THE DARK DWELLERS
- February 18, 2022
- COLNELIUS
Get on Steam"The Dark Dwellers" is a side-scrolling action game set in a cursed underground city. As the nameless Mortali, you'll wield blood magic and various weapons to fight nightmarish enemies and bosses. Death is only a setback, as you'll also interact with a cast of voice-acted characters to uncover the city's supernatural mysteries.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features high-quality voice acting and a solid atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.
- The art and sound effects are well-executed, contributing to an engaging and immersive environment.
- Some players found the game enjoyable and challenging, reminiscent of other successful 2D Souls-like titles.
- Controls are often unresponsive and clunky, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- The level design is linear with minimal exploration, and many traps can lead to instant death, making progress tedious.
- Combat mechanics are poorly designed, with abilities feeling useless and melee attacks frequently missing due to character movement during swings.
- story5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered minimal and lacking depth, with some players noting it resembles the lore style of "Dark Souls" but without the same intrigue. While there are interesting characters and a decent narrative progression, the overall richness of the story is limited, and player choices have little impact on the outcome. The experience is likened to a 2D version of "Dark Devotion," with a focus on combat rather than a complex storyline.
“Good story, interesting characters, solid progression.”
“A nice 2D Dark Devotion-like experience; combat and story are interesting, and the game has a decent selection of weapons.”
“Story and lore are somewhat fleshed out; it's the usual 'let's write some lines to each item' Dark Souls lore.”
“The story and lore are somewhat fleshed out, but it's the usual 'let's write some lines for each item' Dark Souls-style lore.”
“The story is decent but not very rich, and the player has no influence on it.”
“While the game should take about 6 hours to complete with some exploration, the narrative lacks depth and player agency.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics feature a retro aesthetic that some players appreciate, though opinions are mixed on its effectiveness over extended playtime. While the visuals create a distinct atmosphere, the limited color palette of black and red may become monotonous, and occasional control issues can detract from the experience.
“The retro graphics sometimes work great, sometimes not at all.”
“I like the aesthetic, but I can imagine that after a few hours, if there isn't some refreshing change once in a while, it will get tiresome.”
“The black and red visuals that comprise most of the game create a unique atmosphere, although they can be overwhelming at times.”
“A solid little souls-like metroidvania (roughly a 5-7 hour romp) hampered only by controls sometimes not responding following a dodge or jump, as well as the black and red visuals that comprise most of the game.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its combination of pixel art, animations, ambient sounds, and quality voice acting, creating an immersive experience. However, players should be prepared for a darker setting, as much of the gameplay occurs in gloomy caves. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature that enhances the game's appeal.
“The atmosphere is fine: pixel art, animations, and ambient sounds create an immersive experience. The voice acting was unexpected; it felt slightly awkward but good nonetheless. Be warned: 'the dark dwellers' proceed only deep down in gloomy caves, so you won't get much air.”
“When the art, sound effects, and high-quality voice acting combine, you get an unbeatable atmosphere.”
“Since strong atmospheres feel like something most games fail to accomplish, I highly recommend trying this game out just for that.”
“The dark dwellers proceed only deep down in gloomy caves; you won't get much air.”
“Since strong atmospheres feel like something most games fail to accomplish, I highly recommend trying this game out just for that.”
“The combination of art, sound effects, and high-quality voice acting creates an unbeatable atmosphere.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from various stability issues, including bugs that allow players to retain currency and weapons after a restart, unintended healing mechanics, and a malfunctioning ability that fails to affect a key boss.
“Various bugs: buggy restart keeps currency and current weapon, adds heals you shouldn't have, and the Blood Claw ability doesn't hurt the second boss!”
“The game is plagued by stability issues, including unexpected restarts that retain currency and weapons, and abilities that don't function as intended.”
“Frequent bugs disrupt gameplay, such as retaining items after restarts and abilities failing to affect bosses.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers feel that the gameplay could have been enhanced, particularly in the combat mechanics, suggesting that there are missed opportunities for deeper engagement.
“It's a pity that this feature was missing, as it could have greatly enriched the gameplay and combat experience.”
“The gameplay mechanics are incredibly engaging and keep you on your toes throughout the entire game.”
“I love how the gameplay encourages strategic thinking and offers multiple ways to approach challenges.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has minimal replayability, as players report that once they defeat the final boss, there is little incentive to revisit the experience.
“Replayability is non-existent; once you fight the final boss, you've seen everything.”
“There is little incentive to replay the game after completing it.”
“The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel pointless.”
