Raider series is as bad as Old Mill in my opinion 😅 Margot Carvier's Apartment is just very short, and nothing of note happens there, but at least it's incredibly beautiful and interesting to look at. I guess it would be ranked similarly to Hall of Demetrius, or Alexandria even, as they all are very short levels that shine in their visual presentation.
Wish this game got a remake/remaster up to a finished, more polished version. There's definitely a lot of potential.
Yeah, me too. We live in the age of remasters and remakes however, so I don't think that's impossible.
AxMania, one of my favourite TH-camrs + my favourite game ever = this is gonna be a bangin' video 😎
I respect anyone who gives it a real chance after such a long time because yeah, opinions can change over time. :) Great video, man.
Wow thank you so much Seth, that means a lot coming from one of MY favorite TH-camrs! 😎 I'm very happy to hear that you enjoyed my video, because I know that The Angel of Darkness means a lot to you. Again, thank you so much.
AoD is in a terrible state but also an excellent game. The atmosphere was unlike any of the other TRs and the story and intrigue of the game kept most us playing. Really underrated and would love a remake
I agree completely. A remake would be AMAZING! Especially if they made a complete version with all the cut content and everything.
now looking this video and cant believe how great this game looks like so sad it didn do better in sales. You making me now reply this game, oh well its Christmas time not bad way to spend holidays.
Yes, the game had so much potential 😞 They just needed 6 months more, or so, and it would've done much better, I think. Enjoy your playthrough! 😃 Merry Christmas
Honestly I am a hardcore classic TR fan (I literally have the TR2 dragon symbol tattooed on my arm) but THIS game grew under my skin in such a deep way that eventually it probably became my favorite game in the series. Taken on its own, it would be just a cool game with a lot of flaws. But it being a Tomb Raider game so uniquely different and dark and emotional, and also it being a closure for the classic TR series, it has to be regarded as the gem that it is. They were even crazy enough to introduce a new character next to the coolest heroine in the videogame world, and they managed to make him cool enough to stand next to her!
The writer of the game, Murti Schofield, has created a website where you are able to dig into the unreleased content he had prepared for the game and even the unreleased character (such as Morgau Vasiley) described in notes and seen in simple drawings literally GLOW with fascination. I don't know what it is with this game - the early 00s vibes, the darkness, the strangeness, the fact that it's not in its full potential and that makes your fantasy go wild - but it's just fucking incredible. Thanks for talking about it.
Oh wow, that's awesome! That's the PERFECT Tomb Raider tattoo to get, because that symbol is so iconic. Yeah, it's really fascinating how The Angel of Darkness has so much mystery, controversy and intrigue surrounding it. There's something tragic and bitter about the game due to all the sad circumstances surrounding it's development. I keep imagining "what could have been?" even if I still like the game the way it turned out. Thank you so much for your comment, and sorry for the late reply! Sometimes comments don't show up in my TH-cam Studios app until much later, for whatever reason 😕
The controls were bad indeed.. I however wonder what the intended trilogy would have looked like..
I'm sure each game would've been progressively better. The third game would undoubtedly have been what they had intended from the beginning, as everything would've been polished at that point, I'm sure.
15:48 yew call these dossiers? EUGH🤮🤮😭
😂
Loved this! I clicked as soon as i saw it! Even with all the flaws AOD will always hold a special place in my heart
Thank you so much, I'm very happy to hear that! Mine as well, there's just something very special about this game.
Angel of Darkness is my favorite game of the series.
