Anaksha Dark Angel - Manual

Warning

warning triangle

Anaksha Dark Angel contains scenes of intense graphic violence, explicit adult subject matter, drug references and strong language which some players may find disturbing. If are under the age of 18 or are in an environment which frowns upon mature content (e.g workplace) then this product is NOT for you.

You have been given the right to freedom of choice. Please exercise it rationally.

Please note: This manual contains minor spoilers. If you haven't seen or played the game yet and would like to experience the fun of exploring it all yourself then please don't read any further.

Personal Philosophy

Firstly, I do not believe in video game censorship when healthy, consenting adults are involved. I don't like being told what I can and can't do, so I'm not going to do that to you. Everyone has the right to choose what they experience. The only exception to the rule are children or the mentally ill (i,e: someone who can't distinguish between right and wrong). I've not censored anything in this game so please be careful who you show it off to.

Secondly, this manual is only here to serve as a rough guide - it's not a walkthrough or a game FAQ. It's a tough game but I think it's disrespectful towards gamers for me to hold their hand and walk them through the entire game. I believe the player should experience the thrill of experimenting and discovering things for themselves. Sometimes manuals can spoil a player's experience by giving too much away.

If you are having trouble on a certain mission, then read the Hints section of this manual. If that doesn't help then check the official Dark Angel forum.

Finally, both the game and the story raise a lot of moral issues. Is it right to kill someone in the name of justice? Do two wrongs make a right, or do criminals deserve what they get? Everyone has their own views. How you interpret the story and what take from it is entirely upto you.

Anaksha's History

It was a dark, misty night in Santa Lina, CA. Many ships were going in and out of the West Docklands (Santa Lina's international shipping gateway) so nobody payed any special attention to one particular cargo freighter which had just arrived from India.

john at docks

John, the supervisor at dock 4, was getting ready to clock out and head home. He had one final inspection which was overseeing the unloading of cargo off the Indian freighter. Everything seemed OK until he heard a faint noise coming from inside one of the containers.

little anaksha in cargo container

He was shocked to discover a terrified little 12 year old stowaway hiding in the corner. Her name was Anaksha. She had fled in terror from her East Indian homeland and illegally ended up in Santa Lina, America's most notorious city. Cold, tired, weak and hungry, she came in search of hope and happiness. But all she had found was more violence and corruption.

John took her home to his wife Becky. They'd been trying to have children for years without any success. Becky wasn't impressed with John for bringing an illegal stowaway into their home, but when she learned of Anaksha's troubled past they both decided to fight the legal system to try and adopt her. After a long, hard battle they finally won the right to embrace her as their own daughter.

edward and zara

But despite this brilliant streak of luck there was no escaping the harsh environment she was going to be facing.

Many years went by as she witnessed brutality and bloodshed all around and put up with racism and verbal abuse. But she managed to remain strong and survived the hell she was in thanks to two wonderful people in her life.

edward zara

One was her best friend Zara who she met on her first day of high school. Zara was Anaksha's refuge from the bullying and harassment she suffered at the hands of the other students.

The other person in her life was Edward, Becky's Father, who she lovingly referred to as 'Baba Ji' (which means 'Respected Elder' in Hindi/Urdu). Edward was a retired marine (and ex-special ops) who lived with John and Becky. When he learned of the hard times and bullying Anaksha was facing at school he decided to take matters into his own hands. Despite his injured leg, he taught Anaksha hand-to-hand self-defence and marksmanship. He was proud to see his only 'Granddaughter' excel in both areas and was even happier knowing she could look after herself. This was much to the dismay of John and Becky who were left to deal with complaints from the parents of school bullys who had come home with missing teeth, broken ribs and fractured limbs.

Anaksha and Zara eventually blossomed into beautiful young women and graduated from college before getting part time jobs. Anaksha became desensitized to all the crime and corruption around her and for a long time and learned to live with it. Being the shy, anti-social type she stayed clear of parties and social gatherings. Being the lone wolf type she felt she didn't need anyone anyway. Zara remained her best and only friend. She was the Sister she never had as a child and Anaksha was more than content with their close friendship.

But trouble soon reared its ugly head later on in life when a series of tragic events led to Zara's murder. The death of her closest companion was too much for her. Flashbacks flooded her mind as she saw history repeat itself.

anaksha snaps

The emotional pressure built and built until it finally caused Anaksha to snap. Armed with a sniper rifle and fuelled only by pure burning rage and hatred she hunted down and brutally slaughtered those who had wronged her.

She didn't realise it at the time but this was only the beginning. She had begun a war on evil and despite finding closure she soon realised her work was not done. The city was full of criminal scumbags who were making life a living hell for the citizens. Something deep down inside was urging her to do something about it. Maybe fate had brought her to Santa Lina for a reason? She tried to forget about it and return to a normal life. She tried hard to ignore it but the calling was too strong. From caterpillar, to chrysalis to butterfly, she had transformed. A new hero had risen from within the burning embers of hell.

anaksha on rooftop in heavy rain

Nobody knew who this mysterious dark angel was, yet every two-bit thug and rapist quaked at the mere mention of her name. The police knew nothing about this so-called 'Virgo Killer' (not even her gender), yet she sent chills down their spines when they saw what was left of her victims. She was the city's most feared and most dangerous criminal yet the public worshipped her and hailed her a hero. They praised her as night after night she struck terror into the heart of the criminal underworld, delivering her own brand of dark justice.

virgo killer poster

The little girl who came in search of freedom had now become a shining beacon of hope for the people of Santa Lina.

