Excavating Tomb Raider The Angel of Darkness

[@DionCutajar]

TRAOD is so underrated. Even with all its flaws, it is still one of my fondest gaming experiences, even after 17 years. I'd take a proper remake of this game over the reboot trilogy, any day.

[@teacupalice]

I tried to play it, I had to give up unfortunately because it was unplayable for me

[@michaelotis223]

I will defend this flawed masterpiece till my death!

[@polarmisc9416]

Love the reboot, but also love TRAOD. Both of these games are good, imo. What hurts though is the fact that TRAOD could be EVEN better then it is now, it would definitely be.

[@Melissa.Garrett]

@@teacupalice Do you have Sasho’s controls patch installed? It makes quite a bit of difference to the playability, IMO.

[@angelfmf]

People only talk about its flaws what about the upgrades which are clearly and literaly visible? I played it more than 10 times probably and always in some diferent way which this game allows you to do. And i loved it, still do*

[@zach.0]

This video made me appreciate this game more than I ever did before. So much work went into it that I never paid attention to.

[@Raidercast]

I think I only scratched the surface, too!

[@SerhanApaydn]

AOD has become a tomb itself, and thank you so much for raiding it this way! All those details look amazing and make me sad just like you. I think I'm still living in 2003. Can't get over it.

[@Raidercast]

Ahh I love the way you put that.

[@BASEnutter2105]

It's really cool to see people still enjoying AOD. It makes me so sad that the game fell on so many levels, because I loved the Nephilim Mythology, and I loved the darker exploration of Lara and Von Croys....frenemyship, and like you say - there are so many cool details in the game. The Nephilim story is so unique I think. Thank you for this long look at it!

[@Raidercast]

Glad you enjoyed it! :)

[@laracroftvideos]

The sheer amount of meticulous care & attention to detail that went into Angel of Darkness will never cease to amaze me. This game was a labour of love and that's why it breaks my heart so much to know Core Design will never get their justice. I just know this game would've been one of the most iconic PlayStation 2 games if they were given enough time to finish it. The game has it all... intricate & mysterious story (I LOVE the alchemy theme), fun characters, interesting locations, outstanding music, and atmosphere that's so great it rivals many games of today. Even in its buggy unfinished state, it's always fun to revisit and discover new things about it.

[@Raidercast]

Preach. Absolutely!!

[@makesparkzfly]

You are on every Angel of Darkness video I watch! Love it

[@laracroftvideos]

Shadow Is A Bop haha 🤣 I’m on a trip down the memory lane, I suppose. I’ve been replaying all of the classic TRs and rediscovering all that magic which lead me on KZbin and now I’m sharing my musings 😅😂😂

[@michaelotis223]

@@laracroftvideos you speak for us all!

[@LC-gy5lg]

I thought I was the only one who just stops and stares at the gorgeous lighting. 😅 The amount of intricate details the developers created is remarkable to this day! My favourite TR😍

[@Raidercast]

Absolutely not alone! I still do it to this day with every new game I play!

[@lionocyborg6030]

There's even the lava and heat effects too in later levels. Kurtis's character as well. It's a shame there's not enough snow levels, adventure field stuff (a lot of it was cut like Lara first meeting Karel, and the gym instructor's watch being part of a bigger sidequest), no secrets and not enough swimming and/or rural non-tomb climbing places. Every time I see The Monstrum Crimescene and its snow effects restored from the PS2 version, I think of post Christmas December and early January, as I binge played TRAOD and Anniversary (before I went off the latter in favour of the cancelled TR10AE) a lot around that time in 2007/2008, incidentally soon after I first beat Angel of Darkness.

[@stubi1103]

I love AOD and at the moment I am speechless. I have never seen these wonderful loving details. AOD was only the first part of the trilogy, it is so sad that we all will never see the other parts across Europe again. Core Design in Derby England was a uniquely good team with a special handwriting for his works, I miss Core Design so much !!!! Thank you for this contribution and greetings from Germany ..... Thumbs up and subscribed!

[@katestone7929]

One of my most favourite TR games, doesn't matter if haters are gonna hate :)))

[@Raidercast]

It's such a special game!

[@sonnygun2201]

I live in Paris and I can tell you : The Parisien Streets is one of my favorite levels of all. The atmosphere is outstanding.

[@sonnygun2201]

I used to listen to Angel of Darkness Soundtrack every time when I pass by Musée du Louvre.

