I'm tempted to give it a much lower score, but in all honesty it's a little bit below average. I followed it for 5 years, beta tested it, subscribed and then canceled after a month. The original idea was brilliant, unfortunately Aventurine and Tasos are idiots. It would have been an awesome game if they would have included 10% of what they promised, instead they released a bare bones prototype and charged the highest price in mmo gaming history. In the hands of anyone but these idiots the game could have been in the top 10.… Expand

This is a great game that still needs some polishing, is brutal to those that are new to hardcore PVP, and is not for the faint of heart. If you are used to having your hand held and a medal awarded for every act you accomplish this is not your game. If your willing to invest the time with a guild and learn the ropes under fire then this just may be for you. Solo play for this game is not recommended but can work for you if you are really quick on your feet. I personally do not see many solo players for to long. Safety in numbers is the name of this game.… Expand

I give this game an 8/10. I love the game, its got all the elements a true MMORPG gamer could want, but it has the potential to do so much more. I still have faith in Aventurine to accomplish all their dreams/goals for this game, but they need time and most of the players understand that. Eagerly awaiting the next and all subsequent patches.

Great concept that had me eager for years but was poorly implemented and policing was even poorer. Wandering the world I found many people who didn't respond to anything... just fired spells into space until you killed them. This quickly lead to people who were obscenely powerful just days after the game came out, keeping down players who weren't them. The botting killed this game for me within a week.… Expand

Anyone who reviews it like its the next WoW clone is a fucking carebear fag that needs to STFU never had more fun in my life then when i do defending my clans former city.

Game needs some polishing much like any other mmo but thers nothing like it in the market. Great team/alliance baseed play. Its got p[olitics, building/harvestine, war in small and large scales. game is amazing.

Its obviously that Eurogamer is an amateur to review games atleast. I mean they didnt even play the game. The game is getting better and better for every patch that comes.

This game is the epitome of potential, and I have to say that given the current state of MMO's this is probably the most passionate and talented development team to date. This game was not designed for the feint of heart.

While still not having enough features and toys to play with, Darkfall has more potential than any other MMO out there. They have created a seamless world that is a joy to explore

A refreshingly original take on a genre inundated with 'WOW-clones' - the no-holds-barred PVP is a bit too much for 'soft' mainstream gamers... which will lead you to love it or hate it. Easily the best PVP MMO on the market right now, and only getting better with age.

Excellent, excellent MMORPG! I have tried everything from Meridian, EQ, EQ2, AO, WoW, AoC, UO, TR, etc, etc, etc... None of them even begin to compare to how fun and involving this game is. Full loot PVP, and an amazingly huge, open world. This is what you have been waiting for!

No other game like it, abseloutely cutthroat. The starting mobs on this game will own half of the WoW playerbase. Not for new gamers.

