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How Metascores Are Calculated
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Battlefield 1943
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games. |
In Dark Kingdom, players have loyally served the king, yet have reason to believe he is being corrupted by dark forces. Sensing distrust, the king sends some of his military off to quell an uprising in the barbaric borderlands. After returning home, players find the land a horribly changed place. It is revealed that the king is responsible for torturing and killing many innocent people, and now players must battle through forests, caverns, villages and the palace, all the while betraying the king in order to save the kingdom! Players will choose from one of three unique characters and be able to unlock spells and abilities, as well as collect unique weapons, armor and other items throughout the game. Unique physics-based game mechanics will give the heroes of Dark Kingdom the ability to tear through environments and defeat enemies in all-new ways. Knock enemies against walls and watch them bounce to the ground. Smash through crates, pillars and boxes to clear a way through the environment. Or grab NPCs and use them as living, unwilling weapons. Adventure alone or with your friends with a full range of multiplayer support. [SOE]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 85
Play Magazine
To say that Dark Kingdom is the whole package in its class would be an understatement. [Jan. 2007, p.62]
83
Game Informer
Dark Kingdom isn’t particularly innovative, and it falls prey to a number of RPG clichés, but when it comes to the important things – the hacking and the slashing – it performs admirably.
 78
Gaming Illustrated
The graphics are commendable, but not amazing, the sound is arguably the game’s best quality, and overall, comes as a game that is best suited for fans of games of this nature only.
70
DarkStation
It's a pretty standard action RPG with simple controls and decent action.
70
PGNx Media
It isn’t that Dark Kingdom is broken in any way, but the game lacks the sense of grandeur that can be seen in other next-generation games.
68
Pelit (Finland)
A legend that should have stayed untold. [Feb 2007]
67
Games Master UK
An old-fashioned game that will entertain for a few hours. [Apr 2007, p.66]
67
Play.tm
Early bosses can be defeated by simply standing right in front of them and persistently pressing of the x button.
66
RPG Fan
As with its handheld predecessors, Dark Kingdom is a game that can be enjoyable to hardcore fans of the genre who are willing to overlook its flaws, but probably not to anyone else.
66
Just RPG
While the voice acting isn’t exactly awful, it is a bit disappointing. On the other hand, the score throughout the game is done very well and helps create an entire epic feeling, which fits well with the game.
66
Cheat Code Central
As a fan of the Norrath series, I hope SOE can salvage this mess for future releases because this simply doesn’t cut it, especially on the dawn of the next-gen console race.
65
IGN
If people are looking for a true next gen action RPG experience, they're not going to find it here. Plagued with current gen issues and repetitive combat, Dark Kingdom feels like it was ported over to the PS3 from a pre-existing console.
65
GameZone
A mediocre attempt at furthering a genre that has almost completely stalled in its progress. Thankfully, fans of the genre will continue to feel right at home with Dark Kingdoms, but they will have to suffer through some annoying anomalies to fully enjoy it.
63
Gaming Horizon
Untold Legends sticks to its roots and doesn’t quite feel like it’s made the jump to the next-generation.
61
Gaming Target
Far more action than RPG, and along with a ridiculously linear path and almost no variety in gameplay, even lacking a decent story and highly dumbed-down mechanics, there's not a whole lot to recommend here unless you really, really love the genre and don't mind playing something that doesn't require as much micromanagement while waiting for some legitimate entries on PS3.
60
PSM Magazine
Sixty bucks for this experience is just asking too much. [Jan. 2007, p.84]
60
Games Radar (in-house)
Dark Kingdom has its failings, but it still isn't "bad"; it's just old fashioned and disappointing, especially when compared to modern action RPGs like "Marvel Ultimate Alliance."
60
GameSpot
The role-playing elements are lightweight, and while the combat can be flashy, it's also pretty uncomplicated. It can be fun for a while, but monotony eventually sets in, and you find yourself wondering why this technically modest game is on the PlayStation 3 in the first place.