[@hausofMar]

58:50 just SENT me lol.... great video

[@hausofMar]

1:02:40 ah who am i kidding i'd love a doorway like that lmfaaaaaao

[@rbguerreiro2466]

I love that all the designs are based on late 19th and early 20th century, even the "modern" places, laboratories and houses you visit. The only exception is the serpent rouge, but even the garage there looks vintage.

[@Raidercast]

It just grounds it, doesn't it? Makes everything seem lived in / real.

[@crazyduplicate]

If only the source code could be leaked so we could mod the game into what it was always meant to be.

[@Raidercast]

The dream. I wish it could be done!

[@lionocyborg6030]

They should also do the same for Tomb Raider: 10th Anniversary Edition also by Core; the Tomb Raider counterpart to Duke Nukem Forever 2001. Hell, Free Running whose engine it used is now on Steam so working off that game, TR10AE could even be fully reverse engineered Chocolate Strife style.

[@click4dylan2]

The PDB symbols containing all function names and all global variable names are available in the PC version. If someone actually took the time the entire game could be rebuilt back into C++ code. It would be a massive undertaking as structs would need to be reversed, but it is absolutely doable. Just look at REHLDS and the classic tomb raider games. I actually took a look at the code they use for controlling lara and they literally built the entire movement scheme around the animatons. Instead of basing the animations around the controls, they based the controls around the animations, which is a HUGE NO. It could have worked if they added some blending or cancellation of the controls like the classics. But they didn't. And this is the sole reason the controls are so bad. For example, when jumping, it must play the entire jump sequence, then play the hit ground sequence, and only then after every frame of animation is complete can you actually start to move again. They could have blended these so that if you are trying to move while it is playing the land animation, it will speed up the land animation or play a quicker version of it

[@anthonyguiness9]

@@click4dylan2 Hopefully someone can do it. Unfortunately the controls are another victim of Core's lack of development time. I heard that the controls were one of the last things to be put in the game and weren't properly tested which explains a lot.

[@807D14M0ND5]

AOD Lara just looks so freaking cool. I can't wait till Gaming Heads shows off their AoD statue.

[@tragiclantern]

I wish they'd been allowed to finish AoD; it was such a fantastic game even 80% polished. I didn't want to like Curtis but I ended up enjoying the extra dynamic he brought. The bio-reasearch facility was a great series of levels; the nephilim were a great enemy; and the ending with Curtis's magic frisbee leading Lara off into the darkness... Just phenomenal. Even the new Tomb Raider trilogy doesn't touch it. Ah well, at least we've got TR: Reloaded to look forward to. Oh, wait...

[@corentinguillo5577]

Core design was incredibly good with colored lighting!

[@Raidercast]

Weren't they?? Just awesome.

[@ShinyQuasarDragon]

This video is absolutely lovely. Showing the details of each level and especially how impressive it looks for a game that was rushed, it just outstanding. Thanks for this video, man.

[@Raidercast]

Thanks for saying so! Glad you enjoyed it. :)

[@rbguerreiro2466]

The game wasn't rushed. They had 4 years of development, and multiple delayes to the release date. It was simply a messy development. Still one of my fav trs

[@chasondunford3779]

How did I never notice the blood on the road in the ghetto!?

[@diamantisxiii]

The lighting changed a lot in game, especially on console I believe, and when you get to that corner, most times it had changed, it looks darker, not even close to blood color, if I remember correctly

[@takaraito9385]

YAAS!! Another person that appreciates the hauntingly beautiful architecture and atmosphere of TR:AoD ☺️

[@Itsmeyourdad666]

The graphics were amazing. All the detail and atmosphere was so mindblowing. I loved the story line, and this could have been so much better if they didnt rush it

[@Raidercast]

I wish they didn't have to rush it, and had a bigger team to realise the whole game properly.

[@stumpmtsr]

AOD was my very first Tomb Raider game. I've been a fan ever since.

[@fantasticfour1999]

This was absolutely fantastic. Thank you for making it!

[@Raidercast]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@bellonasservant4496]

Great Video, always nice to see people actually looking at Games and appreciate them as the art they are. AoD is one of my favourite TR Games. Even thou i played it the very first time in 2017, so i have no Nostalgia about it. Despite its age, its aesthetics and feeling immediately amazed me. To bad that most people cant see beyond technical realism in graphics.