Graphics: + Beautiful world; no repetition, even after walking for hours. + Awesome Night and Day graphics + Scales wonderfully (200v200 runs like a charm on my laptop) + Dynamic soft shadows + Allows fine control of all options (down to setting the number of dynamic lights as an actual number) - Sometimes not bad models - Animations sometimes bad (though they're being improved) - Technicaly outdated for year 2009 While the graphics aren't perfect, the scalability of the engine combined with how amazing the game can look at times still surprise me sometimes. While watching beta videos might leave a player wondering how anyone could play a game with such horrible animations, they have been improved in more than one patch recently. Overall, Darkfall strikes a good balance between graphical quality and accessibility on older machines. Score: 7 Sound: + Music is atmospheric and doesn't distract from the game (or Ventrillo chatter) + Combat is heard before it is seen. - In large battles, the sound of 512 players' footsteps being played at once is maddening. - Volume control broken on Windows XP Sound is an area that has relieved mixed comments. I personally like the sound when I'm venturing around by myself or in a small party, but it can get quite annoying in larger confrontations. Adding to the sound's issues, the game's Volume Control is based around the Vista scheme: it assumes that each program has its own separate volume setting in system options, and attempts to lower that. For XP users, this means that muting Darkfall's sound will mute all of your sound, including important things like Ventrillo. Score: 5 Balance: I agree with this from the OP, so I'll just leave it here. Strangely, the topic that was barely raised in Darkfall, due to nature of a game and skillbased progression system. Everything feels quite balanced, polearms were claimed to be OP and few other minor things; but from my assessment there REALLY wasn't any serious balancing issues, and the minor that were were fixed really fast. The only "balance" issue would be people who raised their rigor due to exploit, but that's about it. PvE is fine. Even best PvPer in best armor stocked with pots e.t.c can be taken down by few naked people if they know their game, although it wouldn't be easy. Score: 9 Atmosphere: + World design: No copy-pasting and retexturing + Politics similar to EVE, except that limited city locations lead to more necessity for conflict. + Gameworld matches up to the lore + Music complements the atmosphere - Playerbase sometimes hostile to newcomers. Score: 10 Operation: + Flexible UI + UI minimalism helps immersion N UI learning curve N Lack of plugins - Chat Interface - Journal and Clan page interfaces Darkfall's UI is perhaps the best out-of-the box UI I've worked with, ever. It has a rather steep learning curve, but Race chat should be willing to answer any questions you have about it. Windows can be moved to any location on the screen, given custom transparencies, and pinned / unpinned from the combat HUD. Once you get everything set up how you want it, there is a sense of satisfaction - you created that. Later, if you decide you'd rather have it organized differently, you can simply move your windows around in a few mouse clicks. Unlike other games there is no need (and no availability) for third-party plug-ins. Right-clicking to switch between the full UI and the combat HUD is a wonderful flashback to Morrowind, and while it takes a little getting used to, it feels quite intuitive after a couple of hours. The journal and clan pages use a somewhat clunky web-based interface - it takes just a little while longer to load that I would like, and are generally two of the things that receives across-the-board negative reception. Thankfully, you won't need to be using them very often. The chat system is another common complaint. Chat is split into "tabs" - /race, /racealliance, /party, /clan, /clanalliance, /say, tells, and more recently, /trade. They can be selected by clicking them, or by pressing enter and using Ctrl+Tab to cycle tabs. What the chat system lacks is a way to integrate multiple tabs into one meta-tab; it can get annoying to constantly have to cycle through chat channels to view new messages. Most clans use Ventrillo as a primary means of communication for this reason. Score: 7 Scope: + HUGE world + Seamless and non-repetitive terrain + player built cities + naval warfare + mounted combat + Sandbox 'Goals' Score: 10 Quests: Quests are... there. They reference the lore rather often, especially after the first few starter quests, but overall are nothing special. Then again, Darkfall is a PvP-focused game, and quests aren't really all that central to its quality at all. Most people don't bother progressing far into the quest lines. Score: 4 Character System: + Skill based development - Most players at the moment have focused on the easy / fast route (melee + archery), so there's less diversification than some would like. Good, but it could offer more potential for diversification, but that will come with time. EVE's progression was quite simplistic at first as well. Score: 8 Combat System: + twitch based melee combat + fps aim for archery and magery + mounted combat + naval combat + big and massive pvp encounters + player skill and character skill both matter + "Real-world" stealth - no invisibility. ++ Full Loot! N Some players report unplayable framerates in massive (500 v 500) battles, but any newer computer should be able to handle it. - latency (not a big deal for most) - Players opting for the easy route in skilling up make battles less unique than they could be with more diversification Ranged combat in Darkfall is a blast, both attacking and dodging projectiles. Hitting your target comes down almost entirely to your (player) skill with he bow, or with the spell you're firing. Melee also requires skill, mostly at dodging the other player's attacks while hitting them with your own. It may start to seem a little repetitive at times though - most players currently use a two-handed melee weapon and a bow, as there is far less cost in gaining these skills than higher magics. With a little more diversification, combat would be flawless. Also, there is no invisibility stealth, and camouflaged (i.e. leather or cloth) / non-shiny armors won't help you slip out of sight after you've been spotted, but there are definate stealth elements to the game. Since everybody's camera is fixed to their character's eyes (or a short distance behind the character with a drawn melee weapon) in most cases (exceptions = mounted and resting), you can pretty easily move up on a target undetected if you stay out of their line of sight and more quietly. From behind isn't much of an issue, you just crouchwalk up on them, utilizing terrain to stay out of view just in case. Approaching from the front is near impossible, so you can use the terrain to circle around a target, shoot him with arrows (get him surrounded for best effect, there's nothing like getting suddenly peppered with arrows from multiple directions), or wait for him to walk by. There is a lot of quick thinking and player skill involved in moving undetected. Score: 9 Items: + Player - Driven economy + Items are replaceable + Variance across items of the same type related to crafter + Game doesn't come down to gear, gear only helps tilt the balance. - crafting large numbers of items can be a chore, needs a "Craft All" button Darkfall is not another item-based game, thankfully. It couldn't be, when you lose everything you're carrying on death. Items do, on the other hand, help to skew the odds in your favor - you'll hit harder with a rank 40 sword than a rank 0 one, but not by too much. Players can craft 90% of the items in the game, with most of the rest being crafting tools, player-gathered resources, or mob-specific types of armor (which are uniformly worse than similar armors when made by crafters). A major gripe, however, is that it takes too long to craft large numbers of items. Personally, I feel that the time investment itself is not an issue; the issue is that the player must manually click the "create" button once for each item he or she intends to make, then wait until that one is done and repeat. Score: 7 Overall: graphics: 7 sound: 5 balance: 9 atmosphere: 10 operation: 7 scope: 10 quests: 4 character system: 8 combat system: 9 items: 7 With even weights: 76 / 100 Personally I'd round it up to an eight on a 10 point scale. Also keep in mind that my scale is weighted with 50% (5) being average.… Expand

This is truly one of the worst MMO's you could play, having played/endured it for 2 months in the hope it might get some content/gameplay added, I would highly recommend saving your money wait for some true reviews to appear (not the user vote spamming from DFO forum Fanboys on here in order to falsify the score) or just skip it altogether and wait for Mortal Online or something.

