Darkfall Unholy Wars

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 106 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 72 out of 106
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 106
  3. Negative: 28 out of 106

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  1. Joetam
    Apr 22, 2013
    9
    Very impressive in scope and gameplay for such an indie company imo. Defo some kinks to iron out but based on the communication flow that has been seen this last year it's fairly hopeful that most things will be addressed sooner or later. Between the vast, gorgeous world and the insanely fun pvp potential (siege warfare, naval warfare, huuuuge battles etc) I've had a blast. Personally IVery impressive in scope and gameplay for such an indie company imo. Defo some kinks to iron out but based on the communication flow that has been seen this last year it's fairly hopeful that most things will be addressed sooner or later. Between the vast, gorgeous world and the insanely fun pvp potential (siege warfare, naval warfare, huuuuge battles etc) I've had a blast. Personally I would recommend this for anyone who likes pvp without limits (and the full loot aspect actually makes pvp important again!). It's not a game for carebears, but then I don't think it ever tried to be.… Expand
  2. sacrillegious
    Apr 25, 2013
    10
    Best game ive ever played (Vet)
    You will like darkfall unholy wars if you like games like (counterstrike, eve online, warz, dayz, ultima online ect ect)
    For years i went from game to game playing them all and getting bored as in a few months. I always was on the look for that gem of a game. Until a friend of mine recommended some indie game called "Darkfall Online" 3 Years later, and    Best game ive ever played (Vet)
    You will like darkfall unholy wars if you like games like (counterstrike, eve online, warz, dayz, ultima online ect ect)

    For years i went from game to game playing them all and getting bored as in a few months. I always was on the look for that gem of a game. Until a friend of mine recommended some indie game called "Darkfall Online" 3 Years later, and i was still playing it and there was next to no support/updates from the developers just the raw game itself and that was enough.

    That aside this is the new Darkfall, a totally new game that is a successful attempt to fix the mistakes that made the original Darkfall unsuccessful and unknown. And let me tell you they are doing a amazing job this time around with daily updates and patches, while really listening to what the community says.

    Lets get back to the main thing, the game itself. Its exactually what it says, A full-loot, Open PVP Non-flagging mmorpg. Build alliances with others join armies of 1000's and try to take over agon. there is so much to do in this game its incredible, and the open world harshness makes everything you accomplish ingame feel like a real feat. Be a reknown crafter, A Fearless Leader of 1000's of people. Tax people, become rich as a trader, be a paid spy or scout for your clan. Become reknown as a Skilled pvper and watch the lesser skilled run in fear as you slay them down.

    "IMPORTANT TIP" As a new player you will have alot of trouble at first and feel somewhat overwhelmed cause of the sandboxness of the game. First thing you should do is join a reknown clan and tell them that you are new, you will be given advice and learn the game with other players, at the start advice is everything. Soon you will be sucked into the world of agon and after that there is no going back. Good Luck    … Expand
  3. Bloomberg
    Apr 25, 2013
    10
    Compared to the original DF, this game is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor. During its initial beta I was apprehensive because of huge preformance issues, but these seem to have been largely delt with (while in the beta I was getting about 2-5fps if more then a few people showed up on the screen) now it runs smooth as butter with my screen filled with both players, monsters andCompared to the original DF, this game is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor. During its initial beta I was apprehensive because of huge preformance issues, but these seem to have been largely delt with (while in the beta I was getting about 2-5fps if more then a few people showed up on the screen) now it runs smooth as butter with my screen filled with both players, monsters and spell effects flying all over the place. Haven't had any issues getting stuck on terrain or falling through the earth yet, as for the grind it's far from mindless, since you're grinding towards specific goals.

    Anyone who played the original DF knew what a mindless grind was, because there people would generally just macro their characters skills up rather then play the actual game most of the time (until they changed it, long after DF had received its deathknell through loss of players.)

    As for a gap between vets and noobs, it doesn't matter what game you play, if it has character progression you'll have a gap. Not just because of the skills but the gear, UO had this just like many other games have and it's nothing new. It's not insurmountable, but don't forget those vets are much more seasoned in the game as well, and could probably beat up on noobs without all that gear, or their skilled up characters.

    As for the missing components, id rather have the game out now, then AV spending as long as they did with DF's original production cycle. I signed up on the DF forums in 2003 when I was in highschool, and it's the longest wait i've ever had for an mmo to date, which wound up being a giant let down with its original incarnation.

    It's not perfect in its current state, but it's a helluv alot better then it was regardless of what the trolls here, or the trolls on the df forums would try and have you believe. Right now it's a genuinely fun game, and hopefully we can get a good influx of players to dilute the troll population that sits around crying like little girls saying everything is awful even though they continue to play and have fun with the game.    … Expand
  4. Vorch
    Apr 21, 2013
    4
    So much potential...yet it feels like a beta.Stop releasing games that are not ready for market.

    Hopefully it has the population to gain some money to make it better. For now, though, it needs way too much work, especially to justify a subscription.
  5. beansnob
    Aug 11, 2013
    2
    I played the game for 9 weeks now. The truth is darkfall uw is more known for its rabid fanboys then its "good" gameplay. The graphics are maybe up to everquest2, the character models quake 2 maybe 3 or high.

    Graphics are bad, Community is bad, Interface is bad, Value is bad.

    Don't let fanboys suck you into this walking abortion.
  6. colinwc0
    Jul 2, 2014
    10
    Awesome game, with amazing concepts. After playing this MMO I can't play any other multiplayer games, especially MMO's. I find myself pvping in a game like WoW and asking myself whats the point, when you kill someone you don't even get anything from them, all that happens is they respawn at a graveyard. In darkfall if you manage to kill someone, you get everything they have on them! ItAwesome game, with amazing concepts. After playing this MMO I can't play any other multiplayer games, especially MMO's. I find myself pvping in a game like WoW and asking myself whats the point, when you kill someone you don't even get anything from them, all that happens is they respawn at a graveyard. In darkfall if you manage to kill someone, you get everything they have on them! It makes battles insanely intense, especially having to aim and dodge attacks in real time like a FPS rather than tab target. Having to aim all your spells, even your heals adds a level of excitement and skill that is unmatched by any other MMO, and will leave you with jitters long after the battle has ended.