[@margoschkina]

I wish we could get some kind of remake or continuation of this game in the future, or at least in our lifetime. Now I feel even more sad, considering how much effort they put in the game and what feedback they received for it. Eh, after all we got Legend and stuff. So, I suppose, that’s a good thing?... Incredible job, by the way. You made me feel those bittersweet nostalgia vibes

[@Raidercast]

I would so love to play more in this world. It's so well crafted that it really feels like a living breathing place.

[@lionocyborg6030]

The fan remake TRAOD 1.5 appears to be getting a demo soon, if the latest development update video "this door is locked" is anything to go by.

[@goddessinyou654]

The game isn’t good. No remake can redeem it. Unless we get the control of TR Legend, no dialogue options and no Kurtis.

[@luigi-1545]

Thank you for the AOD love! This game wasn't only underrated but extremely hated and shat on by none other than the mere fans! While it isn't perfect we must acknowledge that a lot of work and dedication went into it, even if we didn't get half of the game we were promised. I like your attituted and general positiveness.

[@frogradar]

the best part of AoD are for sure the Tomb of the Anicents sections. The areas are just stunning to look at and it has such a classic TR vibe.

[@ErikUnrated]

Despite all the bugs, glitches and crashes, I was obsessed with this game and the exploration ! Some of the levels were so beautifully done and my younger brain nearly exploded when I first entered The Hall Of Seasons ! LoL. I’m so glad you made this video so I was able to see so many things I never noticed or could see before ! Thank you.

[@Raidercast]

💕

[@brandonmoore2237]

This is so fantastic, Chris! I love your excitement over the small but wonderful details that the developers put into Angel of Darkness. I've always been like that as well, so seeing you geek out over them reminds me of myself! I've always been in awe of this game, particularly the storytelling, but I'm ashamed to say that I never truly appreciated the breathtaking amount of work that must have gone into making the game. This is such a nice feel-good video...just someone deeply appreciating the work and creativity of others. I love that. And it's a brilliantly edited video as well! :)

[@Raidercast]

Ahh thank you Brandon.

[@brandonmoore2237]

@@Raidercast You're welcome! I had no idea this camera patch existed but I'm so happy you took the time to take us on this wonderful journey through the game!

[@TheWhiteLord94]

facing the cam... "this just makes me happy" so pure! oh my gawd this is so pure! It was just total joy to watch this! Thanks.

[@MrArcheaologist04]

Had this game been fully developed and polished it would probably have been my favorite of the series. Can you imagine this game fully realized in Unreal Engine 5 ?? 😭

[@Potkanka]

So that really was cool, and a great idea to make! I just hope all those rooms and details we don't actually get to see in the game aren't just a result of the lack of proper communication in the team (as was apparently a problem), so that they didn't even know what the player would see and what not. Also the idea with Limoux and Vasiley beign the two founding families? I mean I thought it would all those mentioned in the room with the statues, but if it was just the two, just imagine Mathias Vasiley of all people being blamed for betraying the Lux Veritatis! That must've been quite a hit to LV morale! (I mean he was wrongly accused, but they believed it.) Also Limoux? Fun fact from Murti's notes: Karel's pseudonym in 1300s and 1400s was Régis Limoux. I have a theory that maybe Karel infiltrated LV at some point, maybe posing as a distant relative of one of the founding families? He sure would have some powers to show off...

[@Raidercast]

Potkanka STOP BLOWING MY MIND OMG, that Limoux-Karel suggestion?? Whoa!

[@Potkanka]

@@Raidercast Haha and that was actually Terenete and her AoD streams which made me look through some notes again and realize the potential connection. That would be quite something, right? Oh one more note I forgot previously - the crows are Putai, or Putai looking through them or something like that. Basically they're a sign that Putai is still watching over Lara. I can't remember where I got that one from, but I'm quite sure about this one...

[@gonzalohdez6294]

So nice to see youy appreciate the game this way and so weardly calm this video is. I didn't know i would enjoy this kind of vid that much but i love it. Just see you wandering around enjoying the little design details that no one sees, and i love how you give it it's value. People doesn't give importance to things they don't see but I've always thought the devil is in the details. This game took a lot of risks for it's time but still had that classic vibe in the saga.

[@thea4628]

Great video! AoD is still one of my fav tomb raider games, so glad to come across your channel!

[@Raidercast]

Welcome aboard! AoD is a diamond in the rough, and it'll always be close to my heart.

