Darkest Hunters

A fine time killer. Incredibily repetitive and difficult at times. Final boss is the real deal and you may get annoyed beyond imagination.

5/10

The game feels very mobile-ish, as the F2P roots are easy to spot and quite impactful. It is also grindy and repetitive. But sometimes, you need that 3 a.m. McDonald's fries-and-vanilla-shake combo, you know? Catching it on sale makes it an excellent background or loading-screen companion for other games :)

I've given this game a fair shot - 13+ hours. I've completely finished 22 game boards which is very close to 40% of the areas. I'm totally sick of the grinding and lack of challenge. I had 1 legit death from monsters (griffins surrounded me early on when I was weak) and the rest of the deaths were because I was trying to set up triple-kills with one attack (you need to kite the monsters close together, so you take a bunch of attacks while you do that). Maybe it gets harder in the next 60% of the game - or with another of the many characters provided - but the gameplay is, like I said, so grindy and boring that I'm going to have to vote thumb down. I don't know if the multiplayer is fun or not. I just don't care to find out.

I would recommend the game, but on sale. It is not great, not terrible, it's fun for an hour or 3, but after that, you really have seen all it has to offer. I found it a tad on the simple side, yet poorly explained at the same time. I got to the level 12 boss before I died for the first time, and I am not a 'good' player, so I would say the difficulty level is on the low side. Every level is basically a rinse and repeat. You can replay levels as often as you like to get more experience, loot, and gold, so if you get stuck, there is always the option to grind your way up a few levels. I did find the gear sets quite underwhelming. Gear is about as bland as an unsalted cracker. There is basically one set of gear. It will just have the grey colored version, then 4 versions with a little bit of a color accent that indicates added damage/resistance to: fire(red)/ice(blue/poison(green)/electric(yellow). Not hugely creative. Leveling of gear is not in the least bit exciting. Simply collect x number of copies of the same piece of gear and combine them for Y amount of gold. That's it. Nothing fun. No new appearance, just number in the corner to indicate level.
The font in the game is rather annoying. Each letter looks like it was based on the old 3x5 pixel grids. I found myself just clicking past the character dialogue and messages just because I didn't enjoy staring at the 1970's font.
There is no timer, so if you fall asleep, nodding over your keyboard, jump scare yourself awake (rocketing your mouse off the desk in the process) and have to go reassemble the mouse (now where the hell did the battery go?), you won't lose your loot or your progress. Which is a good thing, because the excitement level is low enough that a nod-off is a real possibility.
So in summary, yeah, I think it's worth a buck or so. It does hit a point where a ton of grinding will be needed to progress, so if you are a completionist, you've got a fair chunk of time ahead of you. If you are a filthy casual, like myself, it's worth a couple hours before you hit that grind. I think I paid $.59 for it. Less than what a Twix costs, and won't leave a chocolate stain on the mouse pad.

Just FYI, there are a couple complaints I have seen in other reviews that I did not seem to have the same issues with, so I'll touch on those as far as what I saw. You might not have the same experience. Since two of them seemed graphics based, it could well be issues with graphics settings, resolution, screen size, etc. I can't remember if there were multiple options when I originally launched this, but I played in windowed mode.
Complaint #1 "You can't scroll the board." Yeah, you can. Click and drag the screen. You just can't do it while a gem is selected. To deselect, just backtrack back to your character portrait and release the mouse button. The limitation is you can not scroll your character's board position off the screen, you can only move the map as far as the character icon will go without going off screen.
Complaint #2 "You can't see the whole board." Yeah, you can. It is the parchment scroll looking icon in the bottom right corner. It opens up a sepia toned overview of the entire board. It only shows specific tiles that you have already uncovered on the play board, but will show the overall size and shape of the board as well as those revealed tiles. It does not show enemies.
Complaint #3 "I couldn't start the next level." There is a star requirement to advance levels. You can complete a non-boss level without earning any stars, by simply jumping in the first door you see, but that seldom grants stars. Just beating the previous level does not necessarily grant you access to the next one. However, the stars earned are cumulative and do not reset. If you missed a star or 2 on the first run, you can go back and just focus on those objectives, you don't have to get a 'perfect run' in one go. 1 star in first run, 3 stars in second run, 2 stars in 3rd run? You can keep them all.

Thinly veiled mobile skinnerbox transplant with nigh on impossible pay to win choakpoints. Good concept though.

