Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Sun Series

cool but older then my ass hair

Developed by Strategic Simulations and published by SNEG, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Sun Series is a collection that preserves two of the most distinctive role-playing games ever released under the Dungeons & Dragons license: Dark Sun: Shattered Lands and Dark Sun: Wake of the Ravager. While many fantasy RPGs take place in worlds filled with thriving kingdoms, noble heroes, and lush landscapes, the Dark Sun games transport players to Athas, a brutal desert world scarred by ecological devastation, political oppression, and constant struggle for survival. Even decades after their original release, these games remain notable for their unique setting, ambitious design, and willingness to challenge both players and genre conventions. The setting alone is enough to separate the collection from most fantasy role-playing games. Athas is not a world of abundance but one of scarcity. Water is precious, vegetation is rare, and powerful sorcerer-kings dominate the few remaining city-states. The environment feels hostile long before players encounter enemies, creating a sense of danger that permeates every aspect of the adventure. This bleak atmosphere gives the games a personality unlike anythi…

Very clunky, but such were CRPG's in this era of gaming. Controls have aged terribly, but definitely set the template for CRPG's to come after the fact.

Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Sun Series is a brutal, unforgettable take on D&D in one of its most unique settings. Set on the dying world of Athas, these games (Shattered Lands and Wake of the Ravager) ditch traditional fantasy for something harsher - psionics, slavery, desert wastelands, and a constant fight for survival. It’s easily my favorite D&D setting, and it’s a shame it’s largely faded from the spotlight, because this series shows just how compelling it can be. The gameplay builds on the Gold Box formula with deeper combat, tougher encounters, and a stronger sense of consequence, making victories feel earned. It’s still very much a product of its time, with some clunky elements, but the atmosphere and world carry it. If you want a darker, more unforgiving D&D experience, this is one of the best the era had to offer, and a reminder of a setting that deserves a comeback.

Yay for Shattered Lands and a big Nay for Wake of the Ravager. My first party got wiped the moment I taunted the announcer of the gladiator arena and got sent a second wave that seemed unwinnable. Then the next time I got wiped by getting backstabbed after I got promised freedom. There are a lot of weird races and classes in the Dark Sun setting, but generally the rule seems to be to not make a party of wimps. Multi-classing is a good idea because level cap is easy to reach. The campfires function as the resting spots so make sure to keep a track of them. The first game turns easier and easier until the last fight when AoE attacks and crowd control are the king. The second game fumbles the bag with the technical problems by being slow as molasses and supposedly having been riddled with bugs, which I luckily didn't encounter. Shattered Lands inspired Fallout 1-2 with its open world consisting of areas with npcs to discuss with. The writing is not as funny but it's got anticipation of foreboding and a hostile alien world too. Wake of the Ravager got some adventure game pixel hunting and item combining polluting the gameplay. If the license wasn't in deep freeze we could get albeit a …

The first game Shattered lands is really good and the dark sun dnd setting is interesting and i must appreciate the soundtrack it's really good. But The wake of the ravager has terrible performance, i dont know if i have some bad settings i browsed all avaible sites about this issue but cannot find solution, but i tried to play it via online/website emulator and it ran smoothly, so i really cannot rate positively this steam/gog version.