[@lionocyborg6030]

In the Sanctuary of the Flame, you know how the main lava pool is black but turns its normal red color when the streamlets from the snakes touch it? Falling into the pool a certain way puts the camera under the surface and shows that the normal lava surface is still there under the black part. I recently interpreted that as the black surface being a thin, fragile crust over the lava (the fragile part is to explain how Lara can fall through it) like a swimming pool cover, which gets burned away by the lava streams from the snake taps, revealing the hot liquid stone underneath.

[@NGC-253]

Thank you for this fantastic video, took me back a decade ago, I really loved this game's imagery and the way it mixed mystery and gothic horror. My favorite Tomb Raider, by far.

[@bkrage85]

Discovering your channel has been the best late Christmas gift ever. Keep up the great work!

[@DinosaurBytes]

I've just stumbled across your videos today, I love the eye you have for all these little details. It's precisely this kind of fan passion that makes game development worth all the effort!

[@Raidercast]

This is awesome to read, I'm so glad you enjoyed it that much!

[@aleksandarpetkovic8739]

He is just so adorable when he immerses himself in the game :D That's why I like his videos.

[@Raidercast]

Thanks Aleksandar!

[@aleksandarpetkovic8739]

@@Raidercast You're welcome! Keep up the good work! :D

[@patrikpatriksson]

Loved this walkthrough, that its without an avatar and you take the time to show details.

[@naxheel]

54:19 this is the highest point of the video. The way you describe AoD environments is so pleasant. Finally I see a different game!

[@JamieEvetts]

I’ve just discovered your channel, and wow, my lockdown just got a bit better! Love these kind of deep dives into games, especially when it’s got Lara!!!

[@MileyFanBtr]

This is my favourite tomb raider part! The story line was incredible

[@MarioG02]

Its so nice to see someone with passion about graphics and small details ☺️

[@Thomsilent]

Completely falled in love with your content and personality, thank you so much for making this and giving us the possibility to get more details of this universe that we're obsessed about.

[@Raidercast]

Ahh thanks Thom 🤗 Glad you’re enjoying!

[@lionocyborg6030]

Going off the Atlantean/Nephillim comment I made here too, the sword in Vasiley's vault could be a prototype of what I call the Periapt Swords I.e. the ones in Legend like Excalibur. The original Sword in the Stone is also a prototype, going by how Pellinore actually breaks it and the swords are designed to be dismantled, but are otherwise indestructible. The shards are just Lux Veritatis built dagger versions of the same Nephillim weapon. Presumably their energy/light waves are portable versions of a Halo ring's neutrino pulse cannon (the rings' "anti-life weapon") from that game. The portals triggered by the Periapt swords could be the basis of the Yggdrasil myth: a "world tree" of linked teleporters between major Nephillim sites. Presumably the Atlantis and TRAOD location portals were destroyed, like King Arthur's one was when you see it in his tomb.

[@user-zo4un1rs2t]

Loved this video, great work. It was great seeing all the hidden details. I also loved the use of FF8 'Maybe I'm a Lion' with the close up on Eckhart's lion logo, was a very nice touch. 😁

[@Raidercast]

I'm so glad someone noticed!! :D

[@MattDurand96]

Again the potential of this game and attention to detail is incredible. The amount of bits they didn't have to do but did (reflection of actual building behind where a windows placed looking into a shop), I had noticed when other games didn't do the same effort. The way this game plays, it was like a prototype to what a lot of games take for granted (the personalised character interactions for example). I had to replay the ghetto levels, I never realised the blood stains before, another gruesome but extra detail that solidifies the disturbing feeling you get going through these empty streets, it's beacuse you're walking through a current murder scene that authorities are too scared to manage.

[@CrystalMaiden28]

I have the same feelings as you about this game. It would be wonderful to see it finished, the way the creators wanted it to be. Thank you for this video.

[@c4ketown675]

Aod was probably the most fun, aside from the "i feel stronger now" and the slow jog to a light run..i couldnt defeat dr boaz. Although the cafe owner in my game didnt have a face. Just eyes 😶 lol it had so much potential.

[@Raidercast]

That's terrifying!!

[@derekg7853]

37:00 That painting is definitely Buffalo Bill and nobody can tell me otherwise 😂

[@kameliyaminkova7333]

Great vid! Hope the art team that worked on AOD sees this and their work appreciated like that!

