Darkest Dungeon

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 208 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 157 out of 208
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 208
  3. Negative: 24 out of 208
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  1. Firewing2
    Dec 22, 2016
    9
    A brilliant game, and one of the few times I haven't regretted buying in on an Early Access offering. I'm not a fan of rogue-likes, or extreme difficulty, as a general rule, and I find the challenge here to be just right... Some of the RNG elements can be turned off to make things a *little* easier, but for the most part I find this game is tough, but not *unfair*. Yes, people used toA brilliant game, and one of the few times I haven't regretted buying in on an Early Access offering. I'm not a fan of rogue-likes, or extreme difficulty, as a general rule, and I find the challenge here to be just right... Some of the RNG elements can be turned off to make things a *little* easier, but for the most part I find this game is tough, but not *unfair*. Yes, people used to games that let you play as un-killable gods of the battlefield, or count on your twitch reflexes to be the difference bet success and failure, will be out of their element. Sometimes **** will go wrong, and someone will die... But almost never without warning.

    I would describe the challenge as not frustrating, but enough to make you stop and think. If you don't, you'll not get a good result. I'm *almost* to the end of this dungeon... but my party is battered. Should I press on into the last couple rooms, not knowing if they're filled with traps, treasures, or enemies? Or decide to take the loot I have now and abandon the quest, but save my heroes to fight another day? Do I try to finish this battle I'm in, and risk that hero at Death's Door, or live to fight another day?

    How many torches should I bring with me on this expedition, knowing I have limited pack space for goods and loot alike? What combination of heroes work the best together?

    This is not a casual game. If you don't want to constantly look at your current health, stress, and item levels before making a decision, you'll be punished for your carelessness. And yes... sometimes you'll find a procedurally generated level is heavy on the monsters, low on loot. Life isn't perfectly fair and balanced...

    But it won't kill you without warning. I've never seen a monster take out a full health hero with a single blow, and mosters that de-buff, stun, or add stress do so at the cost of raw damage. It's a game of death by degrees. If your heroes are at half health, they're not great, but not out of the fight yet. Do you push them a little harder? Or decide discretion is the better part of valor? Because when you *do* start getting high on stress and low on health, you could be one bad dice roll away from permadeath.

    And when a character dies, I've never felt like I had anyone to blame but myself.

    You can tell the Devs love their game, and take user feedback seriously, but don't feel the need to cater to their audience's every whim. As a result, I've never encountered a bug, and the game's narrative vision is incredibly clear. The atmosphere is perfectly captured in amazing artwork and brilliant narration. Some of the more "Hardcore" elements were changed to optional, due to user complaints, but not eliminated.

    People who complain the game is "too hard" just don't like this kind of game, because you'd never get me to play Dark Souls or other kinds of self-flagellating grind-fests, but this game is a treat. It asks you to think, strategize, and gamble on cost/benefit analysis. And it will kill you, cruelly, and without remorse. If you gamble long enough you will lose.

    If you react to RNG killing your favorite character because you pushed into a dark room at half health to be some kind of personal slight directed at you, then go back to a save-scumming XCOM everytime you miss a shot. This is a game for people who want to pause, take a deep breath, and cross their fingers before deciding to try, *just one more room* in the Darkest Dungeon.    … Expand
  2. TheOmegaMale
    Sep 27, 2016
    8
    Darkest Dungeon is a game that has been on my radar since its release on PC, and now it's finally landed on PS4. The game is a 2D turn based RPG with a dark fantasy / horror storyline. The game has also picked up a reputation for being ruthlessly difficult.

    The core of the game revolves around you creating and managing a team of up to four active adventurers as they explore through the    Darkest Dungeon is a game that has been on my radar since its release on PC, and now it's finally landed on PS4. The game is a 2D turn based RPG with a dark fantasy / horror storyline. The game has also picked up a reputation for being ruthlessly difficult.

    The core of the game revolves around you creating and managing a team of up to four active adventurers as they explore through the horror filled passages of your ancestral home. You engage in turn based combat with enemies and loot their corpses for rewards in order to upgrade your team. Pretty standard RPG stuff.