    As for clans, in every other MMO there has been little to no clan involvement besides some PVE raids which only the highest level characters do, and there has been no need to associate with other clans. In darkfall you get a real sense of community when everyone works towards a common goal like building a huge ship for a siege, or building up your city for some more defenses or resources. Which every character can help do, regardless of level. There is also a sense of entire server community with these huge alliances that form to help each other gain cities and defeat clans. There is a real need for politics in this game if you are a clan that wants to own a city. If you are poor at politics and anger too many people there will be serious consequences, and entire clans can be crushed within weeks.

    This game is a sandbox, you can do what ever you want, whether that's being a handy crafter, a wealthy merchant, a ruthless pirate, a hired mercenary, or anything else your heart desires. Don't just take my word though, find some recent videos of the game. Keep in mind the game is always getting updated and changing so be sure to check out the most recent videos for the real deal.    … Expand
  7. X0R
    Jul 17, 2013
    4
    I love DayZ, and like EVE, but didn't like this PvP MMO. I like that it has a lot of mystery for "What do I do now" but it's an empty world, feels like an apocalypse hit a fantasy world. Cancelled my subscription but I applaud the attempt, since they tried to make this different than a WoW clone.
  8. mitsiau
    Nov 4, 2013
    1
    Darkfall hmm where to start...I know, I downloaded the game and had trouble logging in.. Send in a ticket ..darkfall response......try this......email them back.........try that........email them back....try this......how about giving ppl all the information in 1 shot instead of this back and forward crap........still unable to log in ....(Darkfall support) oh can u fill out his customerDarkfall hmm where to start...I know, I downloaded the game and had trouble logging in.. Send in a ticket ..darkfall response......try this......email them back.........try that........email them back....try this......how about giving ppl all the information in 1 shot instead of this back and forward crap........still unable to log in ....(Darkfall support) oh can u fill out his customer satisfaction survey..im still unable to log in and they are worried about a stupid survey how about you get in the fckn game first!!

    FYI finally made it into the game and I tell you what a waste of money... I realise why there is no free trial...........    … Expand
  9. Stalgrim
    May 8, 2013
    0
    One of the worst experiences I've had in an MMO. The game is below standard. I'd give the gameplay a 4/10, but that's not why I rated the game as a flat 0.

    The game is buggy, badly optimised, laggy, has a lot of down time, is prone to crashing and has huge fps spikes down to the 10s. The company that made it are shady and unreliable, they ban forum users who express a negative    One of the worst experiences I've had in an MMO. The game is below standard. I'd give the gameplay a 4/10, but that's not why I rated the game as a flat 0.

    The game is buggy, badly optimised, laggy, has a lot of down time, is prone to crashing and has huge fps spikes down to the 10s.

    The company that made it are shady and unreliable, they ban forum users who express a negative response and pin favorable reviews to make the game seem like a good investment.

    Please, please, please DO NOT BUY THIS GAME! Do not support the cretins who made this.    … Expand
  10. LordGimli
    Apr 28, 2013
    8
    I've been playing Darkfall since Darkfall Online. I was a bit dissapointed at launch due to some serious bugs but I resubbed when the first expansion was released providing server stability, standard third-person perspective when not using staff/bow and some minor improvements to the user interface. To be honest I don't regret that I spent a year on this one because it's the only real-timeI've been playing Darkfall since Darkfall Online. I was a bit dissapointed at launch due to some serious bugs but I resubbed when the first expansion was released providing server stability, standard third-person perspective when not using staff/bow and some minor improvements to the user interface. To be honest I don't regret that I spent a year on this one because it's the only real-time PvP MMORPG out there and Clan politics as well as sieges provide a cool experience for those that are real hardcore MMO players.

    I've been playing Darkfall Unholy Wars since beta. What I liked most is the new animation system as well as music and environmental sounds. What I didn't like and I still don't like is user interface. While Aventurine has added a tutorial which will make even a noob to fully understand how the controls work, in fact arranging items in your backpack and bank is an even bigger mess than then Original Darkfall. Yes it's faster and doesn't stuck like the old one but I can't understand why AV doesn't use inventory with cells like most MMO do, and then put a slider when the cells in a screen are full. There is also a bit of grinding in crafting as now we have to salvage every single item that we loot one by one or even use tanning to make rawhides into leather.

    In terms of serious gameplay, Darkfall has changed philosophy quite a lot. All 6 races has the same size which is bad for lore but is done probably in order for eveyone to have the same hitbox. There are 4 classes..erhh...roles I mean, Warrior, Elementalist, Skirmisher and Primalist which are for melee, magic archery and support class respectively. All of them have 2 schools to choose. Each school has 4 skills 1 Ultimate skill (you can only use the Ultimate skill of the school you choose as Primary).

    The best thing is that now macroers are completelly gone because you no longer skill up when you use a particular skill. You ONLY skill up with Prowess Points, which are given for the actions that you do. You win Prowess points for killing specific monsters, skinning a grave to get enchants, craft an item etc. So after winning Prowess points you just spend them where you want. Want to spent them on your attributes? Want to just make a 100/100 out of your greatsword skill? Spend them where you want.

    New users can easly farm mobs inside Player protected areas (around NPC cities) so now they no longer are threatened from red players. And speaking of red players, the old alignment system is unfortunately gone as due to the new lore all races are "friendly" to each other. So practically you can kill anyone and noone doesn't even care about being red! So no chaos cities and no penalties for those killing players of the same race. That's weird because Darkfall started like this, went strict at the latest expansion (asking players to spent money to get back alignment points) and now made the system completelly free.

    In Darkfall Unholy Wars the map seems a bit smaller, so cities are closer to each other, although mob spawns could be a little closer to NPC and Clan cities. Either you want it or not, if you are going to play Darkfall you'll have to be a part of a Clan once again, so this means taking part in an Alliance, attacking/defending cities during sieges etc.