Middling-quality mobile game port that can't shake its past trappings:

• Text cues were copied directly from the mobile version, referencing "tapping", "diamonds", and "speed up" even though you're now on M+KB and diamonds and timers have been removed.
  
• Even though diamond rewards have been replaced with extra coins, various prices throughout the game were never scaled and are still set at high points to incentivize no longer available microtransactions.
  
• Screen panning and control mechanics are still built for multi-input touch displays, leaving overall control clunky.
  
• Overall writing quality is mediocre with multiple errors common to non-English writers writing in English.
  
[*]Extremely repetitive gameplay elements meant to incentivize skipping via microtransactions, such as merging duplicate gear items to increase strength, still exist.

Worthless. No challenge, no interest, just boredom. A mobile game balanced around forcing you to wait for things; for this version, they removed the waiting, but didn't bother re-balancing or even changing the in-game messages talking about the waiting that they removed. Likewise, they didn't even bother updating the control scheme; it's all left-mouse-button based, so opening menus is done via an awkward click-and-hold that would be better done on this platform with some other gesture.

There's nothing wrong with the core concept. A decent game could probably be developed using these core mechanics. But as with all other aspects, this game just doesn't bother. Maybe you'll take a chance on it because it's marked down to less than a dollar, but you shouldn't.

I paid 64 cents and played this game for 3 hours, so I suppose I got my money's worth. And it was fun for those 3 hours. I have been addicted to Gems of War and thought this would be similar. It isn't really, but that is not a bad thing. You only match gems to move and collect gold, as well as creating more powerful gems with 5-plus matches. I like the concept.

Before I stopped playing, I only found 2 things I disliked. The first is there is no point in choosing different characters. They are all the same in the game. Every character has magic, a bow, and a melee weapon. The only differences are the portraits and the stories for the characters. There are 13 characters, each with a somewhat long explanation and backstory. If the dev had cut that to, say 4, characters and made them different in skills and playstyles, the game would be a lot better. As it is, I feel the dev wasted time creating 13 characters that all play the same way.

The second flaw is the camera. It is quite zoomed in and you cannot zoom out or pan the camera. So if you want to create combos, you have to be very careful to only match gems that are within the limits of the screen. You cannot scroll at all. This is probably because it is a mobile port, but it would have been nice if the dev had taken the time to create some quality of life changes.

But those reasons are not why I quit and uninstalled the game. I quit because the game is broken. I completed levels 1- 8, getting full stars on each, but level 9 did not open. I checked and rechecked and I did not make a mistake or miss anything. The game just has a bug that blocks progression.

Do not waste your money, not even 64 cents.

Despite being a small and cute indie game it's too slow-paced, repetitive and monotonous.

The problem is how to move around the map. The maps became larger, but the gameplay on them does not change from the first time, you just repeat the same thing over and over again, with no special abilities or obstacles to make movement less monotonous.

tl;dr: Mobile game disguised as a pc title.








I don't want to write this negative review, since there are titles like bejeweled out there that are pc titles...
But, unlike bejeweled, the control scheme is hard, because it didn't transition well from mobile.

The Mobile leftovers

• The camera
  The fact that the camera doesn't zoom in on the gem-line im about to do. Which means, that if you try to hit more than 4 gems in a row, good luck clicking the 5th when the camera stays put in place. Literally impossible to do anything "advanced", or hit a lot of gems in 1 turn, because you are stuck seeing only the adjacent gems to you...
  This legit makes the game frustrating and not fun, since I legit feel i am being handicapped because of the awful camera.
  
  And ofc, you can move the camera, but only with mouse, so ofc, you cannot move it while matching the gems... Instead of WASD or arrow keys... This legit feels like a rushed port and this very disadvantage is the reason I'm writing this review, since it's essentially a match-3 game, and you cannot match-3 sometimes, wtf?!
  
• The UI
  Some windows overlap others.... Which means sometimes you have to press buttons that you cannot even see...
  
[*]The Font
I'm sure this would have worked in mobile, but reading ANY text, makes my eyes hurt... It has been a while since i played a game that does this...

Rather complicated genre of gem matching game plus rpg dungeon adventuring.
Mission tasks based across a large map.
Overly extensive library of different sets of equipment items and spells.