    However, the twist comes in exactly how important managing your team really is! That reputation for difficulty I mentioned is well earned. You can quite literally loose your entire team in one confrontation if they're not managed properly (and sometimes even if they are). Not only do you have to look after the team's health, but you must also manage their stress levels. Something that you will end up either loving or hating! Seriously, this will be the make or break of the game for many players.

    The stress mechanic has your team members becoming afflicted with unique behaviours as the stress level builds up. These behaviours are generally negative (but not always) and if you leave stress unchecked for to long, your character's can literally die of a heart attack! Yeah, I said a heart attack! Instant death regardless of health. And when a character is gone in this game, they're gone! Perma death is a thing.

    What really hurts is how difficult managing stress can be. Stress builds on characters so easily but it can be very difficult to counter. Especially when out on a mission. When you're back in the central hub you can remove stress by sending party members for a night of drinking in the inn, but this will then remove them from the active roster for at least another mission or two, forcing you to use less experienced backup characters to plug the gap. It's a balancing act that can feel extremely harsh at times.

    Visually the game is beautifully presented with excellent hand drawn characters and environments. The sound is great with dark brooding music and an awesome voice over that narrates your journey through the dungeons. However, I can't give any praise to the control system and user interface. This is quite possibly the weakest adaption of a mouse and keyboard setup to a controller that I have ever seen. It's horrible, and completely counter intuitive. The game also doesn't do a particularly good job of explaining how some important mechanics work. You end up learning by experience, but in a game this punishing it just doesn't feel fair.

    Overall, if you enjoy a challenge and have the patience, you'll get a lot from this game. It's not for the feint hearted or people looking for a quick action fix. A piece of advice, use a guide (at least just to understand the basic mechanics). No one will think less of you.

    9 0ut of 10 for the core game.

    -1 for a god awful control scheme and not explaining itself better.    … Expand
  3. aspentitan
    Apr 26, 2019
    10
    I predict within 10 years EA and Bioware will finally implode and it will have been games produced by kickstarter such as this and pillars of eternity and other indie games that really started the downfall of these companies and their cookie cutter games. I really believe the evolution of gaming has taken a huge step forward with games such as this one. Personally my favourite gamesI predict within 10 years EA and Bioware will finally implode and it will have been games produced by kickstarter such as this and pillars of eternity and other indie games that really started the downfall of these companies and their cookie cutter games. I really believe the evolution of gaming has taken a huge step forward with games such as this one. Personally my favourite games involve both elements of strategy and luck and this game is exactly that. I personally have nothing bad to say about this game except that it could have used an expanded tutorial. I have completed about 15 hours gameplay and have finally just really become comfortable with the game. To enjoy this game I do think you have to be willing to be a nerd and learn every nook and cranny of info you can from this game. People unwilling to adapt and learn the games mechanics will cry this game is "too hard, broken or not their style". From my perspective the game may not be ones style but it is a roque game and done brilliantly with so much to consider during gameplay. In this respect the game is near perfect in my opinion. There are tons of characters with tons of abilities, likewise for the enemies. There is tons of loot with many upgrade possibilities and the gameplay is high risks for high rewards or low risk for low rewards. This allows for almost infinite gameplay and strategy and then of course there is luck to interfere or bolster. I personally think this is a groundbreaking game but not for anyone who is unwilling to spend some time with the game and nerd out. Rather than cry a game is broken I'd say get better or lose your attitude of always winning. Epic sports teams can lose when it counts due to injuries or player mentalities breaking down, in cribbage you can get skunked or skunk someone because of a single bad cut. I like to think of this game in that same light. Risk plays out on its own terms and I love the challenge of trying to overcome that obstacle. To me that's not broken, that's actually what the game IS.… Expand
  4. mobieus
    Sep 28, 2016
    9
    Been waiting for the PS4 release for the longest time. I have watched game play on Twitch and it looked a lot of fun. The game is very difficult, but very fun. The only two negatives I can say so far is that is crashes from time to time which is can be fixed. The other is the controls are a little clunky, but what do you expect from a PC port. The graphics are very stylized. TheBeen waiting for the PS4 release for the longest time. I have watched game play on Twitch and it looked a lot of fun. The game is very difficult, but very fun. The only two negatives I can say so far is that is crashes from time to time which is can be fixed. The other is the controls are a little clunky, but what do you expect from a PC port. The graphics are very stylized. The narrator has a very cool voice and gets you into the game. A lot of planning is involved in what people you want to take out. Overall, the game isn't perfect, but is definitely worth picking up.… Expand
  5. Evolvedsoul
    Jan 31, 2017
    10
    I've owned every game system I've been gaming for 40 years the dark souls series has always been my masterpiece but it was always so vague this game is a true masterpiece in more ways than one if you have a dark mind a lost soul And a true challenge this is one of the best games I've ever played don't bother with the negative reviews it's a Horror strategy game the best you will everI've owned every game system I've been gaming for 40 years the dark souls series has always been my masterpiece but it was always so vague this game is a true masterpiece in more ways than one if you have a dark mind a lost soul And a true challenge this is one of the best games I've ever played don't bother with the negative reviews it's a Horror strategy game the best you will ever play these guys don't mess around this an epic tale of survival… Expand
  6. EmirKhorasani
    Mar 4, 2017
    9
    This game is difficult. This game is annoying. But once you overcome the Everest of learning curves, this game will draw you back over and over again. This game is about survival, scraping by. You never feel fully prepared, and if you do, there's something horrible right around the corner.