Overview

welcome to santa lina

Anaksha Dark Angel is a flash-based sniper simulation. You will be playing the role of Anaksha - a deadly, rifle-wielding huntress who believes she is helping society by cleaning up the crime-riddled streets. You'll be given a physical description of a particular target. Your job is to arm yourself with the right equipment, seek out your target and deal with them appropriately. Along the way you'll have the opportunity to research new weapons and modifications.

cutscene

The game is accompanied by a feature-length story presented in the form of an animated graphic novel. Noir lovers and fans of Sin City and The Crow will appreciate the high-contrast artwork and dark atmosphere of the visuals which are beautifully presented using a cinematic 2:39 aspect ratio.

A New Threat and Pre-Release Teasers

For those of you who have played A New Threat you may already be aware of certain events which have occurred in the city prior to the events which are about to unfold in Dark Angel.

The screenplay for a set of 3 teasers were written 2 years ago with the intention of releasing them as promotional animations before Dark Angel's release. Needless to say, I never got round to animating them so instead I've uploaded the screenplay for you all to read. It was designed to bridge the gap between A New Threat and Dark Angel. You can find it here.

Game Mode

Cinematic Mode

Upon starting the game you will be asked which mode you want to play.

This mode requires a lot of patience and is for serious players who want the full experience. There are roughly two and a half hours of cinematics which will appeal to graphic novel lovers, noir lovers and exisiting Anaksha fans. The entire thing is accompanied by a powerful and emotional orchestral soundtrack scored by seasoned film composers who are well known in the industry.

Choosing this option will begin pre-loading the cinematics resources. This may take a while depending on your internet connection.

Please note: Some people may find it difficult keeping up with the plot when watching each cutscene between each mission. All unlocked cinematics can be accessed from the main menu. The plot will make more sense when watched sequentially without any interruptions.

Arcade Mode

This is for casual players who just want to the play the game itself and do not have time for stories. This mode has a much shorter load time.

Regardless of which mode you choose, your save game files will be cross-compatible.

Game Performance

Upon selecting a game mode (see section above), you will be asked about the speed of your computer. This will start the game with a preselected set of perfomance settings. Some of the levels in Anaksha Dark Angel can get pretty intense when it comes to consuming CPU power. If you are unsure of what to pick just select 'MEDIUM' and fine tune the settings yourself (check the Main Menu section for details on game performance settings).

WARNING: You are strongly advised against playing the game on an old computer, a netbook or any mobile device! The game performance and cutscenes will be extremely sluggish even on the lowest possible settings.

Main Characters

Anaksha

anna

Anaksha (or Anna for short), also known as Santa Lina's infamous Virgo Killer. She is the founder and owner of the Zaranna Corporation and lives in South Leighton Oaks. She got her nickname from the Virgo tattoo on her upper left arm. Anaksha came to live in Santa Lina at the age of 12 after fleeing her East Indian homeland. She was eventually found and taken into foster care. Before long she had grown into a beautiful, and well educated young woman with a stable job and her own place. But things didn't go as planned, as a long series of unfortunate events finally caused her to snap. She now leads a double-life. By day she's a successful business woman. By night she's a lone huntress with a rifle, dedicated to "destroying the evil of the city".

Dee

d

Dee (or D for short); an 80's-obsessed, blonde-haired gamer/geek girl who pretty much lives her life inside her computer and her XBox. Although D is a little too young to remember the early 80's, she remains a devoted fan of the technology and the music from the era, especially Michael Jackson and Maddona.

D used to work as an intern in the security department for the local government. Whilst there, she discovered a lot of security holes and flaws with their database systems and found countless bugs in the software being developed by the "monkeys" in their IT dept. She made many attempts to offer help and advice on fixing the issues but her colleagues mocked and laughed at her because she was "a female intern who knew nothing".

After a year, she quit due to constant sexual discrimination and harassment, and eventually met Anaksha. D is not only Anaksha's best friend, but also her main source of intel on whats going on in the city.

Jack Goldwyn

jackgoldwyn

Jack Goldwyn is your typical cliched hardboiled PI straight out of a 1940's crime novel. His Father George Goldwyn was gunned down in an alleyway whilst responding to a 911 call. This incident drove his Mother insane who eventually ended up in a mental asylum.

Jack served 12 years in Santa Lina's police department as a beat cop before working his way to detective in a relatively short time. He eventually made the decision to quit the force and go freelance. Due to Santa Lina's harsh and violent nature, as a private cop he still maintains some of the rights and privilages given to regular cops.

Jack is a huge fan of Raymond Chandler and Humphrey Bogart, and the film-noir influence on his life can clearly be seen in his clothing, mannerisms and attitude.

Rose

rose

The pretty girl in the red dress. Very little is known about Rose other than her burning desire to find out who killed her younger Sister and why.

Main Menu

Here's a quick run down of what each menu option does.

Start Game - Resets all your personal stats (with the exception of the game options and achievements) and begins a brand new game.

Continue - Only highlighted if you've made it past the first level and returned to the main menu from the main game. This is useful if you feel you want to change the game options and continue where you left off.

Load Game - Load a previously saved game

Awards - This displays any shields or achievements you've collected. This option will only be highlighted if you've got at least one shield or achievement.

Cinematics - Only highlighted if you're playing in 'Cinematic Mode' and have made it past the first level.

Options - Changes the game's feel and performance (This section is covered in detail below)

Game Manual - Fires up your web browser and loads this manual.

Options

GFX Quality - Sets the anti-aliasing level. Available settings are LOW MED and HIGH. Higher anti-aliasing means much smoother looking graphics but slower performance. Lower anti-aliasing speeds up performance but makes the graphics look jagged.

