Darkout offers a fresh, new approach to an overused concept – it’s an open-ended, sandbox-style survival game. You must harvest resources that will help you craft and survive, among other things. Darkout is far from being an easy game – you have crash landed on a rogue planet in the middle of nowhere, with only a few basic items to help you survive.
With so many games like Darkout springing up recently, it may be difficult for some gamers to distinguish between them. Darkout can be compared to games such as Terraria and Starbound; the premise is very similar. And if you have played any of the aforementioned games, you will know exactly what you’re in for with Darkout. As a game, Darkout is basically an extension of the games previously mentioned. The real difference is that it includes a streamlined Graphic User Interface (GUI) that offers more flexibility to the user, as well as advanced controls.
For beginners, there is a comprehensive tutorial system that explains how to play. Like most games in the genre, the gameplay can be rather overwhelming the first time through. It’s important to use the tutorial system if you’re new to games like Darkout. Otherwise, you will be left feeling confused and very frustrated. The GUI (Graphic User Interface) is far more advanced than anything previously released. Thanks to its design, you no longer have to re-select equipment to perform minimal tasks. There’s even an ‘auto’ feature attached to the taskbar that allows you to perform simple tasks such as mining, digging and other repetitious functions without constantly re-selecting equipment.
The real key to survival is building a shelter. This is accomplished by gathering resources such as wood and turning it into materials for building walls and even doors. The tutorial system explains the fundamentals of building your own shelter. Your shelter serves many purposes – it will keep enemies out and it will also provide a place to sleep, among other things.
What makes Darkout so unique is that it doesn’t hand everything to you. You begin the game with a few basic recipes that can craft the bare necessities for survival. As you progress through the game, you will need to conduct extensive research to develop advanced machinery and weaponry. There are no restrictions on what you can do in Darkout.
The items you build can be deconstructed and used for something else later. You will learn early on to harvest every resource you come in contact with. Even if you’re unsure about a resource, you should still harvest it for later. You never know when it may come in handy.
Darkout is similar to a 2D platformer, but with a massive, open sandbox world that randomly generates itself every time you start a new game. This guarantees a different experience each time you play. The only time the game world doesn’t regenerate itself is when you reload a previously saved game.
As your technology evolves through research, advanced weaponry such as handguns and weapons of mass destruction become available. It takes a considerable amount of time to reach this point in the game. My advice to beginners is to not get discouraged during the early stages of Darkout. Since dying doesn’t have much of an impact, you can get back to business and start crafting material right away. The only drawback to dying is that it slows down your progression. Every minute that is lost from dying can be spent crafting valuable items.
The crafting system has its own hurdles to overcome. Once you have gathered enough resources to craft an item, Darkout requires the player to ‘refine’ said resources before they can be used.
Some critics feel that the additional step in processing your resources is unnecessary and a complete waste of time. I feel it adds to the game’s realism. Besides, if you were in the woods gathering material in a survival situation, you would have to find sticks and break them down into kindling to start a campfire. You wouldn’t just pick up a log and build a fire; it doesn’t work that way.
The additional steps needed to craft serve as a major component in Darkout’s mechanics. Darkout is the perfect game for beginners thanks to its tutorial system, a feature that has been absent in these games up until recently. If you’re looking for a survival game with a modern twist, Darkout is definitely a game worth checking out.
James ‘DaRipp3r’ Pittaro
Platform: PC
System Requirements
Minimum:
OS: Windows XP SP3 / Vista / Windows 7
Processor: Intel Pentium Core 2 Duo 1.3 Ghz or Better
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: OpenGL Graphics card that can display at least 1024×768 res (Nvidia 8000 series or better)
Hard Drive: 3 GB available space
Sound Card: Any
Additional Notes: Latest OpenGL Drivers
Developer: Allgraf
Publisher: KISS ltd
ESRB: N/A
Price: $14.99
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |  |
| Brilliant environments really make Darkout a unique and breathtaking experience. | |
| Sound | |
| A compelling soundtrack enhances the experience. | |
| Gameplay | |
| The gameplay is the best I have ever experienced in the genre. Even the crafting system manages to impress with its, ‘Outside the Box’ resource processing system. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Darkout is poised to be one of the best survival craft games on Steam, and not only for its tutorial to help beginners. Its crafting system and outstanding gameplay stands out among current titles in the genre. | |
