Games like Dishonored say they’re stealth games, but really when you’re packing a veritable arsenal in your coat pocket, the temptation to go loud and forget any pretense of stealth is frankly too easy. To its credit, Dark doesn’t offer players such indulgences. Instead, this third-person experience stays true to the founding principles of the stealth genre, with players cast as a vulnerable vampire named Eric Bane who boasts no long-range weapons whatsoever. His main weapon is his supernatural strength and ability to feed, with the gloomy character able to teleport short distances and knockout guards with a quick one-two combo.

This deliberately disarming design choice forces players to resort to skulking around environments and stalking their prey much like the challenge Velvet Assassin and Hitman boasted back in the day. However, layered on top of this is an intriguing occult theme with vampires fighting against a paramilitary faction known as M-17 who are trying to harness the vampire form to create unstoppable super soldiers.

As premises go, Dark’s is certainly original, faithfully upturning the traditional power struggle of humans fleeing from the insatiable thirst of the night clan. Predictably enough, central to this power struggle is Bane, who begins the game lying unconscious in the men’s room of a dingy nightclub. Haunted by visions of an angel cast in white light, the gravelly devil voiced by Doug Cockle (Geralt from The Witcher) has no memory of who he is or how he managed to be comatose on the white tiled floor.

The amnesia-riddled protagonist bit has been done to death in pretty much every medium that matters, but Dark isn’t exactly a game to be taken too seriously. This is emphasized in the multi-branched dialogue system, with Bane able to quiz key characters on the nature of his early vampire form, the perils of transmutable diseases and anything else to pad out this new universe. The quality of the voice-acting is all over the place, with some lines delivered way too seriously while others just fall flat, but the uneven nature of Dark is almost part of its charm.

In the campaign, the Sanctuary nightclub acts as a hub which players constantly return to between missions. Aside from the occasional side-quest within the nightclub, Dark seems fairly linear, with Bane committed to tracking down the individual who initiated his body into the vampire ranks before he turns into a mindless Bat-like drone. Realmforge are certainly taking some liberties with the traditional vampire premise, but thankfully the studio’s efforts are as far away from Twilight’s depressingly emotional take on Transylvania’s most famous export, so at the very least that’s something to be grateful for.

Once we took on a mission, Dark’s RPG-esque ambitions faded into the background as we infiltrated a museum to hunt down the whereabouts of a fellow vampire named Blooming. Here the stealth tropes kicked in good and proper with Bane able to cling to cover, knock out guards and feast on their fleshy form to fuel special powers like his ‘Dead Eyes’ which can detect guards through walls and ‘Shadow Leap’ short distances in a flash of black smoke. These two powers are just a taste of the game’s vast skill tree. The better you do in missions, by staying out of sight and taking guards down quickly, the more points you earn which can then be fed directly into unlocking new powers. Guard patterns were easy to spot and their view and hearing range seemed fair yet sensitive, however Bane’s form even on normal difficulty seemed very weak, as he was only able to withstand a second or so of gunfire.

Dark certainly satisfied a lot of the yearnings we have for the increasingly marginalized stealth genre. Occasionally frustrating, but ultimately satisfying, this release does boast a couple of modern improvements such as a generous checkpoint-save system so you don’t lose minutes of progress, hidden items that are actually worth searching out in the guise of PDAs with sensitive emails plastered onto the screen, and challenge rooms to complete outside of the main campaign.

Realmforge aren’t trying to reinvent the stealth genre with Dark. This sneak-’em-up is, in many ways, as traditional as it gets, but there’s more than enough gamers out there who feel sidelined by the modern obsession with guns and explosions to warrant its existence. Here’s hoping Dark can fulfill a niche which all too often disappoints.

It’s going to be an action adventure game from a team that’s usually associated exclusively with strategy, and it’s going to have a heavy co-op leaning. It seems like the guys behind the Tropico games want to test themselves and really take a step to the next level by offering the type of game that everyone can get into, rather than just hitting that same niche market that has served them well over the years. It’s a risk, but as with everything in life, you can never reach greatness without taking a gamble every now and then.

