Dark Earth (PC) (1996, 1997)
Developer: Kalisto
Minimum System Requirements:
- Intel Pentium 75 or 100% compatible
- 8 MB RAM
- Four speed (4X) CD-ROM drive
- Windows 95 compatible, DirectX 3a supported sound and video cards

Review by Faididi and Co.

Alone in the Dark Earth

Story: Excellent

After a supernatural meteor storm pummels the world, the remnants of humanity gather in fortress cities to survive a new dark age filled with magic and monsters. One day, a dutiful warrior-soldier named Arkhan becomes exposed to a nasty toxin that will slowly transform him into a beast like those lurking in the wastelands. He must find a cure soon, but the task won't be easy, because almost everyone he meets is creeped out by his affliction.

The story's simple beginning quickly grows into an exciting thriller. From the discussion of serious matters to mere small talk, the dialogue is wonderfully written. Arkhan's open honesty also makes him a deeply sympathetic protagonist, whether he abruptly sticks some weird-looking item in his girlfriend's face and asks her what she makes of it, or when he pleads quietly but desperately to his god for help as he approaches the final stages of his mutation.

Gameplay: Excellent

Kalisto's Dark Earth is a third person action adventure that resembles I-Motion's Alone in the Dark in many ways. The camera jumps from point to point to keep Arkan in view as he moves across the areas, solving puzzles and fighting enemies. Our hero's progress can be saved at safe spots located throughout the game.

Compared to Alone in the Dark, however, Dark Earth boasts smoother controls and other differences that make playing it a far friendlier experience. This game contains a lot more fighting, but Arkhan can slowly recover his stamina for free, allowing him to save up his life-restoring items for extra-dangerous moments. (Although Arkhan will turn into a monster after several hours, he still has plenty of time to fully recover in between confrontations.) Our hero can also perform a variety of attacks with a large assortment of weapons, including his bare fists, knives, swords, axes, primitive rifles, and even our modern-day handguns that have survived into his era as rare relics.

As fun as the combat is, most of the challenge lies in the puzzle design, which is surprisingly elaborate. In contrast to nearly every other adventure, Dark Earth features puzzles that come with multiple solutions. For example, if there are guards barring Arkhan's way, he can try to talk them into letting him pass. That failing, our hero can attempt to bribe them with alcoholic beverages. Furthermore, if Arkhan mutates enough, his appearance will terrify all except his closest friends, affecting how he can solve the remaining puzzles. Depending on the circumstances, he may have no other choice but to draw his blade and cut down the sentries. At the same time, this gruesome last resort will give Arkhan an opportunity to search the bodies for more weapons and supplies. The amazingly open-ended puzzle design is definitely one of the best parts of Dark Earth.

Controls: Above Average

The controls here are more agreeable than those of Alone in the Dark, but there's still a little room for improvement. The item menus are a bit clunky, and more autoaiming would've been appreciated, because Arkhan sometimes won't face his foes directly after he swings past them at close quarters.

Graphics: Above Average

The characters are rendered very well, with their fighting animations being particularly fluid. The beautifully detailed backgrounds don't let interactive objects easily stand out, avoiding a common problem in the genre. Unfortunately, the prerendered movies look pretty bad, as the jittery characters there appear as though they're suffering from epileptic seizures.

Audio: Excellent

The game sounds great across the board. Blades chop into flesh with messy blood-splattering noises, firearms thunder out, and Arkhan's footsteps change as he runs across different kinds of surfaces. The music, though not too memorable on the whole, neatly completes the atmosphere of suspense and danger. The voice acting is perfect, including the delivery of the game's humorous parts, such as the Terminator joke or the rising enthusiasm in Arkhan's voice when he spies a pretty dancer through the window of a tavern.

Overall: Excellent

Despite its weird-looking prerendered movies, Dark Earth turns out to be a shining example of how story, puzzles, and combat should go together. Its strong writing is paired with top-notch voice acting, and its creative, multi-faceted puzzle design allows for delightfully flexible solutions. Those who enjoy classics like the original Alone in the Dark will love this fantastic action adventure.