We’ve received a number of documents on the abandoned Kurtis Trent spin-off game, a prequel to Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness. These were sent to us anonymously. This particular anonymous contributor has sent a number of screenshots and documents to us in the past and they were eventually verified by members of the Core Design team. As such, we have no doubts about the authenticity of these documents.
Kurtis game – Synopsis
A dark night in the city.
Trash blows across the parking lot, the ground wet and flickering under the harsh lights of the emergency vehicles parked behind a cordon of police cruisers.
Cautious cops approach the shattered building, double handed grip on their drawn firearms.
A sign flaps in the wind – “City Asylum – Main Entrance”
Kurtis stands amongst the debris. The place is a mess.
“Looks like someone started a war in here.” Walking further into the dark corridors confirms Kurtis’ assessment. Something bad has gone down tonight and mixed up in it is the Professor.
Kurtis heads for the Professor’s office. The door is open, glass crunches under his feet as he enters. No one at home – but a sound from the bathroom attracts his attention.
The Professor is alive, sitting on the floor and nursing a damaged arm.
“I got your message – looks like I’m too late.” says Kurtis.
“No. It’s my fault – I thought I could contain it. But it’s growing all the time and …” The Professor looks at Kurtis with haunted eyes. “We have to find it – if it escapes into the city …”
Kurtis draws his weapon – the Demon Hunter is on the case.
Using his paranormal powers Kurtis tracks down and confronts the cause of so much devastation – a demonically possessed boy called Lucifer.
This child has powers the like of which Kurtis has never imagined existed and he is powerless to stop Lucifer from escaping into the city.
A manhunt begins, with Lucifer concealing himself by changing his appearance – infesting host after host until he possesses the bodies of influential personalities who control the city’s underworld and military alliances.
Suddenly Lucifer’s goal is revealed – to tip the world into a nuclear fueled Armageddon!
The battle rages across the city until Kurtis is sent spinning into a coma where he revisits key moments of his life.
This experience unlocks the powerful paranormal abilities that Kurtis will need to defeat the increasingly powerful Lucifer.
And all the while the countdown to Armageddon is ticking …
Game genre
Third person action adventure.
Main aims in the game
Aim 1 – Destroy all enemies.
Aim 2 – To master Kurtis’ paranormal powers. (You need these for weapons and puzzle solving).
Aim 4 – Stop Lucifer from starting Armageddon.
Focal points of the game
The core of the game is based around search and destroy missions.
Focus on (in order of importance)
- Combat – destroy all enemies using available weapons.
- Exploration –search rooms for pick ups and enemies to destroy.
- World interaction – open doors, shoot out windows and walls.
- Simple puzzles – lock mechanisms.
- Training sub-games.
- Story – to create atmosphere, depth of character and link episodes.
Focus on – Combat.
Kurtis Trent has the following abilities.
- Hand to hand combat.
- Use of firearms.
- Use of explosives.
- Use of psychic occult powers – to power-boost firearms and explosives.
- Use of psychic occult powers – for reconnaissance and object control.
- World interaction – use of computers and machinery to produce a simple goal.
Enemies will have the following abilities.
Hand to hand combat.
Use of firearms.
Use of psychic occult powers – to power-boost firearms and explosives.
Focus on – Exploration
Search for pick ups to replenish energy and weapons.
Search for enemies to destroy.
Kurtis must destroy all enemies in a room before the door unlocks and lets him continue.
Focus on – World interaction
Kurtis can
- climb stairs
- climb ladders
- activate roll down ladders
- open swing doors with a push
- shoot out windows and jump through the hole
- shoot out walls and vents at pre-defined points and jump through the hole.
- smash objects – crates, barrels, machines
- crush objects with his paranormal powers
- be harmed by pre-defined zones placed in the room.
These zones are : Fire (burning), Water (drowning), Electrical (electrocution).
Focus on – Training sub-games
These are small self contained missions away from the main game thread.
They will give the player the opportunity to find and use new powers.
Focus on – Story
There is no introduction sequence.
The story is presented using the in game polygon graphics.
The story is revealed in the eight levels that make up the game.
Characters
Friends
Kurtis Trent – Demon hunter. (Levels 01 – 08).
Winged Kurtis – Avenger. (Level 08 – Stage 01).
Professor Edward Francis – Master demon hunter. Paranormal expert. Kurtis’ teacher. (Levels 01 – 8).
Marie Cornel – Kurtis’ mother. (Level 05 – Stage 01).
Infant Kurtis – Kurtis Trent aged one year old. (Level 05 – Stage 01).
Prisoner of war – Imprisoned Colonel. (Level 06 – Stage 01).
President – VIP. (Level 06 – Stage 02).
Helicopter commandos – Airborne reinforcements. (Level 05 – Stage 02).
Foes
Lucifer child – Possessed child. (Level 01 – Stage 01+02).
NYPD police force – Gun happy flat foots. (Level 01 – Stage 02).
Psycho-patient – Escaped inmates. (Level 05 – Stage 01+02).
Triad thugs – Chinese gang soldiers. (Level 02 – Stage 01+02).
Triad boss. – Possessed Triad leader. (Level 02 – Stage 02).
Body guards – Armed security. (Level 03 – Stage 01+02).
