Darkout

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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

44%

Audience ScoreBased on 392 reviews

story14 positive mentions

stability24 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and a unique atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience.
The crafting and research systems are engaging, allowing players to unlock new items and technologies as they progress.
The light and darkness mechanics add an interesting layer of strategy, as players must manage light sources to fend off enemies.

The game is unfinished and has numerous bugs, including crashes and issues with controls that hinder gameplay.
There is a lack of clear direction and guidance, making it difficult for players to understand how to progress.
The developers have abandoned the game, leaving it in a state of limbo with no promise of future updates or content.

story
102 mentions
14 % positive mentions
82 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely criticized for being unfinished and lacking depth, with many players noting that it feels incomplete and often leads to frustration due to broken quests and unclear progression. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements and the potential of the narrative, the overall consensus is that the story is underdeveloped, with many players feeling it serves more as background flavor than a central focus. Despite its intriguing premise and the presence of lore through data logs, the lack of a cohesive and engaging storyline detracts significantly from the overall experience.
- “Nice spooky atmosphere and an interesting story told through diary entries.”
- “The story line has tons and tons of potential and definitely kept me interested with me wondering what's around the corner.”
- “Darkout is much more story driven than Terraria; it has a main quest line that can be followed and has tons of lore that can be found randomly throughout the world.”
- “It was supposed to be a 3-episode game but didn't make it, so the main quest just kind of peters out.”
- “The storyline is unfinished.”
- “The current major version of the game is 1.2 and there are too many bugs (including game-breaking bugs), story progression is broken, and there are many unfinished features.”
graphics
83 mentions
47 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
4 % negative 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 has led to mixed feelings about its graphical execution.
- “The graphics were, for its time, dramatic and even by today's standards are still great.”
- “The most noticeable difference between Darkout and other games of the genre is its graphics level, a full head and shoulders above most other games in the genre. It provides lush jungles, beautiful reflective crystal caves, and ominous ruins for the player to traverse that all look stunning.”
- “The art style, graphics, and especially the lighting are incredible. I've never seen 2.5D done this well; I was pretty impressed with how awesome my mining area ended up looking when at the end of the day it's just a series of caverns.”
- “The game, whilst being beautifully detailed and obviously having passion put into the graphics, is currently quite a mess.”
- “Loaded my save the next day and all foreground graphics were gone (only black shadows where things are), no fix after several patches, gfx drivers up to date, dev team did not respond or acknowledge, new game does not fix this.”
- “The controls are broken and awkward and the graphics quality is inconsistent.”
gameplay
51 mentions
35 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Darkout is characterized by its unique light and darkness mechanics, which add an interesting twist to the traditional mining, crafting, and base-building formula. While the game offers solid mechanics and beautiful graphics, it suffers from a lack of content and progression due to its abandonment, leading to a finite gameplay experience that can be enjoyable for a limited time. Overall, players appreciate the game's potential and innovative features, but many express disappointment over its incomplete state and the absence of further development.
- “The gameplay of Darkout is interesting nonetheless; the game looks and sounds beautiful, it has nice features, an atmospheric game world to explore, and a lot of stuff that can be crafted and built.”
- “The gameplay itself is great, with all the things that I've come to enjoy from games in the Terraria format, but the addition of light being used as a kind of weapon is a mechanic I love.”
- “For anyone who likes sandbox crafting, this is one of the best; lots of things to do, solid gameplay, and a very fun light mechanic.”
- “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.”
- “Then they added a half-finished storyline and some half-finished mechanics.”
- “Darkout doesn't stray far from the mining, crafting, base building, and exploration formula or introduce any significantly different mechanics.”
atmosphere
31 mentions
74 % positive mentions
16 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its spooky, immersive qualities, enhanced by beautiful graphics and a haunting soundtrack. Players appreciate the blend of dark and colorful visuals, which create a claustrophobic yet captivating environment, reminiscent of titles like Terraria but with a unique narrative depth. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the overall experience, despite some minor criticisms regarding sound effects.
- “Nice spooky atmosphere and an interesting story told through diary entries.”
- “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.”
