You probably have heard of Dark and Darker if you are a fan of gaming but did you play it in the Steam Testing Phase? or even if you did, did you actually know how to play Dark and Darker? Well, to answer all of your queries related to this amazing game in development, we compiled this Guide on Dark and Darker. So, buckle up and enjoy the journey.
Most of us got to experience Dark and Darker in its Testing Phase where it topped off with around 60k players in December. This game isn’t like your regular FPS games, rather it is harder and darker.
It isn’t a bad thing because we gamers wanted something harder and more driven towards the times of swords and spells. Sadly you can’t play it in its Testing Phase because 26th December 2022 was the last date for that. Don’t worry because, in our Dark and Darker Guide, we are going to discuss when you can actually play Dark and Darker again.
Gameplay Guide to Dark and Darker – What is it?
Dark and Darker is more similar to Dark Souls when it comes to the environment, but you can also put it with Skyrim and call it little brother. Besides this, the gameplay principles are more tilted towards Escape from Tarkov and that doesn’t seem right when you put your mind towards it but trust me, it does Sum Dark and Darker up.
It is an IronmaceGames Developed FPS Extraction Shooter genre, having PvP, PvE, and multiplayer to mess around with.
Present in the times of swords and Spells, you have both of them to work with. If you are like me, who loves to use Spells and play with Swords in POV, then you will love Dark and Darker.
Furthermore, when you start off the game, you get to pick from various Classes inspired by other RPG Games. You can pick from;
- Rangers
- Wizards
- Barbarians
- Fighter
- Cleric
- Rogue
- etc.
Love playing with your lovely friends? Well, Dark and Darker also have a Co-op mode that allows you to experience hardcore gaming with your e-friends and divide the burden among yourselves.
Remember when we put up Skyrim right up front in our Guide to Dark and Darker? Well, let us get that thing straight. You can run around the map just like in Skyrim, looting chests, killing enemies, safely extracting things, and so on.
On the Dark Souls side, you have everything to lose after death. Yes, you drop the stuff after you die and if things don’t go as planned and you die 2nd time without picking up stuff, you lose it permanently.
On the Gameplay side, it is more on the Tarkov side because you drop stuff on death, and you have dark and light areas to look out for. So, it surely does Sum up the game, doesn’t it?
Hold on a minute! you also have the economics in this game to look out for. Taking about the Dark Souls and Tarkov, there is one thing up a notch here. You can use the Merchants to get stuff like items (based on rarity), Consumables and become a Businessman at the trading Pose.
You can use the in-game currency to deal with other players or buy stuff in the game that can keep you alive for longer. So you have to look out for the cash in-flow and out-flow as well. Remember, you drop the stuff after you die, so don’t dare die!
The difficulty of Dark and Darker
For beginners, Dark and Darker is not only difficult, rather Dark Souls and Tarkov level hard. Imagine if you have Two of the Hardest Games of 2022 combined, making something look like Skyrim. That is what the hardcore level of Dark and Darker is.
Just as the name suggests, you are playing in the dark, having shadows all around, enemies hiding from your sight and attacking you when they see fit. You have to look out for everything because if you die, you are in real trouble, dropping all your loot and stuff in the process.
There is economics to look out for, there is trading, different levels of gear you need to get, look out for inventory space, hidden enemies, dark areas, and you basically get the point. It is hard… really hard!
How to play Dark and Darker again?
If you are reading this, there are high chances that you probably missed the Steam testing phase for Dark and Darker because it ended on 26th December 2022.
Don’t worry because when it comes to the question of How to Play Dark and Darker again, we got you covered.
In the Month of February 2023, the developers are going to add the Dark and Darker Alpha Testing Phase again on Steam. You can wait for that and experience this Blessed Game.
Till then, you can read our Guide to Dark and Darker to get a better grasp of its gameplay and how things work out in Dark and Darker.
Guide to Playing Dark and Darker
Coming to the main part in our Guide, which is playing Dark and Darker. We mentioned that it is a crazy mix between Dark Souls, Tarkov, and Skyrim, but the gameplay is more toward Tarkov than the other two.
Yes, you can find mechanics similar to those games as well but the main theme here is Tarkov.
So, Dark and Darker is a game that is based on your runs and each one will require you to kill the enemies, get loot, open boxes, enhance equipment, and get out safely with all that stuff before you die. I don’t have to explain again why dying is a problem here, right?
After getting safely out in the run, you get all the loot and stuff with you. There are shops in the game in which you can exchange those things for Gold which is the in-game currency of Dark and Darker.
There is also a Trading Post system where other players might find your stuff helpful and buy it from you or the other way around. Get the things you find useful and carry on.
