Darkstone

Darkstone isn't a bad game, it's just that the Playstation port is a bit of a cop-out. When playing Darkstone it is so painfully and conspicuously a *port* that it is impossible to shake the feeling that something isn't quite right with it. It plays like a PC RPG that has been gutted to fit into the console format and all of the things that make RPGs so expansive on the PC were missing in the ported version.

The town you begin the adventure in is lifeless and shallow with only a few stores and virtually no NPC interaction. The world beyond the town is broken up into self-contained areas each structured in exactly the same way: a square-shaped overworld with an artificial and obvious ring of trees around the perimeter to "fence off" the section. The overworld itself is a vast field of empty space, save for one dungeon entrance and one other structure of some kind where you must perform a small quest for whoever lives there. Once you have cleared an area the next one opens up...

Blizzard's 1997 smash PC hit Diablo took the gaming community by storm, creating one of the most popular game franchises of all time. In an effort to cash in on the success of the Diablo formula, Delphine Software Interactive has released Darkstone for the PlayStation. While it may not have originally been planned for the bargain bin, Darkstone has a retail price of just under $10, making what would otherwise be an unremarkable title reasonably attractive to prospective game shoppers.

Most good RPGs have a strong foundation in character generation and advancement. Darkstone lets you take on the role of a warrior, thief, wizard, or priest, with alternate male or female versions of each class also available. Each character class has its strengths and weaknesses in the traits of strength, vitality, dexterity, and magic, and after creation, these traits are fully customizable to suit your individual style of play. Darkstone uses the familiar conventions of life, mana, and hunger,...

THE GOOD:
Great replay value, multiple character classes, unlockable bonus features, excellent music and sound.

THE BAD:
Chintzy graphics

SUMMARY:
Even though I like to refer to Darkstone as "Poor Man's Diablo", it's nevertheless a very fun and addictive game.

Darkstone allows for RPG-caliber gameplay time, because players won't be finishing this game in a week before they forget about it. With the wide array of missions and difficulty levels, it promises more entertainment value than the ten dollars most people have probably spent on it from the Bargain Bin.

The music is well-composed, and doesn't end up getting on your nerves because it's actually instrumental and atmospheric as opposed to the irritating twang of synthesized background sound. Another suprising factor was the Darkstone song that even has its own music video, which is unlockable by successfully finishing the game once.

The replay value...

THE GOOD:
A challenging RPG/Adventure game, that's for sure! The battle plan is a no brainer, but it makes that up for being difficult. To master Dark Stone, you will have to level up a lot, because bosses aren't what I would exactly call easy.

THE BAD:
The voice acting is obnoxious. The limitations to item holding. The amount of memory blocks Dark Stone takes up. The music is a little flat. And the sound effects aren't the best either.

SUMMARY:
But let's face the facts. Dark Stone isn't a bad game at all, and it is worthy of an RPG/Adventure game. Sure, it won't revolutionalize the way games are, but it is a game RPG fans should look into. Also, this game will probably only speak to the hardcore RPG gamers. Still, if you are interested, it doesn't hurt to check it out.

THE GOOD:
U R able to get more than 8 heroes.The magic is the best i have ever seen.

THE BAD:
U can not find it nowere

SUMMARY:
The Wizard is the best.He is able to get all the magic and the master's sward.There are also a few cheats.I have found magic Weapons that make the game worth playing and buying.It is a great game all around.
I give it FIVE STARS.If u get this game and need help look me up @ cmcjk aol.com.

THE GOOD:
Interesting gameplay, decent storyline

THE BAD:
Lack of NPC interaction, limited environments, not much customization

SUMMARY:
As far as games like it during its time, Darkstone was pretty decent. It had its flaws, like all games, but overall was enjoyable.


Each time you started a new game, the quests you would have to undertake were randomized from a relatively small list. This added a some replay value, along with the various levels of difficulty that could be undertaken. Once a character was created and gained levels, higher difficulties were unlocked.

The class list was limited, but was accented by the different items throughout the game and the way they worked with the classes.

Overall, I did enjoy this game. If I had a chance to play it again, it would probably go ahead and pick it up.

Also, the Playstation disc doubles as a CD that you can play the soundtrack with.

THE GOOD:
Large weapon variety and decent spells. Plus, the Skills really helped. And the fact that you choose which stat you want to raise. Random quests arrangments boost the replay value. And don't forget the Elixers of Youth.

THE BAD:
Graphics were really chalky and pixelly, the music was too short, the sound effects weren't that great, storyline was kinda pathetic and the quests were a little too easy and got repetitive. I didn't quite like the aging system because then your characters can grow old, weaken and eventually die!

SUMMARY:
One thing I didn't like was that the PSX version had none of the features that the PC one did, like being able to create and control two characters, playing online, and the sidequests. Nonetheless, Darkstone's a decent action/RPG game that will tide my over 'till I get Dark Age of Camelot working again...

THE GOOD:
It's only 10 dollars .Cool music .Nice variety of characters .Characters are very custumizable .

THE BAD:
Graphics aren't too good .Story line isn't told good .It gets boreing quick .Sound isn't good .

SUMMARY:
You get what you pay for best describes this game .Although it is only $10 it has many problems .The biggest is that it is hard to stay intrested in the game .When a character levels up you can choose which stats to raise so you can make a character who really fits your style .Overall the game isn't really worth it .It would be a better investment to put the $10 to a greatest hits game .