Particles - Turning this on displays flying debris, blood and gore generated when you shoot certain things. This may slow down game performance on some older machines.

Crowd Density - This option controls how many random citizens are wandering around the streets. Some people may find that smaller crowds means less distractions which results in easier gameplay. The settings are LOW, MED, HIGH, MAX and 'NUTS!'

WARNING: Increasing the crowd density may make the streets look busier and more interesting but will SERIOUSLY throttle game performance! This is the most CPU intensive setting of all, so avoid setting this option to 'NUTS!' unless you're running the game on an IBM mainframe or a Cray.

(Backstory: The 'NUTS!' option was put in when I got my Core i7 just to see if it could handle the performance - it failed! I kept it just as a benchmark for future hardware upgrades)

Lens DOF Effect - Camera lens depth of field effect. This will display a dynamic blurring effect when you zoom in and out of the scene using the sniper scope. Although not a properly simulated depth of field effect, the blurring adds a touch of realism to the game but obviously such luxury comes at a price. Switch this off if you are experiencing sluggish performance whilst zooming in and out of the scene.

Frame Rate - Shows the current frame rate (only displayed during the mission itself). Useful if you are testing out different settings. The maximum value this will display is 30fps because that's the frame rate hard-coded into the game. If you are getting anything between 24 - 30fps then that's pretty good. Anything below 18fps may appear sluggish and could affect gameplay. In that case it would be best to think about adjusting some of the menu settings. If all else fails you may need to play this game on a faster machine.

Lighting Haze - This option controls the amount of atmopsheric haze given off by neon signs and also has an effect on the amount of light bouncing off the pavement. A high level of haze will create a more vivid and more beautiful looking scene (at the cost of your CPU of course)

Background Art - Turns the distant buildings and skylines on and off. Switching this off should give the game's performance a minor boost.

Menu Rain FX - Turn this off if the menu is sluggish and slow. The rain visuals although very pretty, are unfortunately very CPU intensive.

In-Game SFX - Alters the volume of the in-game sound effects (Note: Does not effect cutscenes)

In-Game Music - Alters the volume of the in-game music (Note: Does not effect cutscenes)

Cutscenes

Cutscenes (or cinematics) will only appear if you are playing in "Cinematic Mode". After completing each level you will be presented with the next part of the story. In most cases, each part of the story will be split into 3 to 4 movieclips lasting around 1 or 2 minutes each. Cutscenes can last anywhere from 2 - 6 minutes. The controls are as follows:

cutscene controls

1 - This displays the current clip number/clips remaining in this sequence and the scene ID number

2 - This can be used to skip to a certain point in the cutscene

3 - Use the arrow buttons to switch between clips

4 - This displays the title of the cutscene

5 - This will reset the current movie clip

6 - This will play/pause the current clip (clicking on the movie itself will also play/pause the movie)

7 - This displays the elapsed play time for the current clip

8 - This will skip the cutscene and move onto Anaksha's cellphone

Please note: Watching the cutscene after completing a mission only allows you to see the current and relevent part of the story. Watching the cutscenes from the main menu will allow you to see every cutscene you have unlocked. Some people may find it easier to follow the plot by viewing all the cutscenes sequentially as one full-length feature film.

Cellphone

History

assassin cellphone

Anaksha is the proud owner of an "Assassin" - a custom-designed cellphone with 3 independent touch-screens. (If you've played 'Anaksha Mini Adventures 2: A New Threat' then you'll know all about how she got this unique and amazing gadget). Here's a quick history of the phone anyway:

Having had several phones fail on her during missions (faulty key pads, broken casing, etc) Anaksha decided on buying a touchscreen phone which was strong enough to withstand being dropped and small enough to fit in her palm. There was just one problem - it didn't exist. So she had one custom made at a cost of around $25,000 thanks to one of D's shady contacts in Cipher Town. Anaksha agreed to meet him at a Hotel Hell's Cats where he sold her the gadget.

The phone's powerful operating system is a re-hash of an existing open-source OS which D re-engineered and customized for Anaksha's needs. The phone's multiple CPUs can process huge amounts of information through it's stream-lined data pipeline within milliseconds and its high-bandwidth wireless modem is configured to "force" its way into any available wi-fi connection without being detected. It's strong enough to be run over by a truck without being so much as scratched, and the high-capacity battery lasts just over a week between charges. The phone has many other features which aren't obvious at first. For example, its battery is powerful enough to to allow it to be used as a temporary stun-gun - useful for fending off attackers or short-circuiting electronic equipment.

PS: If you are interested in the events prior to Dark Angel's story or you love the old top-down adventure games like the early Zelda or Pokemon series then it's highly recommended you check it out 'A New Threat'. Plus you get to directly control Anaksha movements and interact with people.

The Assassin has 4 main areas the player can access - Map, Status, R&D and Ammo.

Map

cellphone map

The top screen shows a map of the city. The bottom screen contains your your mission briefing. Read it carefully as it contains important clues and information about your target/s. If possible, keep a notepad and pen nearby to jot down any snippets of info which may come in useful during the mission.

If you want to know more about the area you are going to, click on the "Area Info" button. This will give you a quick overview of the area and also inform you of how much influence the police have in that area (a higher police influence generally means more vigilant citizens). You'll also be informed if there are any gang members present on the next mission (see the "Gang Members" section for more info)

Click on "Mission Info" to go back to your mission briefing.

Status

cellphone status

This shows your current equipment status. All your mods and upgrades will be listed here and you'll be able to get more info on them by clicking on the icon to the right of each item.

