We don’t remember Inception being like this. Darq: Complete Edition puts you into the nervous boots of Lloyd, a young boy, who has found himself trapped under layers of his subconscious dreams. Rather than fight in rotating corridors or admire Tom Hardy’s rugged looks, Lloyd is then tormented by the various horrors that lurk there. Darq: Complete Edition is out now on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
Fully playable on Xbox Series X|S and PS5 too, with proper next-gen versions ready to drop in Q1 2021 along with that of Nintendo Switch, all that can be done with Darq is escape. But that’s quite the feat, as his subconscious is determined to never let him out. It has rewired gravity to undermine his every effort, and it’s constructed puzzles around the exits, in the hope that Lloyd couldn’t possibly complete them. Going by the trailer, some of these use the twisted gravity of the dreamscape.
Creatures, too, wander the corridors of his mind, and they’re not pretty. They range from faceless slender men to women with tuba-heads. Who knew that brass instruments would be a phobia? You’ll have to avoid all of them, as combat is not Lloyd’s forte.
We’re most wowed by the use of perspective-switching. At the press of a button, the world can shift round, making the walls the floor, and vice versa. Equally, you can switch the perspective so that Lloyd moves into the background, like you are manipulating a giant hellcube from Hellraiser. It seems that all of the cardinal directions can be switched to in this way, making exploration of Lloyd’s dreams a real mindbender.
Something of an indie darling on other consoles, Darq: Complete Edition has been ratcheting up some strong reviews, so we’re eager to get our own review on this one soon. One benefit of it coming late to Xbox is that we get the complete edition, with three DLC included, so we appreciate that.
Darq: Complete Edition is out now on Xbox One and playable on Xbox Series X|S starting at £15.49. It’s also out on PS4, with full next-gen versions on Series X|S and PS5 joining Switch in 2021.
Game Description:
DARQ will take you on a journey through Lloyd’s dreams that quickly turn into a loop of nightmares. The boy’s main priority is to wake up, but unfortunately, each attempt sinks him deeper into his lucid subconscious-driven dreams. Lloyd has to adapt to the new world, re-learn gravity, strain all of his senses and mind in order to solve puzzles and sneak past the creatures guarding the corners of DARQ. Will you decipher the true meaning of Lloyd’s dreams? The Complete Edition includes: DARQ – Original Game The Tower DLC – Lloyd wakes up in his dreams again only to find himself in a Tower filled with many new mysteries, puzzles, and creepy creatures The Crypt DLC – Another loop of nightmares continues introducing new mechanics and puzzles in a crypt filled with dark surprises Playing the DLCs does not require finishing the base game.