We also mentioned Darkness a lot in our Guide to Dark and Darker because that is in the name right there. There is a lot of Darkness in this game, which means you have to be aware of enemies hiding there. There are fire torches around the places that shed light on the game, but other places don’t have that.
It is also important to mention in our Guide to playing Dark and Darker that the game is really slow and hardcore. Gamers who are used to fast-paced games or slash-and-kill style games are going to suffer here.
If you don’t want to suffer, we have some Tips in our Dark and Darker Guide to Beginners below to help you out. Read onto those and you will be safe from dying a lot.
Beginners Guide to Dark and Darker – Tips for Beginners
We already mentioned that Dark and Darker is PvP, PvE, and Co-op, meaning you have both players and monsters to worry about.
If you are a newbie who is looking to get a better grip on Dark and Darker, then follow on through this Beginners Guide.
Get a Good Class
Class is the first thing in the game you are presented with. There are a lot of Classes to pick from, which we already mentioned at the start of our Guide to Dark and Darker. Each one has its own purpose in the game, but just like Dark Souls, each one has its own type of starting point, meaning some are good for beginners.
In my recommendation, you need to go straight for Fighter because of the versatility and quite no drawbacks. You can get a Weapon and a Shield to start your journey.
Concept of Extraction Shooter
You are in an Extraction Shooter game and if you are not aware of that, you are in a running loop, where you start off with a Dungeon, kill enemies, talk with NPC’s or kill them as well, loot stuff, and safely get out with all the stuff.
After that, you can keep your Loot and use or sell it for some in-game currency. Getting better gear is essential because as you proceed, the stages get more difficult.
There is a Map!
Yes, you heard that right, there is a Map in Dark and Darker. Most beginners don’t notice it but on the top right, you can see that.
Later on in the game, you will see a ring appearing on that Map. You can call it a Battle Royale-style Ring because it is quite similar to that and gets smaller with time.
Besides this Ring, you can also see the Boss Rooms, Traps, Corridors, Chambers, Tunnels, Hidden materials, and everything on the Map.
What… A Torch?
Darkness is the main theme here that we mentioned a lot of times in our Guide to Dark and Darker. But, did we mention you have a Torch? No, we didn’t.
Press 3 and you will take out a beautiful Torch that allows you to check dark corners, rooms, crevices, traps, and locations for treasures.
If the Rogues hiding in the Shadows kill you, again and again, you can use the Torch in Dark and Darker to find them.
Other Tips for Beginners in Dark and Darker
We nearly got around every right here but there are a few things we are going to mention in our Tips for Dark and Darker Beginners.
- Sound is a thing in the game and every time you move around, fall, or rush, the sound will be heard by others. Break things around you or open things, it will also make a sound. Remove shoes to lower that. That’s crazy huh?
- Loot is everywhere, even in barrels or pots, but there is a chance a few of them will contain loot. Break them for extra loot or hidden places.
- Enemies have their own Patterns here, especially the bosses. Take some time to learn them and use them to get rid of them.
- Health is like Dark Souls 3, where you only get it through Healing Skills or Potions. Shrines are also used to refill your health.
- If you are playing Solo, you don’t have to fight everyone, especially at the same time. Don’t mess with the hard stuff and fight one by one.
- In case you got good loot, just rush the thing and safely extract it. Don’t fight with bosses, or take special routes.
If you are a fan of Scarlet and Violet Pokemon, feel free to check out our Beginners Guide to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet here.
Guide to Extracting in Dark and Darker
Finally, you heard about Extracting a lot of times in our Guide to Dark and Darker, but how can it be done? Here in our Guide to Extracting in Dark and Darker, I am going to talk about it a bit.
With Extracting in Dark and Darker, we mean that you need to complete the level alive and get it with all the loot you got so far in the run.
As to How you can extract in Dark and Darker, there are several points of extraction symbolized by a headstone going out from the ground.
There is also a strange sound when you get near such extraction points in Dark and Darker and that sound is more like a signal of rocks rubbing.
How to Extract in Dark and Darker?
When you are near the headstone, you can press F Key on your Keyboard and a gate will open. Through that gate, you can get out of the run and that is all on How to Extract in Dark and Darker.
Final Verdict
This is all in our Guide to Dark and Darker as of now. The game had its Steam Testing ended on 26th December, but you can enjoy it again on February 2023 in its Alpha Testing. If you are someone who didn’t experience the game and looking for a push start, then we recommend you should really try out Dark and Dungeons because it is an experience of a lifetime. If you are a beginner we also got a Guide to Playing Dark and Darker along with a Guide on How to Extract in Dark and Darker. So, we got you covered completely!
