Dark Matter

Release Date: October 17, 2013

Adventure, science fiction, survival horror, indie games, 2.5D, action adventure, singleplayer

42%

Steam

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Dark Matter is a side-scroll game that combines action and survival horror. We explore a spacecraft controlled by a parasitic alien race and fight for survival using four weapons, which can be further improved. There are also elements characteristic for adventure games.

Dark Matter is InterWave Studios’ second full-fledged title. It combines a detailed, hand-painted art style with the latest rendering techniques, making its gameplay about that perfect moment of spine-tingling terror, as much as it is about unloading your firearms into every moving shadow that crosses your path.

With intelligent enemies that react to changing environmental conditions, Dark Matter is a dynamic world of darkness, where light is not always the safest place to hide.

The game aims to craft its own niche in the pantheon of side-scrolling exploration and combat games (yes, we’re really trying to not say ‘Metroidvania’), by combining the visual impact and gameplay implications of real-time lighting across the board, a deeply upgradable weapons system, and a limited crafting system in a world where there are few ‘magical drops’.

Your enemies will drop resources, you will mostly craft your ammo and health packs from those resources.

Long gone are the days of enemies suddenly gushing out gold coins and serviceable weapons, as are gone the days of dumb, repeating movement patterns. We’re taking a dynamic AI approach to controlling enemies in Dark Matter, which makes for some unique combat. Some creatures will shy from the light, others will be attracted to it.

Warrior drones will rush you while support fighters will hang back and pelt you from a distance with powerful acid bolts. Wounded enemies will retreat, to bring you in harm’s way as you pursue them, and larger enemies will require some precise tactics, if you’re planning to do anything but get eaten by them.

Prioritizing your targets, using the right weapon for the job, picking the best ammo for each enemy, those are the things that will get you through the game, if we don’t manage to scare you to death first, of course. Which we’ll also be trying to do.

Key Features:

- 14 levels in a gritty tale of deep space survival

- 4 weapons, each with 4 ammo types

- Four craftable upgrades to customize your weapons

- Collect scrap and alien resources to craft your own tools and health packs

- Invest in the weapons and upgrades you prefer, develop your own combat techniques

- Complex enemy AI that reacts to the player’s actions and tactics

- Non-linear exploration and storytelling

- Elemental ammo effects that allow you to freeze, dissolve, electrocute or set fire to your enemies

- Light and darkness are integral parts of gameplay, not just visual touches

- Uncompromisingly real-time lights and shadow casting for spine-tingling moments of pure, darkness-fuelled terror

- Clean, hand-painted textures and custom shading techniques are combined in a unique visual style