- “The sound effects are done well, adding to the atmosphere of the alien world around you.”
stability
25 mentions
12 % positive mentions
-8 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of severe bugs, crashes, and performance issues, particularly on older hardware. Many users describe it as unfinished and lacking optimization, leading to game-breaking glitches and corrupted save files. Overall, the consensus is that the game is currently too unstable for a satisfactory experience, making it difficult to recommend.
- “The game runs smoothly without any major glitches, providing a stable experience overall.”
- “Despite some minor performance issues on lower-end computers, the game maintains a solid level of stability.”
- “I've encountered no significant bugs, which speaks to the overall stability of the game.”
- “Obviously a buggy piece of software, causes PC to lose display and have to hard reset (power button).”
- “This game feels far from finished, and it's horrifically buggy.”
- “Even for $10, it's not worth getting in this: no one should launch an unfinished, buggy, and broken game with no warning about it.”
music
22 mentions
32 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for creating a perfect atmospheric soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, with some players noting its relaxing qualities, especially during nighttime. However, there are mixed opinions, as some find the music repetitive and the sound effects jarring or poorly balanced. Overall, while the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's ambiance, it may not be consistently engaging for all players.
- “The graphics are beautiful, the atmosphere is creepy, and the music is one of the best soundtracks for a game in years.”
- “But the game has an awesome dense atmosphere which is really distinctive to Terraria and Starbound and gives it a unique feel that is backed by a great music score.”
- “On the positive side, the game is indeed very pretty and the soundtrack sets the mood well.”
- “The music is kinda so-so and rather unremarkable, but the sound effects are really jarring at times and sometimes don't make any sense.”
- “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.”
- “- 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.”
optimization
13 mentions
23 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players noting smooth performance and minimal bugs, while others criticize significant lag and the need for high system requirements to run effectively. Many users express frustration over poor optimization, leading to performance issues that detract from the overall experience, despite the game's potential. Overall, it appears that optimization is a major concern that developers need to address for improved gameplay.
- “The game runs smoothly with nearly no bugs.”
- “The graphics are smooth with no performance issues whatsoever and the character is easily controllable.”
- “Fantastic game... when it decides to run smoothly.”
- “Unfortunately, optimization is one of its biggest downfalls.”
- “It does require a pretty strong system to run without constant lags and freezes; I imagine this is due to some lack of optimization that'll be cleared up in the future.”
- “- Performance can be bad for no reason in many situations, leaving me to believe the game isn't optimized at all.”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be repetitive and tedious, particularly for those seeking quick completion. However, many acknowledge that grinding is a common feature in this genre, with some even finding it meditative despite its potential to become unfun. Overall, while the grind can be off-putting, perseverance may lead to a rewarding experience.
- “In addition, parts of it are extremely grindy and unfun.”
- “There is a good amount of mine-grinding, but that's inherent in the genre.”
- “Perhaps it could be less grindy and needs more content, but so far I'm content.”
replayability
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its randomly generated worlds available in three sizes, allowing players to experience unique gameplay with each session. Users appreciate the ability to create varied experiences in different locations, ensuring lasting engagement.
- “Worlds are randomly generated and available in three sizes, providing replay value for days and days.”
- “It's replay value is good as you can create something a little different in a new location every time.”
- “High replayability.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is transparent, as players feel that the content advertised aligns closely with what is actually offered. However, there are concerns about the promotion of additional products through in-game advertisements, which may 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.”
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game primarily stems from the amusing enemy animations and sounds, adding a lighthearted touch to the overall fun experience. However, it may not be a standout feature beyond these elements.
- “The enemy animations and sounds can be quite funny, adding a lighthearted touch to the gameplay.”
- “The humor in the dialogue and character interactions kept me laughing throughout the game.”
- “I love how the game incorporates silly moments that catch you off guard and make you chuckle.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players note that the emotional engagement in the game can be somewhat diluted, as significant time can be spent progressing without fully exploring the available technology, potentially leading to a less impactful experience.