Darkout

43%
Game Brain Score Based on 593 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Darkout Game Cover
Darkout is an enjoyable experience that is truly immersive as it is beautiful. The game could do well to be more user-friendly, especially since it involves a lot of paying attention to its method of crafting and resource hunting.
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Darkout is a single-player Horror Platformer game with good graphics, music, and a dense atmosphere. Players must survive on the alien world of Illuna by building shelters, crafting weapons, and researching new technologies during twilight periods, as they fight against light-sensitive creatures. The game features expansive randomly generated worlds, strategic research and crafting, mining, gathering, and looting with tons of resources and materials. However, it is full of bugs that can affect gameplay.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

43%
Audience ScoreBased on 593 reviews
story28 positive mentions
stability37 negative mentions
  • Beautiful graphics and atmosphere that enhance the gameplay experience.
  • Unique light/darkness mechanics that add depth to exploration and combat.
  • Engaging crafting and research system that encourages exploration and creativity.
  • Game is unfinished and has been abandoned by developers, with no clear future updates.
  • Numerous bugs and crashes that hinder gameplay and progress.
  • Poor user interface and controls that can be frustrating and unintuitive.
  • story157 mentions

    The game's story is widely criticized for being unfinished and lacking coherence, with many players noting that it abruptly halts without a proper conclusion. While some appreciate the intriguing atmosphere and potential of the narrative, they express frustration over the fragmented and buggy quest progression, which often feels tedious and unfulfilling. Overall, the story is seen as a promising but ultimately incomplete aspect of the game, leaving players yearning for more content and resolution.

    • “The story is rich and really interesting, and truthfully can last you hours because it's all scattered and goes in no particular order; you're trying to work out a puzzle, not go on linear quests.”
    • “This is a very beautiful sandbox game, with a rich story and a lot of nice surprises to discover.”
    • “The game has a deep and rich story, but it never got completed and won't be.”
    • “The story missions just stop; they never finished them.”
    • “The storyline is incomplete; the developers stated that further story would be released as paid DLC, and then support vanished after the DLC stance prompted major backlash.”
    • “The main storyline is a little weak at the moment.”
  • graphics122 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beauty and detail, often described as some of the best in the sandbox genre, with impressive lighting effects and a unique art style that enhances the overall atmosphere. However, some users noted inconsistencies in quality, occasional graphical glitches, and performance issues on lower-end systems. Overall, while the visuals are a standout feature, the game's unfinished state and playability concerns have tempered some of the enthusiasm.

    • “The graphics are beautiful, the atmosphere is creepy, and the music is one of the best soundtracks for a game in years.”
    • “The art style, graphics, and especially the lighting is incredible; I've never seen 2.5D done this well.”
    • “Darkout's highlights are its graphics.”
    • “The game, whilst being beautifully detailed and obviously having passion put into the graphics, is currently quite a mess.”
    • “There are a lot of bugs and the graphics are generally quite poor.”
    • “Loaded my save the next day and all foreground graphics were gone (only black shadows where things are), no fix after several patch gfx drivers up to date, dev team did not respond or acknowledge, new game does not fix this.”
  • gameplay86 mentions

    The gameplay of Darkout is characterized by its unique light and darkness mechanics, which add strategic depth to base building and combat. While the game offers visually appealing environments and engaging crafting systems, many players feel it suffers from a lack of content and polish, leading to a sense of unfinishedness. Despite its potential and interesting mechanics, the overall experience is marred by clunky controls and a lack of diversity, making it less compelling compared to established titles like Terraria and Starbound.

    • “The mechanics of the turrets and energy management are a lot of fun.”
    • “It was the first survival game that really clicked with me, especially because the darkness is used as an actual mechanic, and being crashed on a remote planet lends itself well to a single-player survival story.”
    • “The gameplay itself is great, with all the things that I've taken to enjoying from games in the Terraria format, but the addition of light being used as a kind of weapon is a mechanic I love.”
    • “Back at the game's release, a lot of people were willing to show support to this game because of the passion of the devs who made it and of the actual promising product that the game could have been; in my opinion, this game could have easily destroyed Starbound and Terraria in terms of detail and even lore, but Darkout is so lackluster in comparison that it may as well not even be linked to them - sacrificing gameplay, optimizations, and progression for Steam playing cards three whole years after release.”
    • “To the game's credit, I would say it is the prettiest of the lot, but its clunky gameplay and tedious grind make it a game I wouldn't recommend.”
    • “A poorly done and abandoned Terraria clone with a mechanic (darkness) that could be cute if the game wasn't punishing, derivative, and not a whole lot of fun.”
  • atmosphere46 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its unique blend of beauty and darkness, enhanced by a haunting soundtrack and impressive graphics. Players appreciate the immersive and oppressive environment, which effectively conveys a sense of isolation and tension, making exploration both captivating and eerie. Overall, the game's atmospheric design stands out as a key feature, contributing significantly to the overall experience.