    To conclude this, I think Darkfall Unholy Wars has developed during all those years in terms of gameplay, graphics and sound but it needs serious polish, especially in terms of user interface and server stablity. Yes it's real-time and it fits up to 10.000 players per server, but even when 20-30 players are at the same spot frames are starting to drop. With no doubt DF Unholy Wars has made a positive start and is still one of the very few options for those seekins a PvP MMORPG but has a long way until it fixes some serious issues.    … Expand
  11. Banhammer0
    May 22, 2014
    0
    0/10 to offset the good fanboy reviews.
    Terrible graphics, disastrous combat system (extremely clunky), game is entirely grind based there are no quests at all.
    This game is just a big PvP arena with trashy combat where fanboys of the first game of this series can clash while they're not chopping trees for hours (resource nods are everywhere, and they are endless, which makes it bot/afk    0/10 to offset the good fanboy reviews.
    Terrible graphics, disastrous combat system (extremely clunky), game is entirely grind based there are no quests at all.
    This game is just a big PvP arena with trashy combat where fanboys of the first game of this series can clash while they're not chopping trees for hours (resource nods are everywhere, and they are endless, which makes it bot/afk heaven).
    The only possibly interesting thins in it are the siege mechanics, but which such a bad combat it makes no sense to participate in them.
    Made by grind-lovers for grind-lovers or people with low-end computers and no taste in gaming at all. Not recommended !    … Expand
  12. SterlingStar
    Apr 28, 2013
    0
    Another game released in an unfinished state..... AAA price and subscription. Screw that. AVOID unless you like WarZ like fails.

    Cannot play b/c character creation causes crashes, no way to send tickets through to devs, do we need more. Sergay Titov must be behind this.
  13. kager
    May 2, 2013
    9
    I loved the old Darkfall, and the new release is a slightly cleaner version that has been made more newbie friendly to get into. I love the new visual updates, and can't wait for the huge siege warfares to commence!!

    Not sure how why so many people claiming severe crashing or geometrical errors. My clan has barely experienced any true crippling problems that can't be easily problem    I loved the old Darkfall, and the new release is a slightly cleaner version that has been made more newbie friendly to get into. I love the new visual updates, and can't wait for the huge siege warfares to commence!!

    Not sure how why so many people claiming severe crashing or geometrical errors. My clan has barely experienced any true crippling problems that can't be easily problem solved, (and every error so far has been attributed to faulty hardware or wrong drivers)

    Release was near flawless compared to the standard mmo precedents, downloading the game is part of the release so not sure how that was ever factored in.

    Ignore the trolls and BUY this game if you like pvp, risk vs reward and an actual reason to be coordinating with a guild effort    … Expand
  14. Apollonultras
    May 1, 2013
    7
    Overall a better effort than the first game. Vast imrovements on user interface and combat, still it is plagued by grinding. Also the lack of traditional quests might discourage those who are looking for more RPG elements. It's strongest feature is the real time PvP. For hardcore players only.
  15. zepoxi
    Apr 28, 2013
    0
    I love gaming, I do, but this game has been rated way to high. This is probably done by fan boys who want this game to have a big population, understandable.

    I had the unpleasant experience of playing this game. It has become the gaming industry standard of releasing have finished game, that should be in beta, and hope to patch it up after release. This doesn't work anymore. The game    I love gaming, I do, but this game has been rated way to high. This is probably done by fan boys who want this game to have a big population, understandable.

    I had the unpleasant experience of playing this game. It has become the gaming industry standard of releasing have finished game, that should be in beta, and hope to patch it up after release. This doesn't work anymore.

    The game controls are clumsy and badly implemented. The thought of open world PVP and full loot might appeal some gamers, I love the idea, but what is not acceptable is that half the classes and skills are not even implemented. Aside from the constant crashes this game is barely playable.

    On top of that when you are new and try to explore the world you get ganked more often then you'd like. Yes, open world PVP and full loot. I don't mind but I've been ganked by 4 players who call themselves old school veterans (who played the first game) and told me that's the way this game works. I know and I don't care but it'll be those same players who will complain about the player base dropping, very, very soon.

    If that's not enough, the Steam forums of Darkfall are moderated heavily. Anny and all negative comments, and even some constructive criticism are immediately removed.

    And then there's the price, €40 for the game and €15 monthly. For a game that is trying to get new players, that price is beyond ridiculous.

    This game will soon fall for more reasons then I can sum up here, stay away if you don't want to waste your money, they have a strict no refund policy and they don't care.    … Expand
  16. hades1134
    May 2, 2013
    3
    I have followed this game since about 2004. I played Darkfall 1.0 about two weeks after the game released (because you couldn't buy the game unless you sat and hit f5 1000 times in a row). The original game was a GRIND, maybe the worse grind I have ever seen. I only played for a couple of months and moved on with my life. I always liked the idea of the game and hoped one day they wouldI have followed this game since about 2004. I played Darkfall 1.0 about two weeks after the game released (because you couldn't buy the game unless you sat and hit f5 1000 times in a row). The original game was a GRIND, maybe the worse grind I have ever seen. I only played for a couple of months and moved on with my life. I always liked the idea of the game and hoped one day they would make a better version of it.

    When Unholy Wars was announced, I was excited. Finally they would do everything right this time! Nope. It’s a grind with garbage mobs, terrible AI, it's buggy, lags and the UI for things like the backpack that you use all the time is downright horrible.

    The game is PVP based, which is awesome, the bad thing is to PVP effectively you have to grind on mobs that are boring and bugged out and drop crap. People on the forums will tell you that you don't need to complete with other players to PVP, which is a flat out lie. People that have already been doing the insane grind will be way, way more powerful then you when you start. You will struggle to catch up and be killed constantly once you leave the safe zones.

