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Why I think Dungeonborne is better than Dark & Darker

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Dungeonborne recently launched its open playtest that will run until the end of Steam Next Fest. After trying the demo version, I realized how much better this game is compared to Dark and Darker. Although they contain the same format, genre and settings, let's dig a little deeper into why you should look forward to the release of Dungeonborne.

Although it's literally the same game, Dark and Darker's alpha playtest last year was very poor; a small number of enemies that were almost impossible to kill in some situations, some classes were too strong compared to others, there was very little loot to collect, and the maps were very small compared to Dungeonborne. At its core, Dungeonborne's alpha playtest delivers a lot more.

In my 10 hours of play, it was much easier to get used to Dungeonborne than it was to Dark and Darker. The game is easier to navigate, it's easier to kill enemies, there is a lot more loot to collect and it is quite friendly to newcomers. Dark and Darker's spells, abilities, and passives are less interesting than Dungeonborne's in my opinion. The spells in that game are quite similar to those in Skyrim; simple projectiles of different colors, ranges and damage.

In Dungeonborne, precision in skill usage is crucial; for instance, certain skills take considerable time to activate, making it challenging to play as a mage. Currently, Dark and Darker has more class customization in the form of choosing which passive skills you want to unlock. You unlock them as you progress, but you always have a limited number of slots for them that you can use.

Dungeonborne, on the other hand, doesn't have that. All skills are already an integral part of the class and cannot be changed, which really makes the gameplay itself limited. You unlock passive skills by collecting enough stat points, but you have the same passive skills as everyone else of the same class. Stat points come from gaining levels as well as equipment, so you can be an extremely well-equipped character already at level one with all passive skills unlocked.

Dungeonborne's maps are generally more open. It has much more advanced graphics rendering technology as it uses Unreal Engine 5, while Dark and Darker is still on Unreal Engine 4. This includes global illumination ray tracing, reflections and other more modern technologies. Overall, Dungeonborn has better graphics, but that's definitely a matter of personal opinion and impression.

It should be emphasized that Dungeonborne and Dark and Dark use ready-made assets from the market, in terms of enemies, environments and items, but Dungeonborne has a slightly greater variety of enemies. The artificial intelligence (AI) is generally bad in both cases, however Dungeonborne has a few issues with poor AI tracking so it's very easy to trick monsters and kill them from afar. For example, if you climb something above the ground, enemies will never be able to attack you and will look for ways to get to you.

It should also be noted that Dungeonborne contains various events within the game itself that are more accessible to players, in the sense that the rewards are better and it is easy to solve the given challenges. What you mustn't forget is that you can craft certain things yourself, such as health potions and then put all the valuable gathered items back into your chest so you don't lose them. Interestingly, there is a system that allows you to save at least one item if you happen to die while exploring various maps.

Additionally, Dark and Darker only has a PvPvE gameplay experience, while Dungeonborne has an arena for hardcore PvP battles in its first playtest. Despite the fact that the arena is quite basic, it already provides a lot of fun, offering various rewards such as experience, gold and other things. Dungeonborne also has a surprisingly deep auction system, something Dark and Darker doesn't have. This system is almost like a real little game with full sales analytics.

Overall, Dungeonborne is ahead in many concepts and Quality of Life features, but lags behind in things like optimization (you can literally see through walls) and AI. It also brings with it interesting ways to play, for example, you can throw different potions or turn into a mimic to trick other players, and the UI is also quite easy to use. I feel like Dungeonborne brings enough complexity with gear and stats that it will be easier for players to find a playstyle they like while also being effective.