Throne of Darkness

 PC
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 23 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 23
  3. Negative: 2 out of 23

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  1. Aeryx
    Oct 14, 2013
    8
    A fighting lion by today's standards. It's up there with Dungeon Siege, Neverwinter Nights and Diablo 2. The loot, characters, story and atmosphere were put together really well. Also, near the end you get to fight a boss that will PERMANENTLY delete your characters if they die against him in combat (what an insane idea by the devs). THAT blew me away! I cursed and I screamed! I repeatedA fighting lion by today's standards. It's up there with Dungeon Siege, Neverwinter Nights and Diablo 2. The loot, characters, story and atmosphere were put together really well. Also, near the end you get to fight a boss that will PERMANENTLY delete your characters if they die against him in combat (what an insane idea by the devs). THAT blew me away! I cursed and I screamed! I repeated the game and I was FREAKIN MAD. Oh how I miss those days! We need more 'real-man' games like this! Kickstarter anybody?… Expand
  2. gessie00
    Nov 13, 2019
    9
    One of the finest equipment customization systems ever created, very interesting spells and a beautiful atmosphere. A massively underrated game which beats many modern RPGs.
  3. Thazari
    May 7, 2016
    8
    I greatly enjoyed this party-based action RPG, it has a nice loot system and the characters are nice and diverse. You can craft your own items with components you find which is really awesome, and the way the computer controls your other party members is decent. The game takes place in a dark version of samurai-ruled Japan with undead roaming the lands which feels fresh and unique. TheI greatly enjoyed this party-based action RPG, it has a nice loot system and the characters are nice and diverse. You can craft your own items with components you find which is really awesome, and the way the computer controls your other party members is decent. The game takes place in a dark version of samurai-ruled Japan with undead roaming the lands which feels fresh and unique. The only downside is the game isn't perfectly balanced and the skill trees do not make much sense.… Expand
  4. kalunga
    Nov 2, 2019
    10
    really like this game. it was one of the first game i played ever.it is one of biggest part of my childhood 10/10
  5. Skulb
    Mar 23, 2015
    8
    Very underrated at the time and stands up even today as one of the best ARPGs ever released on the PC. The setting and atmosphere is truly unique and the game offers a tremendous challenge, and particularly the end boss who will wipe out your samurai permanently if he kills them. The design is very original too, which is both good and bad really. Some of the design decisions are somewhatVery underrated at the time and stands up even today as one of the best ARPGs ever released on the PC. The setting and atmosphere is truly unique and the game offers a tremendous challenge, and particularly the end boss who will wipe out your samurai permanently if he kills them. The design is very original too, which is both good and bad really. Some of the design decisions are somewhat weird and slow the game down a lot. Particularly this applies to the absence of a good way to replenish your chi. This leads to a lot of waiting, especially if you want your spell caster(s) to level up at the same speed as your other characters. And you really need him to if you want to use him. And you will because he becomes very powerful.
    Anyway, apart form this slightly tedious part of the game there is a novel and well implemented crafting system which never lets you have enough of anything really, except ingredients to use for it which can fill two full inventories after a while. But it means you have to make important decisions which is always good.
    If you can take the slightly dated graphics, which look pretty good still after 14 years, then Throne of Darkness is highly recommended. Make sure you can run it though. Compatibility issues abound with these old games.    … Expand
  6. Broyax
    Mar 12, 2021
    0
    Ce machin qui remonte apparemment à 2001 est le « résultat » de deux ex-trous du cul de chez Bliretard qui avaient, semble-t’il, travaillé sur le premier Diablol ; ils ont fondé leur propre studio, puis embauché les autres trous de balle restants et démoulé cette espèce de euh… de truc machin dans un univers féodal nippon et très mauvais.

    C’est quasiment comme dans Diablol mais avec ,    Ce machin qui remonte apparemment à 2001 est le « résultat » de deux ex-trous du cul de chez Bliretard qui avaient, semble-t’il, travaillé sur le premier Diablol ; ils ont fondé leur propre studio, puis embauché les autres trous de balle restants et démoulé cette espèce de euh… de truc machin dans un univers féodal nippon et très mauvais.

    C’est quasiment comme dans Diablol mais avec , soit-disant, des options « tactiques » supplémentaires… mais en fait ça reste peu ou prou (ou peu ou prout comme disait mon grand-père, ancien colonel dans la Légion) ça reste disais-je, pas stratégique pour un dollar et ça reste avant tout de la meeeeeeeeeerde.

    Un jeu donc ennuyeux, répétitif, prétentieux, stupide, crétin et idiot, boulotté par des peigne-culs de mon cul. Une 2D isométrique, 256 couleurs à l’écran, une résolution fixe, une caméra fixe, une interface pas géniale et surtout un jeu capricieux au lancement… sur Windows XP. Après l’avoir mis en compat’ 2000, il faut en effet cliquer et recliquer plusieurs fois sur le message d’erreur pour qu’il se lance enfin !