    To make things worse, the developers hardly ever communicate to the fan base. The forums are a terrible place with what seems like 13 year old Xbox live ****

    Save your money. Unfortunately there are no other games like this at the moment(in this setting). If you are really curious I would wait a couple of months until the population is cut half (at least) and they offer a free trial. By then some of the nonsense might be fixed.    … Expand
  17. Snarftastic
    May 2, 2013
    1
    This game is absolute crap.

    Darkfall 1 had a vision, and had original ideas even if were executed badly. Darkfall: UW is a terrible version of what Darkfall could and should've been.

    STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS.
  18. Thorpey
    Apr 25, 2013
    10
    Fast paced, Full loot, Seamless World, FPS combat, FFA, Conquest, Politics, Adrenaline, supprisingly good PvE, hand designed world full of hidden things to explore. Dungeons/Market/More Classes to come.
    This game does not fail to impress for those seeking something different from the standard MMO's these days.
    - The Economy is purely fueled by player crafters - You can fight naval    Fast paced, Full loot, Seamless World, FPS combat, FFA, Conquest, Politics, Adrenaline, supprisingly good PvE, hand designed world full of hidden things to explore. Dungeons/Market/More Classes to come.
    This game does not fail to impress for those seeking something different from the standard MMO's these days.
    - The Economy is purely fueled by player crafters
    - You can fight naval battles in the Ocean
    - Defeat epic world boss mobs and other players PvPvE
    - Your actions have consequences, one character slot, one in-game name, people will come to recognise you for your actions and words over time.
    - Advance your character how you want, PvE, Crafting, Gathering, Exploring

    The Devs are patching on a very regular basis and keep good communication.    … Expand
  19. CrazyCronus
    Apr 25, 2013
    10
    Darkfall Unholy Wars is a full loot sanbox mmorpg. It has great and challenging PVE where you have to be constantly wary of enemy players roaming through the land and the mobs AI is brilliant. The gameplay is aim and shoot no tab targeting here. And what can I say the PvP is just awesome. Other than that it has some basic issues that are getting ironed out, the developers are listening aDarkfall Unholy Wars is a full loot sanbox mmorpg. It has great and challenging PVE where you have to be constantly wary of enemy players roaming through the land and the mobs AI is brilliant. The gameplay is aim and shoot no tab targeting here. And what can I say the PvP is just awesome. Other than that it has some basic issues that are getting ironed out, the developers are listening a great deal to the community and making changes accordingly and they are developing a ton of stuff to be added in the future!… Expand
  20. charmolipi
    Apr 25, 2013
    10
    Disclaimer Darkfall is not for everyone .if you want another tab targeting ,quest driven themepark ,that pats your back and gives you cookies because you were hugging squirrels all evening then darkfall is not for you.

    The game has a specific target audience people who enjoy the thrill of open world pvp a high-risk high-reward environment and socializing. to really enjoy the game you    Disclaimer Darkfall is not for everyone .if you want another tab targeting ,quest driven themepark ,that pats your back and gives you cookies because you were hugging squirrels all evening then darkfall is not for you.

    The game has a specific target audience people who enjoy the thrill of open world pvp a high-risk high-reward environment and socializing. to really enjoy the game you should have the patience to improve your play style and be social.

    The game is a modern approach in the MMO genre that tastes old-school. It might seem contradictory but it is true. no other mmo out there has an open world ,no instances fast action combat and hundreds of people at the same battle .meanwhile the harsh death penalty ,the full loot pvp ,and the realistic traveling and exploring make the game feel old-school.

    The graphics are stunning if you consider that the engine must deal with huge sieges involving 200+ people the art-design is distinct and fits the fantasy setting

    The game has environmental audio ,so you can tell where each noise comes from .This feature makes the world feel alive ,you can hear the waterfall or the birds etc

    The gameplay is what makes darkfall so unique. you will either love it or hate it. the fast paced combat resembles that of quake and unreal tournament jumb shooting strafing and fast reflexes win the fights but your skill can get you so far. having friends to back you up having a city to rest and regroup knowing the right people to craft you the best gear knowing the area around you takes another kind of skill this is where the mmo part of the game shines. guilds fight for the best cities, groups fight for the best hunting grounds and everyone loves the master crafter.

    That being said ,the game is very unforgiving to mistakes .newcomers trying to play solo fight an uphill battle .they have to fight for resources and live in a lake of sharks. unless you find a decent guild (there are plenty noob-friendly guilds) you fight against all odds.but once you learn the ropes you can enjoy the ride.

    The game isnt all sunshine Aventurine is an indy company and you can tell.The gui needs more options for customization and the engine needs to be better optimized and to use less cpu .I didnt face any bugs or glitches but some people do .The game has launched with some of the key features missing.I have faith that they will be part of the game, soon since these exact same features were running fine in darkfall 1 a few months ago.    … Expand
  21. Cuddly
    Apr 25, 2013
    9
    Best MMO I've played to date. Never had a game fuel so much emotion in my past experiences.

    As the game is centred around pvp and full-loot it continues to remain challenging as players adapt.
  22. Trammie
    Apr 25, 2013
    10
    Best MMORPG Ever Created!
    This game has ruined all other games for me since Darkfall and now in Darkfall: Unholy Wars I cannot find another game that I find entertaining. Every time you play the sense of risk gets your blood pumping! Full Loot, Open PVP, Player Controlled Economy, Massive Open World PVP, COMPLETELY NON INSTANCED, Siege player controlled cities, etc. etc. etc.
    This game    Best MMORPG Ever Created!
    This game has ruined all other games for me since Darkfall and now in Darkfall: Unholy Wars I cannot find another game that I find entertaining. Every time you play the sense of risk gets your blood pumping! Full Loot, Open PVP, Player Controlled Economy, Massive Open World PVP, COMPLETELY NON INSTANCED, Siege player controlled cities, etc. etc. etc.

