Darkest Dungeon is one of the best horror titles of all time. While it’s not the classic horror-movie style story, it still brings terror to the hearts of many.
Darkest Dungeon wears Lovecraft’s works on its sleeve, and its unique art style is everything.
As it moves to its sequel next year, it’s essential to look back at the things the game did. It revolutionized indie horror unlike anything among its peers.
Darkest lets players lead a decrepit hamlet
Among the best stories in video games, Darkest is the deepest and most well-thought-out. Resident Evil and Silent Hill are classics, no doubt.
They’re some of the best experiences that the video game genre had to offer. Even then, there’s a level of creeping malevolence in DD that makes it stand out.
The story of Darkest has the player inherit an old, worn-out hamlet. It is in its saddest state due to the depravities of its previous owner, The Ancestor. Through adventures, the player can find the terrors lying deep in wait.
It’s not the player character who will explore the depths of maleficence, however. The player will recruit various mercenaries to do their bidding. These people are not, in any way, heroes.
The recruits for the exploration have different professions, quirks, and flaws. Every profession has the skills they can contribute to.
They are also some of the most mentally unstable people, whose stress players need to manage.
What makes DD perfect
Darkest Dungeon is one of the best horror games for its complete package. The story, gameplay, graphics, and even replayability make it a compelling game. Players can easily invest 300 hours into the game and still find it enjoyable.
What makes Darkest the perfect horror game is the gameplay. It’s hard, brutal, and unforgiving, where every mistake can cost the player something. Recruits can die permanently, and every lousy roll can destroy a good run.
Players would also need to balance being a good hamlet owner. They need to manage the stress levels of recruits, their sanity, their quirks, and the treasure players get.
The player can be benevolent, or they can be maleficent and mill recruits and throw them once they’re useless.
Darkest is infamous for its visual design and gameplay too. Its 2D roguelike gameplay is beautiful and very hard. The thick outlines, cel-shading, and deep shadows make the game visually appealing.
Darkest Dungeon is among the best horror games of all time. The cosmic horror has always been palpable, and its difficulty is legendary too. For those who are looking to enjoy some horror this season, this is a must-play.
Featured image courtesy of Darkest Dungeon/In-Game Screenshot