Dark Side Artwork
Darkside is a survival horror game exclusively released for Xbox 360, released in turn 12. It was developed by Enchanted Gaming. A demo was released in turn 11.
Gameplay[]
The game is a survival horror stealth game. The player must try to stay hidden as much as possible. You're trying to get away from "The Shadow".
Story[]
Start:
You play as the character Chris. You wake up on a ship not knowing where you are or how you got there. Walk out the room and the lights turn off, they start flicking and you see a figure down the hall, it starts to run towards you and you turn around and start running to the door at the end of the hall. You reach the room and close the door behind you and lock it, the figure you saw starts to bang down the door. The room you're in is pitch black, you feel your pocket and find a lighter. You turn it on and look around the room and you see blood on the walls (loud tense music starts to play) in the corner you see a body, it's your friend.
Middle: You find another friend, Andrea however you tell her to stay in a room where it would be safer for her. While sneaking around, you hear a scream, Andrea has been killed. You feel like it's your fault, you told her to stay there and now she's dead. You continue trying to find out what the figure is, why it's after you and your friends and how you can get off the ship.
End: At the end you'll find out the figure is called "The Shadow". You and your friends were chosen by "Keys", he enjoys to torture people and see who can last the longest. He enjoys making these tests and reveals that "The Shadow" is actually his son. A crazy experiment went wrong and now he's a crazy cannibal. Keys tells you that you have something special that he hasn't seen in anyone else before you. He switches on a monitor to show your two friends, he tells you that you have two options.
Option 1: You get to leave here, but your friends will die.
Option 2: Your friends get to leave, but you shall die.
This is up to the player.
Game Modes[]
Campaign - Story
Survival - See how long you can last against "The Shadow" while trying to find notes.
The Shadow Edition[]
The Shadow Edition contains the following:
Dark Side - The Game
Dark Side: The Soundtrack
Dark Side: Concept Art
Dark Side: Code for first DLC when available.
Demo[]
In the demo, you'll see your character wake up, dazzled. You'll explore the hallways and rooms looking for a note which should tell you how to escape. You'll have to be quiet and try to avoid "The Shadow". The demo lasts around 20 minutes, so prepare to be scared! Best played in the dark and with the volume up!
Reception[]
Reception to the demo has been mixed to good. Reviewers enjoyed the gameplay, but cited the very short length as a negative. However, the gameplay itself was highly praised, with the stealth-based survival horror being a "welcome change" from the action-based horror titles currently oversaturating the market. OVERALL SCORE: 7/10
Soundtrack[]
The soundtrack to Darkside is tense, horrific, and scary.
Other Media[]
Strategy Guide[]
A strategy guide was released alongside the game. It costs $9.99 and gives you helpful tips and strategies, and also helps you get achievements.
Soundtrack CD[]
The soundtrack CD consists of 18 of the tracks featured in the game. It costs $7.99.
Concept Art[]
You can purchase concept art that shows the designs of the game before development. This costs $5.99.
Sales/Post-Release[]
Darkside debuted at #4 on the charts, selling just over 300,000 copies.
Sales for Darkside have surpassed 500,000 copies.
Reviews[]
The game received average to positive reviews. The horror/stealth gameplay was praised widely, with the stealth mechanics being called "innovative and intruiging". The story was slightly criticized for being underdeveloped, but most reviewers still found it a solid tale that fit alongside the gameplay well. The soundtrack was also widely praised.
IGN
"Despite a slightly lacking story, Darkside provides gameplay that acts as a very solid base. It's clear that Enchanted Gaming wanted the story to shine here, but instead, the gameplay does. When compared to the likes of recent horror games like Lost Sanity, this is a great game. This isn't an action-heavy "Horror" game, this is a straight up creepy-as-hell horror game. I didn't experience many bugs or anything game-breaking, thaks to the day one patch. This is a great experience, and I'd definitely recommend it." OVERALL SCORE: 8/10
GAMESPOT
"Amidst a somewhat incoherent story, and some questionable design decisions regarding a few of the levels, Darkside proves to be what it sets out to be: a creepy game. The atmosphere is there 100%, and Enchanted Gaming genuinely scared me. There are quite a few scares to be had here. The story was solid for the most part, the twist was very good. The choice at the end, eh, I could go either way. But Enchanted Gaming have created a real hidden gem here, and I can't wait for a sequel." OVERALL SCORE: 8.5/10
GAMETRAILERS
"Darkside is exactly what the horror genre needs: reinnovation. Darkside manages to create game components that are solid, yet innovating. It's a lot of fun, and also very scary. The atmosphere and graphical design is amazing. The graphics are far from great, but when the atmosphere is this good, it's hard to ignore. It reminds me, in bits, of a much less heavy Dead Space fused with the likes of the older Splinter Cell games. The goal in this game is not combat, in fact, you want to avoid it like the plague. Stealth is your game here, and it works very well. Not too hard to get into, but flexible enough to adapt to a variety of play styles. This is the type of game the industry needs. Darkside is only $20 as well, and that makes it a complete steal. Grab this one immediately." OVERALL SCORE: 9/10