Sep 07, 2009  Metacritic Game Reviews, Darkest of Days for PC, In Darkest of Days, you'll get to experience some of the most varied gameplay ever released in one title. Thigns will never get stale as. Sep 16, 2009  Darkest of Days doesn't just ask you to suspend your disbelief: it begs you, it implores you, it pleads with you to do so. This isn't because its outlandish premise is hard to buy into, because.

Darkest of Days is a first-person shooter video game developed by 8monkey Labs and published by Phantom EFX. Originally released for the Xbox 360, it was also released for Microsoft Windows via Steam. On December 30, 2010, Virtual Programming published the Mac OS X version of the game.^[1]

The plot of the game involves time travel; it features the American Indian Wars, the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, and Ancient Rome.

Plot[edit]

In Darkest of Days the player controls Alexander Morris, a soldier fighting in General Custer's battalion during the Battle of Little Big Horn at the beginning of the game. After Custer is killed and Morris is wounded he is suddenly rescued by a man in futuristic armor and taken through a strange portal. Morris then awakens in the headquarters of Kronotek, an organization that has managed to develop time travel technology and is apparently dedicated to researching and protecting history. A Kronotek higher-up known as 'Mother' tells Morris that Doctor Koell, the organization's founder, has gone missing and disturbances have started appearing through history, causing individuals that have played key roles in history to be placed in danger, and tasks Morris with helping Kronotek restore history.

Morris then begins his combat training with his new partner Agent Dexter, another MIA from history who is implied to have gone missing on 9/11. As he is from the 1800s, he requires a crash course in 'modern' weaponry (ranging from World War I to the late 22nd century). Upon completion of his training Mother tasks Morris and Dexter with tracking down two individuals who are not where they are supposed to be: one Corporal Welsh from the Union Army in the American Civil War at the Battle of Antietam, and a Russian Army Officer named Petrovich in World War I at the Battle of Tannenberg.

However, completion of both of these tasks is blocked by a mysterious group known only as the Opposition, which also has time-travel technology. Over the course of the game, Morris and Dexter have to fight through both the Battle of Antietam and the Battle of Tannenberg, which involve massive cornfield battles, the dynamiting of a train bridge, and the hijacking of a zeppelin. Although Agents Morris and Dexter manage to secure and reintegrate Welsh and his twin brother into the proper timeframe, Petrovich is labeled a traitor for abandoning his post. This causes his son, who was originally going to become a scientist, to enlist in the Russian Army during the Second World War, leading to his capture by the Wehrmacht. When Agents Morris and Dexter try to rescue him before he reaches a POW camp, Morris is also captured and sent to the camp.

After spending some time in the camp, Petrovich is sentenced to death because of an escape attempt, but right before his execution, an explosion goes off outside the camp. Agent Dexter appears and assists Morris, Petrovich and the other inmates in escaping. Once Petrovich reaches safety, Dexter informs Morris that Morris was the one who set the explosive, allowing Dexter to infiltrate the camp. So Morris goes back, fights his way through a Nazi facility, and sets the explosive that triggers his own release.

After rescuing Petrovich, Morris and Dexter find out that Koell is at Pompeii, on August 25, 79 AD, the day Mt. Vesuvius erupted and buried the Roman town. Agents Morris and Dexter and a tech specialist named Bob fight through hordes of Opposition agents to find Koell, who is in the town's arena. Koell then nonchalantly accompanies Morris and Dexter back to the 22nd century.

Upon arriving in the 22nd century, a strange man appears, claiming to be the head of the Opposition. (It later transpires that the Opposition is a future version of Kronotek). The man asks Koell if it is wrong to change terrible events that already happened, to which Koell answers yes, because 'dark days teach valuable lessons and define who we are'. The Man then shoots Koell twice, once in the chest and once in the head. When confronted by Morris and Dexter, he explains that the Welshes and Petrovich were ancestors of scientists who invented a DNA sequencer that can target the genomes defining racial identity. He goes on to explain that this DNA sequencer was stolen and used by less talented Middle Eastern scientists to create a virus that targeted people of European descent. 2 billion died as a result (including eight out of every ten people in North America). As Dexter laments the loss of his family, the strange man states that this crisis has been averted because of the Opposition's interference with the time stream. Although he makes clear that Kronotek's ultimate goal is still the preservation of the time stream, he indicates that this one exception was made. The strange man then says that his Kronotek has use for talented agents such as Morris and Dexter and invites them to join his agency, leaving an open time bubble for them to enter. As the strange man departs, Dexter looks at the camera and says, 'What the Hell do we do now brother?'

Development[edit]

Since the premise of Darkest of Days leans heavily on the historical aspect of its story, the developers focused on making the battles as historically accurate as possible. They incorporated extensive research on the time periods, locations, and weapons for each of the battles depicted in the game (much of the city of Pompeii is accurately recreated). Darkest of Days uses NVIDIAPhysX, a hardware-accelerated physics engine.^[2]

'It was critical to the success of Darkest of Days that these epic moments in world history are experienced in eerily accurate detail, and NVIDIA PhysX technology helped us achieve that goal,' said Mark Doeden, Art Director at 8monkey Labs. 'Our Marmoset Engine brings these battles to life with a completely unique look, and the PhysX technology was instrumental in making the game feel alive and real.'

