DarkEnd
- October 17, 2014
- KISS ltd
Get on SteamCan you conquer the ever changing dungeons of DarkEnd and save the fall of humanity? Choose your heroes and venture into a world filled with numerous treasures, mysterious secrets and discover a haunting past in this 10+ hours of retro 2D Dungeon-Crawling!
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The character selection and unique storylines for each character add depth and replayability to the game.
- The custom artwork and graphics, while generic RPG Maker style, are well done and enhance the overall experience.
- The challenging gameplay and strategic boss battles provide a rewarding experience for players who enjoy difficult RPGs.
- The game suffers from excessive RNG, leading to frustrating and unbalanced gameplay experiences.
- There are numerous grammatical and syntactic errors in the dialogue, which detracts from the overall immersion.
- The combat system can feel outdated and predictable, making battles less engaging and enjoyable.
- story16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The story in the game is described as simple yet engaging, with players intrigued by the unique narratives of the four primary characters and the complex, detective-like plot twists that unfold throughout. While some find the storyline cliche and occasionally confusing, it offers enough depth and intrigue to keep players invested, despite a focus on gameplay over narrative. Overall, the story is seen as decent but not groundbreaking, with mixed opinions on its execution and clarity.
“The story is simple yet satisfying enough to make me want to find out more about my character and the tragic event that befalls his past.”
“In Darkend, you can play as one of four different primary characters, and each of these characters has a very unique and intriguing storyline.”
“Playing this game is like reading a detective novel for me, and each stage of the game gives me a better glimpse of the story.”
“The storyline is quite complex and convoluted, and you normally would not know who is good or bad until the very end.”
“The game has a decent story, albeit cliche.”
“The story is nothing revolutionary.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The graphics feature custom artwork that enhances character immersion, complemented by charming scenes on gems. While the overall visuals align with typical RPG Maker standards, the quality of the drawings stands out positively.
“I do like the custom artwork; it adds a nice touch to get a better feel for your character, and the little scenes on the gems made me smile. I'm sure they will lead to other things as I progress further in the game.”
“Graphically, the game delivers exactly what you can expect from RPG Maker games out there.”
“The graphics are generic RPG Maker as far as I can tell, but the drawings are very good.”
“Graphically, the game is exactly what you can expect from RPG Maker games out there.”
“No, those screenshots are not battle conversation artwork, but appear in every single battle.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a traditional RPG Maker style, featuring predictable combat mechanics and frequent poison effects, which some players find repetitive. While the focus is primarily on gameplay rather than story, the predictability of character actions detracts from the overall experience.
“The gameplay spams poison a lot, and I can pretty much predict when my character is going to hit or miss. I don't know if this is the generic combat system for RPG Maker or a revamped coding, but I wish it was a little less predictable.”
“The game has very traditional RPG Maker gameplay.”
“Light on story but rather focused on gameplay.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players highlight the game's strong replayability due to its random dungeon feature and the option to engage in New Game Plus (NG+) with different starting characters, making it a worthwhile purchase, especially when on sale.
“If you can get it on sale for around $7 at most, I recommend picking it up for sure. The random dungeon feature is entertaining and offers great replayability.”
“There is a lot of replayability because once you finish the game, you can play New Game Plus and select a different starting character.”
“There is also a lot of replayability because when you finish the game, you can play New Game Plus and select a different starting character.”
“The game lacks significant replayability; once you complete the main story, there’s little incentive to go back.”
“While the initial playthrough is enjoyable, the lack of varied content in subsequent runs makes replayability feel limited.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight significant frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, citing poorly designed repetitive maps, simplistic skill systems, and unreasonable difficulty spikes. Players also criticize the forced item hoarding and lackluster dialogue, suggesting that the grinding experience feels tedious and poorly executed for the game's price point.
“The people that recommended this game must be masochists that enjoy terribly designed, repeating pseudo-random maps, one-dimensional skill sets, counterintuitive skill upgrading and selection, forced consumable item hoarding due to early and constant poisoning, unreasonable difficulty curves, lazy dialogue, canned lore, level grinding, and a $15 MSRP to boot.”
“Grinding in this game feels like an endless chore, with no real reward or progression to show for the hours spent.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes the game feel more like a job than a fun experience, draining any enjoyment I had.”
