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The game deliberately leaves you with more questions than answers, and I imagine this is done to emulate the hazy feelings we get when we dream and how we struggle to understand what it all means once we wake up.Īs you help Lloyd navigate the strange world, you get to bend the laws of physics by walking on walls and ceilings, an action which shifts the camera's orientation and can sometimes move objects in the environment.
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You’ll run into many things that simply leave their meaning up to interpretation, such as lampshade enemies wielding pistols or empty hospital beds and wheelchairs. Storytelling in DARQ is entirely wordless, forgoing dialogue and names while depending on the creepy atmosphere and visual set dressing to do the heavy lifting. You play as Lloyd, a boy who is trapped inside an unsettling lucid dream, and your goal is to help him wake up - though you wouldn’t know this information unless you read the game’s description. The launch of DARQ: Ultimate Edition brings all these extra pieces of the game together in a single polished edition, and if you haven’t played it yet, this is the perfect time to give this mysterious, spooky story a try. And over the years, Unfold Games has created more content to enjoy, releasing two additional DLCs - The Tower and The Crypt - as well as a 60-page graphic novel, a must-read tale that answers all your burning questions about the game’s characters and ending.
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DARQ has solidified itself as a memorable title in the horror puzzler genre, winning many awards and captivating players with its nightmarish dream world, excellent sound design, and creative puzzles. My first experience playing DARQ was its 2019 debut, a short yet haunting three-hour experience that left me wanting more, and in 2023, I can definitely say that the game is still as fun and delightfully strange as it was then. Reviews // 24th Mar 2023 - 2 months ago // By Alyssa Rochelle Payne DARQ: Ultimate Edition Review
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