Darkest
Dungeon:
Darkest Dungeon directs the player through a maze of twisting corridors, eventually leading to the final experience; a boss, or the heart of the Darkest Dungeon itself. Arrival requires passing through one of the four areas, which are styled differently to ensure a uniqueness for each. And each dungeon contains two different bosses. With all the other terrors lurking in the dark, it is a relief that Bosses are not a surprise but are specific missions, in which the only objective is to vanquish the Big Bad. Avoiding fights to reach the boss is the best strategy, because they offer little reward while sapping strength and wasting resources. Darkest Dungeon includes eight unique bosses, but each boss has three levels of difficulty, one, three, and five (like the dungeons themselves). Engaging a new boss for the first time is a hazardous but enjoyable experience. The level 1 bosses seem tough but fair. Unlike most monsters, Bosses use multiple actions per turn, allowing them to unleash a barrage of soul crushing attacks, while others employ minions to assist them.
Including eight bosses with three
levels of difficulty seems to offer twenty-four varieties of combat,
but disappointingly, the level 3 and 5 versions are exactly same, but
with better stats. Bosses become increasingly dangerous, but also
more boring. While their power increases, but because their behavior
doesn't change in the slightest, future forays can be built to
counter the boss's advantages while focusing on their flaws. Level 5
bosses are particularly deadly, but the proper team will destroy them
with pin point precision.
Each victory against a boss is
memorialized on a statue of the Ancestor, which stands in the center
of the Hamlet. Players can revisit this location for audio files
discovered during their quest. The statue contains the introduction
to the eight Bosses and each of their three incarnations. The two
introductory videos, clippings from the Ancestor's journal
(discovered in the dungeons), and visits to the Darkest Dungeon are
also available for review.
Darkest Dungeon is entirely
narrated by the Ancestor, as if he was witness to both his past
troubles, and the protagonist's current difficulties. With a
refined, but gravely voice he explains everything; the reason for the
existence of the bosses, the play-by-play of battle, commenting on
the protagonist's temporary success and inevitable failure. In spite
of the necessity of repetition in battle narrations, the Ancestor's
delivery is so good that the reiterations never feels annoying or
irritating. Instead, the voice actor substantially improves the
game, and becomes a core element from his suicide at the beginning,
to his involvement at the final battle.
The visual effects are similarly
impressive. The game combines an excellent use of light and shadow
(as one would expect), with a mixture of dirty and dark blacks,
grays, and browns with lurid, vivid, vibrant greens, oranges, reds,
and purples. The contrast highlights the gameplay mechanics and
enhances actions during combat. Effects never feel overcrowded, and
there is is never any confusion over actions. The Thrown Dagger
skill of the Grave Robber hero illustrates these effects with aplomb.
It is simple. It moves with a perfect speed, landing in its target
with a satisfying but understated thump, and just the right amount of
jiggling as it settles into the flesh of the foe. Some skills fail
to achieve this combination of excellent animation and audio, but
when they come together it is so satisfying.
At last, despite all the horrors, players must venture into the
eponymous Darkest Dungeon. The Darkest Dungeon exhibits many
differences from the other dungeons. First, it is unscoutable, so
unequip trinkets which offers scouting bonuses. Instead, equip items
which increase damage or relevant skills. Second, the Darkest
Dungeon cheats. I dare not claim that the numbers are lying (though
as previously indicated, sometimes it seems like they must be), but
that the first level of the Darkest Dungeon (We Are The
Flame), employs a particular tactic to defeat the unsuspecting
player. It is brutal, it is bloody, it is barbaric. To avoid
spoiling it (look for those elsewhere if desired), all I will say is,
buy a ton of supplies before proceeding. Don't skimp to save money.
After an initial failure, and forearmed with knowledge dearly bought,
the second attempt into the We Are The Flame was surprisingly easy.
The second level of the Darkest Dungeon (Lighting the Way) is odd.
The reward for beating We Are The Flame was three trinkets called
the Talisman of The Flame. One must bring these into the second
level of the Darkest Dungeon. You don't actually need to, but the
game insists, and you will need them. Confusingly, they are useless
everywhere else. And, since there are only three, one of the heroes
must go without, but it seems an oddly unnecessary contrivance, since
the only effect of the item is to protect the holding heroes from a
specific attack from a specific monster who only appears in Lighting
the Way. Equipped with the magical torches the Dungeon offered no
resistance.
The third level of the Dungeon (Belly of the Beast) was the only dungeon
Exhausting in length. It, like We Are The Flame was incredibly
difficult, but also only on the first attempt. Once the player has
sacrificed an exploratory team to delve its secrets and its strategy,
the a proper team, suited for the terrain will find it grueling but
manageable.
The
fourth level of the Darkest Dungeon (Hell is in the Heart) contains the
final boss battle. It includes no dungeon, but this is not to imply
that one shouldn't stock up on provisions. I was particularly
worried about the final level. My hero reserves only included four
level six heroes. My next best adventurers were level 2 and and I
couldn't stand the idea of training them up all those levels, so I
prayed for success. The final boss includes four phases, and none
were particularly difficult. Aside from the final form they only
inflict mild bleed damage, and some stress. The third phase even
offers a mild respite before the conclusion. One wonders if after
all the stress and the difficulties, the final boss is easy on
purpose. A sort of reward for reaching it.
As his death
approached the Jester Fitzgerald preformed his finale for 104
critical hit (highest damage) to vanquish the demon, and rescue the
family legacy. The only tricky part of the final boss is the skill,
Come Unto You Maker.
In
the wake of defeat, Darkest Dungeon spawns a series of
questions. Throughout the twists and terrors I kept asking myself,
Why? Why! Why?!? Why do people think this game is so difficult? Why
do you torment me? Why do I miss three attacks in a row which all
have an 80% chance of success! Why must you cheat? How can the
party be surprised by monsters with 100% light?! How can a mortal
being kill an immeasurably powerful manifestation of evil?
In conclusion,
Darkest Dungeon has earned a reputation for toughness. This
is oddly untrue of the opening, but initial success opens doors;
bloody murderous, horrific doors. Determined to defeat the Eldritch
monstrosity lurking beneath the family's formerly fabulous estate,
the player must employ a collection of heroes to drive it out.
Compelled by their skills and trinkets, learning more if they
succeed, the heroes must overcome wounds, blood, and stress, fighting
turn based battles which seem to offer the player transparency (but
also seem to cheat). Darkest Dungeon is an excellent turn
based, squad, strategy game, but also an incredibly challenging and
frustrating one that I quit for a whole month in the middle before
returning to complete it. Its mechanics are aided by a skilled voice
actor as the Ancestor, and a visual effect which compliments the
setting and allows easy access to the action.
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