    This game has so much to offer if you are interested in seeing game play check out my Youtube Channel loaded up with Darkfall and Darkfall Unholy Wars Videos! Once you go Darkfall there is no going back.

    http://www.youtube.com/user/trammie65    … Expand
  23. Woopya
    May 1, 2013
    1
    DFUW started as a patch scheduled to go into effect in 2010. In fact, it was called DF 2010. Well 2010 came and went and the "patch" that they kept talking about got turned into a nameless expansion. They showed artwork, player models, reworked areas and listed ideas they intended to include in this game changing expansion.

    Now, keep in mind that all the while this development going on    DFUW started as a patch scheduled to go into effect in 2010. In fact, it was called DF 2010. Well 2010 came and went and the "patch" that they kept talking about got turned into a nameless expansion. They showed artwork, player models, reworked areas and listed ideas they intended to include in this game changing expansion.

    Now, keep in mind that all the while this development going on the communication was abysmal. They were supposed to have a weekly post, well it wasn't even remotely weekly, it wasn't even monthly. There were months at a time where Aventurine would completely cease communication only to release a screen shot of a reworked area as if that showed they were in fact working on what they said they were.

    Then in 2012, they announced the expansion which they had now been hyping for 3 years was going to be a new game altogether.

    Being that the Idea of darkfall is 1 that I love I preordered and played through much of the beta. Despite promises things would be different, it wasn't. There was literally no communication. We asked what happened to the character models they had shown us as part of the original development, because the new ones are terrible. No response. They told us the market system would be in for release, it wasn't. There are supposed to be 4 classes with 4 schools each(some are locked out) but that is supposed to equate to 32 class combos. But they only but in 4 classes with 2 schools each, or 8 combos with only very slight differences between 4 of the 8.

    2 of the 5 racial cities and starter areas were not in the release. Those races are being forced to start in other racial cities, a slap in the face to anyone that cares about lore.

    As to lore, they removed any real difference between the races. All are the same size now and there is very little you can do to make your character look any different from every other of your race.

    The game lost all of the sandbox features found in the original. In fact, DFUW isn't a sandbox at all, or it doesn't have any of the characteristics of it. Yet, they sill claim it to be 1.

    The best thing about this game, and it is the ONLY thing that keeps it from getting a zero is the world they created for you to play in. It is wonderfully crafted even if it is incomplete.

    The new Prowess system is both a blessing and a curse. On 1 hand, it eliminates the need to macro, which is a wonderful thing because macroing literally was DF 1. If you didn't macro, you didn't even remotely compete. However, the prowess system put the game in the themepark zone because now you must accomplish a series of linear quests in order to advance. "go kill 10 zombies" followed by "kill 100 zombies" etc. That is the primary way you advance your character, though quests. They call them "feats" but the truth is a wolf in sheep's clothing is still a wolf.

    All I can say about this game is that the company behind it is the worst I have ever seen, and I have been playing MMOs since 1998.

    You may not have a problem with them now, but eventually you too will be disappointed and left with the feeling that the dev team is just a group of 4 guys meeting in a garage somewhere in Greece making game decisions between other shared hobbies.    … Expand
  24. opdoc
    Apr 29, 2013
    10
    This must be the TESO! A great battle system, good sound, great and a great for the adventure world! I really like the game, it is a mixture of Guild Wars 2 and TESO. Really cool gameplay!
  25. farterblorts
    May 4, 2013
    3
    The only redeeming quality this game has is that no one else is willing to try doing what it does, which is create an open world full loot PvP game. That is where the good points begin and end.

    It's a poorly balanced, mechanically unsound, unfinished mess that looks about as good as the original Half-Life. Not that I care much about graphics, but the graphics and animations of this    The only redeeming quality this game has is that no one else is willing to try doing what it does, which is create an open world full loot PvP game. That is where the good points begin and end.

    It's a poorly balanced, mechanically unsound, unfinished mess that looks about as good as the original Half-Life. Not that I care much about graphics, but the graphics and animations of this game leave you in such awe with how half assed they all are that you can't help but mention them. They tell the same story as the rest of the game; half assed and unfinished.

    Each class only has 2 of their promised 4 schools on release, making them all play the same boring way.

    It's very clear that the devs did not care about beta feedback as class balance is hilariously bad, and the excuse given is "wait for the 2 extra schools that we promised would be there on release" so you can be sure that nothing will be done for months and months.

    Crafting professions NYI or barely implemented/poorly balanced, for example enchanting is NYI, mountsummoning stops at 25/100 because they were too lazy to add higher level mounts, and cooking requires spices, a rare mob drop, in order to level at all past like 35.

    Combat is slow and takes little skill.

    The interface is awful and these problems hurt combat. You have to press a button to equip an ability, and then click to use the ability, rather than just the ability triggering on key press. The game defaults to your auto attack if you happen to try to use a spell with 0.1 seconds left on the cooldown (which you can't see without equipping it.) Weapon swaps routinely bug and come out unsheathed, costing you seconds of time. Combat in this game would perhaps be acceptable in a game made in 2001, but this isn't 2001. The only redeeming quality it has is that it's not tab target, everything else about it is just woefully bad.

    The interface problems of course extend past combat, making tasks like inventory/bank management, chatting, friends list managing etc an absolute chore.

    There is of course, however, the one positive mentioned earlier. Aventurine managed to make a big world map with mob spawns in them that people want to kill, so can find PvP. Good job! The only thing you got right was the absolute most simplest part of designing your game!

    Avoid this. The positive reviews are not honest. They are long-time fans who are practically indoctrinated and who believe that simply because the game tries to do something no one else wants to do, that it shouldn't be held to the same standards of every other video game ever made.    … Expand
  26. Peacekeeper00
    Apr 25, 2013
    10
    As with most MMOs there was a rough start of lag and crashes, most of these have been patched out and aren't happening now.

    As far as a game, it's a lot of fun, though you need to be aware that it has very aggressive pvp. On the same token getting gear and improving your character are not particularly difficult. Try to find a clan as soon as you can that matches your play style.    As with most MMOs there was a rough start of lag and crashes, most of these have been patched out and aren't happening now.

