Through the Darkest of Times

 PC
User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 16
  3. Negative: 4 out of 16

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  1. Thilus
    Feb 14, 2020
    7
    I feel like "Through the Darkest of Times" deserves a review, because it touches some very difficult subjects, while treating them with proper gravity.

    First of all, as a Pole, I'm touched somebody made a game about the atrocities of WWII, and had shown them from a perspective of regular people. We command a group of German citizens who try to resist the cruel Nazi regime in any way    I feel like "Through the Darkest of Times" deserves a review, because it touches some very difficult subjects, while treating them with proper gravity.

    First of all, as a Pole, I'm touched somebody made a game about the atrocities of WWII, and had shown them from a perspective of regular people. We command a group of German citizens who try to resist the cruel Nazi regime in any way they can. But, whatever they do, it's more about surviving than it is about fighting the actual tyranny. At the same time, the devs manage to avoid any historical blunders. There are no "Polish death camps". Instead, we can see clearly Auschwitz was created by Germans. On that note, the terms "Nazis" and "Germans" are used interchangeably. We're not opposing some mythical, impersonal Nazis, but normal German citizens who got swayed by the terrible propaganda or forced into submission by the sheer terror of the NSDAP. People who were our friends and neighbors not that long ago. There's no Holocaust denial. No historical revisionism -- the Soviets who are liberating the lands east of the Oder do not bring just the freedom, but also death and destruction.

    On the other hand the gameplay itself is very shallow. You have a group of dissidents who can take all sorts of actions: collect money for the cause, gain supporters, paint anti-Nazi slogans on walls, and sabotage the regime. And while it all seems great, in reality you don't have to do much to beat the game. In truth, you can limit yourself to collecting money and gaining supporters, and leave the dangerous missions to... someone else? There are 4 chapters, and each one is 20 turns long. Since the consecutive chapters are like 3-4 years apart, if you won't manage to do something in the previous chapter, all progress is lost. You were one turn away from blowing up a Nazi factory? Sorry, you can't, move on to the next chapter. This sucks big time, because at the end of the game you feel like you've accomplished absolutely nothing. So, what's the point of trying? Gaining supporters and collecting money is easy, and also enough to get by. Is that what it's all about? If there's a war just try to find suckers to give you money in return for unfulfilled promises? I don't think so.

    That aside, while the strategical aspect of the game is rather poor, the game is still worth playing. It is an excellent history lesson, one everyone should play to understand war is not something to be desired, and the world's warmongers are just evil people. Think about it next time your government starts sending boys and girls to yet another "justified" conflict.    … Expand
  2. BulgarianCritic
    Feb 23, 2020
    5
    This game was pretty average.The gameplay mainly consists of you trying to keep your morale and supports bar high.Nothing that you do in the game has any effect on the story and all the missions that the game allows you to do are repetitive and the text from them is just copy and pasted. The story is alright for the most parts,it was interesting seeing a bigger picture of what the GermansThis game was pretty average.The gameplay mainly consists of you trying to keep your morale and supports bar high.Nothing that you do in the game has any effect on the story and all the missions that the game allows you to do are repetitive and the text from them is just copy and pasted. The story is alright for the most parts,it was interesting seeing a bigger picture of what the Germans were doing and though before Hitler came to power.The game also has some grammar errors but its not a major issue.Overall a pretty average experience that I probably will forget after a few months.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 24
  3. Negative: 1 out of 24
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jul 22, 2020
    60
    Brown shirts march through the streets! Fight them in a managerial strategy with an impressive atmosphere but shallow mechanics. [Issue#302]
  2. GamingTrend
    May 7, 2020
    80
    Not many games have you play the underdog from beginning to end. It’s tense, and each passing day keeps you on edge. You’ll be emotionally invested in trying to keep your members, friends, family, and even strangers safe as you make choices that will shape your life and their future. Although a second playthrough doesn’t hit the same way emotionally as the first, it’s still a fantastic title to understand the heart-wrenching reality of that period.
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  3. GameGrin
    Apr 20, 2020
    80
    Overall this is a nice title and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun but short game.
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