The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav

 PC
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Aug 10, 2012
    70
    The Dark Eye is such a beautiful adventure at first glance …but its guts are rotten. Genre-typical gameplay does not offer any remarkable new ideas and weakens the whole experience. [Issue#220]
    All this publication's reviews
  2. Adventure Gamers
    Jun 26, 2012
    70
    Chains of Satinav boasts incredible artwork and atmosphere, though it's populated by weak characters that spoil some of the appeal.
  3. Destructoid
    Jul 23, 2012
    65
    Offers a much bigger challenge than most recent adventure games, even with its streamlined features. Despite the much appreciated highlight-all-objects function, the puzzles are still challenging and this is a game that will take even point-and-click enthusiasts a while to complete. Newcomers, however, may find the steep difficulty too much and if you don't click with the characters and their story, then you may find Chains of Satinav just too overwhelming and frustrating.
  5. Absolute Games
    Jul 28, 2012
    63
    The weak narrative sucks all the emotional drama from the game's story, while beautiful hand-drawn backgrounds are saddled with the ugliest examples of character animation.
  6. PC PowerPlay
    Sep 16, 2012
    60
    Slow and meandering but gently enjoyable. [Sept 2012, p.54]
    All this publication's reviews
  7. GameSpy
    Jul 10, 2012
    50
    Not counting those pauses and time spent scratching my head about obvious puzzles, The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav clocks in at around six to seven hours, which makes me balk a little at its $30 price. Comparatively, Walking Dead is $25 for the season of five two-hour episodes, and Resonance is $10 -- two adventure games you really should play this year. Satinav, on the other hand, carries with it a number of disclaimers that you need to be aware of before jumping into this fantasy adventure game.

Awards & Rankings

91
#91 Best PC Game of 2012

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 144 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 99 out of 144
  2. Mixed: 30 out of 144
  3. Negative: 15 out of 144
  1. Drascoll
    Jul 1, 2012
    10
    If you enjoy point and click Adventure games then you will love this game. The story is well told. The puzzles are chalenging without beingIf you enjoy point and click Adventure games then you will love this game. The story is well told. The puzzles are chalenging without being conviluted. The hand Painted art work is beautiful. It took me about 10 hours to finish the game and I only had to look up a walk-though in two occasions when I overlooked a peace of a puzzle. There are not many Adventure games these days and this one is just as good as any of the classics. I say if you care about this genre of game at all then you should pick this one up just out of principle. I only wish Adventure games had more replay value. This game was better then anything from Telltale games and Amanita Design. Maybe not quite as good as a Classic Lucus Art game but close. Defently better then anything Sierra ever made, with the exception of maybe the Quest for Glory seriese. Some of the storry is kind of lost in translation because the game was orginaly made by an indee team from Sweeden but it has enought charm to be enduring. None the less I liked it.… Full Review »
  2. Representer
    Aug 7, 2013
    9
    In general I am not a huge fan of point and click adventures. I tried a lot of them but mostly I got bored pretty fast, or I was annoyed byIn general I am not a huge fan of point and click adventures. I tried a lot of them but mostly I got bored pretty fast, or I was annoyed by unlogical puzzles, or the story didn't work for me.

    Chains of Satinav is different. Right from the start the game world sucked me into it. The graphics are very well painted, I'd say it offers the best 2D background graphics I have seen in a long time. The only things that need improvement are the animations of the characters and more background animations. But again, the 2D backgrounds work so well, during my playthrough sometimes I was just sitting in front of the screen admiring the paintings. For me this is art. It perfectly fits to the medieval The Dark Eye setting.

    The game itself doesn't disappoint. The story is very well told, it is dynamic and you are not forced to stay in a place for too long. It's a journey not only in a physical way, but also in the sense of how the character of the main protagonist evolves. At first the mood of the game is light-hearted, but it gets darker and more dangerous with every step and you start caring for the characters.

    The puzzles are challenging sometimes, but in a logical way and even if you are not good at puzzle solving, you can activate some helpful options which make the game easier. I think this is a good compromise, because I am not the kind of person who likes walkthroughs.

    The music is charming and fitting it doesn't push itself forward, stays in the background and merges with the whole experience, making it whole.

    Conclusion: Whoever is a fan of adventure games or The Dark Eye, buy this game. You will not be disappointed. Yes, it is a traditional adventure, but this game shows how traditional game mechanics can be very appealing and exciting if done right. It's a lot about the game world, the lovely characters, the interesting story and setting.    … Full Review »
  3. Crescendo
    Jan 5, 2013
    9
    Wonderful, wonderful art, a well-told story, challenging, (mostly) logical puzzles and likeable characters. I confess I had to use aWonderful, wonderful art, a well-told story, challenging, (mostly) logical puzzles and likeable characters. I confess I had to use a walkthrough a few times, but only because a few objects (like the crack in the statue of the ork-god) are easy to miss. I really love adventure games, and this is an especially good one - I am a sucker for well-told stories. I also feel like I should mention that I really liked the ending, which is where many other Adventure games failed. All in all I'd say this is something you should certainly check out if you like point & click games. I really am glad they are experiencing some kind of small revival.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »