Dark Years

About

Dark Years is an action-adventure game based on the real events surrounding ‘Operation Ajax ‘. In an attempt to secure the rights to Iran’s oil, the British and American governments secretly backed a coup that over-threw the democratically elected government of Mohammad Mosaddegh. The result was a period of great instability and violence.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

29%

Audience ScoreBased on 52 reviews

humor8 positive mentions

story4 negative mentions

The game features a surprisingly solid story that explores historical events, making it intriguing for players interested in that context.
Some players found the music enjoyable, adding a nice touch to the overall experience.
Despite its flaws, the game has moments that can be entertaining, especially when viewed with a sense of humor about its shortcomings.

The game suffers from extremely poor graphics, clunky controls, and a nauseating camera, making it difficult to play.
Voice acting is widely criticized as terrible, often described as amateurish and poorly executed, detracting from the overall experience.
Many players reported numerous bugs and glitches, leading to a frustrating and confusing gameplay experience.

story
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
59%
24%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it surprisingly solid and engaging, particularly for fans of detective and noir genres. However, many criticize the execution, citing poor translation, nonsensical plot elements, and subpar voice acting that detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the heart behind the narrative, others recommend it only for hardcore fans willing to overlook its numerous flaws.
- “The story is actually kinda solid surprisingly.”
- “You will not get any professional production value except for the music and the pictures in the loading screen, but you will get a game where the making is all heart and the development seems to be driven by a single developer wanting to tell a story.”
- “The story is exciting.”
- “I thought the setting of this game seemed interesting and I am a big fan of detective/noir/pulp style storylines, so I was incredibly disappointed to see just how low quality this game is.”
- “And on top of that, the story is a poorly translated mess that honestly makes no kind of sense and features the worst voice acting in English I have ever heard.”
- “The plot is nonsensical because the letters that the game uses to tell the plot are written in really broken English.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
44%
38%
The graphics of the game have received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users describing them as outdated, blurry, and filled with glitches. Critics note that the visuals appear stuck in the mid-90s, featuring poor textures and animations that detract from the overall experience. While some locations show interesting details, the overall graphical quality is considered a significant drawback.
- “The game has a good story and good graphics.”
- “If this game had better graphics, it could be a complete success for this indie team.”
- “The graphics were from the mid-90s, which was expected and obvious, but they work well with the very specific and rigid gameplay.”
- “The graphics are awful and the game has about every single graphical bug and glitch you can think of.”
- “The game's graphics are very much stuck in the past, with poor textures, poor lighting effects, and very poor models and animation.”
- “I was expecting Max Payne graphics or something like that at least.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
89%
33%
The humor in the game is largely unintentional, stemming from poor voice acting and design choices that lead to moments of absurdity. While some players find it amusing to laugh at the game's shortcomings, others feel that the experience can be frustrating rather than genuinely funny. Overall, it appeals to those who enjoy a comedic experience derived from a game's failures rather than its intended humor.
- “While this is funny to see, I was also simultaneously weeping that I had paid money to experience it.”
- “It is so laughingly bad at some moments that it is funny again.”
- “Actually made me laugh out loud several times.”
- “It's not funny because it tries too hard to be serious, yet ends up being unintentionally hilarious.”
- “The humor feels forced and falls flat, making the serious moments awkward instead of funny.”
- “I found the jokes to be cringeworthy rather than amusing, which detracted from the overall experience.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players criticizing its rigid mechanics and lack of helpful hints, leading to a trial-and-error experience. However, others appreciate the long and logical gameplay, finding it challenging and engaging despite the outdated graphics and animation quality. Overall, the gameplay seems to be a polarizing aspect, appealing to some while frustrating others.
- “The gameplay is good and sometimes it's challenging.”
- “My favorite part was long and logical gameplay.”
- “I don't do gameplay videos, but for the first time ever, I have considered it just to show people how horrible this game is.”
- “I know it's an indie game probably made by only a few people, so I expected it to be a bit rough around the edges, but the controls and gameplay are lacking.”
- “The graphics were from the mid-90s, which was expected and obvious, but the very specific and rigid gameplay, such as having to guess and run around like trial and error to hope to find something without very helpful hints or much logic.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with users appreciating its quality and emotional impact, despite the lack of professional production value. Notably, the inclusion of pieces like Barber's Adagio for Strings and Eastern music adds to the overall experience, although players are advised to turn off in-game music during streams due to content ID issues.
- “The one thing I liked, though, is the music.”
- “The music’s nice, though.”
- “Eastern music is good.”
- “Car music gets hit by content ID, so turn it off on streams and such.”
- “You will not get any professional production value except for the music and the pictures in the loading screen, but you will get a game where the making is all heart and the development seems to be driven by a single developer wanting to tell a story.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting numerous bugs that contribute to a confusing and frustrating gameplay experience. Overall, the game's performance is described as poor and visually unappealing.
- “It is very buggy and a generally confusing game.”
- “It's buggy, disgusting to look at and hard to play.”