Darkstone

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 526 reviews
  • graphics
  • story
  • gameplay
Darkstone Game Cover
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Darkstone is a fantasy role-playing game that allows for single-player and local multi-player experiences, supporting up to 2 players in co-op mode. Choose from 8 characters of four classes, each with unique features and combat styles, and fight your way through randomly generated dungeons, quests, and items across 32 environments. With adjustable difficulty levels, the game offers replayability and a challenging adventure against the fearsome Draak.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 526 reviews
graphics22 positive mentions
stability34 negative mentions
  • Darkstone is a nostalgic classic that many players loved during their childhood, offering a fun and engaging RPG experience.
  • The game features randomly generated dungeons and quests, providing a unique experience with each playthrough.
  • Despite its age, the game still holds up well for fans of retro RPGs, with enjoyable gameplay mechanics reminiscent of the Diablo series.
  • The game suffers from significant graphical issues on modern systems, including invisible characters and unplayable textures.
  • There is a lack of support for modern resolutions and controls, making it difficult to play without extensive troubleshooting.
  • Many players have reported that the Steam version feels like a poorly executed port, lacking necessary updates and optimizations for current hardware.
  • graphics142 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely criticized for being outdated and buggy, often rendering it unplayable on modern systems, particularly with certain graphics cards. While some players find charm in the retro aesthetic reminiscent of PS1-era visuals, many report significant graphical glitches and a lack of resolution options that hinder the overall experience. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the gameplay may be enjoyable for fans of classic dungeon crawlers, the graphical issues are a major drawback.

    • “At the time of this review, the Steam Deck is listed as untested, but the graphics are great.”
    • “Although very dated now, the graphics are actually top notch for a 1999 PC game.”
    • “The graphics are dated, but in a sort of endearing way, and have aged rather gracefully thanks to the cartoony style.”
    • “The fact that you cannot change the resolution of the game, and the graphical glitches just make the game much harder to play.”
    • “Overworld boundaries comprised of trees just show as black, empty areas, so even if I could get past the really bad graphics and the inability to adjust the resolution to actually make everything fit on my 16x9 screen, it would still be unplayable because of these graphical artifacts that generally take up 25-50% of the screen.”
    • “Honestly, though, even if it didn't have these unplayably bad artifacts, the graphics themselves are so bad that I don't think I could do it.”
  • story110 mentions

    The game's story is generally considered simple and linear, typical of the fantasy genre, with a basic premise of defeating a main antagonist. However, it offers significant replayability through randomly generated quests and dungeons, allowing for varied experiences in each playthrough. While some players appreciate the light-hearted and campy tone, others find the lack of depth and generic side quests to be a drawback.

    • “The game can be replayed multiple times, as the main quests get randomly selected from a bigger set of all possible quests with different puzzles and areas that the game has to offer.”
    • “Each of the quests are interestingly unique and the automatic level generation is not too exaggerated to be impersonal.”
    • “The story changes each time you replay, aside from the ending.”
    • “However, being 29 now, the story and quest line is very linear and simple.”
    • “The story is pretty simple and generic for the fantasy genre.”
    • “But between the below-mediocre gameplay that couldn't even rip off Gauntlet properly, an attempt at a storyline filled with nothing but the most generic fantasy clichés you could think of, and being forced to sit through a 5-minute tutorial about all the things in the game you could care less about, it drained me of any interest I had when I started.”
  • gameplay70 mentions

    The gameplay is a mixed bag, drawing comparisons to classic titles like Diablo 1 and 2, but often falling short due to clunky mechanics and a lack of direction. While some players appreciate its tactical hack-and-slash elements and roguelike features, others criticize the controls and outdated design, suggesting it may not appeal to those accustomed to modern RPGs. Overall, it offers a nostalgic experience for fans of retro games, but many feel it needs significant improvements to remain engaging.

    • “If you love rewarding, tactical, hack and slash types of gameplay, this is brilliant, especially when current games are often pay to win with microtransactions.”
    • “The gameplay is entertaining, with a huge emphasis on micro, character progress rewarding, and the dark forests of Uma have such a character with an awesome atmosphere; it's just addicting.”
    • “The gameplay is pretty fun, though, and if you are into Diablo-esque RPGs you may want to give it a try.”
    • “Then the gameplay is completely not worth the five dollars.”
    • “The gameplay isn't that great; most of the time when you are trying to attack enemies, you end up clicking on your character or a door, so you just end up standing there taking hits. That's probably the worst part of the game.”
    • “But between the below-mediocre gameplay that couldn't even rip off Gauntlet properly, an attempt at a storyline filled with nothing but the most generic fantasy clichés you could think of, and being forced to sit through a 5-minute tutorial about all the things in the game you could care less about, it drained me of any interest I had when I started.”
  • music46 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its nostalgic value and enjoyable melodies, with standout tracks like "The Darkstone Will Shine" resonating with players. While some users noted occasional audio glitches and inconsistencies, the overall soundtrack is considered a highlight, enhancing the gaming experience and evoking fond memories of classic RPGs. Despite some technical issues, many players appreciate the music's role in creating an engaging atmosphere during gameplay.

