Angels That Kill

About

Angels That Kill is a single player action game with a mystery theme. It was developed by InvalidSpacebar and was released on November 20, 2015. It received positive reviews from critics and negative reviews from players.

Angels That Kill is a dark, first person adventure game that tells the story of two men as they uncover the truth behind a murder that has shaken the city. Play through both sides of the story and discover the truth behind the murder.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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26%

Audience ScoreBased on 38 reviews

story10 positive mentions

The game has a mildly interesting story and a unique approach to the noir genre, allowing players to experience the perspectives of both a boxer and a detective.
The black and white aesthetic, along with occasional rain effects, contributes to a somewhat atmospheric experience.
There are multiple endings and choices that can lead to different outcomes, providing some replayability.

The city feels empty and repetitive, with bland environments that make navigation frustrating and tedious.
The game suffers from poor design choices, such as an unclear map and a confusing hint system that often leads players to dead ends.
The lack of sound effects and minimal music detracts from the immersive experience, making the gameplay feel flat and unengaging.

story
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
80%
6%
The story of "Angels that Kill" revolves around a down-on-his-luck boxer and a detective entangled in a murder mystery, featuring multiple endings influenced by player choices. While some players appreciate the atmospheric presentation and the potential for deeper interpretation through replay, many criticize the narrative for its incoherence, lack of engaging dialogue, and significant gaps that detract from overall immersion. Despite its flaws, the game offers a unique storytelling approach that some find rewarding upon further exploration.
- “I don't want to tell too much about the story, but it has 8 endings and some choices (like suicide by the pistol, jumping from the roof of the hotel) and a few other things to discover.”
- “The story follows two different characters: one is an ex-boxer who is down on his luck, and the other is a detective who is trying to discover the murderer that's been terrorizing the city lately.”
- “The game's minimalistic plot and stark dialogue leave a lot up to interpretation, but after replaying the game several times, the story comes together bit by bit, adding a fulfilling experience.”
- “The messy and incoherent story, or what's left of it, is about a down-on-his-luck boxer and a detective who are involved in a series of murders.”
- “It is empty and devoid of any logical story development, game-mechanics implementation, and video-audio representation.”
- “This takes much of the immersiveness away from the game since the story tends to be overlooked in favor of the gameplay.”
gameplay
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
84%
8%
The gameplay has been criticized for its poor design choices, including an out-of-place hunger mechanic that detracts from the noir mystery theme and adds unnecessary frustration. While some players appreciate the organic balance between story and gameplay, many find the mechanics simplistic and lacking depth, leading to a diminished overall experience. The game attempts to blend classic point-and-click elements with survival mechanics, but this combination often feels forced and detracts from immersion.
- “It's very organic and well balanced in almost every aspect: story, music, visuals, and gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is standard and simple with the options to pick up items, examine surroundings, and run slightly faster than the default speed.”
- “When playing, I started to notice that depending on how I interact with things, it changed the gameplay and possibly the story overall.”
- “Tldr: not a lot of gameplay and a lot of terrible design decisions kill this title's entertainment value.”
- “It wants to be a classic point and click adventure game with 'meaningful' choices where the player can take a look at every nook and cranny, but it also puts a ridiculous survival mechanic where you have to hunt and pillage trash dumpsters throughout the city to stave off a hunger meter that keeps draining quickly.”
- “Gameplay: easily the most frustrating part of the game.”
graphics
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
79%
9%
The game's graphics have received mixed reviews, with many users noting a minimalistic black and white aesthetic that, while atmospheric, often feels barebones and untextured. Critics point out the lack of detail in environments, with empty streets and few interactive elements, leading to a sense of loneliness. However, some players appreciate the unique art style and its ability to complement the storytelling, suggesting that those who adjust their expectations may find the visuals more enjoyable.
- “On the positive side, the black and white aesthetic and the occasional rain effect really go a long way in making the visuals digestible, even if they are still barebones.”
- “Graphics have their own atmosphere; you feel lonely in a world with fewer details and people, but you can enjoy the little small details you find that are often overlooked, allowing you to focus on the story.”
- “The game has a minimalistic black & white (and sometimes red) graphic style, which is very atmospheric and pleasant to my taste.”
- “Visuals are untextured, environments are bloated and expanded but full of empty building shells, empty streets, with very scarce hotspots populated by the odd one NPC scripted to stand there or interact with a scenery object.”
- “The art style is very bland; the city has no sound, only about 7 buildings have any detail at all on them (the rest are just big, grey boxes), and the fog gets in the way more than it gives any aesthetic appeal.”
- “Finally, people seem to have an issue with the art style of the game.”
music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it pleasant yet repetitive, while others criticize its lack of presence and tension, describing it as flat and boring. Although a few tracks are noted for their quality, the overall consensus is that the music is sparse and does not significantly enhance the gameplay experience.
- “It's very organic and well balanced in almost every aspect: story, music, visuals, and gameplay.”
- “The developers used music from freesound, masterfully picked and corresponding perfectly.”
- “+ its music is good, very pleasant sounding, even if a tad repetitive.”
- “Maybe if the music was a little more tense it would help the game, but without it, it is extremely flat and boring.”
- “Noire is more than rain and a monochromatic color palette; it’s a mood, one that is largely evoked by music, of which this game has almost none.”
- “Except for a quick jazzy tune and a somber song, there is no music whatsoever, and that goes for sound effects as well.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The atmosphere in "Angels that Kill" is characterized by a minimalistic black and white graphic style that evokes a sense of loneliness and highlights small details, contributing to its noir aesthetic. However, the absence of audio detracts significantly from the overall experience, undermining the intended immersive atmosphere. While the visuals create a unique ambiance, inconsistencies, such as the lack of pupils in NPCs, clash with the game's gritty realism.
- “Graphics have their own atmosphere; you feel lonely in a world with fewer details and people, but you can enjoy the little small details you find that are normally overlooked, allowing you to focus on the story.”
- “The game has a minimalistic black & white (and sometimes red) graphic style, very atmospheric and pleasant to my taste.”
- “Such as not including pupils in the eyes of NPCs, which gives it a surreal, phantom-like representation but completely clashes with the wannabe ultra-gritty, realistic noir Sin City atmosphere they were shooting for.”
- “Graphics have their own atmosphere; you feel lonely in a world with fewer details and people, but you can enjoy the small details you find that are often overlooked, allowing you to focus on the story.”
- “Angels that Kill has a mildly interesting story and manages to conjure up a bit of an atmosphere with minimal means.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has a solid replayability score of 7.5, indicating that players find it enjoyable enough to return to multiple times. This suggests a variety of content or mechanics that encourage repeated playthroughs.
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game, built on the Unity engine, demonstrates solid overall performance, with users reporting a well-optimized experience.
- “The game uses the Unity engine, and the performance is pretty solid all around.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a pervasive sense of monotony and bleakness, as players navigate through environments described as "dark grey," which may evoke feelings of boredom and desolation. This repetitive imagery suggests a lack of vibrancy and emotional engagement in the game's world.