[@Tiarnana]

Been listening to the podcasts and starting on your videos now. I’m obsessed with your passion for TR especially the minute details and I was probably naive thinking no one else noticed but these videos are like ASMR to me 😂 would love to be part of the community you mention in the pods but I’m not very forum savvy and wouldn’t know where to start. I have so much to discuss about it! I keep my nerdiness to the minimum (for my partners sake) but he still has to listen about all my venting about TR thoughts ideas and conspiracies, eye rolls and all. Keep up all the content! Omg Danny DeVito I love your work! 👍🏻

[@Raidercast]

I'd recommend twitter! I avoid forums as much as possible, but 99% of TR fans on Twitter come without drama experienced on forums. Just start chatting about #TombRaider and see who joins in!

[@lionocyborg6030]

Looking at the Sleeper at the end, maybe the extraterrestrial bit is true: Nephillim could be crossbreeds between humans and the Makyr species from Doom. The myth says they are the children of angels and humans, I've seen angels as adolescent minor gods (as in the species) so they could be demigods made when humans mated with an advanced alien species I.e. the Makyrs. Horus, Set, Bast etc. are Makyrs themselves as seen in TR4.

[@wlfi2135]

As a French guy I feel bad for the guardian who just say « don’t move » in French they just do their jobs poor guy... XD

[@torment4723]

5:16 uhh... no, the only difference is you see less of the raindrop hitting the ground animation because the lower part of the sprite is compenetrated into the terrain portion...

[@lionocyborg6030]

The bit about Werner's Dr Moreau books can also apply to Natla: The sequels to TR6 (according to the book 20 years of Tomb Raider) would have not only brought Natla back like Underworld later ended up doing, but also revealed that the Nephilim and Atlanteans were one and the same. Natla started experimenting and using the Atlantean pyramid to create mutants, probably to find a new breed of Nephilim to survive the comet impact and IRL supervolcano eruption on Atlantis aka modern Santorini that destroyed the continent. ("They're survivalists! A new generation!") When Natla is freed in the present day, she decides that humans haven't had decent evolution, so she decides to find and use the same pyramid which is now buried inside Nea Kameni peak to breed an army of mutants and sic them on humanity in order to force humans to evolve via natural selection. ("Shipping out fresh meat will incite territorial rages again. Will strengthen and advance us, even create new breeds. ...those runts Qualopec and Tihocan had no idea. The cataclysm of Atlantis struck a race of langoring whimps. Plummeted them to the very basics of survival again. It shouldn't happen like that.") Maybe after Atlantis was destroyed, the "langoring whimps" that were humanity forgot that the Nephillim on Atlantis were allies, got scared of them, saw them as demonic sorcerers and hunted them to near extinction out of racism, forcing them to rely on a mad scientist I.e. Eckhardt just to get their numbers back up again. Bearing that in mind, it really paints the Lux Vertitatis in a new "light of truth".

[@Raidercast]

Lion O Cyborg this is great!

[@lionocyborg6030]

@@Raidercast Thank you. :) Another interesting point is that according to the _real_ TR1 remake i.e. the Core one, Natla's Mines was retconned as a Nazi excavation site during World War 2 (possibly influenced by either Trinity or the Cabal, according to Bouchard's comments about their activity?) presumably so the Nazis could weaponise the pyramid and its contents, like they did the Spear of Destiny in both TR5 & the id Universe, the Ark of the Covenant in Indiana Jones and a certain other alien pyramid in Bungie's Wolfenstein clone RPG, Pathways into Darkness. www.tomb-of-ash.com/natlas-mines-maya-screenshots-of-natlas-mines-a-2/#&gid=1&pid=5 The mines were abandoned for some reason or another with all the flags, crates and equipment left in place. All Natla did was merely reopen the outpost after the war and bring in her own tools as well. I would love if the AOD sequels get made, we find out that Trinity was an offshoot of the Cabal like the Lux Veritatis was to the Templars, with the German excavation of Nea Kameni being either Cabal or Trinity activity to source Nephillim machines i.e. used to make Eckhardt and/or Karel's job easier.

[@stuartgough1872]

Watched this the other evening and it reminds me how of Angel of Darkness just breaks my heart. It has a cinematic edge leaning into gothic overtures, gorgeous setpieces and the foundations for nailbiting drama - so upsetting the clunky control system makes the game near unplayable. This could have been such a landmark title for the franchise, taking it in a whole new elevated direction.

