Angels brought me here

I've been away from my blog for a week because I've been in that horrible place known as the outside world hiking in the Tasmanian wilderness. Thus I haven't had much time to play games but now normal business can be resumed

It’s been stated before in this blog that I’ve not played any of the Tomb Raider games. It’s true: They never really grabbed my interest and the mass exposure didn’t help: Indeed, there was a time where Lara Croft’s mug was everywhere to the point when I just got sick and tired of her. Of course such a stance isn’t the brightest of moves but I’ve personally maintained that there is often great clarity to be had being on the outside looking in.

But you can only stick your head in the sand for so long. I may have said some nasty things about Lara but it was kinda stupid to do so seeing I’ve never played any Tomb Raider. Needless to day I’d painted myself into a corner and needed to get out – solution? Shut up and play a Tomb Raider game.

So it may come to a surprise to some of you that I’ve actually had a Tomb Raider game lying around in my collection for a number of years. How long it’s been there I don’t know but I know how it came into my hands: I made an order with Australian game store The Gamesmen and, for some reason, Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness came with it. I’m not sure why this so - Maybe they thought me a loyal customer? But whatever: I’m certainly not one to pass up a freebie.
So whilst Angel of Darkness may not have been my choice of game, I had heard a little of it beforehand – namely that it’s now recognised as being one of Lara’s lesser moments. In addition, Angel of Darkness was notable for introducing the playable character of Kurtis Trent who was obviously made out to be a male counterpart to Lara – although the fact that the character hasn’t been seen since speaks volumes at the effectiveness of such a move (maybe he changed his name to Nathan Drake and relocated to a different game? I don’t know).



So far, playing Angel of Darkness hasn’t gotten off to a good start. As this is the PC version I’m using, I’ve found using a keyboard awkward and the controls rather stiff and anything but engaging. And Lara herself moves with an odd lack of urgency: At one point she needs to escape a building that’s being filled with gas but she does so strolling casually around – as opposed to say, oh I don’t know, running?! I mean I did use the sprint button but it didn’t seem to last long and it did trigger a bleeping noise – as if the game resented me for doing so.
And I’m being reminded why I’m not too keen on 3d plat formers: Most often than not, they usually involve a sequence of acrobatic flips that the player must perform correctly – should the player fail to do so, they will need to perform the sequence all over again. I hate it when games make me do that – it takes one slip up and bam! You’re back where you started facing the dictating demands of a game that doesn’t seem to like you. Hey at least Prince of Persia Sands of Time had the saving grace of the rewind time feature but, alas and alack, such sequences seem to be the lifeblood of the Tomb Raider games.

But what is particularly interesting is that, more than any other game I’ve played, I’ve found playing Angel of Darkness a battle of wits. This is a game I’ve picked up with reluctance and, as such, the expectations are high. This is not a game I’m prepared to love and therefore it had better pull something off something tremendous to win me over. So far I'm not getting that vibe: Aside form the terrible controls and troublesome platforming sections, I’ve found Lara uninteresting and have pointed and laughed whenever she’s died.
Yet somehow, I’m not prepared to quit playing Angel of Darkness. Whilst there have been times when I’ve come close to chucking in the towel, something happens that pulls me back into the action. Despite the awkward nature of the controls, I’m somehow growing accustomed to them. And even when I ground my teeth at the platforming sections, I somehow win over them and keep going into the game. Thus it would seem that whereas I’m coming into the game with reluctance, it however won’t go without a fight.

So in the end, the stage is set for an ultimate battle of wits.
Who’s going to win, the game or the player? Stay tuned…