Summary

  • Dungeonborne and Dark and Darker are both medieval-themed dungeon crawlers with a high difficulty curve.
  • We take a look at key aspects of both and compare them toi find out which comes out on top.
  • Do you agree with our assessment?

In recent dungeon-crawler news, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dark And Darker and Dungeonborne compete for time in the spotlight. At face value, the games have a lot of the same things going on: They're both medieval fantasy with a mix of PvE and PvP elements, built for online play in teams, and they're both free-to-play.

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That being said, these games could not be more different in their execution of a shared idea. It comes down to which one does it the most effectively, or more importantly, which is the most fun. Well, looking at what each one has to bring to the RPG table, there's a pretty clear answer.

The Graphics - Dungeonborne

A Sword Master Summons Swords To Attack A Khazra in Dungeonborne.

Dungeonborne comes out of the gate pulling no punches as it hits you with some impressive visuals for a 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:free game. Although it's limited to first-person view, the sights are more than clear enough to capture each of your actions, from blocking to drinking a potion to preparing a spell.

The monsters also have pleasing makeovers, with even the lowliest goblins looking as vicious as HD-brushed Gremlins, but with less confidence. The draw distance is quite generous so that you can get a full layout of the map, make out the smallest treasures at the far𒊎 end of the room, and determine what things are waiting to kill you.

Dark And Darker makes a solid effort as a 3D dungeon-crawler with a smoother but still g𒊎ritty field. The issue is that thin꧟gs will sometimes clash with each other, making their difference in quality very apparent.

This is most noticeable between the player characters and the enemies, with the latter looking like casual cosplayers who suddenly find themselves in a far too harsh situation. With all the mix-and-matching of enemies, you'd think they came from different games with kobolds looking very detailed and giant bugs looking like they were dragged and dropped in.

The Customization - Dungeonborne

Customizing An Elf Character's Face in the menu of Dungeonborne.

When you start Dark And Darker, you're asked which class you want to play and get some presets to set you on your way. The range of classes is traditional but still provides variety depending on your play style.

Once you choose your character, you're locked in until you decide to make a whole new one, making switching a tedious process. You get additional options to customize when it comes to equipment that you can find and wear. However, if you want to change your character's base appearance, you'll have to 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:take out your wallet.

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Going over to Dungeonborne, you 💯can customize your loo🐎k from the start. You get to choose between eight classes, each one having a specific species associated with it. Instead of just affecting their appearance, each species has a specific mechanic that can affect your decision and how you want to play.

You've got Humans, Elves, and Undead to play with, and after you choose your class, you can freely change their faces, eyes, hair, markings, and more whenever you want. You can also make multiple characters in one sitting and switch between them freely for a more varied experience.

The Gameplay - Dungeonborne

The player approaching A Try Of Cages With A Torch in Dungeonborne.

Dungeon crawlers have never had a consistent difficulty level, but Dungeonborne is going for a more balanced and reasonable route. Whenever you spawn into a map, you're given plenty of time to adjust and survey your surroundings. This gives you way more opportunities to land the first strike and approach fights in your way and with proper planning.

Dungeons are packed to the brim with loose treasures, p🔥lenty of che☂sts, magic altars, wandering enemies, champions, and even bosses. You can still die easily, but the presence of Cloud Essence can give you a whole reserve of all the healing and support items you want to improve your chances in the next run. Things are slower, but that gives everything more impact and controlled pacing.

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Dark And Darker looks friendlier but the name and the experience should instantly clue you into what you can expect: Brutality. Not in visuals, but in difficulty, because this game will thr🃏ow you at the demon lions before you even know 🍰what happened. Much of the dungeons can be pretty quiet and empty only for you to stumble into a conference room of monsters from various lore.

It's also heavily tailored toward the PvP experience, where players will actively hunt each other and the limited number of escape routes makes conflicts between them likely. There's nothing wrong with a good challenge, but it can be a huge turn-off right from the start, especially when the technical issues are likely to work against you.

The Progression - Dark And Darker

Two Adventurers Wait In The Lobby of Dark and Darker To Prepare With A Dog by their side.

Since Dark And Darker is encouraging competition, it's only natural that it should give more options in terms of tools and building. As you play, slay monsters, and successfully escape from dungeons, your character will earn experience. This will go toward making them level up so that they can get improved stats and access to better equipment.

That's nice, but the big star is the skill tree that will allow you to build your class however you like. You can alter their stat effectiveness, their resistances, their abilities, and more to give them more versatility or a min/max build of your choice.

While Dungeonborne offers 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:more accessible customization in terms of cosmetics, the class system could use some more layers. Each class gains access to two primary abilities, and༺ you 🔜can fill those slots with whatever abilities you have available, but this can limit your gameplay.

As your character(s) level up, they'll automatically get stat boosts and their abilities will become more effective, but it's a standard power boost. At the end of it all, a large chunk of your character's power comes from their equipment, current level, and your skill. So, get in some practice sessions.

The Functionality - Dungeonborne

Using A Magic Crystal To Attack A Monster in Dungeonborne.

Before you even start playing, Dungeonborne looks like a 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:team-based fantasy dungeon game you've been wanting to try. It's quick to set up and then jump right into the game with a nice, clear, and satisfying tutorial to complete. After that, you feel more than confident about jumping into a match whether you're alone or with just one friend.

Each enemy seems like a challenge but one that you feel confident in approaching, and every chest feels worth the risk. Just discovering that you can hit ghosts with solid objects and gather materials to make potions and artifacts back at the base makes for a more fun⛄ and enjoyable time that you can still shape.

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While Dark And Darker makes it obvious that it's a much harsher PvP-focused experience, it suffers from issues that add 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:unnecessary difficulty. Tꦓhe same types of enemies will have differing stats, p𝄹erfect blocks can sometimes be ignored, and you may find yourself taking damage way too quickly even while cautiously playing.

You're expected to play aggressively by default just to give yourself a literal fighting chance. It makes sense to avoid danger and focus on looting, but the limited exits will force you to fight, especially if you're in a group. It's hard to see the fun in such a dark room.

The Winner Is... Dungeonborne

A player Wielding Magic Weapons Behind A Sword Master And Fighter.

This is a runaway victory for Dungeonborne in this battle between two online medieval fantasy dungeon crawlers with extraction elements. Both games are free to play, so it's worth giving both of them a try and see which one of them appeals to you. Dark And Darker can still be enjoyed with a friend or two and will test your player skill.

It's a game designed to be played multiple times and maybe a longer session is what you need to enjoy it. However, if you want a lighter, balanced, fun, and more functional experience, then grab your gear and head into Dungeonborne.

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