8Monkey Labs designed the Marmoset engine specifically for the game. The Marmoset engine can handle over 300 characters on the screen at one time, enabling the game to have densely populated battle scenes, all with their own AI and pathfinding. Darkest of Days also contains wide open battlefields, allowing players to choose their own course of action to accomplish the goals set in the game (however, there are numerous limitations imposed on a player's movements throughout a map via obstacles and invisible walls). The player is also equipped with futuristic weapons adding a unique twist to classic battles. Marmoset's AI is able to drive behaviors for hundreds of characters simultaneously, without impeding gameplay. All actions share a common set of sensory data - audio, vision, navigation, teammate signals, enemy fire detection, and object finding and following are all easily made available to all behaviors.

Reception[edit]

The PC version received 'mixed' reviews, while the Xbox 360 version received 'generally unfavorable reviews', according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.^[17][18] Many reviewers, including Francis Clarke of ApertureGames, expressed disappointment that the majority of the levels are played out primarily in two time periods.^{[citation needed]} However, PC Gamer UK said that 'Darkest of Days is a unique first person shooter'.^[14] Positive reviews also came for the Xbox 360; Digital Chumps said it provided a 'unique and overall well put together single player campaign. Any fan of action games or time travel mechanics should give this one a serious look',^[19] while GameShark commented that 'technicalities take a pretty good game and drag it down into the realm of mediocrity. Still, automatic weapons during a Civil War battle...it's hard to pass that up.'^[20]

References[edit]

1. ^Chaffin, Bryan (December 30, 2010). 'VP Expands Majesty 2 & Releases Darkest of Days'. The Mac Observer. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
2. ^'NVIDIA PhysX Technology Brightens Darkest Of Days'. NVIDIA. April 28, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
3. ^Sterling, Jim (September 10, 2009). 'Review: Darkest of Days (X360)'. Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
4. ^Hayward, Andrew (September 10, 2009). 'Darkest of Days (X360)'. GamePro. GamePro Media. Archived from the original on September 12, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
5. ^Carlon, David (April 1, 2010). 'Darkest of Days Review (X360)'. Game Revolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
6. ^VanOrd, Kevin (September 15, 2009). 'Darkest of Days Review (PC)'. GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
7. ^VanOrd, Kevin (September 21, 2009). 'Darkest of Days Review (X360)'. GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
8. ^'Darkest of Days Review (X360)'. GameTrailers. Viacom. September 22, 2009. Archived from the original on November 20, 2010. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
9. ^David, Mike (September 23, 2009). 'Darkest of Days - PC - Review'. GameZone. Archived from the original on September 27, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
10. ^Valentino, Nick (September 9, 2009). 'Darkest of Days - 360 - Review'. GameZone. Archived from the original on September 12, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
11. ^Onyett, Charles (September 9, 2009). 'Darkest of Days Review (PC)'. IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on September 14, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
12. ^Onyett, Charles (September 9, 2009). 'Darkest of Days Review (X360)'. IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
13. ^Lewis, Cameron (September 8, 2009). 'Darkest of Days'. Official Xbox Magazine. Future US. Archived from the original on September 11, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
14. ^ ^ab'Darkest of Days'. PC Gamer UK. Future plc. October 2009. p. 87.
15. ^Eddy, Andy (September 10, 2009). 'Darkest of Days Review (Xbox 360)'. TeamXbox. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 10, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
16. ^Williams, Jordan (September 30, 2009). 'Darkest of Days ([Xbox] 360) Review'. 411Mania. Archived from the original on October 4, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
17. ^ ^ab'Darkest of Days for PC Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
18. ^ ^ab'Darkest of Days for Xbox 360 Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
19. ^McGehee, Steven (September 8, 2009). 'Darkest of Days (X360)'. Digital Chumps. Archived from the original on September 12, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
20. ^McAllister, Jeff (September 8, 2009). 'Darkest of Days Review (X360)'. GameShark. Mad Catz. Archived from the original on September 11, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2018.

External links[edit]

• Darkest of Days at MobyGames

Both the past and the future look dreary in this bizarre and unsatisfying time-travel shooter.

By Kevin VanOrd | @fiddlecub on

Darkest of Days doesn't just ask you to suspend your disbelief: it begs you, it implores you, it pleads with you to do so. This isn't because its outlandish premise is hard to buy into, because while the time-traveling story is silly nonsense, it's clearly meant to be a not-so-subtle excuse to let you shoot Confederate soldiers with anachronistic weapons. No, the parts that strain belief involve enemies with no sense of self-preservation and friendly soldiers that fail to notice you're shooting American Indians with a submachine gun. You should expect to encounter a load of similar silly oddities in this highly problematic single-player shooter. Yet there are moments that make you see the fascinating game that Darkest of Days almost was. A few great ideas begin to take form in its final third, when the level designs begin to shine and you leave the dreadful muskets and rifles of the early game behind you. But a few sparkles of cleverness aren't enough to energize this dull, bizarre journey.