Game which has no redeeming features aside form full loot and world pvp. It sports one of the most horrible skills and resources grinds, one the most broken and incomplete UI on top of very laggy and often crashing servers. I do not even mention the non existent content. Awfull combat and skill system which has no room for variety or skill Only good quality is world which is interesting to explore.… Expand

Not really a good game to play overall. The PvE doesn't meet todays standards, the PvP is ok but isn't what it should be (spam mouse1 and circle a player?), the crafting system is basically stand at a tree for an hour, you say that for just about every single skill in the game too, and the world is just empty as can be of life.

pros: - intense pvp fights - full loot - innovative use of 3d sounds - skill based character development - very unique playing experience cons: - early 2000 style graphics - crappy gui - needs lots and lots of balancing - crappy pve (few spawns, stupid ai, expoitable mobs, drops need balancing) - inadequate communication from developers, bad cs, purchasing options are still not clear, homepage does not reflect the state of the game - big skill gap between early starters and new players due to old exploits that have been fixed and balancing issues - half of the promised features are not yet implemented - game is really in a beta stage.… Expand

This game is not for you. I'm not sure who it is for, but it is not for you. This is made clear by the devs who have make it virtually impossible to actually buy the game. Mechanics are dated and clunky. Graphics are dated. The artwork is generic fantasy fluff. Bah! Beta was enough for me.

I have been playing DFO since release and it is easily the best MMO out right now. I read the review given by eurogamer and there is no way they played the same game I pay for.

Darkfall, the best concept ever created but to be honest, it had the worst pvp ever. No skill cap, makes the game unfriendly for anyone who starts the game now. Ridiculous grind in everyway. The only really good things in DFO was somewhat beatiful world and I really liked the pve.

This is a great game for those who know what they are looking for. Full loot MMO in non instanced world, with FPS elements, and clan warfare/politics. The game is becoming better every week since the company is patching actively to improve gameplay and balance. People might complain it's "too hard" - and they might be right. This is not a ride in a theme-park type of game. But once you get the hang of it, the rewards are incredible. Better than anything you would get from WoW(and I have played wow at a very high level) or similar games.… Expand

Not good enough to be anything more than a 6. The game is half-finished and needs work. If they ever deliver it will be a 9/10 in my book, but right now it's no better than a 6.

Darkfall is a great PvP and GvG game. The player has complete freedom to play his character as he/she wishes. The lack of auto-targeting is a great enhancement to PvP MMOs increasing the player skill required to be successful. Button mashing will not win fights in DF. Bugs still need to be worked out. Game performance is increasing every patch. Overall, the game concept is a 10/10 and the actual mechanics just need polishing which is happening every day. As of the end of beta, Darkfall was 6/10 and improving.… Expand

This game is not worth a monthly subscription of ANY amount, and certainly not worth $52 or so to buy. While it is clearly a labor of love (The entire world is hand-made, and detailed), it doesn't save itself from a sloppy interface, cumbersome controls and a community about as welcoming and helpful as a pit of snakes. While things do get better many hours into the game when you get a better handle on what's going on, they only become tolerable, not good. Avoid this one.… Expand

Summarized nicely by users Marcus J and H S. My problems are antiquated graphics, no 64 bit platform support, shoddy animations, unbalanced magic classes, a grind that would give EvE a run for its money, worst customer relations for any mmo * a month without a new update for example *, inane travel options with nothing to bridge the world together, pointless ship mechanics, pointless personal housing, and a quickly fading server population in short are all the problems with this below-mediocre game. Good luck staying afloat Aventurine you will certainly need it.… Expand

This is the second coming of Ultima Online. If you enjoyed UO, you will love this game! The developer support for the game is tremendous and it will continue to evolve.

Darkfall is a PvP oriented sandbox MMORPG, based in real-time combat system (like Oblivion). Developer is Aventurine S.A., a small independent greek company. The game has gone retail only in Greece, as no official publisher has announced a worldwide retail version for up to date. Thus, the game is sold online through DarkfallOnline.com. Basic details In Darkfall, players can choose from 6 races: Humans, Dwarves, Mirdain (Elves), Orks, Mahirims (Werewolves) and Alfars (Night Elves). The game has an open world where PvP is allowed anywhere outside NPC city limits. Graphics have a realistic appearance, with handmade buildings and beautiful looking ships. Character models lack anti-aliasing, while the sound itself is ok with some environmental sounds missing. Gameplay The gameplay is the strong part of the game. An open world means that you can actually move your character to dive into water or climb any mountain. Combat system is balanced, as there are no levels. Players only improve their skills from a 1-100 range. When they reach 50 and 75 in Melee and Archery masteries, they can buy new skills. Plus, when their magic skills reach 25, 50 and 75, they can unlock new magic schools and buy magic efficiency upgrades. In general, Melee, Archery and Magic combat can be combined all together as there are no limits on how to battle, cast spells or heal. Besides the open PvP, Darkfall is also a crafting based game, as all basic in-game items are crafted by players themselves. Differences between races only have to do with unique skills. For example, Dwarves can have durability bonuses to their items, Alfars and Humans can increase their maximum mana, Orks can increase their maximum health etc. A.I. of all mobs is also high, plus there are no clues of where mobs are hiding, which means players have to trust browser-based maps like the famous yourmom map (http://feylines.net/yourmom/compatible.aspx) to be able to find their desired farming spots and city locations. Darkfall combines three genres in one: MMORPG, First-Person Shooter and Strategy. Camera is permanently in third-person view, but it switches to first-person when a staff or bow is equipped. Strategy elements only exist in Player Cities, where Generals can build buildings, upgrade them or build cannons. Clans and Sieges Darkfall Online has two servers, European and US, both holding up to 10.000 players on each. There are about 100 player cities which can be captured by Clans. Sieges can take part in any time, 22 hours after the attacking clan has declared a siege. Battles are vast, with hundreads of players fighting all together. This also causes some server lag in certain areas. By collecting a vast amount of resources, players can create Ships Warhulks and Artillieries, which they can use in sieges to take advantage of their firepower. Naval battles usually take place during sieges or sea fortress sieges (Sea fortresses are captures temporarily for some days). Ships differ from small boats with 1-3 cannons, to huge frigates with dozens of cannons and floors on them. During battles, players can use cannons to fire, cast spells, swim across the enemy ship or dive and fight in the open sea. Closing comments With the largest and non-instanced world that has ever been created, Darkfall is perhaps the most competitive next-gen MMORPG. The fact that it’s based in a real-time combat system, the crafting opportunities and the hundreads of spells that players can learn, simply make it non-ending, thus providing an excellent gameplay experience. Grinding and server performances are the negative issues, but not something to worry about. Darkfall Online, so if you prefer a PvP oriented MMO then you should definitely try it.… Expand