Rifle Weight - This mod lightens the load. The lighter the rifle, the easier it is to control the movement of the scope.

Magazine Loader - This mod will allow you to switch between different ammo clips. It also makes reloading your main ammo a breeze (no more waiting around while each round is manually loaded into the internal magazine - its all done in one swift move). (Note: You need this mod before you can start researching Speciality Ammo)

Ammo Belt - Allows you to carry more speciality ammo types. (Note: You need this mod before you can start researching Speciality Ammo)

Scope Mod - A better scope will give you a more powerful zoom.

Traffic Hack - Will slow down frequency of traffic (and potential police patrols). This device does not need to be manually activated as it's constantly on.

Telecoms Hack - Interferes with telecommunications systems and digital radio signals. Effects all cellphones and emergency vehicles within the area. The battery life on these devices is severely limited so only activate it when necessary. Switch off when not in use.

Your current number of shields and achievements are also displayed here. The number of shields you collect counts towards your final rank. For more information check out the Game Play section.

R&D (Research and Development)

cellphone r and d

As you progress through each level you will gain "Research Points". You are awarded two points for completing each level. Bonus points can be gained by killing certain gang members who may be wandering around (see the info on Gang Members in the Game Play section for more information on this). Your current supply of research points is indicated in the bottom screen.

If you have enough points, the item will be highlighted green. Hover your mouse pointer over it to find out more. If you like the sound of that mod then click on it to tag it for research (it will turn blue). To de-tag it, just click on it again.

Red items mean they cannot be tagged because you don't have enough research points.

Light gray items mean you've researched everything in that category.

Items tagged for research will be researched and available for use upon completing the next mission.

Please note: The Speciality Ammo research button will be highlighted in a dark grey colour at first. This item is locked and isn't available for research until you own at least an "Agent" class belt AND a "Wildcat" magazine loader. Once you have both these items the Speciality Ammo research button will be unlocked and available to you.

Ammo

cellphone ammo

This section allows you to arm your belt with specific ammo clips for your next mission.

Your main ammo supply (highlighted in red) is unlimited and can be reloaded at any time during a mission. Speciality ammo (highlighted in blue) contains only two rounds per clip and they cannot be reloaded so use them wisely! The number of speciality ammo clips you can take with you depends on which belt you have. E.g: An Agent class belt will only allow you to take one speciality clip.

To remove a speciality ammo type from your belt, just click on it to put it back. By the way, feel free to take multiple clips of the same speciality ammo if you like (providing your current ammo belt allows it).

Note: Speciality ammo is use for tactical purposes rather than killing. Always read the description of the ammo type to gain a better understanding of how it's used.

The City Of Santa Lina

Santa Lina is a large fictional metropolis based on California's coast. The city is divided into several districts or areas.

santa lina

Pine County

Pine County is a vast country area full of farms, fields, forests and open roads. It's the only part of the city which has well-maintained beaches and even a few tourist resorts. A lot of celebrities and business owners have holiday homes here.


West Docklands

As the name suggest, West Docklands consists of lots of docks, shipping ports, seafood restaurants and warehouses. Unforunately it's also a dark and dismal place with an abundance of cheap housing and many criminal hideouts. If you ever want to kill someone and dump the body in the river, this is a great place to do it.


Leighton Oaks

Leighton Oaks is a quiet spacious mountain area where the rich and famous live. Anaksha's mansion is located in the South of Leighton Oaks.


Luxor Valley

Luxor Valley is Santa Lina's very own Las Vegas, full of casinos, theatres, magic shows, cabaret acts, designer shopping malls and up-market adult entertainment. A lot of the land to the north of Luxor is desert wasteland and mountainous regions which also form part of Pine County and Leighton Oaks.


Neon City

Neon City is hailed as Santa Lina's dazzling glowing core and advertisement capital of the world. This place can only be described as a larger, more futuristic version of London's famous Piccadilly Circus. Nothing but bright lights, neon strips on every building and large LCD screens displaying constant ads.


Cipher Town

Cipher Town is Santa Lina's cyberpunk capital where all the geeks, nerds, gamers and hackers reside. This area has its own wide range of cyber sub-cultures which can be seen in the local signs and architecture. Some parts of Cipher Town have architecture intentionally designed to look like electronic components, so an aerial view of that part of town will have the appearance of a circuit board.


Whitehall

Whitehall is Santa Lina's financial district, consisting mostly of accountancy and law firms. A lot of the major business HQs are located here too.


Hells Cats

Hell's Cats is Santa Lina's crime and sleaze central, full of bars, cheap hotels, cheap housing, night/strip clubs. This whole area is considered a major hotspot for nightlife, crime and vice.


San Pietro

San Pietro is a medium to low-income area mostly famous for having a heavy religious presence from all the major religions as well as an abundance of small-time cults. The town was named San Pietro after a well-respected clergyman described the river running through the area as "Lagrime Di San Pietro", the literal meaning of which is "tears of St. Peter" in Italian.


Thorns Row

Thorns Row is Santa Lina's middle-class residential area. This is where your average Joe would live in a cosy little house with his wife and two kids.


Rouge Town

Rouge Town is a medium to low-income area best known for being Santa Lina's main red light district. Although prostitution is common all over Santa Lina, Rouge Town is the only place where sex workers can legally solicit on the streets (although this law isn't strictly enforced). Rouge Town also has an abundance of adult stores, escort/modelling agencies and brothels


La Madre

La Madre is considered to be the city's low-income residential area. It has very high levels of crime due to the amount of poverty.


