Obscure but unspectacular actioner
Dark Angael is a particularly obscure little platformer that passed most gamers by when it was released back in 1997 and to be honest it's pretty understandable why. Although the game features a fairly complex and intriguing storyline, it is little more than a simple side scrolling action action game and is one only for completionists. The plot takes the age old theme of Chaos planning on conquering the world and now that the Guardian of Order has failed to stop the rise of evil, it falls to one noble warrior to continue the fight. And this is of course where the player comes in, taking the role of Carina in a series of side scrolling levels that feature undemanding, but fairly intense blasting action. Visually, Dark Angael is actually quite pretty, with distinctive graphics that are populated by a wide range of suitably creepy nasties. The environments themselves are mean and moody, with some atmospheric locations that create a strong sense of dread and which are reasonably detailed. They are however rather straightforward in their design, requiring little more than a bit of bouncing and shooting in order to traverse. Sound is surprisingly nifty, with plenty of neat effects which again contribute strongly to this world being ravaged by chaos and which can be quite terrifying if you're playing in the dark. While the story is potentially interesting, it is let down by poor voice work, with wooden actors speaking bland and cliched dialogue without any real conviction. Dark Angael isn't a terrible game, it's just nothing special, with little to mark it out from the hundreds of other similar actioners on the market. As such, it's worth a brief look, but don't expect anything spectacular.
