Darkstone

"DarkStone does what it should for a game that costs $9.99."

I’m a big fan of the Action/RPG genre, and played games like Baldur’s Gate and Diablo to no end. So when I saw DarkStone on the shelves at my local Electrons Boutique at an attractive price ($9.99), I naturally went ahead and bought it. I remember reading about a PC version of the game, which was highly acclaimed for it’s awesome team system, and decent online play over GameSpy Arcade.

My first impression of DarkStone was that it was going to be a great game. It started out with an awesome opening cut scene, and then went to an awesome character creation screen. Naturally excited, I went ahead and began the actual game.

The gameplay in DarkStone is nothing special, but does have some nice unique features yet before seen in an Action/RPG, such as upgrading weapons, having multiple character skills, as well as a wide variety of spells. I was a bit upset to find out that the dual character system was taken out, because I was really looking forward to going all out with two characters. Just like a lot of other Action/RPGs, you have a choice of classes at the beginning, (eight to be exact) and go through the whole game with the character you chose. Then you pick one of two quest slots; there are minor differences between the two. Other than that though, there is really nothing new about the gameplay in DarkStone, and more-less mirrors that of Diablo.

The graphics are something people expect highly out of RPGs. The FMVs in the game were beautiful, but don’t expect Final Fantasy IX. I was pleased to know that the graphics were pretty decent, although a bit blurry and unclear at times. Sure it doesn’t compare to the likes of Diablo, Final Fantasy, or Grandia; but hey? What more can you expect from an Action/RPG that costs $9.99?

The music was very impressive in this game, there’s even a beautiful song in the game made by the Australian artist, Audrey. The usual battle music was very nice and clear, although the sounds of spells, attacks, and monsters were kind of off. There is also quite a number of glitches in the game, and some of them can get quite annoying. So while the SFX in the game may not be the best, the music can easily make up for that and give you a truly wonderful audio experience.

Well, I think that pretty much covers the basics of the game, now how about a little insight on the story line DarkStone offers? The story line could have been done much better. Pretty much there’s one main story line with a few side story lines. The main story line features a Necromancer, Draak, who can turn into a dragon and lay chaos upon the world. The story is pretty cliched if I do say so myself. The side stories are mildly interestingly, but it’s not enough to say that the story in DarkStone is above average.

I always love going through my old games a few times before I officially retire them to my shelf. So how is DarkStone in the replay value section? Well, easily answered, it’s average. Sure, I went through the game with a few different character classes, but it’s not like Diablo II or Baldur’s Gate. I do admit though, the replay value in DarkStone is much better than other Action/RPGs available on the PSX market.

How about a challenge? Well, look no further. Sure the game does not have a lot of strong points, but you will definitely have a nice challenge going through this game. Unlike the classic Diablo, DarkStone actually requires you to think when you attack. The many varieties of enemies require you to find weaknesses, and some even require a brief weapon change. This is by far one of better things DarkStone offers.

Last, but not least, I’ll talk about the fun factor. Let’s face it, why do people buy games? To have fun of course! This is probably the most important thing about a game, and without a high fun factor, the game will surely fail. Let me assure you that DarkStone is no Grand Theft Auto 3, but it is still a very fun game to play. Solving quests, casting spells, and just plain attacking enemies with a variety of weapons may not sound like fun to most, but let me assure you that it definitely can be, and DarkStone is a perfect example of that.

Well, I think it’s about time I go to the section most people jump right to anyway: the scores.

Gameplay 7/10
Story Line 6/10
Graphics 7/10
Sound 9/10
Fun Factor 8/10
Replay Value 7/10

A score will be given on the pros and cons in the game, this score will be called the Tilt. If there are more pros than the Tilt will be high, if there are more cons, than expect the score to be low. This will help achieve a more accurate final rating.

Victory Is Within Your Grasp!
+ Awesome Music
+ Nice Looking Spells
+ Easy To Learn
+ Nice Fun Factor Level
+ Nice Variety Of Enemies
+ Nicely Told Side Stories
+ Good Range Of Character Classes
+ Good Range Of Weapons
+ Camera Is Self Adjusting
+ Very Good Price Tag

What Command Would You Like To Use? (Neutrals)
O Very Little Difference Between Male & Female Characters

Quickly, You Need To Rest!
- Very Annoying Audio Glitches
- Cliched Story Line
- Dual Characters Were Taken Out
- Gameplay Mimics That Of Other Action/RPGs
- All Characters Have The Same Spell
- Very Little FMVs
- Annoying Loading Times
- Dungeons Are Often Very Hard To Escape From
- Requires 6 Blocks Of Memory To Save

Final Tilt Score 9/10

DarkStone will either be a hit or miss for most people, but it does what it’s suppose to do for a game that has a price tag of $9.99. Sure, there is a lot of things going against the game, but in the end run DarkStone will give you one of the best Action/RPG experiences the Playstation has to offer. So, for a good hack and slash game, look no further than DarkStone.

Overall Final Grade For DarkStone 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/17/01, Updated 01/30/03