[@stevanvlaski]

no matter what people say about this game, this is one of the TR games I enjoyed the most. I remember when it came out the level of marketing they had was massive. When I finally got my hands on it I was so impressed by the graphics, the shadows, the water effects, and the overall aesthetics that nothing else mattered. I have to just say I was very disappointed when I figured I can't use the dual pistols. 😭

[@stumpmtsr]

Thanks for your time doing this for us. I've been following you for many years and have always enjoyed your content.

[@Raidercast]

Thanks so much for your comments, I'm so glad you're still enjoying my videos!

[@SteveOfWarr]

"What it ISN'T: A high-octane, fast-paced, and comedic look at AOD." - Guess that's kinda where I come in then huh -_^

[@Raidercast]

Steve Of Warr Well i mean I was more nodding at the Talkthrough last week, but why not both! 😅

[@lionocyborg6030]

In the biodome, it would be interesting to know how the pitcher plants were meant to function: in the final game they eject spores, but they do nothing, at least on PC anyway. Also, the plant/human hybrid mutant is something I want to have remade in 2.5D sprite form as a boss in a mod for Marathon I wanted to make, but I don't know the first thing about proper coding or modelling, plus Aleph One's editors like Weland are notoriously user hostile, as are some of their creators.

[@RuusRoom]

Lovely!!!!!!!!

[@asafeplace4684]

love this! Parisian levels are my fav for atmosphere :)

[@michaellennon13]

Thank you so much for this! I knew there were people out there that wouldn't criticize for AoD being my no3 on my personal ranking 🤣 I definitely believe music arrangement in this is just beyond expectations! A soundtrack that could easily stand next to blockbuster movie's ost. A storyline that's catchy and fully detailed. But everyone gets stuck on how buggy game it was. Or others don't like it just because it was the very first dramatic change in Lara's look. If only Core had a month or two more...

[@SethMcKenzieTV]

AoD is my comfort game

[@LJGrindewald]

The winged horned statue looks like Maleficent a bit 😀

[@Raidercast]

Oh nice! Yeah, similar horns!

[@LJGrindewald]

@@Raidercast Yh 😁..I love the detail of this game. So many ps2 games that look amazing and ahead of their time but look poor quality on ps2 today. I see games I used go play using emulation and they look almost new.

[@SDjilliaRE]

lol I like the clever choice in Final Fantasy music per location.

[@seanjones3746]

I never played TRAOD but I have seen loads of KZbin Vids and Lara looks fantastic in this film. In fact the Graphics in general for 2003 are really Good. Also the acting and the Character development of Lara as well as the characterasion of Lara in general was really Good. The story was interestingly different but really Rich and deep for a Tomb Raider Game. Although the script needed work as did the Gameplay. AzraelKhan did you know that one of the Voice over Actresses wrote a Novelisation of TRAOD. There is a Vid on KZbin that is an Audiobook version read by her. Its really Good.

[@larahensinghlyc3641]

Hello, just wanted to say you make me want to play this again. Wasn't a big fan when it came out, I think it was mostly the controls which I thought were neither fish nor fowl. But it was very atmospheric. I also wonder if you play TRLE games, aka fan made levels. Some of them are really outstanding in the way they capture the essence of Tomb Raider. I think it is a feeling, really: being alone, relying only on one's skills and wits; exploring, not being led; not giving up when stuck and when it would be easier to consult the walkthrough. The thought 'this can't get more challenging, are you kidding', just to find that it actually can, and the feeling after overcoming that challenge. Persistence. Being allowed a glimpse of something precious and not knowing how on earth to get there, but deciding to find a way nevertheless. The globetrotting and various settings. Ancient cultures and mythologies coming to life, literally - or the opposite, getting a glimpse of secret, futuristic technology. The beauty and grandeur of lonely, long forgotten sites and the respect for ancient and very deadly traps. Sassy speeches, humour, drama, mystery. I could go on. The biggest mistake that can be made is to make Tomb Raider so easy that you never pause to explore the hopefully lovingly designed areas full of detail. Rushed through it, it felt like flying, thanks, next. This game shouldn't be fast food...but when all the right elements come together, one gets this tomb raider feeling (which sprung from, and I personally will always associate with, TR II). Thanks for all that you do. And PS: Love that you wore a Twin Peaks T-shirt in one of the shots!

[@latoya9741]

STILL TO THIS DAY THIS IS MY FAVORITE TOMB RAIDER GAME.