Large map of node stages, each with its own criteria in obtaining three stars.
Crucial in micromanaging the elements and improving equips to match each stages' tasks and difficulties.

Coarse graphics.
Travelling long distances can be tedious with mouse clicks.
Costs for leveling equips gets overly pricey.
Bugs regards to few portals are last stage of Furious Boss.

Long Grind for those who have patience, for coins, loot chests and equips leveling.


Larger than I expected of a low priced game.
Playable.

Delightfully addictivethis unique game offers the puzzle lover an interesting challenge. I would definitely reccomend it!

This is a "match symbols to fill up meters" and "hit bland monsters until they or you die" game. By this description, I hope you understand, how uninteresting everything is. The levels are bland, the animations are bland, the spells and equipment pieces are bland, it's just not fun. Shame, because it could have been a nice cheap game. But like this, it just feels uninspired. By no means bad or a scam or anything. Just bland.

Follow my curator at https://store.steampowered.com/curator/28337205-Fair-Minded-Witness/

This game could be interesting if its RPG elements were more fleshed out. But there's no story, all characters play the same, light and heavy armors play the same, all melee weapons play the same...

Then remains only the puzzle elements, and they're very, very basic. And repetitive.

In the end, I got bored with only one hour of playtime. Not worth even on sale.

I have to say - for as cheap as it goes thats a really nice rogue-like connect-3 game - I don't know how the grinding aspect will end up eventually, but after 5 hours the game is nice - paid less than for you mum's services, about 3 Euros, go grab it, boys and girls.

Just waaay too boring. I've tried to give it a chance but there's nothing that makes me want to come back and play again.

I like matching games, and on the surface it looks like a match X type, but it isn't really, the matching up just charges your health/mana/fighting ability. Controls are a bit clunkly too, for example where you could get a huge run of matches but the screen doesn't scroll when you hit the edges, or when you want to undo your "match line" you have to retrace everything rather than hit ESC or suchlike to be able to start drawing the line again.

Unfortunately, I can't recommend this game. It seemed like it had an interesting premise and mechanics, and was on sale for only $3.59, but ultimately I felt that it wasn't challenging enough to hold my attention. It also appears that despite having a reasonably large selection of characters, they all function the same, have the same stats, story, and skills - it's purely a cosmetic choice for your icon.

Darkest Hunters could have been a brilliant adventure based puzzle rpg, if only devs cared to raise their ambition a notch.

On the paper it all works and sounds appealing : leveling with points, tons of loot, elemental equipements and mobs, a journey through regions of the chaotic world, gold and shops, upgrades, and a tiles combo system for more spectacular fights!
Doesn't it ring a bell?
Yet even with the greatest model, DH stopped at the minimum requirement of the genre : a grid, rewards, and move along.

The first fights are quite nice, you discover how to make combo, you learn to analyze the enemies in order to equip your hero according to their weakness. And the next fight after that. And the third... Aaaand eventually the fights (if not for some bosses) fall into a boring chore because the mobs simply never make a difference without their Elemental tag. They don't even use the grid like the player, they just rush right at you and attack, which makes them not only generic, but easy to lure into combo traps. Why not implementing enemies that are buffed when side by side? Or give them ability to bump us? Or to transform after x turns we first hit them? Or absorb each other to evolve etc... ? That would make the fights more exciting and strategic.
Now some mobs have actual powers like make you blind, or freeze tiles, but that's about how original it will get.

The loot is one popular feature nowadays, and as a big fan of Borderlands, I can tell it gets efficiently addictive. But 90% of items will never be equipped anyway because they are just underleveled trash meant to be sold, or way too expensive to upgrade for their stats. So why not replacing them by actual "trash" so we don't bother to take a look?
I'd rather have fewer items to loot, but with highly contrasted stats. Perhaps even have several bags to sort things out! Like a Fire bag, a Poison bag etc. So you can easely swap between your sets depending on the situation.
That said, I appreciated the "full set" bonus you gain when you have all parts of a particular armor.

Now, about the story! I know grid games aren't the best at story telling, but since devs left notes into dungeons, enemies descriptions and heros written profiles, where the hell is the background?? DH does so little to catch us into its "adventures" that we can't care much. Where are the random events that force you into a "save the village! Extinguish fire" mission, or something very much like Darkest Dungeon ("shops closed today because [...]" etc). Things that actually bring life to the whole thing (if it ever exist)! There are no npc in dungeons, no sub-quests neither. You can't even dialog with sellers or villagers! And it's frustrating for a game calling himself a mix of "RPG"...