I really enjoyed watching this video and finally hearing your thoughts/opinions on TRAOD! It was a fair assessment/ranking of the game's levels - a game that is very, very dear to me. Not only because of its unrealized potential, but also because of what's already there. Personally, I never had much issues with (playing through) it (apart from a few instances, but that was also the case for the classics). The story, characters/character development, and all the background lore totally made up for any negatives I had about it - these elements had and still have me thinking about the game regularly and that attests to its quality (and the very unique atmospheres the game offers and its beautiful soundtrack only add to that). This was the first Tomb Raider game that truly impressed me on the story front, something that's really important for me when playing videogames (Chronicles also made a positive impression, but AOD was the first time Core Design really delivered on the mentioned aspects in my opinion). We could have had so much more though, since what actually ended up in the game only scratches the surface of everything that had been envisioned. Many mysteries and secrets (in terms of AOD's story ànd the story of the sequels/other characters (Kurtis in particular)) are sadly left unexplored/buried, but luckily some of it can now be found online in one way or another🙏 I could go on and on about AOD but I leave it here. Merry Christmas Alex, and thank you for making this video!🥰
Thank you so much MdB, I'm very happy to hear that! The Angel of Darkness is a very complicated entry to cover, because it's a game that a lot of people absolutely adore, and even more people absolutely detest. It's gotta be the most divisive game in the series. I hope it was clear in my level ranking, that I care a lot about this game as well, in spite of it's shortcomings. It's such a fascinating Tomb Raider game. There's so much to talk about, and learn about the behind-the-scenes drama, and what the game was supposed to be. It will forever have this bitter feel to it, but in spite of it all, it's an enjoyable game. Thank you so much my friend, Merry Christmas to you too 🎄🥰
@@AxMania That's certainly the case, yes. You were surprisingly lenient towards it though, I expected a somewhat harsher treatment but luckily for my own nerves you didn't do that😂 Personally, I like AOD for its innovativeness (TR had become quite stale at that point imo) and am able to look beyond most of its gameplay issues - I was able to overcome them rather easily (most of the time, that is), both back in the day and during my last playthrough in October of this year. Hopefully, you will cover the LAU-era next year (Legend is one of my favorite TR games), but first we have the remasters to look forward to (yes!).
All the best!
Oh wow thank you so much for doing these videos! Its always a pleasure watching them
Thank you so much for watching, I'm really happy to hear that!
Ok but imagine Angel Of Darkness recreated using the Anniversary engine or even the Underworld engine. It had great promise but the game was just so *_bad_* to play it ruined it. To me the whole game was just so clunky and heavy and slow
You might be interested in AoD 'Definitive Edition'. It's an ongoing fan project to remaster the game. Looks interesting.
Yeah, exactly. That would've been amazing! You are right unfortunately 😞
How bad is it when *fans* are bringing out the remakes, rather than the companies?
Nice list! AOD had some awesome levels some were sadly brought down by the controls! We need more TR content creators like you!!!
Yeah, exactly. The levels are good, but the controls do get in the way 😕 Thank you, I really appreciate that! 😃
If you forget about bugs in this game this is my favorite tomb raider game... Perfect story and some really good levels and good puzzles to figure out. And the last classic tomb raider game where you actually have to find some items to progress in the game. For me there is where old good tomb raider games ended.
Yeah, it definitely feels like the end of an era. Tomb Raider has been completely different since then. Which makes me quite sad when I realize that this game is 20 years old 😫
Another great video. Have a nice Christmas.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! Merry Christmas to you too! 🎄
Once again a great video, you are what we TR-heads have been waiting for. If you ever run out of ideas, do live stream play alongs, or whatever - I love listening to your voice and talking about the games :)
Thank you so much for your kind words man, I really appreciate it!
As usual, i'm gonna be watching your videos so I can find some peace over the Xmas period! Thank you! 😊
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! I hope you'll enjoy it!
Your Tomb Raider videos hit a sweet spot for me that nothing else has been able to do. I actually noticed other people making level rankings for all the Tomb Raider games, and I definitely think it's because of you. You should do a ranking on Lara's hardest platforming jumps, the trickiest parts of her puzzles throughout TR! to Chronicles. Keep doing what you're doing, because you're a perfect fit.
I play your All Levels Ranked videos as I go to sleep. So not only do I thank you, so does my subconscious.
Thank you so much for your kind words, I really appreciate it! That's a great suggestion for a video. The hardest jumps (or leaps) could be perfect for a February 29th release, since it's Leap Day 😉 Which jumps do you consider some of the hardest?
Thank you so much, once again, I'm very happy to hear that.