[@Raidercast]

It's one hell of a game!

[@luboss0008]

1:04:53 that was not Hybrid its Nephilim retrieved by Cabal from subterranean city of central Cappadocia in Turkey and cabal use him for all that experiments what we see in game but they final game was use this one for revive the Nephilim race

[@JMTM]

This was amazing! Thanks!

[@Raidercast]

Thanks for watching!

[@leonardodelima5015]

Sure they spent a lot of time on details, making the game look amazing and very satisfying to play, but also that's may be the main reason why the game got delayed and turned out unfinished. I wish they have spent more effort on Lara's control , which is the main weak point of the game, she its not as agile and versatile , I mean, Lara cannot shoot while back flick or side flip, that's frustrating. But I really like this game after all, maybe my favorite TR

[@RealFooking]

The kid at 10:02 somewhat reminds me of Charlie from the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 18:10 I always thought he was attacked with a plastic bomb (makes no sense) and that the stuff covering him is molten plastic that fused with his skin.

[@tedflanagan59]

Despite all the glitches ( I only encountered one as far as I know) absolutely loved this game

[@Raidercast]

🤗

[@petermcgarrymusicandflying]

Makes me want to revisit

[@Raidercast]

Do it! Take your time with it and enjoy the whole vibe 😊

[@Tismeabbie]

I too love von croys apartment. So stunning architecturally. Rent in Paris probably extortionate 😂 ps the eckhart’s lab was originally planned for in Germany levels that got cut. But explains why this and the vault of trophies are very Germanic in style. Ahhhh what could of been 😢

[@FreakRaider]

this is so cool!

[@frogradar]

One thing I never understood about the first level is that there are 2 tutorial levels in it... yet no matter how you look at it, they don't connect. Sure, you have that ONE door... but then you have 2 branching pathways that teach you completely different mechanics in the game. One route is the stealth route while the other is platforming. Both lead to the same zone, but at no point do they ever connect... could THIS be the reason that they never finished the 2nd one? because they made 2 disjointed tutorial levels with no way to bridge the two together?

[@Raidercast]

Good question! I'm not sure. But I think if I had to guess, they might have existed so players had the choice of which to take. Both styles of gameplay would have featured in the bigger game at that point of production, so I think it was trying to cater to all styles of gameplay.

[@DarioDarrow]

38:20 Does the mod fix this statue? on my version it’s facing the wrong way 🤔🤣

[@Raidercast]

Very interesting! I've honestly no idea.

[@NeoXtintioN]

Omg! Terrific level of details ♥️. Years ago I enjoyed the game but was not a full good experience mainly for the horrible controls. Now I see the true potential of AOD but looks like the project was not realistic. Just see how many rooms, animation and resources wasted cause were not used in the final version of the game. It’s clear that they were so ambitious and ran out of time so bad 😔

[@rgerber]

i also love rain over everthing!! I also especially like it in games 😍 its the reason i play Max Payne 2 so much

[@arbsan8366]

I always felt this game had such potential to be a great game. I just didn’t like how they took away Lara’s dual pistols and some of the controls were kinda choppy. But I loved the story and the option to even talk to some of the characters. I bet if they weren’t rushed to release the game it would have been much better

[@CreativeWM_Personal]

They had trouble getting dual targeting to work in AOD and scrapped it along with the dual pistols, the controls needed more work but they didn't have the time needed to make it work.

[@arbsan8366]

@@CreativeWM_Personal oh okay! Yeah I suspected because they didn’t have much time is the reason they game is the way it is.

[@LolaCroft]

I'm sorry, what is the notebook you are holding at some point and where can I get it?! This video made me so emotional by the way. Thank you so much.

[@bruhboomed6019]

I cant wait to watch it 🥺🥺

[@MacCekko]

Nice video, thank you! As said by other people, AOD is terribly underrated, although we all know it was 'half-a-game' really, since it was left almost unfinished since day 1. But still is a good game to be played nowadays (November 2024). A question, though: in light of the fact that a Remastered version of TR 4-5 and 6 (that would be the very Angel of Darkness game!) has been announced a few days ago (already pre-purchased it!! 😉), do you know anything about the possibility of using AOD SCU in the new remastered version? It would be great, while it would be a terrible loss, on my opinion, if they did not allow players to use it. Thank you for your attention. Ciao. :)

[@alx123094]

