The first thing to note about Darkeden is that it was originally released in 1997, but the Global version was released in Jan. 2008. Why did Joy Max decide to bring this game State side after 10+ years? After playing the game, I have no idea. The game feels extremely dated and has graphics comparable to Diablo 1. If you can’t stand older games, stay away from this one.

Darkeden has only three classes, the Vampire, Slayer, and Ouster. All three classes are at war with each other and play very differently. The Vampires kill and level up and allocate stat and skill points while the Slayers gain skill as they fight. If a Vampire bites a Slayer, the slayer must cure himself within 6 hours or he will turn into a Vampire. All this makes for some pretty interesting PvP, but the fact that the Interface and graphics are so aged ruins it. Darkeden looks and feels like a Diablo 1 clone, but with slower and less interesting game play.

The actual combat and grinding does actually feel fun though. Being able to equip a gun and use it to blast away at zombies is always enjoyable, even if the graphics are dated. The skill system is interesting, it doesn’t limit players on what their character can do, as the Slayers can choose whatever weapon type they want to work on, and can even work up their skills in all weapons in they’d like to. This makes progression non linear and allows for people to have unique skill builds.