Dark Half
Get down with your bad selfGenre: rpg - japanese
Publisher: Enix
Year: 1996
System: SFC
Gameplay Score: 4
Gameplay Notes:
Looks and plays like Diablo, but with turn based combat. In other words, isometric movement. Combat is simple but satisfying and well paced. Battles are snappy and as the bad guy you have party members who act on their own, making combat even more simple. Decent menus and leveling and a low encounter rate. The differences between good and bad guy stages adds variety while keeping most of the mechanics similar. I'm not crazy about the steps being limited by a counter (while bad), but you have to kill NPCs to replenish the counter so it forces you to be bad. Pretty cool narrative feature.
Level Design Score: 4
Level Design Notes:
The overworld is linear and barren, offering little to see or explore. Towns are full of NPCs. It's extremely linear but I appreciate the simplicity in this story-driven game.
Theme Score: 5
Theme Notes:
You play as the bad guy. And the good guy. And boy can you be bad! The bad guy is basically Dracula, as you must replenish your magic by stealing people's soul. The people all have dialogue before dying. It's brutal. The world is fittingly sad, scary, and foreboding. This is one of the strongest horror environments in a 16-bit game, right up there with Castlevania, Splatterhouse, and Majuuo.
Art Style Score: 4
Art Style Notes:
Looks like Diablo. Or at least how I think it looked like. The NPCs have a boxy shape that's very unique. The game is dark but there is some excellent pixel art, especially in the interior of the town. Lovely details. Great animations as well.
Audio Score: 4
Audio Notes:
Excellent music that perfectly matches the theme. The good guy music is hopeful while the bad guy music is appropriately sinister. Sound effects are quiet but are great at setting the mood. Creaks and howls further accentuate the spooky theme.
Overall Score: 81
Review ID: 1584
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