Dark Angael

Dark Angel
Developer(s)	Vicarious Visions
Publisher(s)	Vicarious Visions
Platform(s)	PC
Release	September 30, 1997
Genre(s)	2D Platform game (run-and-gun), action-adventure

Dark Angel is a 1997 PC video game by Vicarious Visions. It is a 2D run-and-gun shoot-'em-up fantasy action/adventure platform game with a mystical theme, released September 30, 1997. The game features voiceovers by Jessica Alba and Michael Weatherly.

Development

The game was the company's first original game, as Synnergist has been created on commission by British publisher 21st Century. The game has elaborate detail including lengthy scripts, a detailed storyline, original music, actor-spoken dialogue, video segments, and impressive graphics. Altogether, the game took up a space of as much as 100 million bytes of space, and cost $250,000 to produce in total. Guha Bala, President of Vicarious Visions, said "It's a thrill when you know you're working on something like that...[we] get a charge out of writing [gamed] that push the limits of technology".

The game went on sale at the company's Internet site during October 1997, and was also distributed electronically by gaming magazines. A French-language version of the game was created and published in various French-speaking nations such as France, French-speaking Africa, Belgium, Canada and Switzerland. According to Times Union, a German version was also set to debut February 1998. At the time of the game's release, Vicarious Visions had "seven full-time employees and squadron of contractors".

Plot

MobyGames explains "In this game you play as Carina, the Dark Angael. Thanks to Azrael the world has been plunged in total chaos and the end is near. It is up to you to defeat Azrael and his army of demons. Carina has to fend off the demon's with the various weapons she finds or she can rely on her superpowers. "

Gameplay

MobyGames explains "Carina can come into the possession of five super powers that increase her combat abilities. These super powers are the Mutator which allows you to transform medkits into ammo and vice versa, Psychic Attack for maximum damage, Reflection to reflect enemy lasers, Teleport Coin to teleport directly to where you throw it, and Energy Wave that damages all enemies near you.Along the way the player will meet various NPCs with whom he can talk lengthy dialogues. This is necessary to find passages in the levels that lead to hidden worlds. Game has Abuse-style of controls - Carina can move and jump using the keyboard and you aim her weapons with the mouse. Multi-player modes include Death Match."

Critical reception

The game has received mixed reviews.

Power Unlimited game the game a 7.8 out of 10, commenting "DA is a nice platform game. A dark storyline, lots of action and smooth gameplay. Good for a few days of excitement." Adrenaline Vault, The (AVault) rated the game 3 Stars, writing "Dark Angael requires a patient hand. It’s like a song that fails to grab you the first time you hear it, yet after repeated listenings, you grow familiar with its rhythms and subtleties, and find yourself completely engaged by its singular spirit." 7Wolf Magazine gave Dark Angel 5.5 out of 10, saying "Graphics, quite nice for its time, of course, now looks old-fashioned, as well as sound. Flat painted backdrops, sprites and explosions are the same waddling moving monsters." Meristation gave it a 5 out of 10, writing "It is not the best approach to the very similar gameplay of Blizzard's Diablo idea or Duke Nukem. I thought I had found something different ... but it only brought back good memories of other old games." Joystick (French) rated the game 10 out of 100, writing "This is not a game, it's a hazing. The kind of thing that would have made me giggle on the Atari ST." Computer Gaming World gave the game a ratin of 3 out of 5 stars,writing "This is a decent enough game with good potential for keeping players busy for hours".