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Dark and Darker

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Dark and Darker
Developer(s)Ironmace
Publisher(s)Ironmace
EngineUnreal Engine 5[1]
Platform(s)
ReleaseAugust 7, 2023 (early access)
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Dark and Darker is a multiplayer dark fantasy video game developed by South Korean studio IRONMACE.[2] The game was released into early access on August 7, 2023.[3]

Gameplay

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Dark and Darker is a first-person hybrid between a dungeon crawler and a role-playing game with a dark medieval fantasy setting.[4] The game blends elements from role-playing systems such as Dungeons & Dragons,[5] roguelikes, and multiplayer video games such as DayZ, and has been described[by whom?] as belonging to the "extraction" subgenre of battle royales.[6]

Players can select one of nine character classes (fighter, barbarian, rogue, ranger, wizard, cleric, bard, warlock, and druid).[5][7] The game features PvPvE (player versus player versus environment) gameplay,[8] where players engage in combat against monsters to obtain valuable items while remaining vigilant against potential threats from other players. The environment gradually becomes more dangerous, eventually killing all remaining players who have not escaped the playable area. Surviving a match allows players to extract loot for use in future matches. If the player is killed, they lose all of their possessions and equipment.[4] If the player successfully navigates through the dungeon and survives, they can store their acquired loot in a designated storage area for future use or potential sale. The game allows players to exchange items amongst themselves using in-game currency or other valuable items.[9]

Several updates during the early access phase of the game have introduced new features, including a marketplace for selling/buying in-game items, gear-based matchmaking to balance PvP interactions, a religion system that grants in-dungeon bonuses, and multiclassing.[10]

Release

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A demo of Dark and Darker was first released in February 2023 as an alpha playtest during Steam Next Fest.[11] Developer Ironmace expected the game to release into early access in April or May, with a full launch in Q4. However, that release was delayed on May 9 due to a legal dispute with Nexon.[12]

The game was released into early access on August 7, 2023 through Chaf Games and Ironmace's own website.[13] Later that month, the developer announced the game would be coming to mobile devices through a deal with PUBG Mobile-maker Krafton.[14]

On January 4, 2024, the Game Rating and Administration Committee rated Dark and Darker as 19+ rating.[15] In March 2024, Ironmace announced that Dark and Darker would release on the Epic Game Store.[16]

In June 2024, the game added free-to-play accounts, though players can upgrade to a paid account to unlock more features and exclusive items.[17] Steam users have criticized this free to play option, calling it a demo.[18]

[edit]

On February 16, 2023, it was reported the South Korean video game company Nexon alleged that Dark and Darker had similarities to an ongoing development of a game that was tentatively titled as P3 internally. It alleged that P3 assets were leaked onto an external server by developer Ju-Hyun Choi (also known as SDF on The Dark and Darker Discord), project team leader for P3 and the latter suggested to their teammates to quit Nexon and work on a game similar to P3.[19][20] Choi was fired in August 2021, and was part of half of the 20-member P3 project team who would subsequently join Ironmace. Ironmace was founded in October 2021 by Terence Park Seung-ha (also known as Terence[21][22][unreliable source?] on the Dark and Darker Discord), who was also a member of the P3 project team.[23][24] Since the disbandment of the P3 development team, the core of the development work was reworked into another tentatively titled game, P7.[24] Ironmace denied the allegations, stating that the game genre could not be copyrighted and the game was created from ground up using Unreal Engine assets and handmade code.[25]

On March 8, 2023, the police raided Ironmace's office in Seongnam, in search of evidence over the allegations.[24][26] On March 24, 2023, Nexon issued a cease and desist notice to Ironmace to pause development of Dark and Darker in relation to the allegations.[2] On March 26, 2023, the game was delisted from the Steam online game store after Nexon filed a DMCA notice.[27]

However, on April 14, 2023, Ironmace announced its fifth public playtest of the game, with the game and subsequent patches distributed through BitTorrent links instead of Steam.[25] On the same day, Nexon filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Ironmace in the United States,[28] in response to which Ironmace claimed that the issue lies between Nexon and just one Ironmace employee and it should be settled in South Korea.[29]

On April 20, 2023, Ironmace requested Steam to reinstate Dark and Darker back on its store, claiming that the copyright infringement claims by Nexon were "meritless".[30]

On August 17, 2023, the American court case was dismissed.[31]