This is how my adhd ass paid tomb raider 😭😭😭 I just spend ages looking at the scenery

[@Streetrocker28]

Tomb Raider AOD was supposed to be the new Breath for the series , as the art style was clearly based on the letter art style from Angelina Jolie’s movies. AOD was a mess , but I loved the story and the rpg elements /dialog system /stealth , it needed more time ! But to be honest , if they would go back to that style , the old snarky Lara , with the gymnastics of legend , anniversary and underworld , combined with the survivor skills and the manor , it would be the ultimate Tomb Raider game … People also missed a lot of parallels with Tomb Raiders younger brother Hitman , both were published by eidos , and that’s actually something they wished to do but they had to much crunch . Lara in my own opinion should operate the same as as let’s say mr 47 , from her manor , taking jobs and expeditions travelling from country to country collecting artefacts , displaying them at home , this is why I really liked Tomb raider 3 .

[@joshuajackson4742]

I genuinely adored this game and didn’t understand the hate it got (but I was 10 😅). I’ve played it through about 10 times and can’t wait to play it again

[@Raidercast]

Great to hear! It deserves even more love!

[@joshuajackson4742]

@@Raidercast right! I wish we had a trilogy of aod:)

[@declaneccles3449]

Wow has tomb raider 10th anniversary edition really been when did that happen

[@RJLpt]

12:35 Typo. It's "Marché", not "Marche", usually American devs don't mind about accent details and anglo-saxonic keyboards don't come with the " ´, `, ^, ~, etc" parafarnalia.

[@Raidercast]

Nice spot! These were Brit devs, however.

[@lionocyborg6030]

We seriously need a level editor and other tools for both TRAOD and the cancelled TR10AE. The latter should never have been cancelled as it looked awesome, like TR1 crossed with TR4 & TRAOD both. Reading the design doc shows it would indeed have been awesome, plus it was for both PSP and PS2. (A PC enhanced version might have come later I guess) The Crystal Dynamics remake is a cut down, buggy, poorly written fanfiction.

[@the.sbstian]

I love TRAOD sooo much

[@Raidercast]

**High fives** Such an underrated gem of a game.

[@NotOrdinaryInGames]

My belief in extraterrestrial life aside, I still think """fallen angels""" could as well be ancient humans who had flying transport.

[@YunomiWraith]

As a curiosity, is there any way I could still get my hands on a physical copy of kurtis' journal?

[@Raidercast]

I'll find out for you!

[@Raidercast]

Out of luck I'm afraid. "We had quite a few for sale for a while but they all now gone. We only commissioned 100 of them. There's a limited stock of CDs, Vinyl, posters and sheet music books available on Peter's ebay and once that's gone we are not making more"

[@YunomiWraith]

@@Raidercast ah, thank you very much for checking for me! I suppose I’ll look into the other things or the digital copy instead.

[@felipe258929]

I love this renaissance that Angel Of Darkness is having lately. Too bad the game wasn't properly appreciated in the PS2 era

[@Raidercast]

Same! It's getting a lot of attention this year, which is great.

[@EDMINGREVIEWS]

4:05 those are not real time reflections. They are cube maps put on the buildings in order to optimize the game's performance so that PS4 could run it.

[@Raidercast]

Thanks for the terminology! Later on it became apparent that lots of reflections (especially in the 'green' room before the Hall of Seasons) were actually mirrored environments built underneath the area we play in. Really interesting to see how it was made!

[@EDMINGREVIEWS]

@@Raidercast Exacly. Until now, in demanding areas, developers have been placing cube maps which are basically huge photos of the environments they want to reflect, so everything becomes much more light, because instead of having the same thing being rendered twice, you only have a jpeg being turned around. Reflection are only seen in mirrors normally, and when there are cut scenes with mirrors, they tend to do some work around to be less demanding (like RE3 remake's first minutes). Only now, with the raytracing technology, we are seeing RT reflections done good.

[@RealFooking]

Are you going to do the same with Legend, Anniversary, Underworld, 2013, etc?

[@MissEvanescenceFan]

despite people's disappointment in AOD, I actually really enjoyed it and I'm sad core design didn't get to continue, crystal dynamic Lara Croft is too different for me

[@RaymondKarlVeasey75]

I Wonder What The Total Polygon Count For This Game Is? Astronomical I Imagine.

[@TomoBrooke]

Whats the music in your intro? Sounds very Tomb Raider lol