Dark
Review
Some vampires should stay in the dark
by Quinn Levandoski
reviewed on PC
Sneaky Sneaky
One point that I do give Dark credit for is that it sticks to its guns as a stealth game through and through. While Bane does have a number of powers at his disposal, another high point in the game that I’ll discuss a little later, he never learns or possesses anything that lets players run-and-gun. Even when powered up he’s a relatively fragile dude, that can only succeed by crouching, teleporting, and striking form the shadows. Basic gameplay will be very familiar to anyone who’s dabbled in stealth before. Most of your time will be spend crouched behind objects, timing your movements to enemy’s repeating patrol paths. With the right moves you’ll be able to either avoid conflict all together, or sneak up behind the opposition to either initiate a quick and relatively quiet kill or a long and noisy blood suck.
Unfortunately the complete dedication to stealth means that precise control is essential to success, especially later in the game, and precise control is the opposite of everything Dark is. One of the more essential tools in players’ vampiric toolbox is the ability to teleport short distances. In theory it’s a decently balanced and effective mechanic. It lets Eric instantly teleport from one spot to another; however he makes a noise wherever he lands, requiring some strategy and forethought into when and where to jump. Upgrades can be used to increase the distance and frequency of jumps or decrease the noise it makes. This ability is almost completely ruined by the difficulty in actually aiming your jumps. A convenient marker lets you pick your destination, but for reasons unknown to me the system frequently doesn't work when looking around a corner or over an edge. I don’t know if you’ve played many stealth games, but almost all of your time will be spend peeking over ledges and around corners. Shadow jumping, as the teleportation is called, also lets Bane teleport to ledges to climb over, but which ones can be climbed and which ones can’t seems arbitrary with no obvious markings or logic in place. Another strange design choice is the inability to jump. Why can I teleport, vanish into a smoky cloud, and move at superhuman speed, but not step over a velvet line-rope? It doesn't break the game, it just doesn't make sense.
Power Trip
For how bad a decent amount of the game is, actually using most of Bane’s vampiric powers (save for shadow leap) is a good time. There are certain moments where everything clicks, where the stars align and you’ll feel like the dark puppetmaster you should feel like the whole game, and most of these moments are because of the powers. Powers are upgraded via skill-points unlocked via XP, and each skill has a few levels that increase their tenacity, stealth, or duration. Abilities cover a nice range of effects that let the player tailor Eric to their playstyle. I created a master of movement and stealth, earning the ability to almost silently move at superhuman speeds, temporarily turn into a smoky shadow, and draw enemy’s attention to certain areas away from me. Other powers include a teleport/insta-kill combo, increased vision through walls, extra health, and more. Some are more useful than others, but they all have a place and support a strategy.
There are many types of disappointing games. There are games that are so broken they should never have shipped. There are games that make big promises but don’t deliver. There are games that are just too average and standard to illicit much excitement. Dark is something else though. It’s the kind that really feels like a let down because beneath all of its flaws and broken mechanics are moments of brilliance where the developer’s intentions come through. In cases like these, these moments become more sad than happy because they act as a reminder of what could or should have been. Despite not being happy with this game, it’s a rare case where I still want to see more. With refinement there is a really good game buried in here, and I’d love to see the stealth genre sneak further back into the spotlight.
5.0
fun score
Pros
The vampiric powers are fun and the game doesn’t stray from being a stealth game.
Cons
Laughable dialogue writing and animation, frequently clunky controls, uninteresting characters.
