- August 13, 2020
- Paintbucket Games
- 7h median play time
Through the Darkest of Times
A superbly crafted game that serves as storyteller, teacher, and concerned friend.
Platforms
About
"Through the Darkest of Times" is a strategy game set in 1930s Berlin, where you lead a small resistance group against the Nazi regime. Your mission is to undermine the regime through sabotage, recruit followers, and spread awareness, while avoiding detection by Nazi forces. The game offers an immersive historical experience, showcasing the struggles and risks of those who opposed the Nazis.











- The game provides a compelling and immersive narrative that effectively portrays the emotional toll of living under a totalitarian regime.
- It offers a unique perspective on the rise of fascism in Germany, allowing players to engage with historical events and moral dilemmas faced by resistance fighters.
- The art style and atmosphere are striking, enhancing the overall experience and making the historical context feel more real and impactful.
- Gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth, with many actions feeling inconsequential and the overall strategy being simplistic.
- The game resets progress after each chapter, which can be frustrating and diminishes the sense of achievement and growth.
- Some players have reported bugs and issues with mission mechanics, leading to a less satisfying experience overall.
- story529 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
The story of "Through the Darkest of Times" is widely praised for its emotional depth and historical accuracy, effectively immersing players in the struggles of a resistance group during Nazi Germany. While the narrative is compelling and features impactful choices, many players feel that the gameplay mechanics are repetitive and detract from the overall experience, leading to a sense of frustration as the story progresses. Despite its flaws, the game is recognized for its powerful storytelling and ability to evoke strong emotional responses, making it a significant narrative-driven experience.
“A superbly crafted game that serves as storyteller, teacher, and concerned friend.”
“The way the story is written here is almost impeccable.”
“Through the darkest of times empathetically tells a fearsome but beautiful story of bravery in the face of war, hate and inhumanity.”
“Each time you get ready to start doing real resistance work your chapter is over with and the story progresses (spoiler alert, you can't really do anything).”
“After a while I realized that it doesn't matter what I do, the story doesn't change so I lost interest in it.”
“The way the chapters are structured it feels like they should be separate missions you'd pick from when you start a game.”
An immersive dive into the horrors of Nazi Germany - Through the Darkest of Times review
Not many games have you play the underdog from beginning to end. It’s tense, and each passing day keeps you on edge. You’ll be emotionally invested in trying to keep your members, friends, family, and even strangers safe as you make choices that will shape your life and their future. Although a second playthrough doesn’t hit the same way emotionally as the first, it’s still a fantastic title to understand the heart-wrenching reality of that period.
80%Review – Through the Darkest of Times
Through the Darkest of Times is a great way to experience the realities of Nazi Germany and try to resist its evil, but it's definitely not for every kind of player.
75%Through the Darkest of Times
+Excellent strategic gameplay +Great atmosphere +Early 20th century music and art style +Educational -Dialogue issues -Mission selection issues (Reviewed on Xbox Series S, also available on PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch, mobile devices and other Xbox One consoles)
85%