PvP is what this game is about. It is not about grinding all your Skills (No Levels) to the max. A skilled first day player can kill an unskilled max character. It is not about gathering pixils, weapons, armor and such. Sure they help but a nakid player can kill a fully geared player. It's about Politics, Intrigue, conquering the world, building an empire, defending an empire and probably re-building said empire. Yes its a new game, some of the features promised are not in, yet. The GUI is clunky and not very user friendly. The controls are FPS style WASD with a hotbar for fast switching and using skills and or items. Graphics are nothing to rave about, I rate them with Vanguards. There are some weird anomalies with the graphics, such as seems in the world, where between server lines you can see light that should not be there. The community are a bunch of pricks, but I love em!… Expand

A diamond in the rough, darkfall Online is the kind of game many have been wanting for a long time. it is still needs work on the UI, tweaks to skilling and combat, and features that haven't made it to release. Still in its infancy, many changes and improvements are anticipated over the first months (like in any MMO) Empire building, politics, large scale war, FPS combat, and free will are the basics of this game. This game is declared a Niche game, not meant for the average "theme-park" gamer. User discretion is advised! Overall it is a good game, IF you are the right type of gamer.… Expand

It's a game filled with badly designed systems trying to pass out as a "hardcore tittle for hardcore public". You really have to be hardcore to enjoy Darkfall, S&M hardcore.

+2 for somewhat exciting small-scale skirmishes between groups of players. -8 for everything else. Graphics would have been acceptable 5 years ago, not today. User interface is the worst I've seen in any game, and after 2 months of playing, fumbling around with switching/unsheathing weapons remains frustrating. While it is technically possible to play solo, the risks and difficulty and lack of fun doing so FAR outweigh any sort of benefit. City design is terrible. Enemies were able to breach my clan city's walls in numerous places. Flame thrower defenses were positioned poorly and could not hit the path leading to our gate it was meant to protect. In short, the entire game feels like it was designed by amateurs... Amateurs bad at making good decisions.… Expand

This game in its current form is a solid 7/10 for the pure and simple reality that's its not finished. Only a few times in my online gaming carrier, which spans ten years, have I felt the blood pumping excitement in PvP that this game provides. This game is far from being polished but with every patch the atmosphere and technical improvements are on the rise.

Darkfall is not a typical MMORPG. It mixes the fast paced combat of an FPS with an RPG setting. You can roam around and can find small scale fights or get involved in massive battles. While the game started of with bugs and flaws none of those stand out compared to any other MMORPG launch. Devs are actively developing the game and the game improves continuously. Duels, Sieges, Naval Battle ... if you want PvP action in a world inhabited by thousands then this is THE game to get.… Expand

This game is not for everyone and it was developed as such. You will see low ratings from players whom like the ease of having the game play itself for you and the brainless thinking of mmorpg gaming is heading towards thanks to WoW.

It aint perfect but it's the second skill based game I've played and the first sandbox - the potential is great and the devs do a hell of a good job in getting the game better on a weekly basis. You can enjoy the game from day one (after getting used to controls and UI, which can take up to 2 hours if you don't read the manual that you have to close before you can start playing) and never feel useless - it factors the group aspect as well as the lone ranger aspect since both can be successful. I intend to stay for a while.… Expand

The game completes what it set out to do well. FFA PVP. Its a difficult game to get used to. Especialy if your used to games like WoW or Everquest since they are focused on die rolls modified by stats. Sound is a bit... low tech. Controls, at first, can be clunky but are a nice fit once you move some of the keys around. It is difficult to start but once things get going and you have a few friends or a guild to fall back on in case someone causes problems things get better.… Expand

Having played this game for over a month which is about a month more than the Eurogamer reviewer Ed Zitron did. Ths game is not without its issues but to rate this game a 20 is pure sign of irresponsible journalism. First off you need to understand that DFO does just about everything differently than most of your traditional MMO's. That being said there are bound to be issues with having to deal with new interface and control styles and of course you might not like them but like anything, given substantial playing time, you grow use to it and it becomes quite intuitive. The Combat is nothing special as it is a virtual run around trying to whack your opponent using the left mouse button. The AI of the mobs is a bit suspect as there movements are quite bizzare but like everything else in this game, you get used to it. The graphics are good but not up to par with what todays games usually demonstrate or what todays crop of video cards can handle. Overall this games biggest problem would be real lack of any substantial content. The quests are rather redundant and quite boring which only leaves the pvp part of the game and that will wear on you fast. Overall i would give this game a 6 and would recommend buying this game in a few months after it has had time to grow.… Expand

Great potential, awful release but once your in its a great experience and takes you back to those loved Ultima Online days.

