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. DevilSurvivor
    Nov 19, 2021
    0
    There is a difference between an unfair game because it's hard, and an unfair game because it's made out with so many randomised bad events that you will eventually crack and tell yourself that this game is actually bad.
    I enjoy roguelike games, and I enjoy permanent bad status and such. This game however feels like Mario Kart, where the good players are punished because they're good.
  2. 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.
  3. 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...
  4. Avecco
    Apr 7, 2021
    10
    An amazing and original game with nice characters and a perfect and exiting ending.
  5. 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
  6. 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.
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. Isak
    Jul 10, 2020
    7
    Fun and tactical game with a cool art style. Nice mechanics, but can be a bit repetetive at times.
  11. 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
  12. 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.
  13. SKonung
    Nov 11, 2019
    4
    Переоценённая игра, получившая отличные отзывы на фоне бума инди-игр. 1-2 вечера, не больше.
  14. Lonit
    Sep 16, 2019
    7
    the best thing I've played on the VITA, very solid, difficulty is very high though, not easy to progress far at all
  15. 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
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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
  19. tomvs123
    Jan 6, 2019
    4
    If you're looking for a grind without much variety or story interactivity, then this is it. I love other rogelikes, like FTL and Rogue Legacy. I also love turn-based RPGs and strategy. Missing a good interactive story is fine for me, as long as the game has at least some reason to keep up the grind and keep going into the dungeon, but this has little of that.

    The artistic style, idea    If you're looking for a grind without much variety or story interactivity, then this is it. I love other rogelikes, like FTL and Rogue Legacy. I also love turn-based RPGs and strategy. Missing a good interactive story is fine for me, as long as the game has at least some reason to keep up the grind and keep going into the dungeon, but this has little of that.

    The artistic style, idea behind the combat and upgrades, the announcer, the weight and feel of attacks/afflictions are all amazing and this is likely all you need to keep going into the dungeons.

    But it gets real repetitive, real fast. I played on Normal mode (against the game's recommendation), and without the crimson court DLC (per the game's recommendation), and was initially impressed. Combat is challenging, dealing with afflictions and character quirks is a great mechanic, and there's a big variety of initial characters and skills.

    But that's it. Your initial skills are the same ones you have for the whole game. Going through the grind of upgrading them just makes them slightly more powerful. Weapon and armor is the same: just incremental power upgrades for a massive amount of grinding. Unlocking the various things in town is the same: Initially, I could go through about 3 dungeons to unlock one aspect of a building (such as the one that allows you to admit more people to the hospital), but later in the game, it takes 10+ dungeons, with each dungeon lasting 30+ minutes.

    So, having gone through about 5 dungeons in a row, and still not having enough stuff to unlock the building aspect I wanted, I realized that this wasn't particularly very fun. I also had no reason to go into these dungeons. The narrator is really the only person you interact with, and he doesn't make a compelling case for you to want to keep going into the dungeons over and over. I at least need a girlfriend/princess that needs rescuing, but there's nothing like that here. Your main goal is to simply beat the darkest dungeon.

    If you're big on lore and side stories, there is some of that here, but it doesn't meld well with the gameplay. There's a list of objectives in-game, which mostly consist of killing certain bosses. If you start a dungeon that has one of those bosses, you'll get a bit of story about it and that boss will be at the end of it. That's it. Besides the final battle, It will be identical to all of the other dungeons you've been grinding. It's definitely the sort of game where gameplay comes first and these side stories feel tacked on (sort of like dark souls 2 - yeah, I don't like that game either).

    So the game has a lot to offer, but you must be in that stage of your life where you like endless grinding. You'll easily spend 100+ hours in this game grinding the same dungeons to level up all of your weapons, skills, and buildings. And it can be quite addictive, if you like its gameplay. But it's not for everyone, especially for those who like exploration, variety, or unique storytelling.    … Expand
  20. marykaymylove
    Jan 23, 2018
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a great rogue like game but it needs more work when it comes to gameplay.

    In the late game, you will need stress healers for every dungeon run because you will become dependent with them. I didn't even bother finishing the game because I got bored with stress healing.    … Expand
  21. Mike_M
    Nov 2, 2017
    0
    Very poor tutorial and info popups (i.e. how does a given thing work in this game) on a game that's essentially a spreadsheet battle game- the exact kind of game that needs very good documentation.

    Disguising how a game works and then selling it as a strategy game is an auto 0/10, every time.