From what we’ve seen of the game so far, The First Templar seems like a nice mix of LEGO Star Wars’ drop-in drop-out co-op, Assassin’s Creed’s medieval bent and a handsome dose of button-thwacking brutality thrown in for good measure. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

The team have been doing their research religiously (pun ever-so-slightly intended), watching ‘hundreds’ of movies (their words, not ours) like Kingdom of Heaven and The Name of the Rose to make sure the atmosphere and setting are spot on. Considering the Tropico games’ eye for detail, The First Templar should be in good hands.

It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that the team’s first foray into the action-adventure genre is based around co-op play. Quality stuff like Vanquish and Enslaved struggled last year due to being single-player only, so it would seem that the market perceives more value in a product that has multiplayer. Also, the release window is wise. While those two games came up against the likes of Halo Reach and Black Ops, The First Templar only has to dodge a few lower-profile shooters in Q1 to make a mark. The fact it isn’t just another shooter, too, should make it stand out. If it can capture a section of that crazy Da Vinci code market too, then it should see success.

Fundamentally a strategy game, players must place down minion spawn points, prisons, artifacts and creature comforts in order to not just eliminate heroes as they enter, but also fulfill their heroic aspirations with treasure, easy to kill fantasy fodder and elaborate gothic set-pieces, thus enabling you to harvest more delicious Soul Energy. Grand entrances to your domain are located on the edges of every map, so the challenge is satisfying and slaying respawning heroes without letting them overrun you.

Handily, as a dark lord you can fight alongside your forces and, appropriately, you are the most powerful unit in the game, with a dedicated skill tree to unlock new spells, melee attacks and build buffs. Even when faced with death, your persona can respawn at your home’s Dungeonheart. Be careful though, as if this structure is lost you immediately lose the scenario. This progression arc allows the dungeon size to slowly ramp up, and as your monsters earn new levels the action gets really chaotic, with heroes also increasing in strength, HP and spawning faster. Not only that, but super-powered knights spawn every 20 heroes slain to inspire panic among the ranks.

Visually, Dungeons emulates the dark fantasy themes perfectly, with walking skeletons, tendrils protruding through walls and scurrying Goblin workers performing your bidding automatically. The 3D environments allow your creation to be admired from all angles, and players can switch to the third-person overlord perspective at will.

We sampled the sandbox mode, where players can just let loose, and the Campaign mode which features an overlord who has been double-crossed by a feisty dominatrix, and it’s up to you to provide the vengeance he so desperately seeks. Just like Realmforge’s previous game, everyone should expect plenty of humour to punctuate the experience. Unfortunately there’s no multiplayer mode to speak of, but being in control of these dark lairs is so empowering that you wouldn’t want another person spoiling your fun.

On the surface, Dungeon’s appears to be a Dungeon Keeper clone, but it’s more than that. It takes the core concept and expands upon it in new and exciting ways while remaining just as satisfying and addictive as Bullfrog’s beloved series. This could be the strategy game we’ve waited over a decade for.

Set in Northern Europe during the late Middles Ages, the campaign places the player in a role of a trader, who needs to buy goods, sell high in neighboring cities, stay wary of any lurking pirates and rise up through the ranks of the famous merchant guild, the Hanseatic League, to gain financial and political fame.

Chances are that at this point we’ve either lost your attention or grabbed you by the honchos, as without any doubt this is a game which will appeal to a very specific niche. The whole gameplay structure is based on managing commodities and their respective fluctuating prices. Most of the time this means figuring out what certain cities need – e.g. meat producers require salt to preserve their stocks – and maintaining the supply of commodities which hold their value. Unlike many other games from this genre, all the prices are grounded in reality, and while prices can change due to natural disasters or outbreaks of disease, certain areas’ wants rarely change and can usually be relied on for a some quick gold. From there players can build ships and establish automatic trade routes to bring in money automatically.