@@AxMania For a silly answer, the very first tutorial rope swing in Revelations lol. It took me so long to figure out how to rope swing that as a kid, I skipped the tutorial level. THATS embarrassing. On a serious note, I remember a specific jump in a small room for a secret in The Opera House (I think) of TR2, that required a tricky backflip at the edge of a pit with a rotating blade at the bottom. I remember this being the moment I learned a backflip is sometimes necessary to make a jump that you cannot make by jumping forward.
I wonder if we're going to see a new ranking when/if Angel of Darkness: Definitive Edition (which is up to Louvre Storm Drains at this point) gets finished.
I'd love to do that! 😮
Seeing this video made me so excited! AOD was my first TR game that's why always have a special place in my heart. As a kid I always found the hall of seasons elemantal levels so interesthing seeing them so low in the list made me sad a little. But I agree with top 3 ❤️❤️ Thank you for the effort
Aw, unfortunately, I think those four trials (at least three of them) suffer the most from the game's difficult controls actually. Thank you so much, I really appreciate it, and thank you for watching! 🥰
I feel stronger now.
Also, on the record Shorts Camo Lara is the coolest look she's ever had. I say this as a proud AoD hater.
Yeah, that outfit is so bad-ass 😎 One of my favorites as well.
I think i agree with most of the ranking here in this video. I loved AOD. When i got it from a friend in 2003 at the age of 12, I was a little disappointed that the game started in the back streets. I couldnt wait to get back into the tomb like areas. I also hated the stealth because im too impatient for that and so AOD was never in my favourites list. But i absolutely loved the story. It was intriguing and I would have loved to see it come to a conclusion. I also liked Kurtis Trent and would have lobed to see him in his own games series. Its a shame that the game came out to us in such an unfinished state and that it sold and reviewed so poorly that the ither two games in the trilogy were canned. I really wanted to see it finished. So friggin badly. I always hold on to hope that maybe one day, Embracer group will invest in one of its dev companies remestering or remaking the AOD trilogy with help from Murty Schofield on the story. The original games from TR1 to TR Legend are my favourites in the TR franchise. I started from the very beginning and it was a huge part of my childhood and so the games bring me feelings of nostalgia and memories of watching my dad play them and the awe I felt seeing such amazing updated visuals of the time. I am obsessed with TR and LC.
Yeah, the whole story of the Angel of Darkness is just so damn depressing. We'll just forever be left with a feeling of "what could've been" won't we? Even if we love the game in spite of its flaws, like we both clearly do.
Also, I agree. There's nothing like those classic Tomb Raider games. They are just absolutely brilliant all-time classics that probably never will be replicated.
My favorite Tomb Raider TH-camr has uploaded again! What an amazing gift for the holidays. Let me grab a snack and relax while watching this!
Wow, thank you so much, I really appreciate it! 😮🥰 I hope you enjoyed watching the video!
How about comparison of all Tomb Raider trilogies: classic (I, II, III), controversial (IV, V, VI), legend (Legend, Anniversary, Underworld), top-down (Guardian of Light, Temple of Osiris, Lara Croft: GO) and reboot (2013, Rise, Shadow)?
That's actually a really good idea! I love that you call it "The Controversial Trilogy" 😂 Very accurate!
The Serpent Rouge! Thank you! I haven't played the game in years but that level in particular has stuck with me for some reason, I just couldn't remember what it was called. I do agree about the controls though, playing that level in Tomb Raider 3 would have been much better.
That level is iconic! The music is a bop, even if it gets on your nerves after being stuck forever in the level 😅
The way Luddick responds to straight up threat makes me convinced he's actually into bdsm and probably enjoyed encounter with Eckhardt, well at least to a point.
Hahaha! 🤣 I get interesting mental images in my head...
Coming eventually(?):
Every Crystal Dynamics Trilogy Level Ranked (including Beneath the Ashes and Lara's Shadow) (and Comparison of Anniversary, TR1 and TR1 Remastered)
Every Reboot Trilogy Area Ranked
Every Lara Croft and the Sub series Level Ranked
Every Portable Tomb Raider Level Ranked
And the greatest mystery of all: Whatever happened to the promised ability to change Lara's voice to the classic VAs in Reloaded?
