Dark Skies: The Nemansk Incident
- February 24, 2023
- DK Productions
- 1h median play time
Get on Steam"Dark Skies: The Nemansk Incident" is a single-player, narrative-driven survival horror game set in a small, isolated town in Russia. Players take on the role of a journalist investigating a series of mysterious events, using stealth and problem-solving skills to uncover the truth while evading supernatural enemies. The game features a rich, atmospheric world with multiple endings based on player choices.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a fantastic atmosphere and visual design, reminiscent of classic titles like S.T.A.L.K.E.R., with well-crafted levels and a great soundtrack.
- The developer shows a lot of dedication and passion for the project, regularly updating the game and responding to player feedback.
- Despite its flaws, the game has potential and offers a nostalgic experience for fans of early 2000s FPS games.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs, performance issues, and a lack of polish, making it feel unfinished and frustrating to play.
- AI behavior is often poor, with enemies displaying brain-dead reactions and combat feeling unsatisfying due to lack of feedback.
- The GameGuru engine limits the game's capabilities, resulting in stiff controls, long loading times, and a lack of essential features like key remapping and sensitivity adjustments.
- atmosphere21 mentions
- 76 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive visuals, detailed level design, and effective ambient sounds, drawing comparisons to classic titles like Stalker. Reviewers appreciate the cohesive art design and the effort put into creating a captivating environment, although some note that the soundtrack can be overpowering. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, enhancing the gameplay experience and reflecting the developer's passion for the project.
“Love this game; it feels classic and brings a special atmosphere I can't find in modern games anymore.”
“The atmosphere and audio are spot on.”
“The atmosphere of this game is fantastic!!”
“The soundtrack is far too loud for a game that prides itself on having a deep atmosphere.”
“The combat isn't as good as I'd like, but it doesn't discourage me from wanting to soak up the atmosphere.”
“Art design rocks, too; it's one coherent atmosphere created and maintained.”
- graphics17 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the aesthetic and atmosphere, likening it to AAA titles like Metro and Stalker, while others criticize the overall quality, describing them as reminiscent of 90s graphics and noting limitations in graphical options. Despite some technical flaws and simplistic AI, the visuals are often seen as a strong point that enhances the game's immersive experience, especially considering its low price as an indie title. Overall, while the graphics may not meet everyone's expectations, they contribute positively to the game's mood and design.
“The game's atmosphere is great with good visuals and level design, reminiscent of Stalker or Will to Live Online for comparison.”
“Its such a low price for a game of this quality and effort, just get it and support indie devs. The visuals and the mood of the game are as good as any AAA game similar to Metro or Stalker.”
“Loving this game; I love the feel and the graphics are sleek and the atmosphere is great. I recommend it, and at this price, it's a great deal.”
“The graphics are poor; no maps, no AI, and enemies are so easy to kill.”
“Apparently this engine is so limited and poorly designed that it can't even allow a graphics options menu in the game apart from one set of presets of the 'low,' 'medium,' 'high' sort.”
“Do not even get this game if it's free; it runs poorly, the game is choppy as hell, and the graphics are terrible—bad, bad, bad.”
- story16 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as interesting and engaging, set in a post-apocalyptic world with a linear narrative that encourages exploration through various missions and points of interest. Players appreciate the atmospheric environment and the effort put into the plot, which offers around 4 to 8 hours of gameplay, making it a solid choice for fans of indie and stalker-style games. Overall, while not groundbreaking, the story is well-received and enhances the overall experience.
“Highly recommend to anyone looking for a good story-driven shooter and that late 90's vibe.”
“There's actually a ton of effort put into this, with beautifully detailed levels, custom voice acting, and an interesting plot that makes me very curious and eager to experience the rest of the game.”
“The story is great, along with the atmospheric environment you get immersed into.”
“It follows a linear narrative with the player coming across points of interest or specific items to advance the plot and progress through the level.”
“As the game is finished, I did fully play the story. It's not game of the year but a great indie 'stalker' game. You will run into issues but you will also run into greatness.”
“The story will go for at least 4 hours, but you can get 8 out of it probably with special missions and all collectibles.”
- music10 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its excellent composition and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with well-crafted soundtracks and environmental backgrounds. However, some players feel that the soundtrack is overly loud, detracting from the immersive experience, especially in a game focused on a deep, atmospheric setting. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's design, its volume levels may need adjustment for a more balanced experience.
“The background music and visual design are excellent.”
“+ Soundtracks + environment backgrounds are really well composed.”
“The game has awesome level design and great music and just enough creepiness to keep you entertained.”
“The soundtrack is far too loud for a game which prides itself on having a deep atmosphere.”
“You get a FOV slider, music volume slider, and sound effects volume slider.”
“Need louder main menu music.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews; while it offers a nostalgic experience with hours of content, a variety of weapons, and quests from NPCs, many players find it lacking polish and standout features. Some appreciate the mechanics and gunplay, comparing it favorably to other titles, but others struggle to engage with the game effectively, leading to a perception of poor gameplay overall.
“This new post-apocalyptic game will give you hours of gameplay, lots of guns to play with, quests given by actual NPCs, and large open areas for just $10.”
“+ Overall mechanics, gunfight feeling way better than Serious Sam.”
“The gameplay seems awful.”
“The gameplay is very promising, but the polish is nearly non-existent; this is a very raw game right now.”
“At the launch now, in early access you got 2 hours and 20 minutes of gameplay at minimum.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent bugs, erratic ragdoll physics, and persistent freezing during loading screens and transitions, leading to a frustrating experience for players.
“The game is very unstable; it constantly freezes during loading screens or transitions.”
“Oh, and of course the game is buggy, with ragdolls flying all over the place.”
“Dark Skies is buggy.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for its stiffness and frequent performance issues, particularly during area transitions, leading to a lack of polish and concerns about potential crashes.
“The game feels very stiff and like it's about to crash every time you load into a new area. It doesn't feel polished at the moment, with performance issues where there shouldn't be.”
“The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and long loading times that disrupt the gameplay experience.”
“Despite the interesting gameplay mechanics, the poor optimization makes it frustrating to play, as the game often stutters and lags.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is not directly addressed in the provided text, but the frustrations with gameplay mechanics such as aiming and sensitivity may suggest that players feel the experience is hindered, potentially impacting their willingness to invest in the game. Overall, the focus seems to be more on gameplay issues rather than monetization strategies.
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's replayability, noting the presence of numerous easter eggs and an engaging atmosphere that encourages multiple playthroughs.
“This game is good and you can see it's a passion project. There are plenty of easter eggs, an awesome atmosphere, and even some replayability!”