Gameplay

The Streets

street

Welcome to the neon-soaked streets of Santa Lina where pretty much everyone is out for a good time. You'll see people walking around, going in and out of buildings, smoking, sitting in bars/cafes, rushing to get to certain places or even just loitering.

Each person has a unique look and personality assigned to them (check the Citizen Archetypes section for more info on this). Finding your target is not going to be easy unless you've been given a physical description of that person, or you've been given a clue about their behavior. (Remember the first game, where all you did was plug the first person who started smoking or stood around for no reason? Well it ain't that easy any more). You're gonna have to keep your eyes peeled and stay alert because some missions will require split second decisions and timing (and no, that's not an exaggeration!).

Just like a real sniper, you need to quickly identify and eliminate your target at the right moment. Not all missions will be a simple case of "shoot on sight" so be sure to read every detail you are given about your target and their behavior. (It may be helpful to keep a notepad and pen handy)

Instructions

Move the mouse pointer to wherever it is you want to zoom, and press the SPACEBAR to enter/exit "scope view". The scope will always zoom in on your mouse pointer.

sniper scope

Once you're looking down the sniper scope you can move the scope around the scene using the mouse. To zoom, press and hold down the Q key to zoom in, and hold down the A key to zoom out. (If you're left handed with the mouse, then feel free to use the P and L keys instead)

To fire off a round, carefully line up the central red dot of the scope's reticle with your target. When you feel ready, press the left mouse button to discharge a single round but be careful! Killing or injuring an innocent person will result in an instant failure. The game has zero tolerance for causing unneccessary harm.

You should also be aware of where you aim. Headshots will result in death. Shooting the kneecaps will only injure them and put them in a lot of pain. In which case, you may have to finish them off once they've fallen (a mercy shot to the head should do it).

Note: Shooting the body does nothing. This is intentional. During the very early development phase of this game, it allowed you to shoot any part of the body. But for some reason that feature ground the system down to a halt, so it was removed (plus it was way too easy). To kill a target, always go for the head.

When you're in scope view, you can press the "R" key to switch between a dim and bright reticle HUD, if you feel the scope's internal display is obscuring your view.

Pressing ESCAPE will bring up a menu allowing you to exit or restart the level.

Your Rifle

m24 sniper rifle

Anaksha packs a modified M-24 sniper rifle as her main weapon of choice (this is the military version of the Remington 700). Her deadly skill combined with the existing modifications made to her rifle means she can accurately take out a target at distances of over 1200 yards.

The M-24 can hold up to 6 rounds (five in the internal magazine, one in the chamber). You will see the following interface in the bottom right corner of the screen.

rifle interface

The icon displays the main ammo type you are using and the remaining number of rounds in the rifle's internal magazine are displayed below the icon.

You can, at any time, click on this icon to reload the internal magazine. Sometimes its a good idea to plan ahead - the last thing you want is to be caught off-guard and be thrown into a hostile situation with only one bullet left, so I suggest you re-load often.

That actually happened to me once during play testing. I had one bullet left and suddenly all hell broke loose in the game. By the time I reloaded it was too late! :)

Once you've exhausted the internal magazine, Anaksha will automatically re-load it, bullet by bullet. If you don't like waiting then I suggest you research a magazine loader.

Once you've got hold of a magazine loader, an ammo belt and armed yourself with some speciality ammo, you'll be able to switch magazines at any time by clicking on the relevent icons in the rifle panel.

Your main ammo supply is unlimited. However, speciality ammo CANNOT be reloaded once you've exhausted the clip! Plan your shots carefully and strategically as you only get two round per clip (due to their delicate nature, they need to be stored in special casing). Having said that, feel free to carry two clips of the same speciality ammo if you like.

IMPORTANT: You cannot research speciality ammo until you have researched a magazine loader and an ammo belt

Damage Zones

Headshot Damage Zones

Shooting a target in the head will obviously kill them. However some missions may require a little more precision when it comes to eliminating a target. You may be asked to shoot the jaw or the temple or even blow out the eyes. The diagram above shows every possible damage zone in the head. It's a good idea to study the diagram and get a feel for where the damage zones are located. Feel free to sketch it in a notepad if you feel that will help you during a mission.

How much damage is done depends on the type of main ammo you are carrying. Main ammo will automatically be upgraded at certain points in the game. Unlike speciality ammo (which is more for tactical purposes) you won't need to research it.

Now on the other hand, if you wish to merely injure/disable a target you can do so by taking out their kneecaps. This is a tricky shot to execute but it ensures the target will stay in one location while you go do something else. Just be aware of one thing - if you can see the target's legs (for example, if they were wearing a short skirt) then aiming for the kneecaps is relatively easy. However if the target is wearing baggy jeans then you're going to have to guess where the kneecap is inside the fabric. Just like in real life, if you miss the actual kneecap then the bullet will just rip straight through their clothing and do nothing more than startle them.

Police Patrols

police car

As you'd expect from any major city, Santa Lina's roads are teeming with traffic. Most of them won't bother you, but the police patrols can be a pain. Where would any bustling metropolis be without those lovable boys and girls in uniform? You're probably thinking you're safe perched on that rooftop with your rifle but you couldn't be further from the truth. Thanks to your notorious reputation, SLPD Chief Samuel Mitchell has stepped up the search to find you, which means if the police are called to your location they will seal off the area and comb the place and your only option will be to flee the scene and you will fail the mission.

Each area is regularly monitored by passing police patrol cars. If they spot an injured person or a corpse on the street, they will sound a warning, stop the car, alert HQ and you will have failed the mission instantly. Each area has its own level of police protection. Check the area info on your cellphone to find out how often the cops patrol that area.