Next up : the dungeons. They aren't RNG based, they don't have traps, multikeys door, rotating walls mechanism, or floors. Really poor efforts have been placed into the level design. It's like the rest, generic.
Did I mention the single song for all the game?? It will eventually make you crazy unless you disable it within the options and throw some youtube fantasy playlist instead!

I have yet to finish the game, but i'm pretty sure I wont be surprised by its content until then.
Yet the game has a good combo system, an easy but efficient elemental management, the quests are entertaining sorta, and the art is not bad.
But it lacks of ambition, like a started project that was released at the third of its developement.
Pick it only on sales, it will keep you busy before an appointement, or during rainy days. Or you could get Puzzle Quest and enjoy the best formula.

While this does feel like a ported mobile game, it has a good bit of quality to it. It can be very challenging, especially if you are trying to complete all the challenges for each level. If you liked Puzzle Quest or just puzzle games in general, give this a shot.

Darkest Hunters is a fantasy puzzle R.P.G. developed by ECC GAMES, Ultimate Games S.A. and published by Ultimate Games S.A.. Are you prepared for a grand adventure to battle viscious monsters and find glorious loot? Then don your armor, take up a sword and ready yourself for battle. As a member of the Hunters only you can defeat the Lord Of Darkness and save the land from evil. Are you up to the challenge? This is a wonderful title that any fan of the puzzle/match 3 genre, like me, should take a close look at.

Fans of the match 3 genre will feel right at home with this title. On the battlefield there are four different types of gems such as green for health replenishment, red for attack points, blue for mana points and of course gold for coins. The gameplay is simple in that you connect gems of the same color up, down, left, right and diagonally. You need to link as many of them as you can in order to power up your characters abilities, keep you healthy and collect gold. If you manage to chain together a high enough number of gems then you create a special powered gem that when touched can destroy an entire row or even a whole section of the battlefield around you. This can deal massive damage to enemies within range as well so there can be a bit of strategy involved especially when you confront a boss or find yourself surrounded by hostiles. There is also a variety of weapons and armor, over 250 items, available to purchase or loot so finding something to suit your playstyle is easily managed be that mage, ranger or warrior. Many of the items that you accquire, gear-wise, are also upgradeable so if you find useful gear that you would like to keep then you can further improve the statistics of said items and your characters proficiency with them. As far as adventuring goes, brace yourself for a long campaign as there are over 300 quests to complete in the game. Also, as you journey through the land and fight enemies you will come across chests laden with loot in the form of weapons, armor, trinkets and gold as well as finding notes scattered about in various locations which delve further into the lore of the world as it relates to the Hunters and the Lord Of Darkness. In summary, Puzzle Quest will always remain the benchmark title in this genre for me and as far as gameplay goes, this game tries to capture some of the magic that the title has yet falls short in my opinion...good attempt though.

Visually, I'm a big fan of the graphical style of this title as I love pixel art and it also really gives the game an "old-school" nostalgic feel. The colors are bright, beautiful and really do a wonderful job of bringing the fantasy theme of the title to life. The sound quality is also good especially when it comes to battles and the soundtrack does it's job however I didn't find any of the tracks particularly memorable. Darkest Hunters is just a really pretty title...if you love pixel art games but is lacking slightly in the sound department. In short, the overall presentation of the title is good and will provide you with hours of puzzle-based entertainment.

Puzzle Quest is without a doubt one of my favorite titles and it's been awhile since anything even remotely close to that game has come out so I was very glad to see Darkest Hunters arrive. I'm enjoying my time playing this title and look forward to spending more hours doing so. Sometimes you need a game in your library that you can pick up, play casually and just have quick fun with and this is indeed one of those titles. Fair warning though as it CAN be challenging but as I stated earlier alot of fun to play. As far as options go, there is a multiplayer mode and Steam Achievements but currently no Steam Trading Cards to collect. In conclusion, while Darkest Hunters is not nearly as fun and refined as Puzzle Quest it is RECOMMENDED to puzzle, fantasy adventure and match-3 fans alike.

Fun, Match 3 style (without having to match 3)... little strategy, little luck, easy to start and play...

it's worth the small price, and it has very low system requirements as well as being only a few megabytes in size...