While fantasy often presents a romanticized vision of a magical world filled with heroes and kings, dark fantasy distorts that view, transforming enchanting landscapes into terrifying nightmares. Given that many video games revolve around the theme of survival, this creates an excellent setting for intense hack-and-slash gameplay.
“Dark fantasy” doesn’t necessarily imply a setting that’s perpetually shrouded in darkness, even though many games in this genre embrace that look. A compelling dark fantasy world presents bleak themes, desperate circumstances, and a relentless battle against the forces of evil or decay, which often seem to have the upper hand. Each game is evaluated based on its overall quality and how effectively it embodies the essence and atmosphere of “dark fantasy.”
Darkest Dungeon
An Intense Slowcrawl Through Terror, Stress, And Pain
In both Darkest Dungeon and its sequel, death and sacrifice play a crucial role, especially at the beginning of your journey. The games embody the essence of a “dungeon crawler,” immersing players in a harrowing experience where they feel like they’re dragging their beleaguered recruits through the darkest corners of a terrifying underworld.
The well-being of the group isn’t merely reflected in fluctuating numbers. The long-term physical and mental health of each member is at stake, and even if they make it through a tough situation, deep-seated traumas can emerge in surprising and heartbreaking ways.
The Thief Series
A Lowly Housebreaker In A World Thick With Gloom
For a thief to stay hidden and achieve success, they need to sharpen their senses to the environment around them. This is what made Thief a trailblazer in the first-person immersive sim genre; its dark, immersive atmosphere and meticulous attention to detail, particularly in sound, set it apart, even if its graphics may seem a bit dated now.
The environments in Thief evoke the essence of industrial Victorian eras and the devout Middle Ages, sprinkled with both grand and subtle elements of magic. While players are limited to heists and cramped quarters, there’s a vast, shadowy fantasy realm to uncover as they steal from the city’s elite and prestigious establishments.
The Blasphemous Series
The Metroidvania Christpunk Goretacular
Not many games delve into the beautifully disturbing religious themes of dark fantasy like Blasphemous does. This sidescroller, rooted in the Metroidvania style, takes place in Cvstodia, a realm forever altered by an event known as the Miracle, which feels as much like a curse as it does a gift. Players take on the role of the Penitent One, the last survivor of a tragic massacre, embarking on a quest for redemption through a land filled with intense suffering and blood-drenched altars.
The striking pixel art and “Christpunk” style, rich with Catholic imagery and classical art influences, vividly portray the grotesque. The Penitent One faces off against pitiable monstrosities, including enormous, sightless infants and a horrific creature formed from the combined flesh of three sisters, along with other warped souls who have been driven insane by the harshness of the Miracle’s influence.
The Diablo Series
Going Against The Devil
The Diablo series has always been steeped in a sense of corruption and despair, starting from the haunted catacombs of Tristram to the bleak hellish realms of its later games. Sanctuary, the battleground between the celestial beings of High Heaven and the infernal forces of Burning Hell, hangs precariously, tormented by demonic entities, tormented by sinister cults, and protected by vulnerable human guardians.
The gameplay, focused on loot collection, pairs perfectly with the challenging difficulty, creating a stark contrast to the dark storyline, where the victory of good often seems fragile. While the series has experienced some highs and lows lately, its earlier titles have paved the way for a number of dark-themed looter ARPGs, such as Grim Dawn and Path of Exile.
The Dishonored Series
Between Industrial Misery And Jungle Horrors
The atmosphere in Dunwall and its surroundings is heavy with the weight of factory owners’ control and their economic schemes, mixed with the haze of whale oil fumes, supernatural elements, and the stench of plague. Drawing inspiration from Victorian England of the 18th and 19th centuries, Dishonored places players in the shoes of Corvo, the former bodyguard of a murdered Empress, who has been unjustly accused and disgraced.
In a world filled with lamplight and a blend of steampunk and dieselpunk technology, Corvo receives extraordinary abilities from a mysterious godlike figure called the Outsider. These powers enable him to teleport, bend time, and even take control of living beings, whether they are rats or humans. As a masked assassin, he can enhance his skills by gathering occult artifacts like whalebone charms and runes, which are hidden by the Outsider’s secret followers throughout the islands.
The Legacy Of Kain / Soul Reaver Series
A Tortured World Ruled By A Vampire Archon
The story kicks off with Kain, a vampire fueled by blood, awakening to his own thirst for power, setting the stage for a captivating dark universe. The following sequels unfold in a “bad ending” timeline, where the entire realm of Nosgoth is condemned to a fate of eternal undeath and corruption.
In addition to creating an impeccable dark fantasy atmosphere, the dialogue and storyline presented to players between levels were thoughtfully designed in a gothic, or more precisely, Elizabethan style. With performances by genuine stage actors, each delivery adds a weight to the narrative that truly captures the essence of existential horror.
The Dark Souls / Soulsborne Series
The Standard For Dark Fantasy Games
With its stunning sound design and haunting depictions of once-mighty characters in a decayed world, Dark Souls, along with its spiritual successors and predecessors from FromSoftware—Demon’s Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring—has set the benchmark for dark fantasy in contemporary gaming and has maintained that status for a considerable period.
The troubled land of Lordran, along with the other locations in the series, is harsh, relentless, and merciless, a fact that is clearly reflected in the gameplay of each title. Unlike many dark fantasy narratives, the main character lacks any extraordinary abilities to combat the demonic forces or spirits that dominate the realm, relying instead on sheer determination and effort to face seemingly insurmountable challenges, often in solitude.