Spotlight
VideoDarkfall Online anniversary video
Two years on and still going strong.
VideoDarkfall trailer boasts new spell effects
Cast an eye.
We can't be friends, we can't be enemies.
Dark days.
Key events
15th August 2011
12th July 2011
7th October 2010
17th July 2009
5th May 2009
26th February 2009
10th December 2008
2nd September 2008
Steam introduces subscription plans for certain games
Beginning with Darkfall Unholy Wars.
Valve has just announced that it will be adding subscription-based games to Steam. [Editor's note: As some users pointed out, Steam has had subscription-based games before, but this is the first time the payments have been handled via Steam.]
VideoDarkfall Online anniversary video
Two years on and still going strong.
Two years on and still going strong.
Aventurine details Darkfall 2.0
"This is a new game," says dev.
Darkfall developer Aventurine has shared the first details about what to expect from the PVP-focused MMO after its huge overhaul - from whence it will be known as Darkfall 2.0.
In brief, everything will change. Skills will be tied to equipment and advancement will be done faster if a character specialises on one role.
Combat will become more tactical, spells redesigned and the world and dungeons and monsters within them all completely reworked. Dungeons will have dynamic elements like traps, moving objects and one-way doors.
VideoDarkfall trailer boasts new spell effects
Cast an eye.
Darkfall 2.0 may wipe current characters
Overhaul leaves "no aspect untouched".
All existing Darkfall characters may be wiped when Darkfall 2.0 launches, developer Aventurine has forewarned.
Hellfreeze updates Darkfall graphics
Expansion brings visual update.
Darkfall gets a massive makeover
Hellfreeze expansion released.
Aventurine has unleashed a massive new expansion for MMO Darkfall that will graphically overhaul the entire world of Agon.
We can't be friends, we can't be enemies.
Of course, I haven't played it enough.
There is a history here, which would be foolish to pretend doesn't exist. When Darkfall was first reviewed on Eurogamer, it scored 2/10. The developer, Aventurine, was incensed. They'd checked their logs to discover the reviewer had a total logged-in time of a couple of hours. Eurogamer pressed their reviewer, who claimed their numbers must be wrong. He gave it at least nine hours. Eurogamer offered a re-review. Aventurine declined. Eurogamer bought an account anyway. And two months later, I'm here.
That's the short version. There's much more you can dig into, if you like. But from that brief precis, you know I could never have played it enough. The first review leaves a long shadow. I still haven't read it. Seemed beside the point.
Editor's blog: Darkfall aftermath
Aventurine's response and ours.
Update, 17th July: Kieron's review is now live.
Dark days.
Darkfall Online has subsequently been re-reviewed. You can find that feature elsewhere on the site.
There are many games out there that I'd go ahead and call "special". Assassin's Creed was special, even if it wasn't great. Half-Life 2 was special, even though it very much was. Independently-run MMO Darkfall Online is certainly special - special in the way in which it so flagrantly ignores many of the rules of what makes a great, playable game. And no, this isn't a preamble to me saying that it's a rough gem, or made for the hardcore audience.
Sadly, every little thing Darkfall does is tragic, but without a personality that might make you feel sorry for its developers, Aventurine. From the grubby textures and grammatically incorrect quest text to the anarchic control system, any attempt to glean joy from this torrid husk of an entertainment product is met with disdain. It's almost as if Darkfall doesn't want you to play. But nevertheless, a job is a job, and play I must.
Darkfall sees troubled, delayed launch
Servers are finally opening today.
Hardcore player-versus-player MMO Darkfall Online is finally opening its servers to paying customers today, after yesterday's planned launch was held back by bug-fixing and an inability to handle traffic.
Despite limiting the number of copies it has put on sale, developer Adventurine has been struggling to cope with public interest in its new MMO. Pre-order pages and forums have been unreliable and swamped with traffic, causing many orders to go unprocessed, or in some cases, credit cards to be charged multiple times.
With its forums taken offline, Adventurine announced via MMORPG.com that slow order-processing and a bug discovered in final testing had delayed the launch of the game yesterday evening.
Darkfall date and pricing firmed up
PVP MMO available for download next week.
Darkfall Online, the independently-developed player-versus-player MMO, will be released for download next week by Greek developer Adventurine.
Hardcore MMO slips to February.
Darkfall Online, the intimidatingly strict player-versus-player MMO from Greece, has had its release pushed back from next week to next month.
Darkfall gets January release date
Ultra-hardcore MMO is nearly here.
Here's a snippet of MMO news which we missed at the end of last week: Darkfall Online, a barmy Greek MMO which has been in development for over seven years, finally has a release date.
The developer Adventurine and publisher Audio Visual Enterprises announced on Friday that Darkfall would be released across Europe for PC on 22nd January. A North American launch will follow, but for now, North American players "are also welcome to participate in the European launch".
Darkfall, as we explained in September, is a hardcore fantasy MMO with a player-versus-player focus.
MMO said to offer Ultima-style freedom.
Greek developer Aventurine has begun the Darkfall Online beta test ahead of the full-game launch later this year. Head to the official site and register to join in.
Darkfall is an MMO being billed as a spiritual successor to Ultima Online. There are no player levels but an entirely skill-based system that uses around 500 abilities and spells. Each is capped at 100 and, due to no class templates, roles will be determined by skills chosen and improved by use.
Alternatively, there are prestige classes such as Paladins and Druids, which narrow skill focus but offer special abilities.
