Dark is a game or something. Here is a screenshot:
Things you should know:
Genre: 3rd Person Action RPG (with stealth mechanics)
Developer: Realmforge Studios
Publisher: Kalypso Media
Platforms: PC (Steam) , Xbox 360
Release date:
Civilised world: Game has been released early and is now available on Steam.
, July 9th ( Console)
Australia: July 25th.
Price:
US/Aus : $39.99 Steam (currently $29.99 during the steam summer sale) / $49.99 Xbox 360
UK : £29.99 Steam / £34.99 (It's already available at a discount) Xbox 360
EU : €44.99 Steam / €39.95 Xbox 360
Coupon Code: Green Man Gaming has a 25% off promotional coupon: GMG25-BAWQB-8UQWG. It should bring the preorder price of Dark (Steam version) down to $25.50.
System requirements:
OS:Windows XP SP2
Processor: 2.0 GHz Dual Core
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT / ATI Radeon HD 4670 / Intel HD Graphics 4000, with 512 MB dedicated RAM..You could probably get away with a Voodoo3.
Hard Drive: 5 GB HD space
Sound: DirectX compatible sound card
Publisher summary:
As you can see, things happen in the game. Also, skill trees.
Shepard!?!
Trailers/Gameplay:
Music Trailer
Gameplay / Dubious endorsement Trailer
Skill Trailer p.1
Skill Trailer p.2
Long Gameplay Trailer (Gameplay starts around 30:00 mark)
Quality:
The developers have previously published a number of full games and... look I can't..I just can't. This is most likely going to be a budget title. $49.99 will probably turn out to be way too much to pay for this game. I realize that stealth games are a rarity these days, I miss them too. But that isn't an excuse to accept just any stealth focused game no matter the quality or probable lack thereof. The developer's previous games have all suffered from bugs and or some quality control concerns. So it would be prudent to be wary of a game that has few early indications of final quality.
Go buy Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines right now instead. And wait for impressions and reviews to evaluate what price you personally want to pay for Dark.
*Edit* Reviews/Impressions:
Reviews:
PC :
Gaf Members:
Angry Centaur Gaming : Digital Gonorrhea.
phantomspiker : "I had fun playing the game for the most part, but the story and dialogue was trash." $10 title.
Holy Crap : I like it a lot. It has flaws, none game breaking...it's pretty fun to me. 6/10
ShinobiFist : [DARK is] a game I recommend to stealth fans for under [$14]
Labadal : Fuck you. [thinks] the 2/10 and 3/10 reviews are full of crap...here is my final review...Fuck you. 6/10
slasher_thrasher21 : Truly a game for the stealth fans...Dark gets a little bit of a bad rap.
theDeeDubs : I really loved this game. Dark is a love letter to old school stealth fans in my opinion...[but]...Hit detection was still a little weird, trying to aim my leap while in cover could get a little finicky at times, and most of the voice acting was bad.
Cheesyhobo : 6/10 sounds about right...40% on Metacritic is pretty ridiculous for a game where the main failing is simply being unremarkable.
Non-Gaf members:
Hardcore Gamer : There is some good here, but thanks to the lackluster presentation values, questionable voice acting and brainless artificial intelligence, Dark turns into an experience you may want to quietly sneak past. 2.5/5
Eurogamer Germany : Es ist eine Vampir-Geschichte direkt aus den späten 90ern...Ok, die Gesichts-Animationen und die Gesten der Handelnden sind eher grobschlächtig, aber sonst ist Dark ein stellenweise sogar richtig hübsches Spiel...Leider ist ein netter Look nicht alles. 5/10
Gameblog.fr : Je ne sais vraiment pas trop à qui recommander Dark. Après tout il est à peu près jouable. 1.5/5
Gamekult : Unfinished and unpolished mechanics.... 3/10 (Note: From the list of pro's, "Makes you want to reinstall Vampire: The Masquerade" ..lol just do that instead)
GamesRadar : Dark is a stealth game to the bone...while it's always nice to see an attempt to breathe new life into stealth action games, Dark retains and even amplifies many of the frustrating trappings that make the genre so off-putting for some. 2.5/5
Also, some wanker did a quicklook of the game wherein he acknowledged that it's a stealth focused game. Then proceeded to play the game like an action game. Later he complained that it's a fault of a stealth game that there isn't enough action oriented moves...right. This quicklook came over a week after the title released and full reviews are already coming in. It's not worth linking to. You can search for the video if you want.