Dr Phil Yates – Possessed billionaire software mogul. (Level 03 – Stage 02).
Air force Colonel – Possessed military commander. (Level 04 – Stage 01).
Soldier – Armed guard. (Level 04+07 – Stage 01+02).
Hit men – Armed killers. (Level 05 – Stage 01).
Jungle soldier – Armed guard. (Level 05+06 – Stage 02+01).
Jungle Colonel – Commander. (Level 05+06 – Stage 02+01).
Lucifer demon – Winged creature. (Level 08 – Stage 01).
Enemy Reactions
Enemy characters are assigned trigger values for reaction times, aggression, health and ammunition.
These triggers control the resulting animations.
A line of sight cone emits from the characters head. If Kurtis is within this cone the enemy character will react according to its trigger values.
Enemy patrol paths
Positioning control nodes around the room sets patrol paths.
The direction and any incidental animations of the character are set on the node.
World navigation – Paranormal map scanner
NOTE: This is Kurtis’ first paranormal power – the ability to ‘see’ the world and the danger spots around him.
It is a mind-trick to him and is not a piece of hardware.
The scanner shows the game world as a three dimensional map.
Kurtis appears as a central blue icon.
The scanner always orientates itself to the North.
It appears as a semi-transparent HUD map over the game world which allows the player to keep on steering Kurtis through the environment.
To use the map scanner:
Select map scanner from the inventory. HUD map appears.
Press the CROSS – (action) button to make it disappear.
Players inventory
D PAD – LEFT ARROW – Hold down = Inventory
Scrolling horizontal selection bar. Rolls left or right.
Center slot is high lighted and the item inside it is the current weapon.
Release the D PAD button to use the selected item.
Items list:
Occult object.
Evil antidote.
Hand weapon inventory
D PAD – UP ARROW – Hold down = Hand weapons
Scrolling horizontal selection bar. Rolls left or right.
Center slot is high lighted and the item inside it is the current weapon.
Release the D PAD button to use the selected item.
Items list:
Hand gun.
Fires standard 9mm rounds.
FNP-90 submachine gun.
Fires 9mm tracer rounds.
Occult sign.
Hold this in front of a demon to weaken it.
Throwing weapons inventory
D PAD – DOWN ARROW – Hold down = Throwing weapons
Scrolling horizontal selection bar. Rolls left or right.
Center slot is high lighted and the item inside it is the current weapon.
Release the D PAD button to use the selected item.
Items list:
Gas grenade.
Explosive grenade.
Kurtis Trent – Paranormal abilities
Part 1 – Night vision.
What’s it used for: Strategy and pick ups.
A heat signature ability. Dark rooms become brighter and objects glow.
Paranormal energy consumed rating : Low
Part 2 – X-ray vision.
What’s it used for: Puzzles and pick ups.
This allows Kurtis to see inside locks, boxes and even humans.
Paranormal energy consumed rating : Low
Part 3 – Mind reading.
What’s it used for: Obtaining codes and refueling mortal energy.
Kurtis can steal a humans thoughts and mental energy.
The human will be stunned. This has an effect on Kurtis’ dark/light meter, making him darker.
Paranormal energy consumed rating : Low
Part 4 – Shape stealing.
What’s it used for: Puzzles and stealth.
Kurtis can take another humans shape and knowledge.
The stolen shape will allow Kurtis to access rooms stealthily and the stolen knowledge will let him operate locked doors and complex machinery.
When the paranormal energy has run out Kurtis will return to his own shape.
Part 5 – Telekenisis.
What’s it used for: Puzzles, stealth and defense.
Slide open door bolts.
Slide a raised ladder down to ground level.
Distract guards by moving a tin can or crate.
Start a machine.
Drop an object onto a guard.
Trigger traps by moving a crate ahead of Kurtis.
Knock down enemies with an invisible force.
Paranormal energy consumed rating : Medium to high, (depending on size.)
Part 6 – Levitation.
What’s it used for: Combat, puzzles and avoiding traps.
Higher jumps.
Hover over traps and pits.
Paranormal energy consumed rating : High
Part 7 – Ancestral strength.
What’s it used for: Defense and paranormal attack.
Gives Kurtis the strength to withstand physical and paranormal attacks.
Also powers the paranormal versions of his standard guns, sword and grenades.
Paranormal energy consumed rating : Medium.
Part 8 – Bubble shield.
What’s it used for: Defense.
Kurtis can stand next to a friend and it will expand to cover both of them. Limited power – bubble dome will shatter when power exhausted.
Paranormal energy consumed rating : Medium.
Part 9 – Sixth sense warning.
What’s it used for: Early warning system.
Glowing icon indicates when enemies are in the vicinity.
Paranormal energy consumed rating : None.
Part 10 – Out of body eye.
What’s it used for: Reconnaissance.
First person camera POV for fast reconnaissance of mazes and traps.
The eye can only be used for a limited time and will snap back to the third person viewpoint when finished.
Paranormal energy consumed rating : Medium.
Paranormal powers – Menu design
Hold down L1 – (Psychic power) + D-PAD (UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT) and a menu displays the relevant paranormal powers.
To select an item from the D PAD paranormal menus do the following:
L1 – (Psychic power) + D-PAD ARROW + AL – Left/right scroll to pick item. When high lighted release the D PAD arrow button
