official Oc Reviews: Profound Darkness

[Ocedic 249]

Game Title: Profound Darkness

Game Author: Waeckel Brothers

Version: Demo

Review by: Ocedic

 

Introduction

 

Profound Darkness is a dark fantasy RPG that focuses on atmosphere and mechanics.

 

 

Graphics

 

In spite of its off-putting use of RTP graphics, Profound Darkness looks visually appealing. The way graphics are used just fits very nicely, and what should be a bleak setting has some nice touches that bring it to life, like rats that scuttle away when you enter rooms. There's definite room for improvement, like the jarring overuse of on-map battle animations and how the light doesn't change until after you've entered a room (an all too common mishap). The graphics also get a bit repetitive after a while, with little variation. You'll find yourself trudging through familiar looking rooms that offer little respite from the constant feeling of 'sameness', which is also reflected in the gameplay (more on that later). Also, one non-trivial gripe is how dark the rooms are when the lights are dimmed. People, this isn't creating 'ambiance', it's just annoying and frustrating to navigate. Having said that, Darkness does a lot of things right in the graphics department without relying on custom visuals.

 

Verdict:

 

Mapping

 

Both in terms of aesthetics and level design, the mapping is pretty good. Sometimes there is a bit too much debris on the ground and it creates a blocky 'spill', but nothing stands out as terribly offensive. The rooms are just the right size, with just enough space for you to navigate around monsters. There's a sense of purpose with how rooms are laid out and contraptions are placed; things never feel random or disjointed. Like the graphics, there is a pervading feeling of repetition, but what's there is robust and well-constructed.

 

Verdict:

 

Audio

 

A creepy atmosphere and sense of foreboding is captured perfectly with the soundtrack and sound effects. Initially, I thought this was a horror game because of how well the music gave that impression. Sound effects are used well, with rats squeaking and spiders shuffling from the ceiling as they drop down on you. These little details are often neglected, so it's nice to play a game in which the action is properly brought to life through effects. I might be sounding like a broken record, but audio also suffers from repetition and you may grow apathetic to the haunting ambiance after hearing the same tune for 20 minutes or so. Again, what's there is good, but there needs to be more variation.

 

Verdict:

 

Gameplay - Exploration

 

On one hand, Profound Darkness does some really cool things with exploration. You can change forms to different avatars which have unique properties like being able to move heavy objects or pass through barred doors. This kind of interaction is fairly unique for an RM game, though the interface for toggling between forms is somewhat clunky. As I mentioned before, the level design is fairly competent, but you're left without a sense of ramp up. You start out with three forms, which seems to be squandering potential for a Metroid style game flow in which previously inaccessible areas yield secret items and new paths. Instead, you have a fairly linear dungeon crawling with pseudo-puzzle designs, but the obstacles fail to challenge you in any substantial manner. It ends up feeling a bit tedious to go into the Skill menu to bypass an object in your way.

 

If you were granted forms in a staggered manner, and the puzzles were more interesting and involved the use of several different forms to complete, I could see this idea having a lot of potential. As it stands, the exploration phase feels a bit lackluster and boring once you're a few minutes in.

 

Verdict:

 

Gameplay - Battles

 

Well, this is where things get really hairy. Battles feel different from typical RM games, but it feels like you have a lot of abilities and most of them don't do anything noteworthy or different. Ultimately, I found myself avoiding battles because I didn't find them fun, which is a huge flaw. It doesn't help that battles are on the difficult side of the spectrum, and not in a way that utilizes your skill or decision making. Monsters simply hit very hard and your abilities (when they don't miss) are rather lackluster. Sometimes it can feel like a series of dice rolling and hoping the string of criticals and misses work out in your favor.

 

You get a lot of equipment from various chests, but annoyingly they are often weaker than what you have. It's baffling that you can find equipment that is worse than your default gear. The player should treat chests with excitement and anticipating, not indifference. This aspect of the game needs the most work, but it's probably the only truly outstanding flaw in this game.

 

Verdict:

 

Story

 

The game begins with no introduction of story. You're simply in a dungeon and can begin moving around immediately. I think the background story is fleshed out in the thread, but I'm a believer that games should be standalone and not require players to read extraneous materials. It didn't feel like there was much of a plot. At one point, you get a cutscene that fails to raise or answer any meaningful questions. Ultimately, it seems like a lone warrior story with some references to King Solomon. I'm still not sure whether this is minimalism at its finest or a complete failure to convey plot, but I do know that the narrative is not gripping and the game failed to make me care about what happens next in the plot. Perhaps the author should give more nuggets of information that drive the narrative forward.

 

Verdict:

 

Polish

 

Didn't notice bugs, pathing issues or grammatical errors (not that there's much text to begin with.) Overall, I got the sense that the author cared about the presentation and mechanics of his (or her) game, which is a plus.

 

Verdict:

 

Overall

 

A flawed game with lots of potential. I would definitely like to see this more developed. There are some interesting ideas at work, and the author has really nailed the dark atmosphere. The story and gameplay need some work, but it's definitely not unsalvageable by any means. The biggest suggestion would be to try and create more of a varied experience. I want to be excited to venture further in the dungeon, not indifferent. Make treasure that is actually worthwhile, and add some variation in puzzle and level design. Don't be afraid to challenge your players in the puzzle department!

 

Score: 6.1/10