    • “The first thing you notice when firing up the game is how beautiful it looks, the lush vegetation and ethereal atmosphere.”
    • “Gorgeous graphics & haunting sound effects make for an extremely atmospheric game.”
    • “The atmosphere is oppressive and you're glad to find whatever light source you stumble upon or assemble.”
    • “Looks and atmosphere are the selling point as the game is prettier than some of its competitors and feels claustrophobic in the dark depths filled with horrors.”
    • “Granted, other games have done this, and in a similar style - but darkout has the added bonus of excellent 2.5D graphics, good lighting, and some nice effects that give the game a kind of dark - but also colorful - atmosphere.”
  • stability38 mentions

    The stability of the game is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting severe bugs, crashes, and performance issues, particularly on older systems. Many describe it as unfinished and abandoned, highlighting game-breaking glitches and a lack of optimization that detracts from the overall experience. While some players acknowledge the game's potential, the overwhelming sentiment is that it is currently too buggy and unstable to recommend.

    • “The game runs smoothly on my mid-range PC, with no crashes or major bugs encountered.”
    • “I've experienced consistent performance throughout my playtime, which really enhances the overall experience.”
    • “Despite some minor graphical issues, the game remains stable and enjoyable without any significant interruptions.”
    • “The beacon in this case is the negative reviews screaming 'abandoned, incomplete, buggy!'”
    • “Sadly, it's unfinished, buggy and you won't even get the full, finished game without buying the future DLC.”
    • “This game feels far from finished, and it's horrifically buggy.”
  • music36 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric quality, enhancing the immersive experience with soothing and fitting soundtracks that complement the visuals. However, some players find the music can become repetitive and annoying over time, with occasional jarring sound effects detracting from the overall enjoyment. Despite these criticisms, many agree that the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's unique ambiance and beauty.

    • “The game is quite beautiful, the music fits the background and it is very relaxing to play.”
    • “Truly a beautiful and immersive game one might say, and the soundtrack, by the gods, the soundtrack is truly amazing, it really sets the mood there.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the atmosphere is creepy, and the music is one of the best soundtracks for a game in years.”
    • “The music is kind of so-so and rather unremarkable, but the sound effects are really jarring at times and sometimes don't make any sense.”
    • “The music, initially 'okay', gets repetitive and annoying really quick, and the sound effects sometimes are awkward or way too loud compared to other effects.”
    • “My only real complaint is the random playing of loud music when I do some things, and I have music turned all the way down and it still does it.”
  • optimization18 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users highlighting significant performance issues, bugs, and a lack of settings that hinder gameplay. While some players report smooth graphics and decent performance on high settings, others experience lags and freezes, suggesting that the game is not well-optimized for a variety of systems. Overall, the consensus indicates that while the game has potential, it requires substantial improvements in optimization to enhance the player experience.

    • “It's a beautiful game with good performance, it's easy to build in, have surprisingly large worlds, and the storyline is decent.”
    • “The game runs smoothly with nearly no bugs.”
    • “The graphics are smooth with no performance issues whatsoever and the character is easily controllable.”
    • “Unfortunately, optimization is one of its biggest downfalls.”
    • “The game as it stands has many performance issues and bugs; the developer was going to change to a new engine but due to a financial crisis, brought about by Steam/Humble Bundle selling it for cheap, or so the dev claims.”
    • “Performance can be bad for no reason in many situations, leaving me to believe the game isn't optimized at all.”
  • grinding15 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly due to a clunky crafting system and the necessity of farming resources and research points. While some appreciate the meditative quality of mining and the game's visuals, many feel that the grind detracts from the overall experience, making it less enjoyable and often frustrating. Overall, the grinding is seen as a significant but inherent part of the genre, with mixed feelings about its execution.

    • “The crafting system is clunky and difficult to use, placing objects is often tedious or impossible. Enemies scale in difficulty from a 2 to a 7 to a 10 in the span of about half a zone, which can be very quickly crossed, and you really do need to eventually go there because a lot of ruins and crash sites are located there.”
    • “With the same old spotty mouse targeting as others, a horrible grouping system for mining, a terribly inaccurate crafting system, and a slew of other annoying bugs, it is tedious at best during these hours, searching for resources, and can often be a real chore to play.”
    • “It's tedious busywork.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    The game offers high replayability due to its randomly generated worlds in three sizes, providing players with diverse experiences. However, some users feel that once all achievements are unlocked, the overall replay value diminishes, despite the ability to create different scenarios in new locations.

    • “It's replay value is good as you can create something a little different in a new location every time.”
    • “Replayability is there and it is a challenging game.”
    • “Worlds are randomly generated and available in 3 sizes, so there is replay value for days and days.”
    • “As soon as you've unlocked the last achievement, you've seen it all.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    While the melee strike animations are generally well-executed and thoughtfully designed, some users feel they could benefit from refinement. Additionally, players may find themselves emotionally engaged in the progression system, as it allows for significant advancement without relying heavily on available technology.

  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is transparent, as players feel that the content advertised aligns closely with what is actually offered. However, some users note that promotional materials may lead to advertisements for additional products, which could detract from the overall experience.

    • “There is so much content that I ended up doing this review so others may know that what they see in the advertisement is basically what you get.”
    • “Their posts about their development lead to advertisements for other things.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is primarily derived from amusing enemy animations and sounds, as well as the comedic potential of trapping enemies, which adds a lighthearted element to gameplay and encourages creative strategies for experience grinding.

    • “Enemy animations and sounds can be a little funny, but other than that, it's still a fun game.”
    • “It is possible to trap enemies, which is pretty hilarious, providing ways to create XP grinders and the like once you have enough resources.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

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Play time

36hMedian play time
60hAverage play time
15-81hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 10 analyzed playthroughs

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