    Bref, si cette daube pouvait au moins servir sur le trône, on n’hésiterait pas à s’en servir ; faute de quoi, elle pourra caler quelques rouleaux de papier-cul.    … Expand
  7. EdE.
    Mar 13, 2002
    8
    Intriguing spells, good concept and graphics but could use some tweaking in recovering health and Ki of characters. There is too much idle time waiting for them to heal. Should add some way to sell off unneeded items to help build gold reserves faster.
  8. LT_Gruber
    Dec 8, 2022
    10
    Throne of Darkness is the best RPG I have played in my life.

    Not only because it brings back so many good memories from my childhood and it defined the RPG genre for me, but also because it is still as good in 2022 as it was back then. Throne of Darkness is described as a “Diablo 2 rip-off” and a “Diablo 2 wannabe” but I reject those claims. It has many similarities yes, but it has    Throne of Darkness is the best RPG I have played in my life.

    Not only because it brings back so many good memories from my childhood and it defined the RPG genre for me, but also because it is still as good in 2022 as it was back then.

    Throne of Darkness is described as a “Diablo 2 rip-off” and a “Diablo 2 wannabe” but I reject those claims. It has many similarities yes, but it has too many unique features that makes it stand out. Personally, I even think it is better than Diablo 2.

    The game has a very nice atmosphere and makes good use of the medieval Japan theme in terms of the surroundings, music and various types of enemies and accurate dynasty houses of the time like Oda, Mori and Tokugawa. The developers really did their research on the mythology of ancient Japan and although this is still a fantasy RPG, it has many historically accurate elements that I really like about it. Examples are the use of Oni’s as enemies, Kappa’s, Concubines in traditional clothing and Yama Inu’s.

    The game has a classic, but solid storyline that builds up the tension over time. It is not the best or most original story ever but it works really well and keeps you motivated to keep playing.

    The graphics and combat animations were, and still are, fairly decent and aged well. Yes, its old, but still looks fine for a 2D RPG. The 3D elements here and there, blended in with the 2D graphics almost make it feel like full 3D. The game is also very gory and dark sometimes, with disturbing graphics and background corpses. It is rated 12+ as far as I know, but as a child, I was sometimes terrified of all the horror that was going on in the background when exploring.

    A special note must be made for the sound effects and music in this game. Yet again, it blew my mind back then and still continues to do so until this day. The grunts, the weapon sounds, the sounds of your electric spells blasting enemies away, it’s perfect.

    I also really like the Blacksmith and Priest system. Rather then teleporting back to a town or base, you can pick up everything from the ground and giving it straight to one of the vendors in a special overlay, so they can process it to raw materials for the blacksmith or offering point for the priest. This system works very well and is one of the unique and well thought of mechanics in the game.

    The difficulty in Throne of Darkness is very well balanced. Enemies get stronger over time and some boss enemies can easily kill you off with two hits, but you get enough time and experience to prepare for it. The choices you make for your character development defines your progress in the game. When you unlock higher weapons and armour earlier on by investing in strength for example, it can make your journey a lot easier.

    But the best feature, the thing that makes this game stand out, and the only game I know to have this feature, is the customization system. When you kill enemies, they sometimes drop components. Some components are generic and can drop from any enemy, but some are creature specific like claws, teeth or blood. Those components can be used to enchant your gear and can give you great advantages throughout your adventure. You can boost your strength, increase your elemental resistance, deal more damage and the list goes on. Combining the components with boosters like specific stones or ingots greatly increases those effects.

    I have beaten this game at least 15 times and will do so any time, any day without it boring me.

    Like I said at the beginning, I think this game is massively underrated and for me, it is still in my personal top 10 of best games I have ever played. It will always have a special place in my heart.

    Definitely recommend to give this old gem a try.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

65
#65 Most Discussed PC Game of 2001
62
#62 Most Shared PC Game of 2001

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 19
  3. Negative: 1 out of 19
  1. Armchair Empire
    75
    Between the highly customizable weapons and armor, the four warrior fighting dynamic, and the general joys to be had hacking all manner of demons to ribbons, there are plenty of reasons to give this game a whirl.
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  2. GameZone
    95
    A terrific title; it is entertainment-rich, and one of those games that makes a mockery of time because it will fly when you play.
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  3. Media and Games Online Network
    71
    As a hybrid of popular artistic themes and gameplay, Throne of Darkness succeeds on many levels. However, if you're looking for a completely fresh experience, look elsewhere. Diablo-esque influences keep the game from breaking new ground in a significant way.
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