Core Design Appreciation Article

Introduction courtesy of Acid_Rush

‘Yes, I *do* blame Core for the state of AoD.’
‘Core deserved to lose Tomb Raider — they didn’t know what they were doing.’
‘Crystal Dynamics have saved Tomb Raider with Legend — it’s far better than any of the rehashed sequels of the old Tomb Raider games.’

Paraphrased, maybe, but those quotes are representative of a view that’s pervaded throughout the TR fandom for the best part of half a decade: Core always sucked, and never more so than during their production of The Angel of Darkness.

Despite the first five games receiving consistently high marks and good reviews from press and gamers alike, after AoD — a game that disappointed many — everything changed. No-one had ever liked anything Core had done, incompetance within Core’s team was entirely to blame for AoD not having been finished, and Eidos were entirely justified in firing Core from their own game series.

Look a little closer, however, and some ignored truths start to surface: propaganda, scapegoating, altered deadlines, more being cut from AoD than most people ever realised — The Angel of Darkness may have been an ambitious departure from its predecessors, maybe even a little overly ambitious, but the blame for its state lies across far more people than those who worked within Core’s studios.

It saddens the KTEB to see Core Design ripped apart — both literally and figuratively — in such an unjustified manner, with barely a thanks from the fandom for all the games and work that, until AoD, had been perfectly pleasing to millions. And so, we’ve collected some articles to try and spread a little light onto what really happened in the development of AoD, and in doing so, to show our appreciation to a developer who gave us so much. Crystal Dynamics may be carrying the torch now, but Core deserve at least a thank you. Without them, Crystal would have no torch to hold.