The graphics in the game are far from great with the UI and controls slightly more clunky than other MMOs. But the combat system has far more appeal than the click and stick systems employed by other games. The aiming of archery and magic is certainly a step in the right direction for MMOs as well as the large seemless world with a vast amount of opportunities. I think this game is good and has potential but a larger developer could easily take some of the systems employed here and impliment them better with better graphics and controls. This may hurt the potential future of the game but is unlikely to happen for a long time!… Expand

I agree with the Eurogamer review, but only in so much as the instabilities allowed to actually play it. The review however makes no mention of the sheer potential of the depth the game offers. Given another two years of development, it is clear to see that it could easily be one of the most complex and rivetting MMO's available. But today, tomorrow and the day after, it's just a joke of a product.… Expand

Niche game. not for everyone..when you play 1-2 weeks and get used to it , it will show its potential. Only drawback is its not so for single playing as the world is hostile and needs organization in terms of party/guilds alliances to have access to alot of elements of the game but isnt this the case for every mmo?

Darkfall is a game which I waited for with much anticipation for about 9 months. After furiously refreshing the accounts page and getting into the game early it quickly became apparent that the discontent voiced by most of the Beta testers was well founded. The combat system is dull and clunky, instead of using a system where and ability can be used instantly by pressing the hotkey, abilities have to be 'pre loaded' and then used. This awkward system forces the use of macros to speed up combat. A serious lack of variety of abilities means that players usually end up in a circle strafe spamming their mouse buttons. The game world is huge and well made, but it's content feels rushed (it is almost completely empty). In short, if you are the type of player that enjoys a game where individual player skill, reaction times, aiming and strategy really matter I could not recommend Darkfall, however if you want a large scale guild orientated pvp mmorpg then Darkfall may be for you. For me, the game should have had at least 6 months more development before release, maybe more. And it is hard for me to believe that after 7 years of work on part of the developers this is all they came up with.… Expand

I played this game for a few weeks, hoping that it would be this generation's Ultima Online. I find the WoW model of MMOs to be too fluffy, too restrictive, and too raid/PvE based for my tastes, and was looking forward to a game that allows the player base to shape the course of the game. The sad reality is that Darkfall is not that game. Every MMO has its technical issues when it comes to server stability, but the issues with DFO run deeper than that. I would happily sacrifice WoW's level of polish for a proper sandbox MMO, but Darkfall isn't an unpolished gem - it plays as just as shoddy as it looks, more like a pre-dev project than a finished product. Hugely disappointing.… Expand

Starting with the outdated website to purchase the game to the poorly written code, this game is hands down the worst MMO to hit the market since D&L. Community is mostly made of hardcore wannabes and macro users. Dont waste your cash on this one, take that $50 bill and blow your nose with it, at lest you will get some use out of it. Eurogamers review was generous IMO. STAY AWAY, Nothing to see here folks.… Expand

Pong with a new skin and you get the depth of gameplay in Darkfall. Grinding endlessly is the only way to compete. I am trying to get my euros back but their customer service is non-existent, like the fun in darkfall.

Bad designed, no content, hackers, macroing everywhere, skill system is a infinite non-fun grind, loot system exploited by naked zergs, melee combat simple and unfun, no customisation, hard as hell to buy, way to expensive for so low amount of content and quality, anoying UI, lag on big fights, bugs, exploits, skills give a huge advantage ad all the people that eploited the new rape the new players same thing happens with the macroers. You cant solo play you have to join a big clan or else you get destroyed. You have to macro or everyone else and his mother will kill you because of the great advantage skill gives. Worst MMORPG i was ever since the realise was the worst and the game lacks everything that a MMORPG is. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.… Expand

Does this game have potential.......Yes it does, but potential does not a good game make. This game was without question released way to early. Slowly Aventurine is beginning to add the content to this game that should have been there at launch. This game is still far from finished and it certainly lacks polish in the User Interface. My advice would be to hold off for a few more months and see where the game goes. In defense of ED zittron, when he reviewed the game, his comments were very much true. As of now AV have improved the game somewhat but there is much more to go. The game in its current state is very much playable though with recent patches preventing exploits, newbies will find that they are way behind the power curve with a much steeper climb to catchup.… Expand

Half developed pile of crap. Not ready for release and probably just short few months until it closes. Worst community of inbred degenerates on the internet. If we ordered the userbase of DF to death it would only improve our gene pool.

We have seen unfinished or broken games released on the market over the last 7-8 years, but we have never seen one this broken and this unfinished. Worst part is the lead Developer THINKS his product is top quality, when the game is rudementary in all aspects. The FPS element of the game is a joke. It cannot even compete with 5 year old FPS games and there is absolutly no real mmorpg elements in the game. They are just shells of what one would normally expect.… Expand

Game is stable for me, and fun. Has a ton of potential to be great. Every week they make it better. Not for everyone though.

