Firewatch publisher Panic revealed several new titles during its first ever digital games showcase on Tuesday, which can be rewatched in full below.
09.08.2023 - 23:57 / pcgamer.com
It was widely seen as a triumph when the PvP dungeon crawler Dark and Darker arrived in a surprise early access launch earlier this week, but some of that initial thrill has given way to widespread criticism of the game's microtransactions. Numerous fans have taken issue with developer Ironmace's decision to sell additional character classes and races through Dark and Darker's in-game store—and the pushback has been strong enough that the studio is considering changing course.
«I think I can speak for a majority that buying classes is not what we want in a Buy to Play game,» redditor BarnacleLanky wrote yesterday. «Cosmetics? Cool. Provisions? Please define. Classes? Hard no.»
BarnacleLanky acknowledged that the in-game currency used to purchase new classes can be earned through gameplay, but «the current rate of earning is abysmally low,» they said. «So if Ironmace wants to keep this system, then let’s talk about adjusting the rate of earning to be more realistic.»
That post attracted hundreds of replies, and to the Dark and Darker community's credit, many of them were quite thoughtful. Some posters pointed out that this is only the second full day of the game's early access release, and that early access by definition is meant to get this sort of thing hammered out. Others denied claims that the sale of extra classes is a «pay to win» scheme, defending it as a convenience option and a way for Ironmace to earn much-needed funds—an especially tricky and perhaps urgent task given the studio's legal battle with Nexon, which among other things saw the game kicked off of Steam earlier this year.
A lot of fans on Reddit aren't having it, however. One of the big points of contention is the fact that unlike most games that charge for in-game items, Dark and Darker is not free to play: It costs $35 to purchase, or $50 for a founder's edition.
«Releasing microtransactions on an [early access] game where they can already make the money through paying for the game is one of the most inexcusable scummy things I've ever seen,» stinkyzombie69 wrote. «This entire introduction of basic class grinding and locking things behind pay walls is a complete contradiction to their hollow [mission] statement.»
«Was eager to see how this game turned out, but early access microtransactions locking gameplay?» rightfallen said. «No thanks. massive red flag.»
«They need to pick one,» Captn_Clutch wrote. "$35 is a small game price, buy classes early or grind slowly is like a copy of the LoL free-to-play style. I'm honestly able to accept either method, [but] not both."
But the gameplay grind is also facing criticism for being very slow indeed. Shard requirements appear to scale linearly, meaning you need 25 points for your first
Firewatch publisher Panic revealed several new titles during its first ever digital games showcase on Tuesday, which can be rewatched in full below.
Dark and Darker has received a server wipe that has seen players lose their progress but is an attempt to take on a recent influx of cheaters.
Dungeon crawling PvP game Dark and Darker is undergoing maintenance and a server wipe today. Though you'll lose character progress, it is bringing back one of the best bits of the game: the voice chat.
It’s a big week, folks! There’s new fantasy TV on Prime Video, new animated fantasy on Netflix, new wacky animated fantasy on Max, and new ballet school fantasy on Hulu — OK, you get the picture. There’s a lot of fantasy coming this week! Even more if you count One Piece on Netflix (which I only sort of do, but not really).
We may see a Dark And Darker Android version in the not-too-distant future. Yeah, it surprised us too. Publisher Krafton appears to have reached a licensing agreement with the developer Ironmace for the intellectual property.
Happy Friday, Polygon readers!
AMD has officially unveiled its RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 XT graphics cards, finally completing its RDNA 3 lineup after announcing its first GPUs in November last year. Both cards are intended to target 1440p displays and run games at max settings, including ray tracing, above 60fps. They'll also support AMD's exciting new frame generation technologies, which we've written up as a separate article after going hands-on with FSR 3 and Fluid Motion Frames at Gamescom.
Maryland-based studio Exis has announced Dragonhold, a multiplayer open-world dragon and melee extraction game coming to PC via Steam. A release date was not announced.
Ironmace Games has said that Dark and Darker cheaters are «a serious priority» and that it will begin taking action.
Dark and Darker classes will now be available for free, meaning players of the Ironmace RPG game can access the Bard and Warlock without spending money. Previously, these two classes were available either through long-term playing or via a real-money purchase. However, in the latest Dark and Darker update, Ironmace says that it is removing this particular microtransaction and will offer refunds to players in the near future. Dark and Darker classes are now all accessible without any expenditure, as we also await the game’s possible return to Steam, and the full Dark and Darker release date.
It's cold and damp in the dungeon, so maybe put on some clothes.
Dark and Darker has a new update, and it's bad news for those that like to run around in their birthday suit.