DARK Preview

Kalypso and Realmforge's vampire-themed RPG DARK is the subject of a quick preview over at Strategy Informer, and given its brevity, it really doesn't tell us a whole lot more than we already knew. Still, it never hurts to refresh our memories:
Dark is very much a back-to-basics game, and the developers have tried very hard to recapture the '˜root' of the stealth game. Despite my previous protestations, the cell-shaded look combines with the comic-book style perfectly, presenting the player with a highly stylised world that's not boring. As for the stealth part it's all down to you. There are no guns for Eric Bane (protagonist, voiced by Geralt of Rivera) to use, no weapons... you simply have to use your natural strength and guile, as well as the array of Vampire abilities you can unlock over time. Vampire abilities range from doing a shadow leap going from one spot another instantaneously, to Vampire vision so you can scout out the area. Abilities require blood points to use, which you can get by feeding on moral enemies as we've just mentioned. A standardised RPG system allows you to level up and develop, and offers some flexibility in terms of what route you take.

You'll need a bit of skill to master this game the basics such as sneaking around and taking out opponents are easy, but learning the movement controls, line-of-site for various enemies, and what to do in a pinch are going to be more difficult. You can't just blast your way through mobs as there are no weapons, but you can't just sumo your way through either. Your abilities have limits, and many of your enemies WILL have guns. Despite a lot of RPG elements, this isn't going to be a huge game. The Century Nightclub forms the only central hub, and is the only place in the game where you are truly safe from attack. The main elements of the story will be here, and you'll get most of your missions from here. Dialogue wheels will accompany all of your conversations with the other NPC's big or small, and they'll be plenty of cut scenes, plenty of narration by Eric to really immerse players in the story aspect of the game.