I feel like i'm too hard on indie titles most of the time and with good reason mind you, the indie market is flooded with games that even by standards 10 years ago wouldn't be considered "independent"by rather half a game or unwarranted, but there are some amazing indie titles that come out every now and then that really hit the mark with gamers and can even show up Triple A titles, Darkest Dungeon is one of them, below we're going to break down what makes Darkest Dungeon stand out in a sea of indie titles.
So prepare to lose your best hellion and rage out every time you hit a trap as we review, Darkest Dungeon.
Setting and Plot
Darkest Dungeon takes place in a gothic, lovecraftian world, your character has inherited a manor and town from an estranged family member who in his quest for fame by being a tomb raider had accidentally unlocked multiple portals into a hellish landscape, the townspeople are on the brink of insanity as monsters claw at their every thought and the entire town has fallen into disrepair by the time you arrive, it's up to you to rectify the mistakes of your family and free the townspeople of the nightmare they live in.
As the new "lord" of the town you'll be tasked with recruiting heroes from all over the world willing to fight and cleanse the corruption of your town, they come from all walks of life and all have different reasons for fighting for you, whether it be fame, fortune or a sense of justice, they'll venture deep into the corruption and fight the horrific monsters your family has unleashed and many will perish trying.
Darkest Dungeon is a nightmare filled experience that tests the heroes you send and the townspeople, complete ruin can come to your village if you don't have the skills it takes to not only keep your party alive but also to manage your funds as you uncover exactly what happened and what is happening, either way the terrifying landscape will test you in numerous different ways.
Game Play
Game play for Darkest Dungeon is split into two forms, the management of your town and heroes and the RPG elements of fighting your way through the dungeons, this comes with a myriad of different things as some dungeons will require special items to see your party through and others will have the environment attempt to kill you at every step, it's up to you before you send your party off to strategize what they will need and what tools they must have to survive.
There are numerous different items and mechanics to look out for, players venturing into a long dungeon will require camp materials and food as well as torches, potions, bandages and numerous other things the game has a lot of mechanics that can be activated at any time and if you don't have the appropriate response for it you could end up losing your entire party and everything with them.
The actual game play though is a sort of side scrolling RPG but done extremely effectively, you will typically have 4 characters in your party where positioning and make up a very important, melee characters at the back of your party won't be able to attack and having healers on the front line will get the killed very quickly, but as such numerous enemies have abilities that do this and will push and pull your party out of position which can lead very quickly to a defeat.
Lets have a look at some of the classes(Keep in mind this is just the base game)
The Hellion
She will typically be on the front line all the time using her weapons to strike multiple enemies or demoralize them and serves as a brawler type character that can take a bit of damage while dealing out heavy damage, but again she's not a tank and will usually want to be 2nd in line in your party so she can still use her devastating melee attacks while not taking direct damage.
Man At Arms
The Man at arms is the front line, he will typically be there as the first in your party to defend the others while also dealing out some damage and controlling the battlefield by demoralizing the enemy and pulling their weakest out of position to put your other party members in striking range to destroy them
The Leper
The leper is a broken warrior, plagued by illness but still ready to fight, he is a front line warrior who can deal massive damage when given enough time to prepare but it's a risk vs reward game with the leper as he prepares he will have to wait several individual turns and hope that nothing that takes place on the battlefield before then moves him out of position, the Leper can be an amazing addition to your party but also a hindrance if he keeps getting moved out of position.
Grave Robber
The grave robber is a multiclass fighter, she is versatile enough that she can strike from nearly any position but can also move quickly enough that she can save a parties positioning before the enemy can move them, she also brings poisons and bleeding mechanics as well as a self buff that can raise her attack power before the fight, though she isn't a front line warrior she'll typically be killed pretty quickly if left at the front line.