Xbox 360 :
Official Xbox Magazine : It's just swamped in frustrating design decisions, a script that lurches from passable to laughable, weak enemy AI, and a vortex of a lead character who's impossible to like or hate....this isn't a game for which you should be paying more than Arcade prices. 6/10
Eurogamer : ...character models wouldn't look out of place in 1995 and the animation is routinely terrible...In every aspect, however, it falls woefully short of its inspirations. 3/10
Merostation : Hay algunas decisiones jugables confusas o que pueden considerarse erróneas... Es un título mediocre, ni más ni menos. 5/10
NOWGamer : Can DARK rekindle the long-dead horse of the vampire genre...? 25/100 (No)
------------------------------------------------
Impressions:
ShinobiFist : The game is pure stealth with some wonky performance but overall a decent romp. Wait for steam sales to increase value of title.
Labadal : The overall game is adequate. Developers have implemented a interesting twist on how the save system works. Thinks it's worth $18 dollars.
I....I'm just going to talk about V:tmb from this point on.
Genre: 1st (with some 3rd Person) person RPG
Developer: Troika
Publisher: Activision
Platforms: PC (Steam), or use Ebay/Craigslist to find a disk copy.
Release date: Nov 16, 2004
System requirements:
OS:Windows® 98/ME/2000/XP*
Processor: 1.2 GHz Athlon™ or 1.2 GHz Pentium® III processor or higher
Memory: 384MB of RAM (512MB of RAM recommended)
Graphics: 3D hardware accelerator card required - 100% DirectX® 9.0c-compatible 64MB video card and drivers
Hard Drive: 3.3 GB of uncompressed hard disk space for game files and saved games (plus 1.4 GB for Windows® swap file)
Sound: 100% DirectX® 9.0-compatible 16-bit sound card and drivers
Publisher summary:
Game Systems:
Blood - You're a vampire, you need it. Also, blood acts as the 'mana' for your powers, so if you want to use them you have to feed regularly. If you're not careful, or callous, you can kill you victims by completely draining them of blood. Killing a human will result in loss of 'Humanity'. Be careful as the drinking mechanism doesn't pause the rest of the world, so chose your feeding times carefully.
Humanity - the 'moral' system that exists in the game. You gain Humanity by being virtuous and not attacking/killing the innocent, and lose it by doing the opposite. If it gets too low, your character will begin to lose itself to 'the beast' and randomly attack anyone nearby.
Stealth - There is a stealth system in the game. It's pretty fun, but realize this is a older, multi-system game so the stealth mechanics may lack the depth of other, stealth oriented, titles.
Types of Areas:
Combat - As the title suggests, you're allowed to use all of your powers and weapons in these areas. Be careful not to die.
Masquerade - General 'public areas', you should do best to avoid using powers (or allowing others to see you at all if Nosferatu) or feeding on humans in an area that others may observe you. If you violate the 'masquerade' you will attract attention from hunters and police.
Elysium - No combat/powers are allowed in these areas.
Character creation:
At the beginning of the game you'll be prompted to chose your gender and vampire clan (class):
Brujah - The Brujah are passionate idealists. At times, this passion can lead them to trouble since they tend to make their arguments with their fists and not words. Do you like punching people instead of using guns? Because this class maybe for you.
Malkavian - Insane by nature, the Malkavians see the world in a different light than anyone else. This “insight” allows Malkavians to see the true intentions of others. But they have trouble communicating with others; conversations with NPC's, and your own responses, will reflect the mental instability of this clan.
Gangrel - If any clan were close to the Beast, it would be the wildly nomadic Gangrel. The Gangrel can transform into beasts.
Nosferatu - Hideous and disgusting, the Nosferatu are cursed with a grotesque form. They cannot walk around normal humans, and must use the sewers systems and shadows instead or risk violating the masquerade.