Warning: Do NOT fire at innocent vehicles (yes, that includes police cars). You'll instantly fail your mission.

Citizen Behavior and Law Enforcement

When you start a level, you'll see people going about their daily business without a care in the world - until you do something to disrupt it.

Citizens will react to situations in different ways (depending on their personality) and not all citizens will act as predicted. Some may flee, some may "rubber neck" (stand and gawk). It depends on who it is.

For example, if a vigilant citizen spots an injured person they MAY choose to call the police. If they manage to successfully make the call, a timer will appear in the top left corner which indicates how long you have left before the cops arrive. Once they get there, it's pretty much game over for you.

Just beware, if a vigilant citizen spots a corpse and reports it, then it won't be the local friendly police officer who turns up - it'll be SWAT! These guys will not waste any time in getting there.

Just one more thing (you're gonna hate me for this), the more citizens who report a crime, the faster the police reponse time becomes. Police will increase the crime-scene's priority with each report they get and the police response time will tick away slightly faster. But don't worry it's not permanent. It will reset at the start of each mission.

By the way, if you see a vigilante citizen using their cellphone, you may think it's OK to scare them off with a stray bullet to prevent them from finishing the call. Makes sense, right? ...Wrong! If you do that (you're gonna hate me for this!), they will instantly call the cops once they've run to safety. You actually buy yourself more time if you just let them make the call instead of freaking them out.

Check the hints section for info on the proper way to deal with these people.

Gang Members

Introduction

A large city like Santa Lina has it's fair share of gang related crime. Each district has several organized gangs who have their own set of rules, friends, enemies and initiations. The most notorious of these gangs is the V-Syndicate (if you're playing in "Cinematic Mode", then you're going to learn all about them).

The V-Syndicate are a dangerous organization consisting of Santa Lina's toughest thugs, criminals, parolees, and ex-cons. Their initiation ritual involves killing an innocent person (the rules are, it has to be someone they don't know and have never met before). Some candidates will target gas stations. They wait for their victim to go and pay for their fuel, then hide in the back of their car. Some will sink even lower and hang out at schools. The gang don't discriminate who you kill so long as you're not familiar with them and you can prove you did it. As a result, many victims end up being lone women and innocent teens.

Every member of the V-Syndicate has intentionally taken an innocent life and as far as Anaksha is concerned, that's a good enough reason to plug them on sight.

Identification

Due to the immense size of the organization, most levels will have at least two V-Syndicate members wandering around (check the "Area Info" on the map screen of your cellphone to see if there are any gang members on the next mission).

Killing gang members is totally optional. As long as you nail your main target, you can still pass the level without plugging any gang members. However, killing them has its rewards.

Recognising a V-Syndicate member is easy. They're all male, dress "rough" (check the Citizen Archetypes section below for more info on dress codes, etc) and have the famous skull insignia tattoed to their upper arm. Make sure it's the right tattoo before firing as there may be innocent people with similar looking symbols on their arm.

If V-Syndicate members are around, there will be two sub-types present:

v syndicate

New Recruits - These guys can be identified by the standard V-Syndicate insignia on the upper arm. These guys have been freshly initiated and are still learning the ropes. Killing a new recruit reward you with 2 bonus research points once you complete the mission.

Leaders - Gang leaders can be recognised by the standard V-Syndicate insignia accompanied by a set of two military style arrows above it. Killing a new recruit reward you with 5 bonus research points once you complete the mission.

Shields And Final Rank

If you kill both gang members on a level which has them you will unlock a shield upon passing the mission. The number of shields you have will count towards your final rank once you complete the game.

Citizen Archetypes

There are five different citizen archetypes wandering around the streets of Santa Lina (your target will also fall into one of these categories).

The following is just a generic guideline to their behavior and is the most common decision you are most likely to see them make when faced with an emergency. Bravery and vigilance usually differs from person to person, so don't be surprised if you see the occasional one who acts different or is arrogant enough to ignore the situation altogether.

Smart - These are business people, educated professionals and the high rollers you get in casinos. The guys are neatly dressed in black suit trousers will always be wearing a tie. The women will be wearing white blouses and will have either a black skirt or trousers. Some will have suit jackets, some won't. It depends on their personal choice of style. These people consider themselves to be law abiding citizens and are highly likely to call the cops when faced with an emergency.

Rough - These people consist of gangsters, gang-bangers and wanna-bes. Most guys will be wearing combat pants, shorts or jeans and will either be wearing a shirt/tank top or will be walking around shirtless. The girls are usually dressed in combat pants, tank tops/tube tops and wedges. Tattooes and piercings are also popular with these people. They tend to steer clear of the law and are more likely to run away from an emergency than do anything about it.

Player - Ever heard the term "metrosexual"? Well that's what the guys in this category are. You'll recognise them immediately from their loud shirts and dark jeans. These guys are out to do one thing - attract female attention through "peacocking" and there's no shortage of girls for them either. The ladies in this category are equally vain. Cropped/standard jeans, short skirts, tank tops and halter-necks, all properly color matched. Players tend to "rubberneck" when faced with an emergency.

Casual - These are your average nightowls who are just out to enjoy the nightlife. Their clothing isn't as loud as the player's clothing. They tend to wear things like dark open-collar shirts with matching jeans. The ladies will wear black or red dresses/skirts, sometimes even jeans. These people rely more on charm and personality instead of loud clothing to attract members of the opposite sex, and can sometimes be quite vigilant when faced with an emergency.

