Darkfall Unholy Wars

65%
Game Brain Score Based on 556 reviews
  • grinding
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Darkfall Unholy Wars Game Cover
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Darkfall Unholy Wars is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game that combines real-time combat with strategy and PvP battles. Players can choose from several races and professions, each with unique abilities and strengths, to explore a vast world, complete quests, and engage in battles with other players. The game features a player-driven economy and clan system, allowing for large-scale wars and alliances between players.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

65%
Audience ScoreBased on 556 reviews
atmosphere4 positive mentions
grinding80 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique hardcore PvP experience with full loot mechanics, making every encounter thrilling.
  • The crafting system is deep and rewarding, allowing players to create their own gear and items.
  • The community can be supportive, especially with the mentoring system that helps new players learn the ropes.
  • The game has a steep learning curve and can feel grindy, especially for new players trying to catch up.
  • The user interface is clunky and can be difficult to navigate, leading to frustration.
  • The player population is low, which can result in a lack of encounters and a feeling of emptiness in the game world.
  • grinding82 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is heavily criticized, with many players finding it excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring hours of repetitive tasks like farming mobs and crafting. While some appreciate the ability to multitask during grinding, the overall sentiment is that the game demands a significant time investment before players can engage meaningfully in PvP or enjoy other elements. New players, in particular, may feel overwhelmed by the grind, leading to frustration and a sense of wasted time.

    • “Insanely grindy, lots of traveling across empty areas, and a very small population make all the other elements more of a chore than an experience.”
    • “Even though I didn't spend much time with this game, I'd strongly recommend anyone considering buying it to look elsewhere unless you have ridiculous amounts of time to waste on a game that simply wants to suck away your time with mindless grinding before you can have any actual fun.”
    • “However, I couldn't get very far because the game was so grindy.”
  • gameplay46 mentions

    The gameplay of this open-world, full-loot PvP MMO is praised for its unique mechanics, such as player-owned cities and naval combat, offering an engaging experience for PvP enthusiasts. However, players note a steep learning curve, tedious mechanics, and a clunky user interface that can detract from enjoyment, especially for newcomers. While some find the combat system and overall gameplay enjoyable, others criticize the graphics and questing system, leading to mixed feelings about the game's long-term appeal.

    • “Gameplay wise - as far as open world, full loot PvP games go, this was really great.”
    • “If you thoroughly enjoy PvP in games and even some good PvE, this is definitely the game for you. Some of the mechanics in this game are ones I have never seen before, such as player-owned cities, hamlets, villages, sea towers, housing, and so on. I've never played a game where you could fight other boats, destroy them, and then take the fight to the water to fight to the death.”
    • “Best PvP combat system, true non-target, realistic physics, tons of really unique gameplay experience.”
    • “Very unfriendly gameplay for starters.”
    • “But the bad combat mechanics and terrible inventory system make a game with a large learning curve not worth the time.”
    • “Clunky controls, odd UI, graphics are not nearly as good as presented from the gameplay videos, terrible tutorial, absolutely horrible questing system, and a terrible gathering system.”
  • graphics44 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that while they are not groundbreaking, they are serviceable for the gameplay experience, especially in large-scale battles. Some describe the visuals as dated and unpolished, with poor animations and a clunky user interface, leading to performance issues on various systems. Overall, the graphics are seen as average, with moments of atmospheric beauty overshadowed by technical flaws and a lack of polish.

    • “This is definitely a 3D version of these games with amazing graphics and much more.”
    • “While the graphics may not be the highest AAA quality, I think it's very atmospheric.”
    • “It's got it all and the graphics are very nice to look at.”
    • “The graphics are dated and ugly.”
    • “The graphics are rubbish even on max. The animations are the crappiest I have seen in a game for years.”
    • “You're instantly greeted by some of the worst graphics this world has ever seen plus one of the worst and most simplistic character creation tools imaginable, and then poof--you are dropped into the absolute worst 'tutorial' level for a video game in existence.”
  • story22 mentions

    The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of a traditional narrative, with players instead engaging in a series of "feats" rather than structured quests. Many users express frustration with the tutorial system and the absence of a clear storyline, suggesting that the game is more focused on grinding and PvE/PvP mechanics than on delivering a compelling narrative experience. Overall, those seeking a rich story may find this title lacking, while others appreciate the freedom and adventure it offers.

    • “It does have adventures that most story games can't match due to the open ability of what you can do!”
    • “A short story of my start:”
    • “Let me share a little story.”
    • “While the PvP might be okay, just getting to the PvP wasn't worth the hassle of the complete crap tutorial quest and UI system.”
    • “If you don't like an MMO with zero storyline and where the mobs just spawn from a single point and you must spend hours a day farming prowess (XP), then avoid this title.”
    • “Instead of missions or quests, you are tasked to complete feats.”
  • stability10 mentions

    Overall, stability in the game has received mixed reviews. While some players noted that they encountered no glitches in Darkfall, others highlighted the game's history of being buggy, particularly in its original version. The perception of stability seems to vary, with some acknowledging the ongoing issues typical of independent game development.

    • “These independent, shoestring budget operations are works in progress, but I encountered no glitches in Darkfall.”
    • “I knew what I was getting into because I played Mortal Online for about a year in 2010, when the game was very buggy and had broken features.”
    • “A major key role in that is the fact people found glitches to dupe from the start, and people are hoarding a huge amount of the income and properties in the game.”
    • “The original Darkfall was a buggy mess in my opinion, and the UI was truly horrible.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    The game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting poor performance that struggles to maintain 60fps even on high-end systems, and a user interface that is described as poorly designed and overly complicated. Additionally, the game fails to support high resolutions effectively, leading to issues like shrinking buttons and overall visual clutter. Overall, players feel the optimization is severely lacking and reflects a lack of competence from the developers.

    • “The game's optimization is crap, the company is incompetent, the user interface is garbage, the crafting system is so convoluted and overcomplicated it makes no sense.”
    • “Performance: this game has the visual quality of UT2004 yet still can't seem to maintain 60fps (barely 30 at times) on an 8-core, 16GB RAM, dual video card machine that could easily run Skyrim on max settings on two screens... at the same time.”
    • “Not optimized for high resolutions; buttons will shrink to the point you can barely see them, and you can't already, because its positioning is the worst possible.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique and immersive qualities, despite the graphics not being top-tier. Players appreciate the chilling and imaginative environment it creates, which enhances the overall experience, particularly in terms of PvP and hardcore gameplay. However, some feel that the execution could be improved to fully realize its potential.

    • “While the graphics may not be the highest AAA quality, I think it's very atmospheric.”
    • “Best MMORPG out there, PvP-wise and hardcore-wise, also it has just a great atmosphere, really special.”
    • “Having only spent a small amount of time with the game, this is all I can offer at this time (there's lots more to the game, building, etc)... the concept and chilling atmosphere it creates in Darkfall UW still captures the imagination like no other MMO has done before; it's a shame it wasn't slightly better executed.”
    • “The concept and chilling atmosphere it creates in Darkfall UW still captures the imagination like no other MMO has done before; it's a shame it wasn't slightly better executed.”
  • music4 mentions

    The music in the game is consistently praised as "epic," enhancing the overall experience and complementing the graphics effectively.

    • “Music, on the other hand, is epic.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is largely derived from the community's shared amusement at the company's missteps, creating a sense of camaraderie among players as they collectively mock the situation.

  • replayability2 mentions

    Players note that the improvements made in the latest installment of Dark Fall significantly enhance its replayability, making it a more engaging experience compared to the first game.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

90hMedian play time
90hAverage play time
90-90hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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