Toreador - The Toreador envision themselves as artists and visionaries. They also gain/lose double humanity based on their actions.
Ventrue - The leaders of the Camarilla, the Ventrue enforce the Masquerade. They are the 'elite' members of vampire society. They cannot feed on rats or 'lower' humans like the homeless. And they have a unique persuasion skill during conversations.
Tremere - The Tremere are blood sorcerers. Using blood magic, or Thaumaturgy, the Tremere guard their secrets quite religiously and do not take outsiders into their confidence. The trade off is that they are restricted from becoming very proficient in melee.
Because it changes the game experience so dramatically, I would suggest that you avoid playing as a Nosferatu or Malkavian until your second playthrough.
Gameplay:
Music Track
(I put one up for Dark, so might as well be fair.)
Gameplay
Gameplay
Stealth Gameplay
Screenshots:
Some unofficial mods and patches (Necessary for Windows 7 x64 users):
1. If you just want a unoffical patch without any mods:
a. Read the instructions here.
ii. Steam Versions of the game.
b. download the patch and install this mod..
WARNING: the download/ instruction site is really NSFW. Also, when the author goes off, he makes Amir0x seem genial in comparison.
2.Alternatively, if you want to restore some additional content and mod some of the game mechanics.
a. Install this mod/patch.
3. This mod might be interesting for those that have already played V:tmB. It adds 12 more quest lines with new cut scenes, and even a achievement system.
a. Install this mod.
4. If you are a fan of the Fallout Hardcore survival experience. The Camarilla mod might be something you're interested in.
a. Read up on all of the mechanics including the feeding system.
b. Mod link is here.
Thanks:
Gromph
Lireu77
sunnz
theDeeDubs
Sethos
phantomspiker (x3)
Dragonzord
phoenixyz (lol, how did he spot/recognize them?)
Holy Crap
Labadal
ShinobiFist
Nemesis_
Totobeni (x3)
Pouh
CheesyHobo
---------------------------------------
Original post:
Steam lists the game's release in 3 days. Did someone forget to make an actual OT?
---------------------------------------
Things you should know:
Genre: 3rd Person Action RPG (with stealth mechanics)
Developer: Realmforge Studios
Publisher: Kalypso Media
Platforms: PC (Steam) , Xbox 360
Release date:
Civilised world: Game has been released early and is now available on Steam.
July 5th (PC)
Australia: July 25th.
Price:
US/Aus : $39.99 Steam (currently $29.99 during the steam summer sale) / $49.99 Xbox 360
UK : £29.99 Steam / £34.99 (It's already available at a discount) Xbox 360
EU : €44.99 Steam / €39.95 Xbox 360
Coupon Code: Green Man Gaming has a 25% off promotional coupon: GMG25-BAWQB-8UQWG. It should bring the preorder price of Dark (Steam version) down to $25.50.
System requirements:
OS:Windows XP SP2
Processor: 2.0 GHz Dual Core
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT / ATI Radeon HD 4670 / Intel HD Graphics 4000, with 512 MB dedicated RAM..You could probably get away with a Voodoo3.
Hard Drive: 5 GB HD space
Sound: DirectX compatible sound card
Publisher summary:
As you can see, things happen in the game. Also, skill trees.
Shepard!?!
Trailers/Gameplay:
Music Trailer
Gameplay / Dubious endorsement Trailer
Skill Trailer p.1
Skill Trailer p.2
Long Gameplay Trailer (Gameplay starts around 30:00 mark)
Quality:
The developers have previously published a number of full games and... look I can't..I just can't. This is most likely going to be a budget title. $49.99 will probably turn out to be way too much to pay for this game. I realize that stealth games are a rarity these days, I miss them too. But that isn't an excuse to accept just any stealth focused game no matter the quality or probable lack thereof. The developer's previous games have all suffered from bugs and or some quality control concerns. So it would be prudent to be wary of a game that has few early indications of final quality.
Go buy Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines right now instead. And wait for impressions and reviews to evaluate what price you personally want to pay for Dark.