As you become more and more successful, guild ranks are gained which allow dabbling in expeditions in the Mediterranean Sea, the ability to produce the regional goods of the local town and buy new property in neighboring cities – all towards the goal of becoming a Mayor of the local region. Patrician IV’s campaign ramps up very nicely and soon the worries of being a sea trader pale in significance to building city defenses to fight off raiders or managing the workforce effectively by building new houses or facilities in your city.

Thankfully there are plenty of tutorials along the way to help and most of them are in video form, so you’re absolutely in no doubt as what needs to be done and when Piracy is a bit of an issue on the high seas, and protecting stocks from raids becomes a growing problem but the 3D engine does a great job of showing the ensuing fights between your galleons and enemy ships in real-time.

Patrician IV is ready to inspire gold lust in some of us

Micromanagement either floats your boat or sends you spiraling into a deep sleep, and it seems that Patrician IV won’t do anything to change that divide within the PC community. However, those looking for a true-to-history take on the trading genre should definitely be interested in this game. Make sure that you check out our review next month.

Well, we say the dungeons found in Dungeons are squalid, but that’s totally your choosing. The core idea behind Dungeons is simple: as the Dungeon Lord you must tempt legendary heroes into exploring your dungeon by furnishing it with ‘gimmicks’ like deadly pits, archive rooms, stashes of gold and monsters, before slaying them for loot. More loot equals more cash to build more gimmicks, and more gimmicks means a steady stream of heroes.

It isn’t just a simple case of building and killing ad infinitum, and Realmforge has added an additional layer of strategy via Hero Requirements. The heroes are what Realmforge refer to as ‘walking resources’, and to get the most out of them you’ll have to fulfill certain needs. For example, some heroes may hear tales of a mythical beast roaming your dungeon, and allowing them to slay it will increase the amount of resources they drop once you kill them. Others will want to prove themselves by navigating certain traps, and many more will want to have a duel with the Dungeon Lord himself.

Some impressive ideas and a decent-sounding mission structure could ensure this action/management romp turns out to be the game dungeon keepers have been waiting for over a decade.

During an impressive opening cinematic, the game reveals the fallen angel which becomes the center of the plot. Each of the game’s three factions wants to utilize the sought-after savior to their gospel, Legion to resurrect their fallen leader and the Elves just want everyone to get along. There are a total of 19 missions on offer and the plot’s supported by an abundance of text and video, perfect for those who relish their fantasy fiction.

Each mission begins with players appearing on epic-sized maps which take multiple turns to traverse. Any movement is governed by a blue bar and when it runs out the only option is to take another turn. The same restrictions are applied to enemies, so rather like chess you’ll need to think of your moves carefully. You’ll need to scope out resources to support your forces, visit NPCs for quests and keep an eye out for enemies.

Fighting efficiency is governed by what accessories and abilities are available to your hero. Just double click the portrait on the sidebar and there’s a plethora of RPG progression to choose from including skills, items and a variety of gauges to increase. The customization possibilities are frankly staggering and sure to encourage plenty of competition between players online.

When enemies are encountered the gameplay shifts from the campaign map to the zoomed-in battle mode, where keen strategists can place their characters in whatever formation they wish before laying waste to enemies. The turn-based battles look fantastic in motion, taking advantage of the powerful new engine. Magic attacks are particularly impressive, putting melee combat to shame. Again, each attack, move or buff is governed by points, so don’t leave your units at the mercy of your enemies without due course.

Monster design is also varied, taking cues from the old world including werewolves, cheeky bandits and even a Kraken. The variety on offer makes the battles seem less routine and, during our few hours of play, we encountered an exciting roster.

This franchise has been off the radar for a decade but with a sequel as detailed and enjoyable as this, it’s sure to make a triumphant return.