    As far as a game, it's a lot of fun, though you need to be aware that it has very aggressive pvp. On the same token getting gear and improving your character are not particularly difficult. Try to find a clan as soon as you can that matches your play style. Safety in numbers as well as more fun in numbers makes this game a blast.

    The large scale PVP is one of the major factors I loved about the first Darkfall, and I only expect it to get better with this version.

    There are a lot of helpful people out there and great guides for playing, I highly recommend checking them out before you start to play.    … Expand
  27. Bartlebe
    Apr 25, 2013
    9
    One of a kind MMO experience. There is currently no game on the market that can rival the experience of playing Darkfall. It is a free roaming sandbox, a huge non-instanced world, PvP focused, clan based game. No game has given me the heart pounding experience of Darkfall and I have yet to find a game that is as difficult and rewarding to master. One piece of advice before diving intoOne of a kind MMO experience. There is currently no game on the market that can rival the experience of playing Darkfall. It is a free roaming sandbox, a huge non-instanced world, PvP focused, clan based game. No game has given me the heart pounding experience of Darkfall and I have yet to find a game that is as difficult and rewarding to master. One piece of advice before diving into Darkfall: Find a clan to play with. Trying to navigate the world of Agon solo is a punishing experience. Fighting fierce monsters, going on adventures, getting chopped in half and doing some chopping of your own is much more fun with some good pals. Join now! It just launched!… Expand
  28. Xyire
    Apr 25, 2013
    10
    Small company, so don't expect the polish you get from the giants. However, it is a game model that really doesn't exist anywhere else, a first person shooter style high fantasy MMO. You still have cast times and spells/bows/etc like most rpg mmos, but you actually get to point your arrow or fireball in the direction you want!

    There are certainly issues that are still be ironed out,    Small company, so don't expect the polish you get from the giants. However, it is a game model that really doesn't exist anywhere else, a first person shooter style high fantasy MMO. You still have cast times and spells/bows/etc like most rpg mmos, but you actually get to point your arrow or fireball in the direction you want!

    There are certainly issues that are still be ironed out, but they are fixing them quite quickly.

    As for the negative reviews saying "you'll crash constantly" and "when you load the game stutters and crashes". I have played during beta and release, beta crashed a LOT and you lost everything in the beginning. These issues have been addressed, I have not crashed once since release and the "lose everything" bug was fixed back in January of beta. As for stuttering when you load other players, they fixed this in the last patch.

    One thing to be aware of, this game does indeed involve a grind (like most MMO's). I personally have enjoyed it as the grind is broken up by people showing up and ambushing you (or vise versa). There is definitely some content missing, but there is plenty to do to keep you busy for a few months and they have stated that new content will be coming in a patch to be released shortly.

    As for the reviews that say "these numbers are being manipulated by aventurine"... C'mon seriously? the thing is, a lot of people absolutely love this game despite a few technical problems. It has a very devoted community who really want the game to succeed. That is not Aventurines doing aside from the fact that they made a game the community loves.

    Last thing to say is this is a more "Hardcore" game. If you get frustrated by being killed by others (there are safe zones, but you will want to venture out of them) then this is likely not the game for you.    … Expand
  29. mmofan2112
    Apr 26, 2013
    9
    I absolutely love this game. I was not the biggest fan of the first darkfall but i feel like they have worked out many of the issues i had. There are some bugs and UI is annoying at times but those are my only complaints so far. Kudos to aventurine!
  30. Nordicfps
    Apr 24, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was trolled by all the trolling made by those basing this game that I wouldn't waste my money on DF. Fortunately though my best buddy gave me his account to try the game..and omfg!! Why I have never heard of this game before and thats beyond me.Fool loot, FFAPvP, seamless world, mounts, boats and I think that is the only game with real time battles! It's like counterstrike with orks!, Amazingly DF was made out in Greece, but I've heard that the lead designer is from Norway and now it all makes sense! Great game, you have to try this one!!… Expand
  31. stermic
    Apr 25, 2013
    3
    Don't let the high scores fool you. The game is currently in an alpha state it is missing half the classes, half the content, and the community is about as pleasant as a max security prison. You will crash when you run into other players and can expect to take 5 min of loading screens to get into the game.
  32. Jasdemi
    Apr 25, 2013
    10
    I've played the original since 2009. It felt as the best MMO for me, even though the game had some major flaws. Darkfall Unholy Wars fixed most of these, the most notable is probably the role and prowess system.

    I'm having a really great time. Haven't been this much addicted to any MMO lately.
  33. jonpeleven
    Apr 22, 2013
    1
    As others have said, the game has potential but the mindless grind and the gap between vets and new players will be it's death. Their feat (achievement) system is over scaled and underwhelming, the best way to gain Prowess (skill points) is to either AFK farm resources or kill hundreds of the same monster. The monster AI hasn't been touched, the sound is bad and while the graphics areAs others have said, the game has potential but the mindless grind and the gap between vets and new players will be it's death. Their feat (achievement) system is over scaled and underwhelming, the best way to gain Prowess (skill points) is to either AFK farm resources or kill hundreds of the same monster. The monster AI hasn't been touched, the sound is bad and while the graphics are improved, the performance is very questionable. It's like they just kept adding on to their engine but didn't fully optimize it to accommodate their additions.

    A couple months from now the skill gap between vets and new players will start to ruin the population. New players will become uninterested in the game when they find out the amount of time it will take to become competitive. While the grind is an improvement over DF1, it's still designed for the obsessive player and ruins true skill based PvP.

