Dark Matter (2013)

Dark Matter is a 2.5D sci-fi survival horror adventure developed by InterWave Studios and published by Iceberg Interactive that sets out to merge the exploratory structure of classic Metroid-style games with the oppressive atmosphere of space-bound horror. The premise is immediately familiar yet promising: you awaken alone on a vast, derelict spacecraft, its corridors swallowed by darkness and crawling with hostile alien organisms, with only fragmented logs, a snide AI companion, and your own growing arsenal to help you survive. From the outset, the game positions atmosphere as its primary weapon, using shadow, silence, and isolation to create a constant sense of unease as you inch through abandoned labs, engineering decks, and maintenance tunnels. The narrative in Dark Matter unfolds gradually through environmental storytelling, text logs, and intermittent dialogue from the ship’s AI, which serves both as a guide and a source of unsettling commentary. Rather than delivering a tightly scripted story, the game relies on implication and mood, encouraging players to piece together what went wrong aboard the vessel and why the alien infestation has spiraled out of control. This fragme…

I have been playing games since 1982 and have played a lot! I bought this because it reminded me of a game called Obliterator, that I played on the Atari ST in 1988, by the developer Psygnosis. I wanted a bit of nostalgia and retro and boy did I get it but with modern trappings. This is a very good retro side scrolling adventure, with good atmosphere. It is fairly straightforward and so good to play short sessions late at night when your brain is too tried for something more complicated. I think the negative reviews are a bit unjustified as far as I can see. Check out the positive reviews with over 10 hours of playtime, which will give you a more fair and detailed assessment of the game.

A ship drifts in dark Aliens stalk the empty halls Survival means fight

This game is a battle with bugs, as in both the enemies and the many issues it has. Despite the abundance of issues and annoyances I really enjoyed this game. I just wish they’d polish and patch it. The ending felt abrupt and sudden, like there should be a sequel, and I hope there is. I get the feeling there was supposed to be more to the game, but they had to cut it short. You get the grenade launcher too late in the game, I really didn’t get to use it. Also, there’s a missing weapon upgrade slot, unless it was hidden in some level. The atmosphere of the game was awesome. It’s my favorite kind of place: sprawling, dark, isolated, and lonely. It reminded me of my all time favorite game System Shock 2, but it’s a side-scroller and the AI isn’t psychotic. The ambient music really complemented the ship nicely. TIPS: - As the name suggest light plays a big role in the game, as in many enemies react to it or it’s absence. It’s best to not use the flashlight and just wander in the dark listening for enemies. - It’s playable with a controller, but you’ll need a mouse handy to reach some buttons and items. Also, aiming is easier with a mouse, and 95% of the enemies a…

While there is some jank, and certain features seem undercooked, I absolutely love when any dev returns to the scene of their failure and improves upon it. Especially for free. I played this game expecting to be let down by a sudden ending with a wall of text, as two separate YouTube Letsplays led me to believe. At some point between those LPs and my playing of it today the developers went in and added a voiced and animated ending to the game for free to those who already bought it. This elevates the entire game for me, not only as a pass, but as a recommend. Full Transparency the game does seem like it should be longer, there are several sections that seem compromised from what could have been. I don't know the details but from what I've read the Devs simply didn't get the funding or support they needed to accomplish their vision. They did the best they could with what they had. Would I pay full price knowing this, maybe, if the Devs had kept going as a company. As it is $9.99 may be worth it or not, based on your own beliefs. I believe it is a worthy effort but money is tight these days. I love survival horror, I love sci fi, and this gives a side-scrolling 2d Dead Space vi…

very buggy, the controller support is absolutelly terrible, settings are very limited, you cannot change the voices volume and the subtitles are barely legible in 1080p. basic things like the flashlight do not work as intended, which is critical to gameplay. the game has the foundations for something good but the final product is just very bad.