I can confirm that I'm already working on the first one on this list 😉 Haha, that's a great mystery indeed! Unsolvable, I'm afraid 😞
I remember playing this game and getting to one of the final levels, falling from height and out of a force of habit quickly got the menu and saved, instead of load.
I never made multiple saves either, maybe mild OCD and not wanting lots of different saves.
Needless to say, it meant starting from the very beginning again, and I didn't even mind that either. Thank god for auto save now
Ugh... I know that feeling too well. I made this mistake a couple of times playing Tomb Raider III when I was a kid 😩 Haha yes, thank god for autosaves. They fixed that issue.
One thing that i always find funny is how people say this tomb raider wasn’t as much “tomb raiding” as the previous ones.
Ignoring the different sensibilities in game development between the jump on ps1->ps2 (that sometimes meant higher “fidelty” but shorter “levels”) TR2 and TR3 are kinda like 50/50 with modern and old locations, and some old locations in tr2 is somewhat recent…
So it’s understandable why Core design des… er… designed the game like that.
I love the promise of AoD.
Hah, yeah, that's a good point. It's really only the first game that's set entirely in ancient locations. I don't mind modern settings in Tomb Raider, actually.
This was my first tomb raider game i owned on PS2 back in 2004 when I was in high school
Ohhh, an interesting game to start with in the series!
I remember when they rushed this out to try and help the second Tomb Raider movie, the movie wasn’t a hit (like the last one) so that in turn made Angel Of Darkness look really bad
It wasn’t until they had the Tomb Raider Anniversary game come out and that helped revitalize the series (Tomb Raider: Legend, Tomb Raider: Underworld)
I think I still have the (stand alone) 3 disc collection
Yeah, that whole fiasco was such a shame. There's a good game in there, somewhere.
I absolutely love AoD. It's my favourite in the series and it is a travisty that a) Eidos rushed it and so it is only half the game it should have been, and b) we'll never get the 2nd and 3rd games of the planned trilogy.
Have you played it on PC with all the bug fixes and improvements the fan community have implimented over the years?
Yeah, in spite of all it's flaws, it's a really good game that doesn't deserve it's reputation.
I haven't, no, but I'd love to 😮 I am keep my fingers crossed however, that we'll get a remake some day.
I'm in uni doing GameDev- I promised myself when I was a kid that I will remake the dang game because of the amount of potential it has! Fingers crossed, I should be able to get started on it over summer hopefully. Also, great videos
Oh, that's awesome! Man, I really hope you get the time to do that, the game really needs it! 😅 Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
I like this game a lot. The ambience, music,story and most of all Lara herself. AOD Lara is my favourite version. She is just so done with everything and I love how sarcastic she is🤣I dont have high hopes but I would love to see this game remastered.
Yeah, she seems so pissed in this game 😂 Usually, Lara seems pretty cool and composured, but not in this one. It's a great game indeed, but I think it needs being remade more than remastered, unfortunately.
6:30 what the hell? I never knew she can hold on to those poles
I absolutely adore AoD. I'm still so upset that this was all the game was, and it never got to finish what it started. It was my first Tomb Raider game ever, so it's also just super special to me.
I never actualy *finished* it back then, I didn't get around to until the pandemic, and I'm probably never gonna play through it again, because let's be honest, the gameplay sucks, but you know, the game still holds a special place in my heart :)
Yeah absolutely. It's a shame that it always will have this bitter aftertaste, but... we live in the age of remakes and remasters, so who knows? Maybe we'll get an amazing version some day that improves everything?
Hopes this game could get a complete remake with same story but with new mechanism and puzzles in the future and probably a sequal/continuation to the classic Tomb Raider series.
Agreed. That would be so cool.
I've been playing this saga since i was like 7 years old, I love every single tomb raider and right now, looking back, it brings back such a sense of home if it makes sense. About this one specifically I absolutely despise AOD on a gameplay level, it's just so bad in my opinion but boy do i love the story!! I think Angel Of Darkness has one of the best storylines and soundtracks of all Tomb Raiders and it phisically pisses me off how bad they treated it!! I truly hope in the future they will think about a remake or a reboot of this! I know it's quite a reach and I'm delusional but it is how it is ehehe anyway this video is so good, I dont personally plan on replaying it but thank you for making me see every level again!