    • “10/10 just for nostalgia, great music, and fun dungeon crawling.”
    • “Definitely one that you'll keep in your mind forever, awesome soundtrack by the way.”
    • “For example, in the town center, you can pay a few pennies to Audren and Krym and listen to the game's soundtrack and feel the late 90s nostalgia touch your hair like an Aegean breeze.”
    • “Right now I have problems with skipping music and dialog, and from what I can tell, tons of bugs exist (please check just to be aware before you buy).”
    • “I had to change the advanced display settings on my BenQ monitor for it to occupy my whole screen, and I had to tweak the options in-game and a bit in my GPU settings for the game to run a bit more smoothly, but it otherwise plays as intended save for the occasional music or voice skip.”
    • “A few audio glitches I think cause it wasn't meant to run on anything other than Windows 98 or Steam somehow messed it up, but the only noticeable ones were from when you pay gold to hear the song in town; it sort of glitched a bit.”
  • stability38 mentions

    Overall, the stability of Darkstone is mixed, with many users reporting various bugs and graphical glitches, particularly in the Steam version. While some players have found workarounds and guides to mitigate these issues, others express frustration over the inability to change resolution and persistent UI problems. Despite these challenges, the game is still considered playable, especially on modern systems like the Steam Deck, though it may require some troubleshooting.

    • “Darkstone runs great on the Steam Deck.”
    • “Leave it to Valve to fix things the developers won't; this game runs great on Steam Deck.”
    • “While I loved the original disk version, I'm not sure I can recommend the Steam version as the graphics can get buggy depending on your graphics card.”
    • “It's set at a minuscule resolution, no way to change this other than editing hexes which doesn't really fix anything, it glitches out the UI, and going past 1980 will not let the game launch.”
    • “Although the premise is good and the game is interesting, it's very buggy and the 3D graphics are slightly disgusting.”
  • replayability12 mentions

    Darkstone offers exceptional replayability, featuring random quests and dungeon layouts that ensure each playthrough feels unique. With multiple difficulty levels and three random options for each quest, players can enjoy a fresh experience every time, making it a standout choice for fans of isometric, hack-and-slash dungeon-crawling games.

    • “It's all around really fun to play and the replay value is endless given the random quests and dungeon layouts.”
    • “Three random possibilities for each quest and multiple difficulties make for huge replayability.”
    • “Every time you play, the maps are different, which adds a ton of replayability.”
    • “With seemingly endless replayability, Darkstone is a top-tier, radiant gem that will satisfy anyone who likes isometric, hack-and-slash dungeon-crawling action and adventure.”
  • optimization10 mentions

    The game suffers from poor optimization, lacking support for modern display resolutions and widescreen monitors, which limits its performance on contemporary gaming PCs. While it runs smoothly on Windows 10 with minimal issues, players frequently encounter low resolution and stuttering cutscenes, indicating a need for improved graphics optimization. Overall, the experience feels outdated, reminiscent of the original PS1 version.

    • “It runs smoothly on Windows 10, had 0 problems running it.”
    • “One thing I would love to see is a little more love on the graphics optimization side of things.”
    • “I'm surprised that this game is on here, but holy crap is it just not optimized for anything here besides a fixed resolution that you can't change. Literally just play the PS1 version of the game no matter how else you can find it.”
    • “Works fine on Windows 10 aside from occasionally stuttering cutscenes and low resolution, but aside from that I didn't have any issues.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite tedious, often requiring significant time investment, especially without helpful tools like the magic door spell or scrolls. However, the inclusion of a navigation feature that lists previously visited locations alleviates some of the monotony associated with traversing the game world.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “This can get tedious though if you do not have the magic door spell or scrolls.”
    • “L shows a list of places you've been to, which makes navigating town and the overworlds so much less tedious.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a charming, classic aesthetic and a light-hearted, campy storyline that contrasts with darker titles like Diablo. Players appreciate the engaging looting system and the characterful environments, particularly the dark forests of Uma, which contribute to an addictive gameplay experience. Overall, the atmosphere is described as quaint and entertaining, enhancing the enjoyment of the game.

    • “I really enjoy the classic look of the game, the looting system, the dungeons, and the quaint atmosphere.”
    • “The gameplay is entertaining, with a huge emphasis on micro, character progress rewarding, and the dark forests of Uma have such character with an awesome atmosphere; it's just addicting.”
    • “In contrast to Diablo's grimdark oppressiveness, the overall atmosphere in Darkstone is much more light-hearted and carefree, with an incredibly campy storyline that the game never forces down your throat.”
    • “The atmosphere feels bland and uninspired, lacking the depth and immersion that I expected from a game of this genre.”
    • “While the game has its moments, the overall atmosphere is too repetitive and fails to create a sense of urgency or excitement.”
  • monetization4 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its lack of pay-to-win mechanics in favor of rewarding gameplay, while others criticize it as a cash grab, suggesting players should consider refunds or avoid purchasing it altogether.

    • “If you love rewarding, tactical, hack and slash types of gameplay, this is brilliant, especially when current games are often pay to win with microtransactions.”
    • “This was clearly for a cash grab and anyone with common sense would know to refund this and just avoid buying this.”
    • “Current games are often pay to win with microtransactions, which makes this experience feel less rewarding.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is not clearly conveyed in the provided text, as it lacks specific details or experiences related to emotional engagement. Users may need to share more about their feelings or reactions to the game to provide a comprehensive understanding of its emotional impact.

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

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Play time

14hMedian play time
13hAverage play time
4-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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