Highway Man
A bandit seeking fame, the highway man has the potential to deal massive damage to multiple enemies if played correctly, the Highway Man is a staple in your party as his fighting skills can be used at most positions but his status effects are what make or break fights, he can attack an entire enemy party at once or individually bleed them to death but much like the grave robber, if left at the front line he'll quickly succumb to the onslaught.
Vestal
A warrior priestess who heals and strengthens her allies who surprisingly can sit at the front line for a while, she is however most effect at the back of your party healing your front line warriors and condemning enemies to demoralize them, but if she finds herself at the front line she has a powerful mace attack and stun that can turn the tide for your party.
Plague Doctor
A master poisoner, the plague doctor will almost always sit at the back of your party and lob grenades filled with vile toxins at the enemy, he is one of the most effect heroes you can have in your party as he can poison opponents, blind them and even offer some small healing, but he is very very squishy and will die extremely quick at the front line, he also will not be able to use most of his abilities there either making him almost useless at the front line.
There are numerous other characters in Darkest Dungeon but these are the ones you'll more than likely use a lot, the game is separated in the Holy Trinity of Healing, Damaging and Tanking, but that's not the only thing you'll have to look out for what really makes Darkest Dungeon hard is the mechanics.
Mechanics
Darkest Dungeon is filled to the brim with mechanics ranging from simple traps to debilitating physiological and psychological ailments that can destroy your heroes, as time goes by in your party whilst in a dungeon your heroes are not gods, fighting in pure darkness with the whispering chaos everywhere your party members will lose their resolve and can lead to a myriad of different things, if your resolve is checked and it fails you could have a party member become a heavy burden as he spouts the futility of fighting here and that you are all going to die.
It's impossible to list all of the status effects in the game in one review but they are numerous and varied, some extremely good and some extremely destructive, but it's not just the heroes themselves, traps, rubble and unholy entities fill the dungeons, sometimes reading a simple book can shatter a heroes mind or even opening a bag left on the ground can poison your entire party.
This is what makes Darkest Dungeon so enjoyable it's a painful, brutal trip every time you go into a dungeon where no matter how long you play the game for you can always be one step away from killing your heroes or making them unable to fight and may cost you dearly to get them back into fighting shape.
It's also important to note that when your heroes die, they're gone, a long with their levels and upgrades, death is permanent in Darkest Dungeon and your favourite characters you've worked on for hours can be dead and buried if you're not careful and proceed with caution, alternatively your characters may fall victim to the stress of fighting the nightmarish monsters and need to be taken out of battle for a long period so that they can recover their sanity, you can do this in numerous ways in the town that i won't spoil for you.
Critical Review and reception
Darkest Dungeon is an indie game that most indie developers should aspire to make, just because your game is indie doesn't mean it has to be minimalist or edge and different, Darkest Dungeon takes the best parts of numerous genres and pushes them together to create a truly amazing game that can keep your entertained for weeks, depth and control are what players look for in RPG's and this is no different.
As LOATHE i am to say it, this is the dark souls of the RPG franchise, it's almost impossible to get through the entire game without dying multiple times, but there is a small trade off in the town as you upgrade things to make getting back on your feet easier but again, it doesn't reward you for failure and it still punishes you for success in the lasting effects of your characters.
The game has been out for a while now and has new expansions and the developers seem keenly invested in the game and that shows when you play it, the game is incredibly in-depth for what it is and ultimately deserving of your money, i know i usually take an objective viewpoint for games that i review but in this case given it's low price it's not much of a loss if you don't enjoy the game however ultimately i have found that more than most enjoy Darkest Dungeon.
Darkest Dungeon as a whole however is a sleek, brutal experience that will keep you interested and invested, has insane replay value and deep lore that you can found out more in game and out about the world you are in and i would highly suggest it to fans of challenging games, RPG players, but mainly i would suggest it to people who enjoy the lovecraftian, gothic feel the game has to it.
This is what indie developers should aspire to be in my opinion, a flawless game filled with great game play and flawlessly executed.