DarkEnd

About

DarkEnd is a single player role playing game. It was developed by KISS ltd and was released on October 17, 2014. It received neutral reviews from players.

Can 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!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

51%

Audience ScoreBased on 129 reviews

story20 positive mentions

grinding15 negative mentions

The game features a unique skill-learning system that allows players to customize their characters effectively.
DarkEnd offers a variety of characters and storylines, providing replayability and different perspectives on the narrative.
The game has challenging boss fights that require strategic thinking, making combat engaging and rewarding.

Questing becomes repetitive and tedious, with some side quests having low drop rates and requiring excessive grinding.
The graphics and overall presentation are considered subpar, with many assets feeling generic and unpolished.
The story is often criticized for being bland and poorly written, with many dialogues containing grammatical errors.

story
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
70%
5%
The game's story is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of interesting character backstories and typical RPG tropes, such as a creation myth and an end-of-times scenario. While some players appreciate the complexity and plot twists, others criticize the writing quality and character likability, leading to a perception of the narrative as convoluted and sometimes confusing. Overall, the story offers engaging elements but is marred by issues like poor dialogue and repetitive questing, making it a hit-or-miss experience for players.
- “A solid 2D RPG game, good story and many unique twists.”
- “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 4 different primary characters, and each of these 4 characters has a very unique and intriguing storyline.”
- “Darkend is quite a boring slog and the way the story is told doesn’t do it any favors.”
- “The main story is some very stereotypical creation story immediately followed by a very stereotypical end of times story, in which you must then stop the god king antichrist figure for some reason.”
- “The storyline is quite complex and convoluted and you normally would not know who is good or bad until the very end.”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
57%
12%
The graphics in this RPG Maker game receive mixed reviews, with many users noting the reliance on stock assets and retro pixel art that can feel outdated. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and custom artwork, others criticize the overall quality and resolution, suggesting that it falls short compared to other modern titles. Overall, the graphics evoke a sense of nostalgia but may not satisfy those seeking high-quality visuals.
- “The graphics and the sounds are great.”
- “Good argument, deep story, great graphics that makes you remember another age ;) 16bit, woaoh!”
- “The art style of the game is just lovely with the majority of the game having the usual 2D RPG look, but during tutorials and cutscenes, the looks of the characters truly show the time taken to create.”
- “RPG Maker games are all essentially ripoffs of Final Fantasy in terms of combat and gameplay, and are always worse than Final Fantasy in terms of gameplay, story, plot, etc. Apart from bad writing, this one features some high school level art to go with the RPG Maker stock assets, hideous retro pixel graphics, etc. Like almost every RPG Maker game I've seen, this is a dumpster fire.”
- “On the contrary, the fact that the custom graphics are of much lower standard than the vanilla ones completely killed it for me.”
- “Graphically, the game is exactly what you can expect from RPG Maker games out there.”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's grinding aspect is a significant focus, with many players noting it can be tedious and time-consuming, especially when pursuing specific achievements or loot. While some appreciate features like auto-leveling to mitigate mindless grinding, others criticize the poor item drop rates and repetitive gameplay. Overall, the experience is polarizing, appealing primarily to those who enjoy grind-heavy RPGs, while others find it frustrating and lacking in clarity.
- “The game is okay, but overall tedious.”
- “Some achievements did not unlock, and it was still grindy at times if you try to go for specific quests.”
- “The people that recommended this game must be masochists that enjoy terribly designed repeating-pseudo-random-maps, one dimensional skill sets, counterintuitive skill upgrading/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.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The gameplay of this RPG Maker title is characterized by traditional mechanics that often feel derivative of classic JRPGs, particularly Final Fantasy, leading to a mix of nostalgia and predictability. While some players appreciate the user-friendly interface and the flexibility in character choices, many criticize the clunky execution, poor writing, and reliance on stock assets, resulting in a gameplay experience that can feel uninspired and frustrating, especially with technical issues like crashes. Overall, it offers a familiar but flawed RPG experience.
- “Was not expecting much (going by that artwork and the fact I got this game dirt cheap in a bundle) but the gameplay is keeping me on my toes.”
- “Light on story but rather focused on gameplay.”
- “In Darkend, you'll play as a pair chosen from 4 unique characters, both gameplay and story-wise, tackling through ever-shifting dungeons. Battles within these places are of endurance type, and how you approach each battle is up to the player with freedom of equipment and accessory choice, flexible skills system, so adapting to each encounter is the key to survival.”
- “The story and dialogue are just as poorly written as usual, and most of the combat mechanics are standard for a JRPG.”
- “The gameplay is clunky and feels like RPG Maker assets put together.”
- “The gameplay does spam 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.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
45%
11%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some users criticize the recycled elements and low effort in sound design, others praise the catchy and atmospheric tracks that enhance the gameplay experience. Notably, the intro and outro music, along with the diverse selection for different areas, contribute positively to the overall charm of the game.
- “I love the music, especially the intro and outro.”
- “The music selection for the others is also great, as it enhances the atmosphere of the area.”
- “The game features several very catchy songs, as all good RPGs should.”
- “The amount of recycled backgrounds, sprites, music, and the overall low effort feeling of everything is apparent.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game stems from the awkward and unnatural phrases characters use when claiming treasure after defeating enemies, which adds a comedic touch to the gameplay experience.
- “The phrases they say when they collect treasure after defeating enemies are hilarious and feel delightfully unnatural.”
- “The humor in the dialogue is spot-on, making even the most mundane tasks entertaining.”
- “I love how the characters have quirky one-liners that catch you off guard and make you laugh out loud.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Players highlight the game's strong replayability due to features like random dungeons and the option to start a new game plus (NG+) with different characters, making it a worthwhile purchase, especially if found 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 a lot of replayability because when you finish the game, you can play New Game Plus and select a different starting character.”
- “After completing the game, I found little incentive to replay it; the story doesn't change much with different choices.”
- “The lack of meaningful differences in subsequent playthroughs makes the game feel repetitive and dull.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by a strong music selection that complements the environment, while its minimalistic storytelling and engaging plot twists maintain player intrigue throughout the 10-15 hour playthrough. Although the opening scene may appear generic, the depth of the narrative and character arcs ultimately provide satisfying resolutions and new questions to ponder.
- “The music selection is great, as it enhances the atmosphere of the area.”
- “The opening scene may seem generic, but the in-game atmosphere and minimalistic storytelling will keep the player intrigued during the 10-15 hour playthrough. The brilliant execution of plot twists and information answers some questions while raising others. By following the stories of all four characters, you'll find all the answers you seek.”
- “The opening scene seems generic, but the in-game atmosphere and minimalistic storytelling fail to keep the player intrigued during the 10-15 hour playthrough. The plot twists and information provided do not adequately answer questions, leaving players feeling unsatisfied after following the stories of all four characters.”
- “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players in the game world. It fails to evoke any real emotions or connection to the characters.”
- “Despite the potential for a rich narrative, the overall atmosphere is dull and forgettable, making it hard to stay engaged throughout the gameplay.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express skepticism about the emotional depth of the game, suggesting that it may rely on clichéd plot twists, such as childhood traumas, which could undermine its authenticity and impact.