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Dark and Light

Platform(s): PC
Genre: Online Multiplayer
Publisher: Snail Games USA
Developer: Snail Games USA

About Rainier

PC gamer, WorthPlaying EIC, globe-trotting couch potato, patriot, '80s headbanger, movie watcher, music lover, foodie and man in black -- squirrel!

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'Dark and Light' Shows Off In-Game Creatures - Screens

by Rainier on Oct. 24, 2016 @ 12:55 p.m. PDT

Dark and Light is set in a giant fantastical sandbox with a focus on exploration and discovery in a magical world without limits.

Re-created from the original 2004 MMO of the same name, the Snail development team is now focused on gaining feedback from players in the upcoming weeks in order to hone game mechanics such as questing, leveling, dungeon design, and PvP mechanics.

Dark and Light's massive sandbox world takes the storyline beyond the traditional MMO, delivering a unique blend of MMO and survival mechanics. Players have the freedom to develop settlements, unlock magical abilities, fight for their tribes, or just enjoy exploring the world’s many distinct environments. Dark and Light's use of Unreal Engine 4 guarantees superb visual fidelity and advanced physics, providing players with a rich and stimulating gaming experience in an ever-changing virtual world.

Dark and Light is a persistent, living world, with a heavy focus on combat where movement and battle have shifted from third-person tab-targeting to an action-based FPS-style system. The game features active participation through dodging, where precise aiming along with managing skills and magical abilities are the keys to victory. Players need not enter the fray alone, as many of the world’s creatures can be tamed and used as mounts to gain a tactical advantage in battle.

Dark and Light features environments inspired by real-world locations, including volcanoes, snow-capped mountains, swamps, plains, forests, jungles and more. Additionally, Dark and Light showcases beautiful fantasy biomes, such as a series of floating islands where players will encounter more than 50 unique species of creatures as they traverse the landscape. These aren’t just mindless, cut-and-paste mobs either – each has been meticulously designed to fit seamlessly into their respective habitats and will behave as though they had naturally evolved in the world.


In Dark and Light players will encounter a wide variety of creatures - both magical and magnificent. In previous overviews, players have seen a few glimpses of the creatures that inhabit the game's world, but today Snail Games provides a deeper look into the menagerie of fantastical beasts.

Goblins

Players must keep their wits about them when exploring the wilderness, lest they fall victim to these green-skinned, large-headed menaces -- that's right, hordes of goblins lurk in the forest, waiting for hapless adventurers to wander into their path. Goblins have the ability to stun players, loot everything they have on them, and squirrel away their loot in chests hidden deep in their encampments. Players can recover their belongings by fighting or sneaking their way through the camps until they reach the chest, but it won’t be an easy task!  Goblins are tricky little creatures, so it's best to stay out of their way unless you have the skills to back up your confidence!

Centaurs

Along with Goblins, Centaurs also take residence in the forest - these half-human half-horse creatures are quite an intelligent species, living together in structured camps. Centaurs possess a wealth of advanced battle and hunting equipment, so try not to get on their bad side by trespassing on their territory!

Cyclops

Caves are home to the brutal cyclops who prey on hapless humans. If you want to raid a cyclops’ cave, you might have to strike a deal with a goblin to stun it while you do the looting; of course, trying to bargain with a creature as crafty as a goblin could be a double-edged sword. You can likewise negotiate agreements with Centaurs to trade for their powerful weaponry, but you definitely don't want to double-cross a species famed for its warmongering and hunting capabilities.

Unicorns

One of the most exceptional creatures of the Dark and Light realm is none other than the mythical unicorn. Incredibly powerful and mysterious, the unicorn is revered by residents of all three faction cities. The unicorn has incredible healing powers, which can be used in battle to restore health at an incredibly quick rate.

Griffins

Another creature venerated by city-dwellers is the giant griffin, which can rain powerful aerial blows against players stuck on the ground. This remarkable ability makes the griffin an invaluable battle mount, and an integral part of most major cities’ defenses. The Lord of the city has access to both pegasus and griffin mounts, and can ride them at any time.

The world of Dark and Light is filled with danger at every turn. Ruthless, demonic creatures that lurk in the dark forest at night will instantly savage any living creature that dares to venture into the midst at night. When roaming the woods, a player may accidentally become trapped in the entangled limbs of gangly, leafy creatures mistaken for trees. Aggressive snow monsters dominate the frozen landscape, and Dragons that thrive in both cold and warm climates roam freely across the world.

The magic of Dark and Light is rooted in classic elemental forces, and many of the creatures in the game exhibit traces of this elemental magic. Elemental magic can be applied to a variety of survival situations; for example, ice can help preserve food and decrease a character’s body temperature in scorching hot climates. Conversely, fire can be used to cook food, and stay warm during long days spent in the icy mountains. Water can provide irrigation for crops, and earth magic can be used to erect buildings and improve the defensive fortifications.

New players’ most pressing task is immediate survival. The best resources for players struggling to survive are more conventional animals that can be either hunted or domesticated, such as goats, boars, deer, bears, leopards, elephants and more.  Players can harvest goat's milk, tame leopards as mounts, use bear fur for warmth and much more. Creatures have endless potential in Dark and Light, and it is up to the players to decide how they will fit into the realm's complex ecosystem.

Dark and Light is a departure from the traditional MMO with unique progression mechanics including:

  • Mysticism and Magic – No matter which path a player chooses, they will incorporate magic into their skill set as they develop. A limited pool of skill is allocated to level up, making it crucial for players to plan early to ensure they end up with a character they’re satisfied with.
  • Free Sandbox Exploration – Cut scene-driven storytelling and instances are emphasized over questing. After siding with a faction (which determines the player’s starting city), the world opens up, enabling players to develop their character the way they want. They can take the role of a skilled artisan, ferocious warrior, a happy-go-lucky explorer, or anywhere in between.

While it's possible to survive as a lone wolf, it's a long and hard path that many players won’t be able to handle. Dark and Light’s survival aspects can be extremely draining, as hunger, fatigue, illness and attacks from other players and wild creatures will take their toll. There will be no quests or tutorials, so learning about the world quickly is vital if players want to thrive. It is extremely important to support each other and grow together in order to progress.

Snail Games fantasy survival MMO Dark and Light will be coming to Steam’s Early Access program this fall.


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