Dark Flame

Overview

Dark Flame is a 2D ARPG developed by Warren Smith. The gamer takes on the role of Taharial, a knight who must take on an unknown evil that has caused madness to spread to his church’s order and the surrounding townsfolk.

The game features:

• Player to level their own stats through the game’s levelling system

• The ability to modify weapons and spells through Pyres

• A rich storyline

• Cosmetic changes to the character with different armor and weapons

• Hidden rooms and secrets

• Unlockable talents and hidden powers to be found throughout the game

Story

Humanity has always been protected by the Keepers of the Flame, who collectively help contain the Dark Flame, an evil that has poisoned weak-minded humans. Studying ancient texts, the Keepers learned to restrain the Dark Flame, allowing humanity to continue on and avoid destruction. This entity became a secret known only by the elite tiers of Crusaders and the Church, and the rest of the world was kept safe.

But a recent occurrence has struck and towns have reported slaughterings, similar to the effects of the Dark Flame’s influence. Taharial, a candidate for the Keepers of the Flame, is sent by the Church and is tasked with protecting the townspeople. He must investigate into the gruesome reports of violence. Meanwhile, Taharial’s brothers have also started to show signs of insanity. A perilous journey faces Taharial and the way is not so well lit.

Gameplay

Dark Flame is a 2D Metroidvania-style, action RPG platformer game. The main character, Taharial, uses several weapons to advance through the stages. Different foes will attack Taharial and will respawn upon the character leaving the screen. These enemies also challenge the player’s timing and precision as they each require a different strategy.

As the player progresses through the game, Taharial stats are customizable. A point will be given upon levelling up the character and can be used to boost up either his Strength, Agility, or Intelligence. Strength affects Taharial’s health points and physical attack. Agility improves his physical defence, status resistance, critical hit chance, and subweapon damage. Lastly, Intelligence helps his magic points, element defence, and magic attack.

Taharial is able to wield a variety of weapons, which can be found or bought from NPC shopkeepers. These weapons change the attack style, and the amount of damage it can do is influenced by different stats. Asides from his main weapon, he can also carry a subweapon which can be picked up throughout the level. It is a consumable and will be used up.

If the player prefers fighting with magic, spells are also found and gained throughout the world. They differ from abilities and powers (below) in which they are influenced by Intelligence and can be leveled up through xp.

Abilities and powers are found while exploring the world of Dark Flame. Some will help Taharial to access areas he was unable to previously (for example, double jumping to higher places), and some will alter the player’s play style (for example, obtaining a shield).

The Pyres allows the player to craft new, more powerful spells and weapons, equippable to Taharial. When the player comes across a Pyre, they can use crystals acquired throughout the game to imbue the weapon with dynamic properties. These Pyres can also be used to teleport to one another, bringing Taharial to different locations in the game.

There are multiple status effects that a player can encounter in Dark Flame. Several of these effects will be harmful to player. A common one is poison, in which the player will take damage over time. Another would be confusion, which inverts the player’s controls. These effects have a countdown bar that shows how much longer the effect will last for.

A companion is a familiar that can be gained. They come in several forms, but their exact use has yet to be confirmed. They will be helpful in fights.