Using only one example to avoid puzzle spoilers, you find a small wristwatch and then use it as a bridge to cross a large chasm. What makes sense to Lloyd’s reality in each level will not make sense to the player when you find yourself using everyday objects as tools you wouldn’t think would work the same way in the real world. Each one has a theme such as the cave level, hospital-level, or dungeon/prison level. Although one player’s interpretation of each level design may differ from another, they may have a sense of either, you’re in a dream, stuck in your mind, or maybe even witnessing delusions at its finest. Graphically, each environment is very well detailed and surreal. Near the end of the game, some enemies return and begin to become more of a threat towards progression by causing an area or puzzle to reset. Some players may not help but feel like thinking “hurry up and pass me so I can continue”. Similar to games like Limbo or Inside, stealth was as simple as hiding in a dark crevice until the enemy passes you then continue on. This felt like there was no sense of actual caution or punishment when stealth opportunities arise. The enemy designs are creepy, given the environment and mood involved, but they were more of an unwanted obstruction and slowed down the pace of the puzzle-solving rather than giving a sense of dread or survival when they appeared, especially when if you failed and got detected, the game simply fades to black and places you back into the last room entered. Stealth is very much a part of almost every level of the game, but it is quite basic and felt like an afterthought. As you progress, each level becomes gradually more difficult and complex so that the gears in your head are always turning.Īlthough the main puzzle-solving mechanics work well for DARQ, others are not as polished or enjoyable. These moments of how creative Unfold Games went into each level design are only met with more enjoyment when those “ah-hah” moments come once you find a solution to a puzzle. There is even one multi-directional mechanic that I wish was used more in the game. Lloyd can explore areas moving left and right, but also up and down walls, causing the environment to rotate and shift according to his orientation.
Collecting items lying around, and figuring out what goes where is only part of what makes the game entertaining.ĭARQ makes great use of its 3-D environments in a 2-D side-scrolling game. Each level begins as you lay in bed, transported to another realm which is, in a sense, an escape room. Since this is mainly a puzzle-solving game, it is where it shines the darqest. Each level has a theme and style of puzzle-solving rarely seen in many other games.
Rather, DARQ allows the player to interpret what is going on in the strange dream-like environments that Lloyd experiences.Īs our thin, bald, and silent protagonist, your goal is to journey through each level solving intricate puzzles and avoiding enemies using the most basic of stealth mechanics. There isn’t much-offered storywise as you progress through the very greyscale aesthetics since there is no dialogue of any kind. Players will immediately find themselves thrown into an adventure as Lloyd in their very own Tim Burton-esque inspired art style and macabre environments. Developer Unfold Games and Publisher Feardemic have done just that with DARQ: Complete Edition.
One of the greatest benefits of being an indie developer is the ability to have complete “outside the box” creativity.
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