*Edit* Reviews/Impressions:
Reviews:
PC :
Gaf Members:
Angry Centaur Gaming : Digital Gonorrhea.
phantomspiker : "I had fun playing the game for the most part, but the story and dialogue was trash." $10 title.
Holy Crap : I like it a lot. It has flaws, none game breaking...it's pretty fun to me. 6/10
ShinobiFist : [DARK is] a game I recommend to stealth fans for under [$14]
Labadal : Fuck you. [thinks] the 2/10 and 3/10 reviews are full of crap...here is my final review...Fuck you. 6/10
slasher_thrasher21 : Truly a game for the stealth fans...Dark gets a little bit of a bad rap.
theDeeDubs : I really loved this game. Dark is a love letter to old school stealth fans in my opinion...[but]...Hit detection was still a little weird, trying to aim my leap while in cover could get a little finicky at times, and most of the voice acting was bad.
Cheesyhobo : 6/10 sounds about right...40% on Metacritic is pretty ridiculous for a game where the main failing is simply being unremarkable.
Non-Gaf members:
Hardcore Gamer : There is some good here, but thanks to the lackluster presentation values, questionable voice acting and brainless artificial intelligence, Dark turns into an experience you may want to quietly sneak past. 2.5/5
Eurogamer Germany : Es ist eine Vampir-Geschichte direkt aus den späten 90ern...Ok, die Gesichts-Animationen und die Gesten der Handelnden sind eher grobschlächtig, aber sonst ist Dark ein stellenweise sogar richtig hübsches Spiel...Leider ist ein netter Look nicht alles. 5/10
Gameblog.fr : Je ne sais vraiment pas trop à qui recommander Dark. Après tout il est à peu près jouable. 1.5/5
Gamekult : Unfinished and unpolished mechanics.... 3/10 (Note: From the list of pro's, "Makes you want to reinstall Vampire: The Masquerade" ..lol just do that instead)
GamesRadar : Dark is a stealth game to the bone...while it's always nice to see an attempt to breathe new life into stealth action games, Dark retains and even amplifies many of the frustrating trappings that make the genre so off-putting for some. 2.5/5
Also, some wanker did a quicklook of the game wherein he acknowledged that it's a stealth focused game. Then proceeded to play the game like an action game. Later he complained that it's a fault of a stealth game that there isn't enough action oriented moves...right. This quicklook came over a week after the title released and full reviews are already coming in. It's not worth linking to. You can search for the video if you want.
Xbox 360 :
Official Xbox Magazine : It's just swamped in frustrating design decisions, a script that lurches from passable to laughable, weak enemy AI, and a vortex of a lead character who's impossible to like or hate....this isn't a game for which you should be paying more than Arcade prices. 6/10
Eurogamer : ...character models wouldn't look out of place in 1995 and the animation is routinely terrible...In every aspect, however, it falls woefully short of its inspirations. 3/10
Merostation : Hay algunas decisiones jugables confusas o que pueden considerarse erróneas... Es un título mediocre, ni más ni menos. 5/10
NOWGamer : Can DARK rekindle the long-dead horse of the vampire genre...? 25/100 (No)
------------------------------------------------
Impressions:
ShinobiFist : The game is pure stealth with some wonky performance but overall a decent romp. Wait for steam sales to increase value of title.
Labadal : The overall game is adequate. Developers have implemented a interesting twist on how the save system works. Thinks it's worth $18 dollars.
I....I'm just going to talk about V:tmb from this point on.
Genre: 1st (with some 3rd Person) person RPG
Developer: Troika
Publisher: Activision
Platforms: PC (Steam), or use Ebay/Craigslist to find a disk copy.
Release date: Nov 16, 2004
System requirements:
OS:Windows® 98/ME/2000/XP*
Processor: 1.2 GHz Athlon™ or 1.2 GHz Pentium® III processor or higher
Memory: 384MB of RAM (512MB of RAM recommended)
Graphics: 3D hardware accelerator card required - 100% DirectX® 9.0c-compatible 64MB video card and drivers
Hard Drive: 3.3 GB of uncompressed hard disk space for game files and saved games (plus 1.4 GB for Windows® swap file)
Sound: 100% DirectX® 9.0-compatible 16-bit sound card and drivers
Publisher summary:
Game Systems:
Blood - You're a vampire, you need it. Also, blood acts as the 'mana' for your powers, so if you want to use them you have to feed regularly. If you're not careful, or callous, you can kill you victims by completely draining them of blood. Killing a human will result in loss of 'Humanity'. Be careful as the drinking mechanism doesn't pause the rest of the world, so chose your feeding times carefully.
