DARQ: Complete Edition

This game has smart level design, neat artstyle and great atmosphere. It is not hard nor it is long. Yet it is engaging and witty.

+ the graphics, the visual atmosphere is not bad at all. + the audio part is okayish but: - sometimes the noises are annoying when you are forced to spend time in a certain area.. - the puzzles are not that great, not too simple but nothing to write home about.. - some separate zones in chapters (levels) may be cool but overall nothing makes sense with the story. - i finished the game in 3 hours and with the experience in mind.. this is worth no more than maybe 7 euros..

While this game is touted as "action-adventure" by the store page there's very little of it here. DARQ is really a puzzle game, as the majority of the gameplay consists on manipulating the environment to find an exit. There's no combat here, though there are some stealth/escape sections. Puzzles are fun, clever, fair and imaginative. You'll never run into a solution that makes you think "Well, how was I supposed to realize that?". Even if the world around you is abstract and weird there's still logic to it and you won't find yourself desperately trying every object with everything, waiting to luck out into a solution. As soon as a puzzle is presented, the procedure to reach the solution becomes evident, and all you have to do is find out how to arrive at it. What really sells this game, though, is its atmosphere. Dark, creepy, slightly cartoonish, very Burtonesque, with touches of Silent Hill here and there. The game provides some nice bits of tension, and, while there are a few jump scares here and there, there are some moments of genuine terror thanks to the game's reliance in psychological horror rather than cheap gore or monsters with horns and teeth. The use of visual and sound effects also makes sure that solving a puzzle feels rewarding, as there's always a satisfying mechanical device activating or a visceral change in the environment upon reaching a solution. The game is a bit on the short side, which is a plus for someone like me, who doesn't have a lot of free time and feels more overwhelmed by overly long games by the day. The game never overstays its welcome and simply decides to make an exit rather than starting to repeat puzzles. I only really have one complaint against this game and it's that it's not possible to remap the controls. They are generally alright for what they do, but the fact that the "activate" button on the X360 gamepad is "X" rather than "A" constantly messes with my muscle memory. Otherwise, it's a definite recommendation.

Okay game - creepy in a good way but...bugs and one toward the end of the game (chapter 6) that prevents you from finishing. Waste of money/Fail.

This game is not as good as most others want to make you believe! The 3d-Rotation puzzle concept is nice but nothing more than technically sound. It is well enough executed and the artwork/ scenery is great but that's about it and that only gets you so far. The non-existent replay value and and non-existent story are also excusable, as is the game length of about 3 hours (without DLC), maybe less. What ruins this game is the action part! WHY has there to be a totally out of tune trial and error chase sequence at the end of a so far enjoyable game? What was wrong with the STEALTH mechanics during the game??? (A: Nothing was wring with them, they where good and in tune!) As if that one damned timed puzzle wasn't enough (which is not hard but deeply annoying in it's design!! Unfold games just doesn`t seem to have a hand for action. The game was NICE until that chase!!! This practically ruined it for me. I would ask for a refund but I already played this to the end, without technical problems.