    The negatives: This game handles so very poorly. The control scheme is like learning a foreign    This game is difficult. This game is annoying. But once you overcome the Everest of learning curves, this game will draw you back over and over again. This game is about survival, scraping by. You never feel fully prepared, and if you do, there's something horrible right around the corner.

    The negatives: This game handles so very poorly. The control scheme is like learning a foreign language. It will take frustrating trial and error in the menus and settings, and the learning curve in general is enormous. Prepare to read. When you fire up this game you should expect to read the equivalent of a 30 page paper in settings and menus and how this and that works and you won't comprehend any of it. You have to learn by playing, which feels quite overwhelming at first.

    But, once you clear your first medium dungeon you will feel amazing. This game brings a true sense of accomplishment, with a gorgeous presentation.    … Expand
  7. NightsOnRepeat
    Oct 1, 2016
    10
    Fantastic game, I have been waiting to play this for 2 years now. Finally got the chance to play it, and I absolutely love this game. This is a wonderful game for anyone who is a fan of Jrpg's, rogue-like games, and people who love a great challenge. This game has an incredible amount of depth, and I am very excited to see a small new company pull off such a masterpiece.

    The game has    Fantastic game, I have been waiting to play this for 2 years now. Finally got the chance to play it, and I absolutely love this game. This is a wonderful game for anyone who is a fan of Jrpg's, rogue-like games, and people who love a great challenge. This game has an incredible amount of depth, and I am very excited to see a small new company pull off such a masterpiece.

    The game has such a wonderful atmosphere, art style, and depth to it that it is hard not to fall in love with your roster of heroes. At first it will seem overwhelming, but as you spend a bit of time with the game you will learn how to control and manage your roster like a master.

    I highly suggest this game.

    The only complaint I have heard is about the crashes. I have only had two crashes and I am in week 60 of the game. That is 60 missions probably at least 30 hours of gameplay. To solve the crashing issue, I just restarted the game, and it worked the very next time I loaded the game.    … Expand
  8. pongkrit03
    Jan 8, 2019
    9
    Darkest Dungeon is truly a gem that you hardly find anywhere else. This is my first time playing and I finished it about 40 hrs+ on easy mode. The game is brutal and very tactical. Your resolve will be constantly tested throughout the game. Will you continue pushing forward and risking death of your heroes ? or simply retreat and get nothing from the quest ? This is up to you to decide.Darkest Dungeon is truly a gem that you hardly find anywhere else. This is my first time playing and I finished it about 40 hrs+ on easy mode. The game is brutal and very tactical. Your resolve will be constantly tested throughout the game. Will you continue pushing forward and risking death of your heroes ? or simply retreat and get nothing from the quest ? This is up to you to decide. Every choice you made in early battles can snowball to the later harsh battles. Every item you decide to bring, Every hero you decide to put on your team, The skills of each hero that you choose to equip, Everything you do can matter the outcome, and I love every bit of it. The music, the art and the narrator's voice also perfectly fit with the dark theme. Especially, the quotes, most are very awesome.