Sleazy - Two words - hookers and punters. These working girls are dressed so loud and slutty, you can spot them a mile off (which is good for business I guess). The guys in this category are the typical, unappealing, married types who usually pay for prostitutes. They wear jeans, boots, have unshaven/goatees, receding hair, pony tails, sometimes even leather/suede jackets. These people are more likely to run from an emergency instead of doing anything about it.

Save and Load Game

Saving Your Game

save game

Dark Angel allows you to save your progress. You can do this through Jack Goldwyn's event report, which has been lovingly prepared by Wendy (more info about them in "Cinematic Mode").

It's STRONGLY recommended you save your game permanently by saving you data to a text file and storing it away locally! This will ensure you don't lose your progress if your browser cookies are deleted. You can read more about how to do this in the next section.

After completing a mission you will be presented with this report. Here you will see 5 possible slots in which you can record your progress. To do this, pick a slot and click on the "Save" button. Your current game details will appear inside the main slot itself (you can over-write save slots too). That's it. Your progress has now been saved to your browsers 'cookie' and so long you don't clear your browser cache your save data will be safe. This method will work just fine for most people.

NOTE: If you earned a shield from the last mission you played, you'll hear a smooth sax lead accompanying the jazz stinger which normally plays here. Just a little extra something I threw in for you all. ;)

Saving Your Game Permanently

Now for those of you who want something a little more permanent that you can file away, cast your gaze to the right hand side of the report. What you'll notice is that each used slot will have a "Copy Save Data" icon next to it. If you click on this icon, the save data will copy itself to your system memory. Then all you need to do is open up a text editor and press 'Ctrl'+'v' on a PC (or 'Command'+'v' on a Mac) and your save data will paste itself into the editor (please make sure you have word-wrap switched OFF in your text editor before saving). You can then continue your game on any machine running Dark Angel without having to worry about your browser cache.

WARNING: Do NOT attempt to edit the save data! Doing so will corrupt your save progress and may possibly crash the game or in rare instances may even crash your machine!

Loading Your Game

load game

To load a previously saved game from a browser cookie, just click on the load button next to one of the used game slots. That's it.

To load a saved game that you've filed away, select "Load Game" from the main menu. Then simply highlight the block of text you want and press "Ctrl"+"c" (or "Command"+"c" on the Mac). Then in your load game screen, replace the text in the little text box in the bottom left corner by either deleting it first, or selecting the contents and pasting in the new text by pressing "Ctrl"+"v" (or right-clicking in the box and selecting "Paste". Upon recognising and validating the save text, a small green tick will appear above the text box and you will be presented with a "Load" button.

NOTE: Each save game block will contain two tags - "###DARKANGELSAVE###" and "@@@DARKANGELSAVE@@@". Make sure you include these when you select the individual block of text.

Load/Save Technical Issues

There is one known technical issue for Windows users which occurs when you try and copy a save game from MS Notepad. For some reason, when you load a text file in notepad it decides to add temporary line breaks in the text depending on the size of the application window. To fix this, switch OFF 'Word Wrap' before selecting and copying your save game.

Depending on which text editor you're using, if you're having trouble loading a game from text, it might be wise to disable word wrap and see if that's causing the issue.

Tutorial

A Walkthrough For The First Level

For those of you who are still a little confused about how to play this game, here's a little something to help you through the first level

When the level starts you will be presented with the following view of a street in Hell's Cats (which is a well-known area of Santa Lina)

tutorial 1

The first thing you think yourself is, "What do I do now?". Well according to the mission description you'll know that a dealer is meeting up with his supplier on the top floor of the Techno Bar. Your job is to killer the dealer, not the supplier. The reason being is that the supplier has some important information which you need (if you're playing in "Cinematic Mode" you'll get to see just persuasive out heroine can be!)

So now we know the supplier will be wearing a white t-shirt and will be stopping for a smoke outside the bar. If you look carefully at the screenshot above, you'll see him stood outside doing just that (the purple arrows indicate where he's stood). Your job now is to wait. That's all. Once he finishes his cigarette, he will head to the top floor and enter the room above the Techno Bar (you'll know when this happens because you'll see the light go on).

He will then walk over to the right hand side, turn around and stop. There he will wait for his client (the dealer) to turn up. Be patient and wait for this to happen. Eventually a guy with a pony tail, beard and a red t-shirt will turn up and stop opposite him

tutorial 2

Do not fire until they've met up! That means you must wait for the guy in the red t-shirt to walk over to his friend and stop opposite him (as indicated by the purple arrows). Once this happens we know we've got the right guy and not just someone who looks like him. If you kill him before this happens, you'll fail the mission.

tutorial 3

Once you've confirmed the target, move the mouse pointer over his head and press the SPACE BAR to enter sniper mode. You will see a closer view of the target through your scope. Although it's not necessary on the first level, you can zoom in and out if you like by holding down the Q or A key (use the P and L keys if you're left handed).

Carefully move your rifle using the mouse until the red-dot of your scope's reticle is lined up with the target's head (Reminder: Make sure you're aiming at the guy in the red t-shirt!). To pull the trigger, press the left mouse button (don't mess around once you've confirmed the target because he won't be hanging around there for very long). If you manage to pull off a successful execution, you will see a blood splat cover the window and the target will go limp and fall. The other guy will probably panic and run for his life which is what we want. If you're playing in "Cinematic Mode" you'll get to see Anaksha's "direct" way in which she deals with uncooperative people (Warning: Contains violent scenes! If that offends you then please don't watch).