    Aventurine is also one of the worst companies I've ever dealt with. They've double charged my credit card before, disabled my subscription on accident and taken 2 days to fix it, banned my account on 'accident' among others. Don't buy this game unless you like wasting money.    … Expand
  34. Uzik
    Apr 25, 2013
    10
    There is no other game like Darkfall. Open ended player interactions, deep, twitch based combat, player driven economy and crafting, challenging PvE, a huge detailed world, and a politically charged conquest system.
  35. deerhunter716
    Apr 22, 2013
    1
    Game has potential but just so poorly executed. People say the launch was awesome yet they did not have the download ready until the actual launch time. Also missing tons of content such as trade market, 50% of each class is missing, no dungeons, etc. Needs a LOT of work and not even close to worth a subscription.
  36. Shadwfdrknes
    Apr 25, 2013
    10
    If you're looking for another WoW clone, you've come to the wrong place.
    This game has huge potential and provides a thrill that no other MMO on the market offers.
    Darkfall Unholy Wars boasts a massive instance free world, skill based combat (not tab targeting), and full loot PvP. This is the only game I've ever subscribed to for more than a month. However, be warned. Once you get    If you're looking for another WoW clone, you've come to the wrong place.
    This game has huge potential and provides a thrill that no other MMO on the market offers.

    Darkfall Unholy Wars boasts a massive instance free world, skill based combat (not tab targeting), and full loot PvP.
    This is the only game I've ever subscribed to for more than a month.

    However, be warned. Once you get exposed to this niche game and survive, it will ruin all other MMO's out there.    … Expand
  37. Glavius
    May 4, 2013
    5
    Darkfall Unholy Wars is an unfinished game. It's poorly optimized and as such runs quite poorly. Expect long load times when recalling and entering the game for the first time. This is not a game I'd recommended to my friends.

    Graphics The graphics are bland and uninspired. Expect a lot of pop-in as you walk around in the open world. Their are some bugs that cause FPS to drop into the    Darkfall Unholy Wars is an unfinished game. It's poorly optimized and as such runs quite poorly. Expect long load times when recalling and entering the game for the first time. This is not a game I'd recommended to my friends.

    Graphics The graphics are bland and uninspired. Expect a lot of pop-in as you walk around in the open world. Their are some bugs that cause FPS to drop into the 1 to 5 FPS range or even cause what at first appears to be a crash. The bugs will most likely get patched but it wont change the fact the game is unimpressive looking at even the highest quality settings.

    Sound Clunk, Bang, Groan, Thud. Over and over again. It's an MMO with a lot of grinding involved so expect to be loading up your personal MP3 collection shortly. The music in the game does lend itself to establish an atmosphere, but you'll frequently be hearing the same tune.

    Game play A lot of grinding here. The game doesn't have a traditional level system and instead uses a skill buy system. As you complete feats in the game you'll get skill points. You can then allocate skill points as you choose to your various skills. Their are a lot of feats and lot of different ways to earn points. However, like most MMOs they don't want you to max out your character too soon as such expect to grind a lot before you can be effective in PVP.

    PVP This is a large focus of the game. Combat is responsive, plays fairly well, and seems to be mostly problem free. Once you're towards the end of the level grind you can expect that PVP is where you'll spend your time. As such, it feels well tested, well balanced for a new MMO, and overall it's a good experience. Throw in guild based housing, assaults on said housing, and an open loot system and you've got a good formula for intense, meaningful combat.

    My Conclusion The level grind is required to be able to get into the PVP system. If the main meat of the game is PVP I just have one question. Why should anyone pay a subscription for this game? A lot of games out there offer good PVP systems on a one time fee or on a free-to-play basis. This game feels like it should be in the free-to-play category. Right now theirs not enough in the game to justify having a monthly subscription. Combat is fun but quickly turns frustrating when losing or ganked. You'll need a guild or a good size group of friends to really adventure with. If you're a solo player you should probably avoid Darkfall.

    Overall this game is boring with players providing the real challenge in the game. It never really seems to earn it's $14.95 monthly subscription fee. It feels like an MMO from before the World of Warcraft era and it doesn't look that much    … Expand
  38. Wellspring
    May 2, 2013
    10
    I was skeptical to give this game a shot, since i never played DF1. I can say now after playing for 2 weeks, the game is well worth it! I haven't gotten hooked on a game like this since EQ1.
  39. Zushakon
    May 2, 2013
    10
    By a very long shot the best MMO on the market, makes everything else out there seem like heaps of boring All the negative reviews are from people that couldn't handle losing their pixels and take it out on the game.
  40. Gravelsack
    May 2, 2013
    9
    Darkfall Unholy Wars and it's predecessor, Darkfall, are the best MMO experience available. Full loot PvP action is a heart pounding experience that will get your adrenaline surging and leave all other MMO's looking stale and boring. The Beautiful seamless open world is breathtakingly beautiful and darkly forboding at the same time, and is a joy to explore, with hidden caverns and soaringDarkfall Unholy Wars and it's predecessor, Darkfall, are the best MMO experience available. Full loot PvP action is a heart pounding experience that will get your adrenaline surging and leave all other MMO's looking stale and boring. The Beautiful seamless open world is breathtakingly beautiful and darkly forboding at the same time, and is a joy to explore, with hidden caverns and soaring towers. You will make friends and enemies, engage in politics, barter and trade, and most importantly, KILL IN COLD BLOOD!!!

    Buy this game. You will not be sorry.    … Expand
  41. duren
    May 7, 2013
    10
    I loved the old Darkfall, and I am excited for all the updates. I'm glad that they have changed to add classes, and I'm looking forward to Markets/Sieges/etc.

    Keep it up AV.
  42. dilatedmind
    Jun 29, 2013
    10
    the game has had a few issues: frequent crashing for some, a bag bug that required you to restart to fix, a party bug that required you to restart. AV also got ddosed for a few days and this brought the server down 3 or 4 nights in a row, causing 30 min+ rollbacks. All of these issues were dealt with pretty quickly, and these issues, along with other bugs that were present in the firstthe game has had a few issues: frequent crashing for some, a bag bug that required you to restart to fix, a party bug that required you to restart. AV also got ddosed for a few days and this brought the server down 3 or 4 nights in a row, causing 30 min+ rollbacks. All of these issues were dealt with pretty quickly, and these issues, along with other bugs that were present in the first month of launch are fixed.