    The only thing I dislike, however is the "grinding and repetitiveness". Even with the easy mode, which was designed to lessen the grinding, the game still put so much grinding upon you. Especially at the final dungeon, it requires you to have 4 teams of heroes to complete all 4 missions (very grinding). I think players should be informed about this early so they can prepare along the way. Anyway, you can remove this feature in option menu if you don't like it so much, so I think it is fair enough.

    For RNG factor, I think it is fine. It is a lot less than XCOM level. Most of the times, like 99%, if you lose, you lose because of your bad decision or bad preparation, not RNG. Don't be those sore losers that didn't play the game well and blamed RNG. That is what I want to say.

    In sum, from a hardcore fan of tactical turn-based games, I love Darkest Dungeon, period. It is very hard game, and very informative one, so if you know, that you are casual gamer, I suggest you stay away. This game is like a nightmare, like dark soul in form of turn based game. To fight the abyss, one must to know it, or else be another soul battered and broken, cast aside like a spent torch. You decide.    … Expand
  9. Zoeth
    Jan 31, 2017
    10
    A great cheap rogue game. This is not supposed to be a super balanced reap what you sow type of game. This game is heavily rng based for multiple plays and a good time waster.
  10. GamingPoptartTV
    Dec 26, 2016
    9
    A truly brilliant game that takes difficulty to a new level. A turn based dungeon explorer that lets you adventure through a sinister world peppered with monsters of all shapes and sizes. Unique with different de-buffs that will affect your party. This game has a ruthless difficulty that will leave you wanted to punish yourself even more. Trying to conquer the dungeons. The music andA truly brilliant game that takes difficulty to a new level. A turn based dungeon explorer that lets you adventure through a sinister world peppered with monsters of all shapes and sizes. Unique with different de-buffs that will affect your party. This game has a ruthless difficulty that will leave you wanted to punish yourself even more. Trying to conquer the dungeons. The music and narrator not only perfectly fit the environment, but also fits the superb art style.