Once it's game over, you'll hear a heartbeat followed by a musical stinger (depending on your sound settings). Press the SPACE BAR to exit sniper mode if you're still looking down your scope. You should see a 'game over' screen indicating whether you passed or failed. If you fail a mission, the game will not punish you for trying again. Feel free to retry a mission as many times as you like. If you passed - well done! But don't celebrate just yet. You have a long way to go and it only gets tougher from here on.

NOTE: You can press ESCAPE at any time during the mission to either exit or restart a level.

Final Thoughts

You're on your own from now on but I will leave you with two very important pieces of advice. First of all, make sure you thoroughly read every detail in your mission description on your cellphone. It's a good idea to take notes so I strongly recommend you keep a notepad and pen nearby.

Secondly, make sure you start researching new mods as soon as possible (especially the speciality ammo). They will make life so much easier. :)

Good luck!

Hints and Tips

Here's some vague hints for you. I don't mind helping people out if they're stuck on a particular level but one thing I do not believe in is holding someone's hand and mollycoddling them through the entire game like a child. Gamers deserve more respect than that and should be free to discover things for themselves and come up with their own walkthroughs and solutions.

Two FAQ's have been set up specifically for this game to help answer any common questions. The first FAQ deals with gameplay issues and can be found here

The second FAQ deals with questions about the storyline and plot and can be found here. Please note, the story FAQ contains major spoilers, so if you may want to avoid this one until you've completed the game and watched all the cutscenes.

If you're still stuck then I strongly recommend you check the official Dark Angel forum for answers. Please don't email me personally with your query. Let's keep the information public so others can benefit from it. If your thread title or post contains potential spoilers then please be considerate enough to warn others beforehand. :)

I also respect those people who prefer story over gameplay. I understand that not everyone is a hardcore gamer, but please at least try your best to beat the game. I mean it, really give it your best shot. Post your questions in the forums, check to see if anyone's posted a video of that particular level on Youtube, or search Google for a walkthrough - do everything you honestly can to find a solution because in my opinion nothing beats the satisfaction and excitement you get from overcoming a tough gaming challenge yourself. If after all that effort you're still frustrated and you've honestly exhausted all resources then email me. I'll give you the "sneaking into the cinema" password to unlock all the cutscenes. But I should warn you - a few of the scenes may not entirely make sense as they were designed to tie in with some of the actions taken during the actual missions.

If you still think it's too hard and want something a little more relaxed, then maybe a sniper simulation isn't the right game for you. Try the mini-adventure series. It's a lot more easy going and will probably appeal to the more casual gamers out there.

Achievements and Shields

For those of you who love hunting achievements and shields, you can find a full list of them here.

Additional Info

Facts

Anaksha Dark Angel is the first flash game ever to be accompanied by a professionally written feature-length storyline, spanning almost two and a half hours of in-game cinematics.

Anaksha Dark Angel took 34 months to develop. All the work (coding, gfx, illustrations, animations, screenplay, cutscenes, etc) was done by the original author, alone.

There are several deleted scenes which were never illustrated. You'll be able to see all this once the Dark Angel screenplay is released on this site.

A movie screenplay based on Anaksha is currently in development. This will give a detailed account of her life, from her childhood days in Agra (India) to how she became Santa Lina's most feared vigilante.

Anaksha now has her very own twitter account which is the same one she talks about in her games. This isn't just a brand promotion account - it's her own personal account which means all her tweets are her own personal tweets. So depending what mood she's in you'll get to see her talk/rant about whatever random things are going on in her life. So if you've got a twitter account and you want to get to know her personally then why not follow her. It's the closest anyone can get to having her as an online friend. As you're already aware, she's not the most outgoing or sociable person so please don't pester her or expect too much interaction from her. You can find her account at www.twitter.com/anaksha.

For those of you interested in official Anaksha posters, t-shirts and other merchandise (and to find out how you can support this project) please visit the support page.

Known Bugs

If you find a bug then please report it to me. Please make sure it's an actual bug and not just a misunderstanding. I'll also need solid details of how to make the bug appear. You'll find my details on the contact page. All known bugs will be listed here.

BUG #001: On the odd occasion, some citizens may not respond to gunshots when they are engulfed in smoke. I've only ever seen this happen once and I'm still unsure as to what's causing it. The gunshot detection code has changed since I saw this bug so there's a chance it may not exist any more.

Game Soundtrack

I'm still in the middle of compiling this list of each track used in the game along with links to the original site where you can purchase the music. Please note, I am not affiliated with Audio Network in any way. This is just for your information.

Each track may have several variations/mixes associated with it. You may have to listen to each mix before you find the one you're looking for. Also be aware that the version you hear on the production music company's website may differ slightly from the one used in the game due to editing.

Preloader

Unsung Hero by Terry Devine-King


Game Intro

Descending Into The Abyss by Luke Richards


Main Menu

Dawn Of Time by Terry Devine-King (I love this track!)


Cellphone

Kicking Up Dust by Barrie Gledden/Kes Loy/Richard Kimmings


Save Game

Fire by Bob Bradley (I love this track!)

Paying Dues by Tim Garland


Main Mission

Lonely Spirits by Bob Bradley

Manali by Tom Quick

Claustrophobia by Chris Egan

History In The Making by Luke Richards (I love this track!)

Darkening by Luke Richards

Anti Gravity by Dan Skinner

Descending Into The Abyss by Luke Richards


That's all for now. I'll be publishing more track details soon. Check back here later.

In the meanwhile if there's a particular track you've heard in the game and you simply can't wait to get hold of it, then email me and I'll be happy to send you the link.

The information contained in this game manual and the game FAQs will be updated whenever possible, so be sure to check for updates from time to time.

(c) Copyright 2007, 2012 Arif Majothi. All Rights Reserved.