Darkest of Days starts with a good premise: You're whisked away from the Battle of the Little Bighorn just before you kick the bucket, and you find yourself facing a computer monitor with giant eyes that calls itself Mother. It seems that you're the perfect candidate to join a squad of corporate cronies dedicated to preserving the natural course of history--and apparently, things aren't going according to plan. The founder of time-travel technology has gone missing, and a bunch of heavily armored goons are popping up and spoiling things during era-hopping missions. Who are these guys? Why do they seem so determined to meddle with history? What is up with that weird tattoo above Mother's left eyebrow? You'll discover the answers to most of these questions as you trot about the Civil War, World War I, and a few other historical venues with your partner, Dexter, a potty-mouthed ex-firefighter who just wants a good slice of pizza.

Darkest Of Days Gamestop

The story starts off well, but the game squanders its potential by handing you some of the most boring weapons you'll ever shoot. The chance to liven up familiar battlefields with anachronistic weaponry is exciting, but for a huge portion of the game, you're stuck shooting muskets and rifles--that is, if you want something more powerful than your sidearm pistol. There's a reason Civil War FPSs aren't flooding the market: Muskets are dull to use, because you spend more time waiting to reload than you do shooting. And you can extend that wait if your weapon jams, which is a potential byproduct of Darkest of Days' reloading mechanic. This feature is an obvious rip-off of Gears of War's active reload system. Every time you reload your weapon, you have to time the press of a mouse button to fit into a short window of opportunity indicated by an onscreen circle. A successful attempt means a quicker reload. If you miss, your weapon jams and you have to wait for it to clear up on its own. This mechanic worked in Gears, but it's poorly implemented here. Imagine this: When you use a musket, you have to perform a timed reload after every shot; if you mistime your button press, you more than double the amount of time you wait between shots. It doesn't sound fun because it isn't.

Other weapons fare better, though none of them are all that satisfying to use, partly due to the dinky sound effects that accompany them. At least they're effective: You can kill enemies at remarkable range, even when you wouldn't expect that the gun in question could be so accurate. The forgiving targeting and the range of firing effectiveness make Darkest of Days rather easy, though to be fair to your arsenal, your enemies don't put up much of a fight. In fact, they seem insistent upon getting themselves killed at every possible opportunity. Foes rush forward as if the best shot they can get is three feet in front of you, they run about in circles, and they don't have the good sense to get out of the middle of a wide-open field while the equally moronic soldiers standing next to them get taken out like ducks in a pond. You often fight off legions of cloned soldier models in large-scale battles, but while these skirmishes should be dramatic, the moronic AI makes them unintentionally hilarious instead. This may be the worst AI you'll see in a shooter this year.

Darkest Days Game

You spend most of the time running from objective to objective across large-ish maps, picking off dunderheads in the midst of cornfields and ravines. The action gets predictable and boring, though Darkest of Days makes some admirable attempts to break up the action with turret sections and various set-piece sequences, like one in which you fly above the battlefield in a dirigible. Not many of these excursions work out well, however. Manning a cannon is exasperatingly slow and inexact, which might be what it's like to fire an actual cannon, but it's hardly any fun. On a few peculiar occasions, the game will take control of your movement or keep you glued to a single position, turning you into a sort of living turret. On the other hand, using a futuristic sniper rifle to pick off foes from a snowy mountain is a nice change of pace and comes just before an interesting story development.

Once this point comes, Darkest of Days turns a corner, starting with an emotionally charged level within a World War II POW camp. The slow, chilling journey into the camp and your exciting escape make this the best level in the game. At the same time, the story begins showing signs of life, as you discover more about the armored interlopers popping in and out of your missions. But by then, it's too little too late, given how hard it is to buy into other aspects. For example, you're supposed to throw floating balls called seekers at certain historically significant enemies, which stuns them but doesn't kill them. If preserving their lives is so important, why is it that other soldiers can kill them without consequence? Why is it that you can climb some steep hills, but invisible walls hinder you on others? Why does no one comment on this apparent stranger (you!) appearing among their ranks out of nowhere? Why are there no animations to indicate you're attempting to clear your jammed weapon? There are some fascinating ideas at work here, but Darkest of Days would have benefited from a good buffing.

Darkest Of Days Pc Game Review

But design and storytelling quirks aside, Darkest of Days deserves some credit for its plot (and its surprising conclusion), which some will embrace as reason enough to overlook the clumsy, boring gunplay and horrendous AI. Yet potential isn't enough to make a game worth playing. The gameplay never follows up on the intriguing premise, wasting its memorable final levels by forcing you to crawl through a dozen dull ones before you get to them. The ideas were there, but Darkest of Days doesn't deliver where it counts.