    This game is a 9/10 a perfect game and a must own for all gamers.    … Expand
  11. Calmacil
    Oct 6, 2016
    8
    Darkest Dungeon is a well made rogue-like, turn based role playing game. The gothic horror presentation fits the ruthless game mechanics well.
    Each descent in one of the monster filled dungeons has you on the edge at some point. You may start out well, but once your further into the pit, your four heroes will have lost health, they will be stressed, inflicted by disease and sometimes on    Darkest Dungeon is a well made rogue-like, turn based role playing game. The gothic horror presentation fits the ruthless game mechanics well.
    Each descent in one of the monster filled dungeons has you on the edge at some point. You may start out well, but once your further into the pit, your four heroes will have lost health, they will be stressed, inflicted by disease and sometimes on the brink of an heart attack. Your DS4 will start shaking in your hands, music and sound effects will be more intense, and your mind ponders the central question of the Darkest Dungeon:
    The heroes i have invested so much gold, emotions and time in are about to die forever - but i have come so far already! What am i to do? If i pull out now, i will forfeit all rewards and experience. But the goal is in reach!
    Darkest Dungeon will leave you with hard choices, there will be death and despair.
    This is not a game you will want to play for hours on end, because just like your heroes, you will be stressed out by it. This would be no problem, if the game would´t be just that long. I´ve invested quite some time already, but the end does not seem remotely close. Variety and gameplay seem just a bit too limited for such a long playtime.
    I´ll keep playing this fine game, but overall i think it would have been even better without the padded length.    … Expand
  12. Kingmaxs
    Oct 4, 2017
    10
    This game is like Dark Souls turned into a turned base game, and i loved every second of it. and especially for the amount of tension this games gives to player and the satisfaction of winning against hard enemy's.
  13. Zakis1991
    Jun 27, 2021
    10
    Не люблю вообще этот жанр рог лайк, но в эту игру я залип на долгие часы, смотрел кучу гайдов и т д. Самые частые фразы будут что-то типо этих:
    - Да какой нахуй трейтий раз Крит!!
    - В смысле промах?!
    - Хилл на 0, ну конечно...
  14. bretso25
    Mar 11, 2019
    10
    This is my kind of game. A classic turn-based rpg. I enjoyed leveling up every hero class. There's over 15 of them. Great music and sound effects. I think you can buy it now for $15-$25 which is a steal. You can easily put in 40 hours of gameplay.
  15. BarelyLewd
    Mar 14, 2019
    8
    Insanely hard dungeon crawler, with a RNG from your nightmares, this game will make you love it, and hate it, and love it, and hate it, and love it and hate. Not for the feint of heart looking for a leisure game.
  16. SonyBroWhirrrr
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    This game is very good. It's like as if you took the world of Bloodborne and made it a turn-based RPG. The game is 0% luck, 100% skill. You do, however, need an above average IQ-address to understand the perfection that is Darkest Dungeon.
  17. Avecco
    Apr 7, 2021
    10
    An amazing and original game with nice characters and a perfect and exiting ending.
  18. tommydlbass
    Sep 19, 2021
    8
    A masterpiece and a very unique thing. Is one of my favorites games of all time and I can't say much more about this fantastic game. Go and play it.
  19. ONI913
    Jun 29, 2020
    9
    Отличная игра, атмосферой и идеей похожа dark souls только darkest dungeon в 2D и пошаговая, а еще она похожа на ds тем что когда ты идешь не туда куда можешь тебе почти также надирают зад только dd ты не можешь вернутся назад и забрать то что потерял, все что ты можешь сделать в такой ситуации это только отправить туда же более прокаченную группу и отомстить. И вот сейчас будет неОтличная игра, атмосферой и идеей похожа dark souls только darkest dungeon в 2D и пошаговая, а еще она похожа на ds тем что когда ты идешь не туда куда можешь тебе почти также надирают зад только dd ты не можешь вернутся назад и забрать то что потерял, все что ты можешь сделать в такой ситуации это только отправить туда же более прокаченную группу и отомстить. И вот сейчас будет не спойлер я просто хочу вам помочь, в локации "руины" второй босс ЭТО ПИ#ДЕЦ!!!. вам нужны персонажи где-то 5 уровня (а не 3 как нас заверяет игра) чтобы у вас был хотя бы шанс его... пережить. Ах да кстати в игре под шкалой здоровья персонажа есть еще одна "шкала ментального здоровья" если ментально состояние персонажа дойдет до 100 то он либо поникнет духом либо воспрянет духом, то есть он либо станет ну например мазохистом и будет иногда бить самого себя... либо станет энергичнее воодушивяя остальных а иногда даже хилит себя и других, если же мораль дойдет до 200 у персонажа будет сердечный приступ и он потеряет все здоровье и шкала морали немного упадет а если у него не было здоровья то он умрет, Короче если любите а главное если умеете играть в пошаговые игры вроде xcom то смело покупайте.
    P.s. если кто-то не понял эта игра сложнее чем ds сложнее всего... почему? потому-что сложнее    … Expand
  20. StrohNamiX
    Aug 9, 2020
    8
    Dark, hard and frustrating as **** You never know what to expect during the first playthrough. If you don't mind the high difficulty and dark theme it's absolutely worth it. Had so many memorable moments were I barely made it out of a dungeon and it felt great.

