Dark Legends: Blood, Gore, and a Whole Lot More
By: Vincent Haoson, OnRPG Journalist
Vampires, vampires, vampires! The world seems to have this eerie fascination with the walking, blood-sucking creatures of the night. These mythical creatures have been seen on almost every media available and up till now the world (or at least I am and a few of my RL friends) is still reeling from the latest monstrosity that is Twilight.
Thankfully, we are spared of the highly romanticized vampires with Dark Legends. This multiplatform game from Spacetime Studios puts you in the shoes of a recently turned vampire, trying to live through a world where humanity are not just mere food, but a race that knows how to fight back against the vampire race.
Gameplay
Dark Legends plays along the lines of a mixed mobile game that adheres to a myriad of gameplay styles found in other mobile/browser and flash/text-based games. You have the repeatable actions where your character merely does one thing and you have the instanced maps where you get to control your character through NPC mobs. Also each action, may it be doing a quest or going through an instance requires you to spend action points, which are often found in other flash/text-based games.
The control scheme adheres to its mobile version where you have clickable buttons for skills and for normal attacks. If you’re playing on Chrome, the control scheme is still the same with the exception of character movement relegated to the A,W,S, and D keys since the mobile version’s controls are either through the touch screen or through the virtual joystick most games have.
You have the option of playing the game on your android device, Chrome browser or iOS device (which is in fact a recent update) the only difference in the platform is that there are limitations when you play the game while on your mobile device.
Skills and Sucking Down Blood
Dark Legends’ gore factor is surprisingly high. You see limbs, blood and brain matter fly everywhere whenever you go through an instance. However, you won’t get to enjoy it especially since the game’s 3D is chunky and pretty low-end considering the visual quality of games these days.
Your character progresses and grows stronger through leveling up. You get stat point increments per level while unlocking skills as you gain a notch. Major stats boosts are earned through equipment in the form of gems or gem-like items that are titled similarly to items from Diablo.
Your equipment and weapons can be acquired either by purchasing them through the in-game store or from mob drops that occasionally fall as you plow through the hordes.
Socialization
Dark Legends’ other major aspect is the socialization features ingrained in the game. You have the option of going through an instanced dungeon solo or you can invite or join in other people who are running through the game. The game also has a friend list system in place where you can save and contact other players through private messaging. The game even informs you when a friend goes online or not.
The game also has a “player hub” where you can mingle with other players in real time. This hub is also home to visual representation of the various in-game customizations the game allows you to do.
The game features a basic PvP system as well. You can either go head to head with another player in the hub itself or you can join in the arena matches where you are part of a team trying to dominate the opposing team in a free-for-all.
Conclusion
Overall, I must say that Dark Legends is a great time sink. While graphics-wise the game needs an overhaul, the simplistic gameplay added with tons of socialization features would make you come back to it time and time again. It doesn’t hurt that you can play the game on both your mobile device and PC but since I currently don’t own either an android or a iOS device I really can’t give my comment on the game on that perspective.
The other thing I appreciated with Dark Legends is that the game tries to balance the advantages those who buy premium items receive with those who just play the game for free. Similar to F2P games that have the micro transaction business model, most of the in-game “cash” items are vanity items with the exception of some weapons. However players who won’t spend a dime on the game can still acquire cash-based weapons as long as your luck holds out.
In a nutshell, while the game’s visuals would take time to stomach, Dark Legends is one of those Vampire-themed games made for those players looking for more blood than sparkle in their vampires.
Pros
Solid Gameplay
You can play on both your PC and your mobile device (android/iOS)
Cons
Dated visuals
“Glamouring” is something you need to get used to
Lag issues are very relevant if you have high ping, especially during PvP
Graphics – 1/5
Controls – 4/5
Features – 4/5
Customization – 2/5
Community – 3/5