    Performance in sieges is also improving. In the past 3 weeks we have participated in 4 major sieges. The vinterhein siege had perfect performance, and our siege on serruk was good for most as well. On the other hand, i suffered from high ping during our siege of elharrat once sinister flanked us, but prior to that it was fine. The recent siege at khosgar was also mixed for me, with the first 30 minutes being quite laggy for me (and many others). All 4 of these sieges involved 150+ people, except serruk which was slightly smaller.

    Outside of large sieges, the performance in this game is very good. I have a pretty cheap video card, a 550 ti, and i get at least 60 fps even when im around large groups (40+) of people. I'm from the east coast, and my ping is typically in the 45-50ms range.

    The aesthetics of the game have always been good. The graphics aren't of the highest quality, but they are a good compromise with performance. Everyone seems to be happy with how their characters and their armors and weapons look. Most importantly, the graphics are very clear. You can learn to quickly identify what class someone is and what quality gear they are wearing, which can be important in determining if you want to take a fight. You have a fairly long sight distance, and the terrain is varied and both interesting to look at and useful for gaining a tactical advantage in pvp.

    The combat itself is slightly simplified on an individual level (for example, in melee you only have one swing which pales in comparison to a game like mount and blade), but movement is extremely important and there is a large amount of opportunity to outplay and win fights against much greater numbers. getting in close to other players allows you to use them as a shield, drawing friendly fire and allowing you to control the pace of combat. Much of the depth of the combat in darkfall comes from either starting a fight with some advantage (suprise, numbers, position, group composition) or through superior teamwork and coordination.

    The playerbase seems healthy. After 2 months of play, some people are ready for a break, but there are new players stepping up to fill their spot. The game does need some more end game content, and I think the high level city buildings (shipyards) and ships are too expensive.

    Finally I want to point out that the reviews on this site are very old and very divided. Many of the bugs people based their negative reviews on were resolved in the first months, and there are no cheaters/hackers. The devs communicate with the community on weekly if not daily basis, both on the forums and through ingame chat. Your experience in this game will vary based on how much effort you are willing to put in and the people you play with.    … Expand
  43. doskey
    Jul 9, 2013
    10
    Darkfall is one of the best PVP MMORPGS out!

    Its the real Ultima Online PVP with Full-Loot and a high puls! It is so Skillbased! If you are a good player with a new char you can also kill people playing this game for months, cause the difference between 10k prowess(skillpoints in DF) and 100k prowess isnt hugh! Every one say"what a bad game" dont even play it more then 1 week iam    Darkfall is one of the best PVP MMORPGS out!

    Its the real Ultima Online PVP with Full-Loot and a high puls!
    It is so Skillbased!
    If you are a good player with a new char you can also kill people playing this game for months, cause the difference between 10k prowess(skillpoints in DF) and 100k prowess isnt hugh!

    Every one say"what a bad game" dont even play it more then 1 week iam sure!

    Big battles are epic if you fight with your guild 200 vs 200 in one fight!    … Expand
  44. DizzyQuizzy
    Jan 25, 2014
    10
    Extremely addictive and very fun. Heart pounding pvp that includes city seiges, naval battles, full loot. Game is very different from any other mmo. Looks beautiful, plays great, a true hardcore sandbox mmo, worth every penny!!
  45. Valendale
    Jun 6, 2019
    6
    The game itself has some of the best Open World PvP potential I've ever seen in a game, in fact I would say this is the best I've seen since Shadowbane. On top of a fleshed out MMO world players can build and battle over pretty much anything. It looks good, it's thrilling to play, and it has massive potential.

    Unfortunately it's a great game with a bad business model. Indie MMO's can't    The game itself has some of the best Open World PvP potential I've ever seen in a game, in fact I would say this is the best I've seen since Shadowbane. On top of a fleshed out MMO world players can build and battle over pretty much anything. It looks good, it's thrilling to play, and it has massive potential.

    Unfortunately it's a great game with a bad business model. Indie MMO's can't afford to have a big pay gate preventing new players from coming in. Players are content, and in this MMO that's more true than in most MMO's.

    A lot of gamers won't buy an Indie MMO who would would otherwise pay for a subscription to one. I sincerely hope future indie MMO's figure this out. I love this game, but it's dead Jim.    … Expand
  46. nollington
    Sep 26, 2014
    10
    Possibly the best indie ran open pvp sdandbox game there is on the market.
    Huge open world.
    Targeted combat system, none of that tab target spam buttons style gaming here!
    Full loot pvp
    Open pvp
    Nice crafting system.
    This game has potential for a ton if awesome improvements and updates.
    If you are looking for a open world pvp game than there is no other.
  47. robnox
    Nov 12, 2015
    0
    Darkfall: Unholy Wars is one of those sequels that just makes you wish the original game was still around. It has now been years since the game launched, and we are still waiting for bug fixes and features that were promised a long time ago. The game lacks content of any kind, it is basically just an empty world with nothing to do except perhaps kill the same monster over and over. IfDarkfall: Unholy Wars is one of those sequels that just makes you wish the original game was still around. It has now been years since the game launched, and we are still waiting for bug fixes and features that were promised a long time ago. The game lacks content of any kind, it is basically just an empty world with nothing to do except perhaps kill the same monster over and over. If you want to PvP, you might need to roam the world for half a day before you find a single person, which is unsurprising giving the lack of content. The original Darkfall Online was one of the best games I had ever played, but this game is so bad it shouldn't even be carrying the Darkfall name! If you were thinking about giving it a try, you would be better off just waiting for the original Darkfall to come back online ****… Expand

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  1. MMORPG.com
    May 17, 2013
    76
    Darkfall: Unholy Wars is a unique title. Full-loot, full-PvP, in a huge sandbox is a daunting and grueling mechanic for an MMO. But it makes for an experience like no other MMO. The combat is fast paced, crafting is integral and character progression is constant. In addition to this, clan warfare is highly encouraged, allowing for full on clan battles, which is where the fun starts. Aventurine have made a good go of polishing up their game from the first iteration of Darkfall. Unholy Wars truly shows off what a hardcore MMORPG really is and can be.
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