This game is somewhere between a 6 and 7 in its current state. They definitely did not deliver on their promises, and the gameplay could be MUCH more engaging. BUT, the Eurogamer reviewer is full of crap. It was proved, by logs, that he played for a grand total of 2 hours. Most of it was spent in character creation. He only played a few minutes at a time. 90% of his complaints are completely...false. Completely. The entire review is a joke.… Expand

The game is completely brilliant and one of a kind. There are flaws though, but considering that it is in such an early stage of its development, its nothing that worries me. Huge weekly patches correct the things people complain about and it gives hope for the future. Now there is just PvE, sounds and UI left to be done.

Great game, great concept. More games should adapt the full pvp;full loot ruleset, it is awesome.

I think the Eurogamer review was absolutely atrocious, unprofessional, and it's obvious he did not even try to become familiar with the game. Yes, the first 2 hours or so (which is as much as he played), is rough, but once you figure out the controls it becomes quite easy to maneuver around and get in fights, and the game quickly becomes a blast. Shame on Eurogamer for being so unprofessional. I give it an 8 because there is a lot of room for improvement, but for a game at this stage after launch, I think it's been doing excellent.… Expand

The game has a depth that certainly cannot be determined in 2.5 or 9 hours, depending on which story you believe of the Eurogamer drama. Yes , it should come as no surprise that the game is vastly different than most games on the market, and yet, this is what Aventurine has been planning for years, and they have suceeded quite well. Combat with mobs is downright fantastic. When a mob hides behind a tree as I try to shoot him, then pops out and hits me melee when I get closer, I cannot help but be impressed. Combat with players is incomparable. Contrary to the many reports of "Combat is nothing more than circle strafe and mana missiles" there is a great deal of PLAYER skill involved with the combat. Tactics and strategy are necessary to win fights in this game, and quite frankly, I love it. The social structure in the game is still on its way to being developed, and it shows a great deal of promise, though in this area only time will tell. Yes there are areas where the game lacks some, hence my 9 instead of a 10. However that being said, the changes that Aventurine have made have all been in the right direction, and they respond to problems and issues with a great deal of quickness. This game is not for everyone, as you have to be ok with losing all your hard work in a random encounter, but quite frankly, without that risk, the game wouldnt be nearly as fun. I cannot personaly recall the last time prior to this game that I truely found myself on the edge of my seat, holding my breath, waiting for a fight to finish.… Expand

What I like - Mixture between oblivion style combat and EVE online political intrigue - Beautiful (though graphically outdated) handcrafted world - Game can handle several hundred players fighting each other with good framerate (google siege videos) - Game has player initiated naval combat (google brigintine videos) - Complete control over your character, no dice rolls determining hit or miss and no auto aiming What I didn't like - Lack of solo play - Grind for crafting is tedius - Some issues with equipping/unequipping bows and staves - Interface, while functional, is slightly clunky (it will remind you of planetside, only you have to use your right-click interface frequently) Personally, I'm enjoying darkfall a lot but I'm a 2 year EVE veteran and I've been waiting for an oblivion-esque mmo, so I'm a good fit for this glove. The controls are going to remind you of an FPS rather than a traditional MMO, so go in with that attitude and you will pick it up faster. A perfect game for someone already familar with FFA sandbox's, or anyone wanting a truly free play experience that can handle not having their hand held.… Expand

Darkfall is the fantasy based answer to CCP's EVE Online. It provides an open gaming environment that allows the player base to shape the game world. The combination of FPS style combat with an RPG is a refreshing change of pace from many of the current crop of MMO's on the market.

Full Loot old school PvP MMO, striving to bring back the good old times of Ultima Online thrill, danger and adrenaline. While it is not very user friendly, in my opinion its a very addictive game which is clearly aimed at the hardcore crowd. - Rough gem of a game, that needs a little more polishing.

As a hardcore pvper i must say this is an actual heaven for me. Sure it has its problems since it comes from an indie company and not a multy milion dollar giant. But the pvp core of the game is there . It needs time so this rough diamond can shine . But even at this state ppl should try it. And by ppl i mean those who loved UO and shadowbane. if you are a Wow, Lotr, Aoc. warhammer player do not and i mean it, do not even think of trying this game. Its not for you.… Expand

Excellent but extremely punishing free for all pvp game. With a completely open world and full looting it's a real throwback to MMOs of old. It's well supported with patches and updates.

A breath of fresh air into the MMO market. Bar none the best PvP MMO I've played since EverQuest launched Sullon Zek.

The pve needs work, Ive yet to explore any dungeon type enviroments. I have found a few dragons though. The pvp is fast and furious and for the first time in late 90s, early 2000s I have a sense of risk vs reward.

I have played this game quite a bit, hoping the entire time that it would live up to what was promised if I just played a little more and explored. It did not. There are many, many features that these developers said were already in the game that were nowhere to be found, and there is no evidence to suggest that they ever existed at all. The combat is poorly implemented and uninspiring. It has a somewhat FPS feel to it, but the controls are both sluggish and too responsive at the same time. Players can turn on a dime as fast as they can move their mouse, and it makes combat less skilled and more random. The quest system is utter garbage. Every single one I found was a lame kill task. The cities are nearly devoid of NPC's. The world itself has planty of attractive visuals, but unfortunately it is empty and often doesn't make sense. There are buildings and interesting things all over the place without any reason for being there, and with no monsters or other inhabitants. You can run for 15 minute stretches at a time without encountering another palyer or an NPC. You will encounter lots of resource nodes, however. Movement from place to place is just plain awful. If you have a job, you'd better cash in your vacation time if you want to go anywhere in this game. It is simply the worst travel system I have ever seen in any MMO. The monster AI is a complete mess. The mobs use the same tactics over and over, not too different from other MMO's, but in this case it is simply annoying. This is easily remedied by just glitching the mobs and then farming to your hearts content. The vaunted siege system is just utter garbage. The towns themselves are cookie-cutter things that have really no customization ability. I could go on, but all in all this game was crap. If this is what these people have to show for 8 odd years of development, then they deserve to go out of business. Avoid it at all cost, it is a waste of time and money.… Expand