    On top of that, it's not tactically very interesting.
  22. 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.
  23. User3
    Jul 27, 2017
    0
    Another game that uses brutal difficulty to cover up a lack of quality. There is no fun at all to be had by playing this. I want to play a game that entertains me, not punishes me.
  24. Trevwin
    Apr 30, 2017
    3
    I so desperately wanted to like this, but to do so I'm afraid you must first inflict yourself with 'masochistic' (fnarr). A few tweaks could make this wonderful... And it looks just gorgeous. But unfortunately they've missed the point of challenging gameplay. A coin toss is not 'challenging'. A dice roll is not 'tough'. If the constant threat of being but a bad roll (and believe me, itI so desperately wanted to like this, but to do so I'm afraid you must first inflict yourself with 'masochistic' (fnarr). A few tweaks could make this wonderful... And it looks just gorgeous. But unfortunately they've missed the point of challenging gameplay. A coin toss is not 'challenging'. A dice roll is not 'tough'. If the constant threat of being but a bad roll (and believe me, it happens no matter your preparation) away from losing 20+ hours of work sounds fun, go for it. As it stands it's about us much fun as cancer, and requires as much skill as Russian roulette.… Expand
  25. 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
  26. riley794
    Feb 16, 2017
    2
    Game starts out great but then turns into a painful grind. The grind would not be so bad if not for the lack of rewards for completing events. All that is received from defeating a boss is a little more resources and maybe a item boost. Therefore after week 50 the game just becomes a pain and leads to the conclusion of "why am I wasting my time with this game!" Yes I could dump anotherGame starts out great but then turns into a painful grind. The grind would not be so bad if not for the lack of rewards for completing events. All that is received from defeating a boss is a little more resources and maybe a item boost. Therefore after week 50 the game just becomes a pain and leads to the conclusion of "why am I wasting my time with this game!" Yes I could dump another 20 to 40 hours in and "beat the game" but for what? All you receive is a few more lines of speech. I played this game in early access and it was a great start but little changed. If I am going to push through a tough game I expect great rewards and this game does not offer it. Complete waste of time!… Expand
  27. 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.
  28. 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
  29. MatheusOta
    Jan 21, 2017
    5
    Darkest Dungeon is a game that has two major flaw, its RNG factor and repetitive gameplay.
    I played 40 hours on my account and my experience was at first impressive, the Mike Mignola style, the first boss, the first time i saw the dungeons, watching my roster of heroes getting diverse and bigger, while my decrepit hamlet became a Bastion of hope amongst the mud, all that joy vanished,    Darkest Dungeon is a game that has two major flaw, its RNG factor and repetitive gameplay.
    I played 40 hours on my account and my experience was at first impressive, the Mike Mignola style, the first boss, the first time i saw the dungeons, watching my roster of heroes getting diverse and bigger, while my decrepit hamlet became a Bastion of hope amongst the mud, all that joy vanished, once i sink my teeth on the core of the game i realized how much luck was involved in the overall experience, if i miss or hit, if it inflicts status effect, if your character dies, what town events you get, does your tank becames a masochist prick who wont accept healing, all that joyfully out of your control, yes you can try to play avoiding such situations, and in some cases i did found that feeling similar to beating a boss in Dark Souls to emerge as a made the best out of a bad situation, but the problem was that most times it was just out of my control, random encouters with a miniboss, getting ambushed after i camp, my party getting surprised, those bad situations dont feel like a punishment for careless action or sloppy plays, it often feels like the game is punishing you for playing it.
    The game quickly turns into a grindfest, to upgrade your heroes so they can venture out on the darkest level 5 and 6 dungeons, this process takes a lot o time, upgrading the buildings so they can upgrade your heroes, and then upgrading your heroes, managing 5 types of currency during the process, and grinding early areas for loot, and then getting a poetic team wipe at a level 5 dungeon because of consecutive enemy crits and consecutive misses from the poor legendary level fools you spent so much time investing.
    A lot of people like to compare this game to the souls series, and i can see why, similar aesthetics, odds stacked up against you, and in the case of Bloodborne the Lovecraftian theme, the major difference between those games is that the souls series manages to be unforgiving towards your mistakes while Darkest Dungeon is unforgiving towards you playing it.
    My final thoughts are that while this game manages to be engrossing in art and atmosphere it lacks in gameplay and game design, i do look forward to what Red Hook has in store for us in the future, but as it stands now Darkest Dungeon is to grindy and luck based for me to really want to delve deeper in its madness.    … Expand
  30. 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
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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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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