By John Walker on November 28th, 2012 at 8:00 pm.
It’s been a long time since we’ve heard from DARK, a spooky action-RPG. Six months, in fact, with pretty much radio silence from its publicity machine. So to reappear with only more screenshots at this point seems a little odd. It’s time for some more footage, guys. Moving pictures. This doesn’t feel like progress. The last time we saw it was May’s rather impressive teaser, that showed the cel-shaded design, and the FEAR-alike scares. And since then, just the memories. Now, some images:
I’m hoping that they’re just really bad at taking screenshots, rather than the sparse, monotone locations being representative of the game. A few in there look enticing, a lot don’t. Although despite the dreadfully boring nature of the one conversation image, it does point out that this is more than a shooter – and with its vampire theme, it’s hard not to hope that there are maybe echoes of Vampire colon Masquerade colon Bloodlines. Clickem to biggem.
The game’s due out in Q2 next year. That was once a specific date in February, so I smell ambiguous slipping.
28/11/2012 at 20:08 mehteh says:
The teaser was good, but, yeh, these screenshots are fairly unimpressive. A lot of the textures scream console focus design
28/11/2012 at 20:19 bluebomberman says:
Actually I think they scream “Kalypso.”
I’m guessing this will be as awesome as The First Templar, Legends of Pegasus, Jagged Alliance BIA, and Port Royale 3.
28/11/2012 at 21:52 Zorn says:
I’m screaming too, just when reading Kalypso. Dungeons, Jagged Alliance. Back in Action. And here my headache gets to strong to even type out the other titles under them. Given the choice to burn money, or buy a game from them, I’d burn my money.
28/11/2012 at 20:52 Smashbox says:
I had an irrationally strong negative reaction at the first screenshot. It makes me ANGRY for some reason. I hate it. It’s like The Sims: Twilight.
29/11/2012 at 17:42 Lev Astov says:
Same here. I think it hits on a strange uncanny valley type thing.
29/11/2012 at 01:47 NicoTn says:
In the age of minecraft, why judge a book by its cover? Seems kinda closeminded.
29/11/2012 at 09:58 SocraticIrony says:
That’s a lazy bit of reasoning. Consoles can handle better than that!
28/11/2012 at 20:17 Drinking with Skeletons says:
Sure, but when I say “clickem to biggem,” I get maced.
28/11/2012 at 20:20 Kasab says:
Whilst Bloodlines remains one of my favourite games, it isn’t because of the vampires. Oh, sure, Bloodlines makes a character-driven soap-opera about ageless, arrogant societies downing each other’s claret, but you could take out the vampires and replace them with… I don’t know, talking rabbits and it’d work out alright. Maybe.
28/11/2012 at 20:43 Bigmouth Strikes Again says:
Bloodlines was great, but not so much because it made you a super-human (well, not just), but because everything else was believable. Peoplevampires acted like people. They were manipulative, deceiving, treacherous, but also idealistic, naive, courageous, intelligent. It was a world that felt right, and the supernatural didn’t clash with it, it was just another element in the environment. Besides, playing as malkavian was, well, bonkers.
29/11/2012 at 06:58 Turkey says:
Yeah. There’s so many cool things in that game that doesn’t have anything with vampires that I haven’t seen replicated in that many games since.
The game taking place over the course of one night. Locations changing over time. A subversive Bioshock type ending that doesn’t feel cheap and that you actually have some choice in. The feeling that the world doesn’t revolve around you and you’re really just some political pawn being played around by the different factions. Multiple playthoughs yield different results and insights into certain characters.
It’s a little bit of a miracle that this game got made at all when I think about it.
28/11/2012 at 20:20 caddyB says:
kalypso, eh?
I don’t have any faith in those guys.
28/11/2012 at 20:22 RedViv says:
Their skill in picking games to publish is somewhat lacking, aye. Not too much trust in the actual developer either. They tried their hands at point and click, management, dungeon build/action RPG mix, and now this. Who knows, maybe they will finally find their calling.
28/11/2012 at 20:22 Revisor says:
Devs, please turn off the bloom. NOW! It’s not cool anymore. Not after the horrors of Syndicate.
http://www.gamesradar.com/56-eye-melting-screens-most-hilariously-over-the-top-bloom-lighting-in-video-game-history/?page=2
29/11/2012 at 00:15 slerbal says:
“With lighting like this, of course people are going to fall downstairs. It’s just not safe”. It really does look like the character in Syndicate smeared Vaseline all over his eyes and is also possibly suffering from meningitis…
28/11/2012 at 20:22 staberas says:
Hmm, i dont know this screams Alpha Protocol ….
28/11/2012 at 20:38 Grey Ganado says:
In terms of how awesome it was or in terms of how rushed it was?
28/11/2012 at 20:49 staberas says:
Mediocre, they could have done better
28/11/2012 at 20:53 Lord Custard Smingleigh says:
The important question is what has the publicity machine been doing for the last six months?
28/11/2012 at 21:45 qrter says:
More important question: why is RPS even making a post about a bunch of bland screenshots?
I, for one, don’t see the point.
28/11/2012 at 21:59 caddyB says:
See, that’s because it has stealth elements in it.
28/11/2012 at 21:03 vegaswanderer says:
The important question is, why wearing a hoodie seems to be the ultimate stealth fashion?
28/11/2012 at 21:12 Auspex says:
Helps to hide your face without being obvious criminal attire like a balaclava.
28/11/2012 at 21:24 Milos says:
If you can’t see them – they can’t see you. So in case of trouble you just pull it down over your eyes.
28/11/2012 at 21:20 skyturnedred says:
Why they chose to tease a 3rd person game with a video that gives the impression it is a first person shooter is beyond me. I was hoping for Bloodlines, but I fear it will have more in common with Redemption.
28/11/2012 at 21:34 tobecooper says:
In that second-to-last screenshot, the protagonist is tending to his enemy’s beard. And the guy seems to love it. Look at his dreamy eyes! Adorable.
28/11/2012 at 22:51 JKjoker says:
someone played mass effect and prototype and im hoping he did not read/watch twilight afterwards
29/11/2012 at 11:04 Iskariot says:
There has not been a single worthwhile vampire game since Bloodlines. I hope this will quench my thirst, but I wonder what is wrong with the industry. The vampire genre has been hugely popular for decades now, but for the gaming industry it hardly exists. I would love a Bloodlines type game in a modern open city world setting.
29/11/2012 at 11:07 OrangyTang says:
I don’t see anything cel-shaded here. I see stylised, non-realistic, but no cel-shading.
Can we please get out of the lazy classification of everything as either “hyper-realistic” or “cartoon”? It really doesn’t help anyone.