Humanity - the 'moral' system that exists in the game. You gain Humanity by being virtuous and not attacking/killing the innocent, and lose it by doing the opposite. If it gets too low, your character will begin to lose itself to 'the beast' and randomly attack anyone nearby.
Stealth - There is a stealth system in the game. It's pretty fun, but realize this is a older, multi-system game so the stealth mechanics may lack the depth of other, stealth oriented, titles.
Types of Areas:
Combat - As the title suggests, you're allowed to use all of your powers and weapons in these areas. Be careful not to die.
Masquerade - General 'public areas', you should do best to avoid using powers (or allowing others to see you at all if Nosferatu) or feeding on humans in an area that others may observe you. If you violate the 'masquerade' you will attract attention from hunters and police.
Elysium - No combat/powers are allowed in these areas.
Character creation:
At the beginning of the game you'll be prompted to chose your gender and vampire clan (class):
Brujah - The Brujah are passionate idealists. At times, this passion can lead them to trouble since they tend to make their arguments with their fists and not words. Do you like punching people instead of using guns? Because this class maybe for you.
Malkavian - Insane by nature, the Malkavians see the world in a different light than anyone else. This “insight” allows Malkavians to see the true intentions of others. But they have trouble communicating with others; conversations with NPC's, and your own responses, will reflect the mental instability of this clan.
Gangrel - If any clan were close to the Beast, it would be the wildly nomadic Gangrel. The Gangrel can transform into beasts.
Nosferatu - Hideous and disgusting, the Nosferatu are cursed with a grotesque form. They cannot walk around normal humans, and must use the sewers systems and shadows instead or risk violating the masquerade.
Toreador - The Toreador envision themselves as artists and visionaries. They also gain/lose double humanity based on their actions.
Ventrue - The leaders of the Camarilla, the Ventrue enforce the Masquerade. They are the 'elite' members of vampire society. They cannot feed on rats or 'lower' humans like the homeless. And they have a unique persuasion skill during conversations.
Tremere - The Tremere are blood sorcerers. Using blood magic, or Thaumaturgy, the Tremere guard their secrets quite religiously and do not take outsiders into their confidence. The trade off is that they are restricted from becoming very proficient in melee.
Because it changes the game experience so dramatically, I would suggest that you avoid playing as a Nosferatu or Malkavian until your second playthrough.
Gameplay:
Music Track
(I put one up for Dark, so might as well be fair.)
Gameplay
Gameplay
Stealth Gameplay
Screenshots:
Some unofficial mods and patches (Necessary for Windows 7 x64 users):
1. If you just want a unoffical patch without any mods:
a. Read the instructions here.
ii. Steam Versions of the game.
b. download the patch and install this mod..
WARNING: the download/ instruction site is really NSFW. Also, when the author goes off, he makes Amir0x seem genial in comparison.
Love you Ami!
2.Alternatively, if you want to restore some additional content and mod some of the game mechanics.
a. Install this mod/patch.
3. This mod might be interesting for those that have already played V:tmB. It adds 12 more quest lines with new cut scenes, and even a achievement system.
a. Install this mod.
4. If you are a fan of the Fallout Hardcore survival experience. The Camarilla mod might be something you're interested in.
a. Read up on all of the mechanics including the feeding system.
b. Mod link is here.
Thanks:
Gromph
Lireu77
sunnz
theDeeDubs
Sethos
phantomspiker (x3)
Dragonzord
phoenixyz (lol, how did he spot/recognize them?)
Holy Crap
Labadal
ShinobiFist
Nemesis_
Totobeni (x3)
Pouh
CheesyHobo
---------------------------------------
Original post:
Steam lists the game's release in 3 days. Did someone forget to make an actual OT?
---------------------------------------
