'Darkest Dungeon: The Fire's Edge' DLC Impressions
After a 6-year gap in content updates for Darkest Dungeon, it is safe to say that developer Red Hook Studios surprised more than one person when they announced a new DLC: Fire’s Edge. The latter recently became available on Steam, GOG and the Epic Games Store for 6.99 USD / 8.99 CAD / 6.49 EUR. The PS4 and Xbox One versions also received the DLC, both playable through backwards compatibility on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The Switch version came a little bit later and, having not had the chance to play the game until now but having heard good things, I decided to give it a try on this system.
If, like me, you are not too familiar with Darkest Dungeon, here’s a quick synopsis: you receive a letter informing you that you have inherited a mansion. The catch is that the residence and its surroundings are creeping with otherworldly horrors. You have to clear them out in order to claim your ancestor’s estate.
It’s not a particularly story-heavy game but rather focuses on the gameplay. It is a (mostly) side-scrolling roguelike turn-based RPG where you venture across parts of the estate in a party of four (heroes). You’ll have to strategically execute encounters with enemies while also juggling with the Affliction System, where stress factors influence the state and performance of your party. Darkest Dungeon’s challenge cannot be understated. It is brutal by design, with the threat of permadeath of your party members looming large. You won’t be short of new recruits, but it’s recommended to not get too attached to a particular hero.
The Fire’s Edge DLC introduces The Runaway and the Duelist to Darkest Dungeon, two recruitable heroes who were originally featured in Darkest Dungeon II. Each comes with their own sets of skills and abilities, adding more strategy options to expeditions. The Runaway has fire-based abilities and favours a stealth approach, while the Duelist focuses on rapid attacks.
This DLC also introduces three new Hamlet Districts (Academie Duello, Craftworks, and Archaeological Base Camp) that offer new bounties and damage boosts to heroes. New Trinket Mechanics such as Trigger Uses, Quest Charges and Progressive Trinkets that offer stat bonuses (with penalties as trade-offs).
These new additions add an additional layer of strategy to the gameplay. The flexibility of the Runaway’s position can align with teams that favour effects such as Pull and Knockback. On the other hand, the Duelist might require more skill to master, with alternating combat stances.
Darkest Dungeon and its new DLC perform well on the Switch; not surprising considering that it launched 8 years ago and isn't particularly demanding. I was positively surprised to find that the Switch version has touchscreen support, in addition to being fully playable with the Joy-Cons. It is a welcome addition that makes use of the unique features of the handheld. However, the game’s extensive mechanics and on-screen elements can be disorienting, especially on the Switch’s screen in handheld mode. This needs some getting used to, but it’s recommended to play in Docked mode.
Overall, The Fire’s Edge DLC revitalises the original Darkest Dungeon with fresh opportunities. Although not necessarily a must-have for newcomers, it is still recommended to fans of the game.