As of June 7, 2024, the game is back on Steam again as free-to-play.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Dark and Darker". IGN.
  2. ^ a b Blake, Vikki (March 25, 2023). "Dark and Darker has been removed from Steam following a cease and desist demand". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  3. ^ Rose, Danielle (March 28, 2023). "Dark and Darker release date window, playtest, trailers, and gameplay". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Purchese, Robert (February 8, 2023). "Medieval extraction looter Dark and Darker is having a moment in Steam Next Fest". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Migalla, Sean (January 4, 2023). "Dark and Darker Looks Like the Perfect Video Game for D&D Fans". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  6. ^ Good, Owen S. (February 19, 2023). "The people behind PUBG believe the extraction shooter is the next big thing". Polygon. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Wilde, Tyler (June 7, 2024). "Dark and Darker back on Steam". PCGamer. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  8. ^ Yaden, Joseph (April 12, 2023). "Someone Is Trying To Remake Dark And Darker In Fortnite". GameSpot. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  9. ^ Martin, Jack (January 16, 2024). "How to Get Captured Mana Flakes in Dark and Darker?". Gaming Expert. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  10. ^ "Dark and Darker". Dark and Darker. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  11. ^ Chalk, Andy (February 7, 2023). "One of the biggest games on Steam right now is a Next Fest demo". PC Gamer. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  12. ^ Chalk, Andy (May 9, 2023). "Dark and Darker early access release delayed: 'We ask everyone to hold the line just a little longer'". PC Gamer. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  13. ^ Bailey, Dustin (August 7, 2023). "5 months after getting pulled from Steam, Dark and Darker finally hits Early Access through a website you've probably never heard of". GamesRadar+. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  14. ^ Cryer, Hirun (August 24, 2023). "Hot off a lawsuit, Dark and Darker dev announces mobile port". gamesradar. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  15. ^ Bergin, Lauren (January 4, 2024). "Dark and Darker gets Korean rating, celebrates with huge sale". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  16. ^ Lewis, Catherine (March 18, 2024). "Once one of Steam's most wishlisted games before removal, Dark and Darker is making a comeback one year later on the Epic Games Store". GamesRadar+. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  17. ^ Lewis, Catherine (June 5, 2024). "14 months after leaving Steam after legal issues, Dark and Darker goes free-to-play - but you'll still need to pay if you want to "experience everything the game has to offer"". GamesRadar+. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  18. ^ Stubbs, Mike (June 8, 2024). "'Dark And Darker' Steam Return Hit With Mixed Reviews Over F2P Option". Forbes. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  19. ^ Onepeg (May 24, 2023). Ironmace Has to Show Up in Court SOON - Nexon's Order is GRANTED. Retrieved June 6, 2024 – via YouTube.
  20. ^ Marshall, Cass (April 17, 2023). "Dark and Darker legal dispute continues as Nexon files lawsuit". Polygon. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  21. ^ "Dark and Darker Discord Server". Archived from the original on June 18, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  22. ^ "Ironmace Has to Show up in Court SOON - Nexon's Order is GRANTED". YouTube. May 24, 2023. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  23. ^ 김재석 (February 16, 2023). "화제의 스팀 게임 '다크 앤 다커', 넥슨 프로젝트였다". 디스이즈게임 (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  24. ^ a b c "Police raid office of game developer accused of data theft". koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. March 8, 2023. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  25. ^ a b Koch, Cameron (April 14, 2023). "Fans Will Need To Torrent Dark And Darker For Its New Playtest". GameSpot. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  26. ^ Chalk, Andy (March 8, 2023). "Dark and Darker studio raided by police following 'stolen' code allegations". PC Gamer. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  27. ^ Plunkett, Luke (March 26, 2023). "PC Game Accused Of 'Asset Theft' Removed From Steam". Kotaku. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  28. ^ Kennedy, Victoria (April 17, 2023). "Dark and Darker developer sued by Nexon for 'copyright infringement'". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  29. ^ Bailey, Dustin (April 20, 2023). "Dark and Darker lawyers ask Valve to bring the game back to Steam in letter blasting Nexon for 'anti-competitive bully tactics'". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  30. ^ Castellaw, Christopher (April 21, 2023). "Dark and Darker Devs Ask Valve to Allow the Game Back on Steam". Game Rant. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  31. ^ "Judgment by Court – #58 in Nexon Korea Corporation v. Ironmace Co Ltd (W.D. Wash., 2:23-cv-00576) – CourtListener.com". CourtListener. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
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