60
Yahoo! Games
Graphics bump aside, little has changed since we clicked the mouse one million times in "Diablo."
60
GamePro
A shallow and simpleminded title that holds a faint glimmer of fun. There's nothing here that you'd want to play for more than a few minutes, but ironically enough, that qualifies Dark Kingdom as one of the more tolerable PS3 launch games.
60
GameSpy
Granted, the snappy graphics are pretty boss, even in standard definition (and you'll notice a difference if you use an S-Video cable instead of the plain old composites), but that's just not enough to warrant the label next-gen -- not when you've got a machine as powerful as the PS3 flaunting its Cell processor.
60
DailyGame
It does one thing right: it has a ton of hack-and-slash action. Beyond that, it doesn't have many redeeming features. A long list of small bugs, weak role-playing elements and an atrocious camera prevent it from being a worthy purchase.
59
PSM3 Magazine UK
A decent PS3 debut quest, but this by-the-book RPG is nowhere near what we expect from Sony's new machine. [Mar 2007, p.76]
58
PSX Extreme
Everything in place functions okay, but there’s not one single aspect of the game that excels in terms of quality, and there are just too many problems that ultimately cripple the overall package.
57
GameBrink
From the experience of killing bugs, to the last-gen graphics, and the unfinished gameplay I would say skip this one entirely. That is unless you’re an Action RPG freak who has the ability to play online.
56
GameTrailers
The flaws are numerous, even in comparison to other launch games, but if you want to spend a mindless weekend full of fantastical hacking-and-slashing it’s not a terrible choice.
54
Play UK
Old, safe, and completely uninspired, Untold Lgends is only saved from the humiliation of being the worst of the launch games by its plodding competence. [Issue 148, p.86]
52
AtomicGamer
Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom is just plain boring.
50
PSW Magazine UK
At best, it's a simple hack and slasher with an okay Co-op mode, but 10 minutes of play is all it takes to realise how shoddy the action is.
50
Playstation Official Magazine UK
With "Oblivion" looming, Untold Legends' one-noe gameplay feels woefully outdated. [Apr 2007, p.116]
50
Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
Overall, it's a disappointing effort at best, and only recommended if you're a sports-,car-,and gun-allergic PS3 owner grasping for something to play. [Jan. 2007, p.74]
50
TotalPlayStation
So it all boils down to how long you can stand to button mash and devote points to basic character growth, and little else. The storyline never really picks up, your chosen character never becomes interesting, and the gameplay never evolves past the original premise.
50
Pure Magazine UK
Graphical problems and monotonous gameplay make this another lacklustre entry in the franchise. [Apr 2007, p.64]
50
AceGamez
If you take out storytelling and character building, then add in mediocre gameplay, what do you have? A pretty action title that stumbles far more than it struts.
50
VideoGamer
Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom could have got away with some of its shortcomings had it not been on a next-gen console that arrived over a year after its main rival.
47
Electronic Gaming Monthly
If you've already hacked through any of the "Champions of Norrath" or "Baldur's Gate" PS2 games, then you'll find little here to hold your interest. [Jan. 2007, p.80]
40
Eurogamer
It's a game that, like other examples of the genre, is utterly simplistic, and little more than a carefully engineered route down the reward pathway of the player's brain.
40
1UP
To be fair, Dark Kingdom doesn't have any single game-destroying flaw, except perhaps for that murderous bastard camera. It's an average, if occasionally very frustrating example of a genre that's abundantly represented on other platforms.
40
G4 TV
Mind-numbing button mashing with unremarkable stages can only be used to help you forget about the six hundred dollars that you blew on a system to play a game no better than its PSP cousin.
16
Gaming Age
The title feels incomplete with its mix of mediocre graphics and pared down gameplay mechanics. Even die hard hack-and-slash fans will be hard pressed to find enjoyment throughout this launch title.
Shamus M. gave it an8: Alan gave it a7: Ian I. gave it a3: Aaron P. gave it a9: Bil C. gave it a7: Andyman gave it a3: |
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