Dark Shadows - Army of Evil | Game Brain

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In Dark Shadows - Army of Evil, players embark on a classic Medieval Fantasy Hack and Slash journey to save their loved one from a monstrous army. With an old-school look, players fight through 19 levels, discovering various weapons and facing increasing challenges. The game's story takes place in 1362, where an evil force has ravaged the land, kidnapped the player's loved one, and stolen resources, leaving the player as the realm's only hope for salvation.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

26%

Audience ScoreBased on 131 reviews

humor10 positive mentions

graphics11 negative mentions

Some players found the game to be a source of unexpected joy during tough times, providing a brief escape from reality.
A few reviews mentioned that the game has a certain charm and originality, appreciating the effort put in by the developers.
The music was noted by some as being enjoyable, adding a bit of atmosphere to the experience.

The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including crashes, poor graphics, and unresponsive controls, making it nearly unplayable.
Gameplay is criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with a convoluted quest structure that often requires players to search for keys and items without clear guidance.
Many players expressed disappointment with the overall design, describing it as a poorly executed project that feels unfinished and lacks basic game mechanics.

graphics
43 mentions
7 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
26 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized, with many reviewers describing them as outdated, reminiscent of early 90s titles, and poorly executed. Common complaints include low resolution, janky visuals, and a lack of polish that detracts from the overall experience, often leaving players feeling physically ill. While a few users noted that the graphics could be somewhat acceptable at maximum settings, the overwhelming consensus is that they are substandard and contribute significantly to the game's shortcomings.
- “The only positive thing I noticed was the seemingly enhanced graphics.”
- “Although the graphics are weak, the overall levels are well made and give the game its atmosphere.”
- “Though the graphics are old school, this was and is no problem to me.”
- “Gameplay issues aside, this game has some of the worst graphics I have ever seen.”
- “The graphics hold up worse than Pong, and this was released last year.”
- “I was appalled by the graphics, repulsed by the godawful movement controls, terrified by the worst first level in any game I've ever played, and the sheer fact you had the temerity to charge money for this waste of time is a disgrace.”
story
22 mentions
14 % positive mentions
73 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The story of the game is widely criticized for being trivial and poorly executed, with many reviewers describing it as generic and lacking depth. Players find the plot unengaging, often reduced to tedious quests for keys in poorly designed environments, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment. Overall, the narrative fails to provide any meaningful context or motivation, contributing to an overall negative perception of the game's quality.
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “Third, let's talk about the story.”
- “Alright, the story.”
- “So, the game is bad in pretty much everything compared with the average video game; the plot is trivial, the gameplay is stupid, the puzzles are so bad that the developers had to publish the tutorials on YouTube, and of course, the graphics are bad as well. I think it made me feel physically ill (not ironically).”
- “Graphics are terrible, story and writing are atrocious at best.”
- “What is even more, the entire game lacks any pleasure a gamer needs of this kind of game: almost no loot, disappointing endings in which you suddenly get killed by an invisible enemy, and an impossible quest at the start: find a sword and some keys.”
gameplay
22 mentions
9 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this game is widely criticized for being unintuitive, slow, and riddled with issues, including poor controls and repetitive mechanics. Many players found the puzzles frustrating and the overall experience boring, with some even describing it as physically uncomfortable due to its graphics and performance. Overall, the gameplay is deemed severely lacking, with numerous reviewers recommending against purchasing the game.
- “I bhoped all over the castle and killed myself laughing from the mechanics more than what I did do the finding.”
- “It is functional, for sure, but the gameplay itself is severely lacking.”
- “The game randomly crashes whenever it feels like during gameplay.”
- “Controls, visuals, performance, audio, gameplay, story, cinematics, loading times, menus, every damn thing in this game is broken by design.”
- “The gameplay is laughable, with most of the weapons using the same animations.”
humor
11 mentions
91 % positive mentions
-18 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players finding the initial cutscenes and some mechanics genuinely hilarious, while later combat and puzzles are described as laughably bad. Many reviewers appreciate the unintentional comedy stemming from poor design choices, leading to moments of genuine laughter, though some feel the humor quickly turns into frustration. Overall, the game's humor is characterized by its absurdity, eliciting both amusement and exasperation.
- “You have three swings, all done by the three mouse buttons: left mouse button thrusts and then chops, middle mouse button does overhead chops, and right mouse button does a horizontal swipe and an absolutely useless (but hilarious) spin attack.”
- “The one thing that kept me going early on were the hilarious cutscenes, and those go away in a hurry.”
- “Now normally I wouldn't complain too much about the damsel in distress trope, overused though it may be, but the way this game goes about it is just stupid, to the point where I had to stop after the cutscene to finish laughing.”
- “Laughably bad in the most unfunny sort of way.”
- “The jokes fall flat and feel forced, lacking any real wit.”
- “I found the humor to be cringeworthy rather than entertaining.”
music
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it atmospheric and enjoyable, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking excitement. Despite its shortcomings, the music is noted to provide a relaxing backdrop, even if it doesn't enhance the overall gameplay experience. Overall, while the audio may not be groundbreaking, it contributes to the game's ambiance.
- “On the plus side though, there's a decent stab at atmospheric music.”
- “The visuals are passable as is the audio, and I rather liked the music.”
- “The music and sound are repetitive; there is nothing exciting about it.”
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “Listen to music while you try to get the game working.”
optimization
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is severely lacking, with users reporting widespread issues across controls, visuals, performance, and loading times. Many have noted that enabling effects leads to particularly poor performance, and some even humorously suggest that the game's problems are so severe they could be considered "broken by design." Overall, the optimization is described as frustratingly inadequate.
- “Controls, visuals, performance, audio, gameplay, story, cinematics, loading times, menus, every damn thing in this game is broken by design.”
- “Furthermore, the textures and the performance of this game (in this case it's just a piece of bullshit) are just ridiculous.”
- “The performance is really poor, especially if you enable all the effects.”
emotional
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing; while some players report feeling physically ill due to poor graphics and gameplay, others express a deep emotional connection to the narrative, with moments that evoke genuine tears. Overall, the game's ability to elicit strong reactions—both negative and positive—highlights its impact on players.
- “When I heard that not only the gold, taxes, and weapons were being held by the monsters (spoilers: they are only in disguise), I shed a tear.”
stability
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches reported by players, severely impacting gameplay. Many users have encountered game-breaking problems, such as missing enemies and unresponsive mechanics, leading to frustration and an inability to progress.
- “The game has more bugs than the Amazon rainforest, as I encountered several glitches during my time with it.”
- “There is really only one good part of the game: the buggy mechanics.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by well-designed levels and rich character backgrounds, despite the graphics being considered weak. Additionally, the atmospheric music contributes positively to the overall experience.
- “Although the graphics are weak, the overall levels are well made and contribute significantly to the game's atmosphere.”
- “On the plus side, there's a decent attempt at creating atmospheric music.”
- “The characters and rich background really enhance the atmosphere of the game.”
- “Although the graphics are weak, the overall levels are well made and contribute to the game's atmosphere.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players find the initial level to be a tedious grind, requiring a walkthrough to navigate the item hunt effectively.
- “The first level is a tedious item hunt that you need a walkthrough to complete.”
- “Grinding feels like an endless chore rather than an engaging part of the game.”
- “The repetitive tasks required to level up make the game feel more like a job than a fun experience.”
replayability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with users indicating that once completed, there is little incentive to revisit it.
- “The game lacks any meaningful choices, making replayability virtually nonexistent.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
- “The linear storyline and predictable outcomes severely limit replayability.”