I played the free trial of this game. Even after release many of the bugs during this period were still around. This is by far one of the worst games I have played. It's subpar in almost every respect and should be avoided at all costs. I think it's great the developers tried to break off from the normal. However, this was clearly a mistake on there part if they are inexperienced or cannot provide even basics and depth to the entire game. From horrible bugs to patches that cause problems to the point a server wipe is neede darkfall has them all!… Expand

This game was everything I was looking for in an MMO, Full loot pvp, Large scale battles, politics, FPS play, and skill based mechanics.

This is a game liveing in the past its got pvp with very bad systems the same sytem a game made 10 years ago uses! ui is very very bad! very buggy game and a hell of alot of hackers in game also the only way to buy this game is through a forum post!

Its an Awesome game. you have to risk everything everytime. you create the story though politics with other players, sieges are huge and if you can play them (cause there are huge amount of players) cause that need a hardcore pc (or lower graphics etc) then you will realize that you havent experienced anything alike. need some work on many aspects but still Aventurine deliveres many patches and everything seems stable and smoother than ever. definitely must try it!… Expand

I was following this game 1 year since we'll playing. This game is really really good for the loot, the pvp system, the exploration, the political system, etc. If you like the ultima online, the gameplay against the graphics this is your game.

Great game - some parts have to be improved but overall the game depth is awesome if you like PvP and pure Adrenaline.

A fantastic game on paper but any enjoyment is quickly drained by bad controls, bugs, an empty world, shallow gameplay, exploiters and an unhelpful community.

After playing this game for 3 months I can easily say that this is one of the BEST games I have ever played. There are still balance issues and some other frustrating bugs but this is the first time in a long time that I have enjoyed myself this much.

unfinished, horrifically bad controls, nightmarish website and billing setup, and very poor customer service. Gameplay is clunky and the information available is very missleading.

I've been playing DF since release so for over 4 months now. I enjoy the game very much. It is aimed at long term player development and I find the pvp highly enjoyable. The first "free expansion" is due out tomorrow and i'm hoping it only gets more fun from here.

Brutal. UI is like something from a Quake 1 mod. Combat is dance of bunny hoping, and macro run scripts. World is totally barren and bland with zero atmosphere. Only thing it has going is its "sandbox" feel. Im a hardcore UO vet, and this game looks like it came out about 5 months after UO. Pure trash,

I have played almost all the major MMORPG's since 1998, and I have to say that after trying to get on with this for a week, it's absolutely appalling - it's like an amatuer attempt at writing an online game. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

I have been playing DFO for a week and I can say it is possibly the worst designed game I can recall. Totally full of bugs, glitches, hackers, afk macroers, & LAG,LAG,LAG! Total amateur job.

The game is certainly not without its flaws, but definately worth at least a try. Overall gameplay is fun beyond the initial grind, with its unique loot system, skill based leveling, and overall giant difference between traditional MMOs and Darkfall. If you haven't looked into the game, you really have no business buying it.

Macroing, hate it personally. Bunny hopping, strafing, hit your pals in the back. Most definitely not the game for me. Another in the line of games that got released a bit too early. The only positive point i can really post about the game is that the pvp is open. Enjoyable, not really...but open pvp nonetheless. I could not recommend this game to a friend with a straight face, regardless of how warped he might be. This game leaves most of us to continue waiting for the pvp game to scratch our itch.… Expand

Good game if you are in for the long haul. If you are looking for something to play for a month or two look else where. If you are looking for a game to play for 6+ months, you love PvP, and you enjoy long term character development this is the place to be.

This game takes a while to get used to, but is incredibly enjoyable. Although there seems to be more grind than you can measure, the pvp combat is thrilling. The variety that is available in the skills and combat trees is amazing and the world is varied and complex. The size is immense and every moment can be spent exploring new places or fighting familiar foes both player and npc alike.

Darkfall is not a game for those who do not enjoy long term charater and gameplay development, who do not enjoy pvp or actuall consequences to their actions. if you do... try darkfall, chances re you'll ike it.

While definitely not the most polished game I have, it is by FAR the most fun I have had since the first month of EQ rallos zek(back when it was full loot) Is it a grind? yes Is it buggy? yes Do I get pissed off when 2 hours of work goes down the drain because someone killed me? Yes If you would have asked me to rate the game one month ago I would have given it a 5 but now that the politics are in full swing I have to give it a 8. The feeling that the large scale wars provide can not be matched by any other game for me. Rolling up with 120 people in boats and just murdering another clan, knowing you destroyed hours of their hard work. This can not be matched in any other fantasy game currently. (I do not like scifi or flying spaceships so EVE does not compare for me).… Expand

Unfinished game wich has the potential to be the best ffa-pvp mmo ever made, and is the best of his kind on the market right now.

