In much the same way as the morale of my companions waned, my own desire to continue had been tested, as I led them again and again into situations that I knew were gradually less survivable.
“How can one stand against all of this?” Posed in the dying breath of Reynauld the Crusader, the question spoke not only to the overwhelming power of The Hag that had just wiped my four strongest and best equipped heroes from the game, but also to the mounting dread that had crept up on me slowly and progressively as my time with Darkest Dungeon went on.Ĭharacters had begged me, “Please don’t send me back! It’s suicide!”. Blending Lovecraftian imagery with a gothic plotline and blackened tone, Red Hook have fashioned a game that not only delivers a solid RPG core with dungeon crawler mechanics, but goes a step deeper, ultimately asking more of it’s players than anything in recent memory. Joining this growing movement are Vancouver indie developers Red Hook Studios with their debut title, Darkest Dungeon. It is notable, however, that many of the most successful and critically acclaimed titles of the last few years have fallen into the latter category. To be clear, I’m not saying one approach is better than the other. The ability to craft an enjoyable and rewarding game from what are, on paper, frustrating and unfair mechanics reveals a mastery of game design and a deep understanding of the psychology behind it. On the other, there seems to be a small contingent of devs who strive to provide an experience that, while not quite as easy to swallow, has a lasting effect on their players (see Dark Souls III). On one hand, we have developers who aim to secure the ongoing attention and repeat custom of their players by means of constant reward, encouragement and validation (see Overwatch). There appears to be a deepening divide in the video game industry between two differing developmental paradigms.
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