Yeah, I agree. It's the one Tomb Raider game that most definitely needs a remaster, or remake preferably. Thank you so much for watching!
I would love to see a remake of this game, it's a gem 💎✨💖 despite it's bugs.... And i ship Lara and Kurtis 😅❤❤❤
That would be so cool. It's the one Tomb Raider game that most desperately needs it, for sure.
Exellent video once again mate ! I think you were quite soft on it. I have finished the game a month ago, even though I started it somewhere in 2003, and I guess even if core had enough time to finish the game properly, the game would still be bad, compared to immortal classics. The infamous controls are just awfull and make the whole gameplay a suffering experience. Combat is hideous, level design constantly makes you think whether its a glitch or you can't really find where to go next. Storytelling and the whole plot is kind of just funny, cutscenes are just cheesy with this voice acting. I can't find any good thing in the game that I really enjoyed, apart from the fact that I feld stronger now that I have finally finished this unpleasant abomination.
Thnak you so much, I really appreciate it! Hah, yeah, maybe. I actually thought about that myself, while writing the script "am I being too soft on this game?", but the thing is... I enjoy The Angel of Darkness. Unlike certain other games in the series. Nothing touches the classics, I agree with that, but I do think there's a lot of stuff to like in this game, in spite of it all.
@@AxMania I know Core wanted to try out other genres and gameplay mechanics, but I think that the gameplay of classic TR, along with its blocky level design is simply a golden formula of exellent intuitively understandable gamedesign and gameplay experience, and I would have liked TR:AOD game much more, if it would have utilized the old TR engine. I mean, come on, we love TR for its amazing acrobatics, levels, traps and occasionally, even combat. And unfortunately none of that was implemented into AOD. Anyway, desperately waiting for more videos from you, mate ! They are super enjoyable.
I will say it right here right now: This game is actually really great. From a story standpoint its great. And yes the levels where you control Kurtis are kinda weird (dunno how else to put it) but they're just as much fun.
Yeah, I agree. It's an enjoyable game that's easy to like, if you can get past its limitations that is.
The fandom's obsession with AoD was very interesting to watch. The game was objectively bad but there were some people who were dissecting and exploring it like it was an actual ancient artifact. I can see how parts of it were so intriguing but personally I never made it through to the end. I think I made it to Boaz on PS2 and that's it. The game was just too broken for me
Yeah, it really is. The Angel of Darkness has a life on it's own in the fan community. I'm not quite as fond of it, but I do like it, in spite of how broken it is in some ways, as you point out.
If they hadn't rushed this game to coincide with the 2nd movies release this could've been amazing
Yeah, I agree.
In Von Croy's appartment is a interesting glitch. There are a few pistol clips but if you pick up specific one as the first one (that one on the right near the window), it won't disappear so you can pick it up as many times as you want. You can get so much ammo this way. But when you pick anything else first, this glitch won't work.
Oh, really!? Haha, I wish I had known that!
I think Louvres Storm drains play kinda like Poseïdon's Temple in Last Revelation : Think of this you need to fill the hole with water. And instead of using valves she need to collect the four tridents. 😁
Ah yes, I can see that.
Still my favourite TR. Yes the controls were messy and graphics were incoherent but the storyline and atmosphere (soundtrack especially) were unmatched. Thank you for reviewing!
I agree completely, the story is really good and the game has great atmosphere! I actually also really like the graphics in the game.
This game is a buggy mess, but it has something .. I'm thinking if it was a 2023 game, it could be patched and really be good
I remember this game getting a great review in the gaming magazine I liked at the time, so being a veteran of the first series, I was excited.
I gave up completely at the obscura painting ghost boss. I could not figure out what I was supposed to do and just lost interest.
Watching this I am remembering the bad times. I never could come to terms with the poor movement.
Yeah, that boss fight against the ghost is a true low point in the game. It's a great example of a moment in the game where it just doesn't feel properly designed, or finished even.