Overall, Darkfall is a relatively awesome game. It has many faults after two months after release, but it is still being refined as it goes, and the possibilities for the game are more than enough to keep me paying, even with the game lacking a handful of things. Eurogamer's initial review by Ed Zitron, however, is quite unfair, seeing as how based on server logs, he hardly played enough of the game to even realize he could hotkey weapons for faster weapon-switching. His review is a joke, and in my opinion, heavily biased against Darkfall. Reviewers like Ed shouldn't bother reviewing a game like Darkfall if they don't intend to give it a thorough review. (And even without server logs, certain statements Ed made obviously showed that he didn't spend 9 hours of in-game gameplay. The weapon-switching hotkeying as one example. Anyone playing 9 hours worth of actual INGAME playtime would have realized that.) I give Darkfall a 9, due to the current gameplay added with its potential.… Expand

Definitely a niche title for those who like "consequence" gaming. Character models and animations are relatively simple. Weapon models look quite good, and are uncommonly creative. Environment is graphically impressive, and the large world has many interesting and hand-crafted locations to explore. UI works quite well for its purpose, although there's a slight hint of "wheel-reinvention" in places (e.g. rotating a model 360 degrees during character creation is done with a slider instead of the conventional click-and-drag on the model). Keyboard controls do have rare moments of slow-responsiveness. All hotkeys may be rebound. Very large group pvp (150+) is functionally and graphically smoother than any other game in the genre that I have played.… Expand

I have been playing Darkfall since release and I'm completely addicted. There are slight flaws in the game just like any other new release mmo but AV has been making great patches constantly to remedy all issues. There are no games on the market that even compare to the hardcore playstyle this game offers. Just wandering around in the wilderness leaves you on edge listening to the sounds around you in case someone may be sneaking close by. I'm not a typical game fanboi but Darkfall has everything I am looking for. Risk vs reward. You can lose everything you've worked days for or gain everything from one great fight. Everyone must use actual battle tactics to offset friendly fire and watching shield blockers running ahead of archers in massive raid combat is just exhilarating. Everyone that wants a hardcore sandbox game should play darkfall. You'll see me on very day for at least 5 hours.… Expand

I love playing this game. Many times I've thought "What would I want my perfect mmorpg to be like?", and Darkfall epitomizes my ideas. No player levels, skills get better as you use those particular skills, player cities and towns, kill a mob and take his weapon instead of going "I see it in his hand right there, why can't I just reach down and grab it?", and player aiming instead of character aiming. This is not be the game for everyone, but it's definitely close to my ideal game.… Expand

Best MMO I've played however there are still issues to be resolved. It's hard to tell until we get more patches but if they keep down the road they have been this will be a new benchmark in MMO standards. Would have given an 8 if it was not so hard to buy and the many issues during the first month.

Nothing out there has this feature list. This is a game for players who like difficulty, a nice fresh breath from a genre filled with much-too-easy gaming.

This game fills a niche market that has been void since UO, pre-tram, but makes it much better.

I think the CORE of this game is awesome but it still has some room to sharpen things up. The developers seem to be on task and they listien to what the players want and usually have weekly updates. I would like to see more NPC's in towns and also wild life around the world to give it some life. I would also like to see weather, I think that would add to the game. In my eyes though, this game will only get better!… Expand

At minimum I can’t think of any MMO I would rather being playing and at best I can only think of one game in my entire gaming life that might be marginally better and have been playing rpgs for more than 20 years.

This game is total fresh of breath air on the MMO scene due to it's Hardcore nature of PvP. Which can be very rewarding or very frustrating (in a good way). It teaches you to be cautious, travel in numbers and to be wary of certain parts of the world/guilds. If you Die in Darkfall you stand to loose everything you ventured out with so lessons are learnt quickly. The combat isn't your typical one click, it's more like an FPS than anything else as every sword swipe or mana missile needs to be aimed and timed correctly to achieve success on the battleground. Nearly 90% of in game items now are user made so the Economy is vital to the games success, even mounts are created by the user through a taming skill. Given only a few months this game has been released, it's seen huge updates to balance the game and improve it for the users (me included) and I hope they continue to do these major overhauls to keep the game's community thriving. Disregard Eurogamers review as he doesn't have even a few days experience in this game, I'd go on MMORPG and check out the 60 day review which sheds more light on the game. Is it worth checking out now? Maybe.. if you've loved Ultima Online for the same feeling of looting someones gear or loosing your own Darkfall will appeal to you. Those wanting a rounded experience with bug free environments and battles, I'd suggest you hold your cash for now and give it a few more updates. The Majority of issues have been fixed though, only small bugs remain.… Expand

Great PvP game. Graphics are good, sounds and effects are solid, and the tense gameplay is something no other game creates as of now. Good work Adventurine!

Best sandbox PVP game out there. Fun PVP, Good community, worthy of investigation by anyone who likes the mmo genre.

Please do not take Eurogamer review into account, the reviewer spent barely 2 hours ingame and hated the game before playing. A lot of people love this game.

I have played this game since March 5, it has one of the steepest learning curves I have ever seen but is well worth the effort to learn. It is shameful that Aventurine has been damaged by the sad rantings of an immature loser who didn't make an honest attempt to play the game...

Excellent game and would recommend to everyone who enjoys PvP or a FPS style MMO. It is excellent with many features. Getting started takes a little time, but the initial investment is well worth it.