I originally heard about Dark Messiah through a personal recommendation from a buddy of mine, when we were talking about cool wizard games, with complex casting systems that make you really feel like you're mastering a school of magic. The only other games I can think of with magic systems that are actually interesting and have any modicum of depth to them would be Noita and Magicka, and loathe as I am to admit it, that club isn't getting any new members after my playthrough of this game. However, that's not to say the game doesn't have any tricks up it's sleeve.
A joke I heard once about the game that I keep unashamedly regurgitating, mainly due to how it perfectly encapsulates the gameplay loop, is that you DON'T play Dark Messiah like you're trying to larp as Gandalf, blasting giant spiders with fireballs and making orcs feel the wrath of God with a lightning bolt or two. Instead, you play it like you're Macaulay Culkin, using your admittedly limited arsenal of spells, combined with your quick wit and the sacred jank of the source engine, to lure unsuspecting necromancers into physics-based death traps. Crushing them under crates suspended above a flimsy wooden ceiling, freezing the floor by a big drop and watching them slide to their death, spartan kicking a goblin into a spike trap, or even just slamming a chair over their head to throw them to the floor, lining them up for an easy finisher.
As fun as it can be to kill fantasy monsters with unorthodox, slapstick methods, though, the game unfortunately doesn't have a lot going for it besides all that. The combat, especially outside of the magic system, is extremely bare-bones and you'll get tired of trying to win fights fairly really quick. There's also not much to speak of in terms of presentation or plot, other than the typical rpg schlock of "hurr le ancient prophesy durr your dad is the devil lmao durr" and all the funny looks you'll be getting from people that comes with that territory. At least you get a hot demon lady living in your head for the trouble, but I wish she'd stop coming on so strong. I know you want me, Xana, but now is not the time. Everything else, the characters, voice acting, world, music, monster designs, it's all servicable-for-rpg-standards at best and downright comical at worst. Though, I suppose that does compliment the already comical nature of the game.
All in all, however, in spite of it's flaws as a holistic gameplay experience and having quite possibly the least mechanical depth out of any Arkane game pre-Deathloop (most likely due to interference from Ubisoft), the beauty of sourcejank combined with the cartoonish nature of the combat encounters make for a unique gameplay experience I have yet to see repeated or improved upon, especially within the boundaries of a toolset provided to you by a fantasy world. Dark Messiah isn't going to blow you away, but you're sure as hell gonna blow those orcs away. Right off a cliff.
A joke I heard once about the game that I keep unashamedly regurgitating, mainly due to how it perfectly encapsulates the gameplay loop, is that you DON'T play Dark Messiah like you're trying to larp as Gandalf, blasting giant spiders with fireballs and making orcs feel the wrath of God with a lightning bolt or two. Instead, you play it like you're Macaulay Culkin, using your admittedly limited arsenal of spells, combined with your quick wit and the sacred jank of the source engine, to lure unsuspecting necromancers into physics-based death traps. Crushing them under crates suspended above a flimsy wooden ceiling, freezing the floor by a big drop and watching them slide to their death, spartan kicking a goblin into a spike trap, or even just slamming a chair over their head to throw them to the floor, lining them up for an easy finisher.
As fun as it can be to kill fantasy monsters with unorthodox, slapstick methods, though, the game unfortunately doesn't have a lot going for it besides all that. The combat, especially outside of the magic system, is extremely bare-bones and you'll get tired of trying to win fights fairly really quick. There's also not much to speak of in terms of presentation or plot, other than the typical rpg schlock of "hurr le ancient prophesy durr your dad is the devil lmao durr" and all the funny looks you'll be getting from people that comes with that territory. At least you get a hot demon lady living in your head for the trouble, but I wish she'd stop coming on so strong. I know you want me, Xana, but now is not the time. Everything else, the characters, voice acting, world, music, monster designs, it's all servicable-for-rpg-standards at best and downright comical at worst. Though, I suppose that does compliment the already comical nature of the game.
All in all, however, in spite of it's flaws as a holistic gameplay experience and having quite possibly the least mechanical depth out of any Arkane game pre-Deathloop (most likely due to interference from Ubisoft), the beauty of sourcejank combined with the cartoonish nature of the combat encounters make for a unique gameplay experience I have yet to see repeated or improved upon, especially within the boundaries of a toolset provided to you by a fantasy world. Dark Messiah isn't going to blow you away, but you're sure as hell gonna blow those orcs away. Right off a cliff.