    Story.: something, something, dungeon -
    Graphics / Sound / Atmosphere.: -
    Gameplay.: 8
  21. Jajooka
    Sep 25, 2020
    9
    A really good tactical game with a powerful unique atmosphere. I basically liked all part of it, the art, the battle mechanics, the skillset of the characters, the economic of the hamlet, but above all: the narrator. This game wouldn't have be the same without him. He is responsible I would say for 50% of the games flavour. It is a really challenging game thought I wouldn't recommend itA really good tactical game with a powerful unique atmosphere. I basically liked all part of it, the art, the battle mechanics, the skillset of the characters, the economic of the hamlet, but above all: the narrator. This game wouldn't have be the same without him. He is responsible I would say for 50% of the games flavour. It is a really challenging game thought I wouldn't recommend it for anyone. Also it could be a bit slow pacing, which is maybe its only bad trait. If you expect an action games constant rush, this is probably not your game.… Expand
  22. MulQuahDiiv
    Nov 23, 2020
    9
    Unforgiving, but sooooo satisfying. Personally I love it's horror atmosphere emphasized by piercing narrative, managing stress level of your characters and demanding gameplay. It definitely is a challenge that requires patience and you need to spend a lot of time playing to learn the basics. To me DD looks like a piece of art and thanks to sounds and brilliant graphics is probably one ofUnforgiving, but sooooo satisfying. Personally I love it's horror atmosphere emphasized by piercing narrative, managing stress level of your characters and demanding gameplay. It definitely is a challenge that requires patience and you need to spend a lot of time playing to learn the basics. To me DD looks like a piece of art and thanks to sounds and brilliant graphics is probably one of the most beautiful games ever made.… Expand
  23. endothlyne
    Feb 9, 2021
    10
    I played this on the PC and liked it so much I recently got the complete bundle in a PSN sale. A snip at around £7. The atmosphere and pacing of this game is great. A real gothic horror roguelike dungeon crawler. It so amusing when your band of heroes start suffering from various afflictions which can sometimes be to their advantage but most of the time a curse. There is a lot of contentI played this on the PC and liked it so much I recently got the complete bundle in a PSN sale. A snip at around £7. The atmosphere and pacing of this game is great. A real gothic horror roguelike dungeon crawler. It so amusing when your band of heroes start suffering from various afflictions which can sometimes be to their advantage but most of the time a curse. There is a lot of content with all the DLC's which will keep your soul tortured for hours.… Expand
  24. Vitalick
    Dec 19, 2020
    9
    For me this game is a treasure. It seems a simple game but setting and music are great , and gameplay is hard but satisfactory.

Awards & Rankings

39
#39 Best PS4 Game of 2016
85
#85 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2016
92
#92 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. TheSixthAxis
    Dec 6, 2016
    80
    An ungodly combination of Fire Emblem and Dark Souls, it delights in making you suffer, but every small step forwards feels like a massive achievement. It’s not for everyone, but if you enjoy the darkness and feel up to the challenge, you can’t do much better than enter the Darkest Dungeon. Just make sure that all your affairs are in order and that you have written a will, because once you’re in, you might not make it back out.
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  2. DarkZero
    Nov 14, 2016
    70
    It’s a shame that the console version of Darkest Dungeon couldn’t have been a bit smarter with its controller layout, because the rest of the game shines in brilliant darkness as it did on PC; the 2D artwork is a great mix of hard lines and grotesque imagery, quite similar to Hellboy and other comics by Mike Mignola. The persistent narration is delightfully campy with its dreary delivery and macabre musings, and the fear of death (or insanity) makes every duel feel like a tense brush with death. And players will die, again and again and again. But like a certain other difficult series centered around darkness and sun bros, Darkest Dungeon’s maddening tendrils will manipulate even the most frustrated folks to try again…but consider sticking to the PC version to avoid the added frustration of fumbling around with the controls.
    Read full review
  3. ZTGD
    Nov 1, 2016
    80
    It is a very competent RPG with tons of upgrades and stat tracking. It really is a hardcore RPG fan’s dream.
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