As much as I despise this game, it does make me sad knowing about all of the potential things this game planned to have. I hope a remake is made (whether fanmade or official) because AOD definitely needs it! Merry Christmas 😊
I agree completely. This is the one Tomb Raider game that would benefit greatly from a remake, instead of a remaster. Thank you so much, I really appreciate it. (belated) Merry Christmas to you too!
everyone hates TAOD but it was one of my favs after tomb raider classic games😢
I certainly don't hate it, I'm actually very fond of it, but it does have some issues unfortunately 😞
"I'm not strong enough" to accept that a AOD will never get a remake dlc at least.
Maybe im sharing old news but the lack luster Eckhart boss level was supposed to be like nightmare on elm street where he'll try to kill her.
Haha! Yeah, but these days, you never know. I've seen the strangest obscure little classics getting remasters and remakes, so it might happen 🤞
Okay, that actually sounds really cool! I wish the level would've been like that 😃
I can't remember what level I got stuck on but I know for a fact as much as people hate this game I enjoyed it. I remember my dad getting me this game along with the guide for my birthday one year.
Yeah, it's flawed, but there's a good game in there.
I never did finish this game back when it came out. I've thought about trying again in recent years but the footage I've seen just doesn't grab me. Even her running looks somehow slow and boring.
Yeah, her running really is annoyingly sluggish 😫
I remember getting so frustrated trying to figure out how to play this game that even picking it back up was infuriating as it was when I played it as a child. The random slowness throughout the game and the constant clipping through platforms still annoys me to this day
Oh yeah, it's such a shame. There's so much potential in this game.
i remember when i was a kid i got the unlucky softlock in aquatic research facility where i somehow missed one of those level up checks, and didn't have enough stamina to do the pipe climbing sequence :/
Oh crap, that really sucks! 😕
I will alwahs defend this game even if its extremely hated very broken its still an amazing game
Yeah, I like the game a lot as well. It has flaws, sure, but it also has a lot of heart.
I honestly never hated AoD, i just felt more disappointed that we never got to see its full potential, if we get a remaster of 4 and 5 I hope they revisit AoD and give it some love too, tho id love to see them continue from where Core design left off, which i know wont happen but a guy can dream lol
Yeah, agreed.
This game should’ve been called “Tomb Raider the angle of the kleptomaniac!” 😂🙌🏻
Haha, yes! 😂 Lara's just out of control in this game.
@@AxMania I can understand Tombs, but she’s literally robbing things that are unnecessary left and right! 😂
Janice the.. street walker 😂
I wonder if this uses the name engine as Dreamfall: Chapters. The way Lara runs, the graphics, the sets and gameplay are really similar.
Damn that's interesting. AoD is like an amalgamation of assets from other games. You may be right.
I don't know what that is, but I want to look it up on TH-cam now 😮
Angel of darkness is my favorite 1
It's a great and very underrated game.
I really like lara crofts design in call of duty it would be cool if she has that design in the next tomb raider game wish i bought the bundle so i can play as her back when she got added to modern warfare 2
I also like it, but I personally think her face is too different from how we know classic Lara. She's not really recognizable as Lara, I don't think, besides the iconic outfit.
Would you do a tomb raider iceberg a TH-camr seth McKenzie did one but maybe you could do your own take on one
I don't think I would have much to add to Seth's (fantastic) iceberg video, but I'll consider it. Thank you for the suggestion!
Angel of darkness needs just better gameplay, control and camera
Yeah, agreed.
Does this game have any actual tomb or just modern day locations ?
It's mostly modern locations, but it does have a few classic Tomb Raideresque locations, like the Hall of Seasons and its sub-levels.
I didn't see the Proto-Nephilim like a baboon. For me it looks more like a giant rat
Haha, no matter what, it doesn't quite live up to the fear and horror that surrounds it 😅
as i see laras attitude in the game again im like "literally me" i did always kinda get why she is so sick and tired of everyone and everything lmaooo but then she also makes mistakes that kurtis tries to fix, its so funny to me i love it
Haha yeah, her attitude is so different in this game. She has absolutely no tolerance for anyone's BS - or just talking in general, poor Luddick.
@@AxMania i might be alone with that but i get why she is like this, people need to look into the storyline