At this point, I truly don't know whether gamers are too demanding, too entitled or too uninformed.

There is NO WAY ON GODS GREEN EARTH that you people have ANY idea about what you are talking about. People write reviews, stating things that are not even capable in game. They write about settings that they have NO idea what they mean and at the end of the day, it is evident that people do not know how to setup a PC and what settings are or how to actually use them. No wonder there are so many videos in any game with titles like "These are the best settings to play!". I mean, you even want a guide for settings in VIDEO GAMES?! We "evolved" from learning the games, to looking for guides because we do not care or we are too bad at games, to looking up for video settings! (WHAT!?)

As for the game,
1. Optimization.
I got 15 hours, not much by any means. Every single one of them were played while I was streaming on 3 different platforms, making 3 different encodings, from the same PC my game was running. I wanted to test it on my gaming PC instead of my streaming one, just to pit it against other games that came out recently. (namely Oblivion Remastered, which was "unplayable" without my streaming pc)
My setup: 13600KF, 48GB DDR4, 3080 RoG Strix. Here I want to point out that my PC is a 3 monitor setup, 2 of them are 4K and my Gaming one is 1080p. If you know about computers, you know exactly why I mention this and the impact it has. Will not go into explaining.
The game is running at 50-80fps while streaming, (50 min at intense scenes), as I said on the 1080p, with mid/high settings. Off-stream, with no encoding in the background I have around 120fps. No more need to be said here. If you got any problem with these numbers you need to educate yourself or just read what I said all over again. No stuttering, or drop frame issues, game was/is stable. No much difference since the update, as the game was already running fine for me.

2. Gameplay.
The gameplay is pretty nice! Harder than Wukong or Elden Ring. I need to state here that as someone who plays any kind of game, I am not an expert in any game, but I like to think that I am generally above average. Wukong and Elden Ring were easy games overall with fewer than 10-15 tries per boss at the worst case. Wuchang on the other hand, due to how combos and combat works, is harder early in the game, making you unable to go full on agro like Wukong.
For people that want to cheese (looking at some of you out there), you got the option to farm in the bamboo village zone at the start of the game to make things easier for you. If you want to play like that, do it. The focus is to have fun.

The skill trees are very large. Do not be afraid of playing around and testing things out.

3. Fidelity
The graphics are just what you expect from an UE5 game. Great. What this engine focuses on is lighting, and it shines here as well. Keep in mind though, that we pay for that with having the need, depending on our systems, to go back and enable things like Frame Generation and DLSS. I hate DLSS, so I always avoid it. Find what you like, how you want to set up your settings and have fun.

First off, Dark and Darker is a hardcore dungeon crawler that thrives on challenging gameplay and steep learning curves. It’s not your average game where you can just jump in and expect to dominate. This game demands patience, strategy, and a willingness to learn from your mistakes.

For those who are new to Dark and Darker, the initial hurdles might seem insurmountable. You’ll die—a lot. But that's part of the experience. Each death teaches you something new, whether it’s understanding enemy attack patterns, mastering your character’s abilities, or simply learning when to pick your battles and when to run. Complaining about the difficulty after just a few hours of play is like trying to run a marathon after a couple of jogs around the block.

It’s amusing (and a bit frustrating) to see the influx of new players who expected an easy ride simply because the game is now available on Steam. The sense of entitlement is palpable. These players missed out on the early days when the game was rough around the edges, and those who stuck with it have honed their skills in a much harsher environment. Now, the game is more polished and accessible, yet the new crowd still finds reasons to whine.

Dark and Darker is not a game you can master in a short period. It's a game that rewards dedication. If you’re not willing to invest the time, then maybe it’s not for you. And that’s okay! Not every game needs to cater to every player. However, the incessant negativity from those who haven’t put in the effort is disheartening. Instead of adapting to the game’s mechanics, they expect the game to adapt to their expectations.

To those considering whether to spend $30 on the game, my advice is simple: play the free version first. Spend at least 10 hours with it. Get a feel for the mechanics, the pacing, and the community. If you find yourself hooked, then the upgrade might be worth it, especially if you’re aiming for the leaderboards.

The gaming community's current trend of bashing challenging and innovative games is troubling. Games that offer something different, something that requires effort and learning, are often dismissed because they don’t fit the mold of instant gratification. We’ve become too accustomed to games that hold our hands and guide us every step of the way. Dark and Darker is a breath of fresh air in this landscape, and it deserves respect for that.

In conclusion, Dark and Darker is a game for those who appreciate a real challenge. It’s a journey of growth and mastery. If you’re up for it, dive in and embrace the grind. If not, that’s fine too. Just don’t spoil the experience for others who are willing to put in the work. The gaming world needs more titles like this, and fewer players who can’t handle them.

Today is 28th of April. I just woke up at 14:30 after another session of Manor Lords.
I got 23,4 hours into the game and I got to say, this is one of the best releases I have experienced.
The game didn't crush a single time.
As I am someone who gets bored easily, is was refreshing playing a city builder in 12 hour sessions without getting bored, playing always at x12 speed might have helped with this. Yesterday I reached 1000 for the first time in one of my regions, game is challenging at first, and this was my 3rd try after loosing the first 2. The game does a great job with the tutorials, but you can always close them as they pop too much for me, I did that after 15 mins.
Now let's talk about regions. The map is separated in different regions which you claim and then build a town. Each one if them is separated from the other in resources, development, and every other aspect. At the beginning, having to build a pack station to transfer goods between them felled like a hustle, and it is, as you won't be able to easily support one town with the other, BUT what I ended up feeling and experiencing is that every region is like a new game. Serving as a point you can return and develop once your other city starts to stagnate. In other city builders you would just start a new game, here you have 8 (if I am not mistaken) "new games" in the same game. I also love how you can manipulate market prices because of each towns productions and needs and I think this is the best way to "transfer" goods between them.
I am sure there are even more game play mechanics I could get into, but as time goes on, the need to get back into the game grows even more.
Great graphics, smooth game play, numerous options to set your difficulty and how you want to experience the game.
There are some bugs right and left, for example notifications stuck with no reason, but a save-load will fix that. Retinue will stuck outside after you delete the Manor etc, which are just minor inconveniences and are expected in an early access title.
Can't wait to try every feature still under development. Having to see them in menus and not being able to select them is just a tease hahaha!

The game is just in a too early stage. Whole game feels like a placeholder, showcasing something more than what the demo did, NPC interactions and an "open" world to explore to name a few.
The main quest can not be completed but this could also be how the game is supposed to work, searching for your father in an never ending circle of night and day, with monsters attacking you at night.
I would love to play the game in a later stage, could even pay double the price of the early access on the day of release, but at this stage, the game doesn't pique my interest.
There are also bugs, some of them might require you to die, or restart but all these are fine since, as I already said, it's too early for a proper review of the game.
As for the good thing about it, a great premise, great environment and atmosphere but that's about it. Keep up the work, would love to come back to it in the future.
On an end note, as far as optimization goes, the game runs GREAT on a 3080 on "EPIC" while streaming at the same time. Props to you!

As short as possible. Buy the Standard Edition of the Game and ENJOY. Want to listen to everyone else? Then read bellow.

After 15 hours of gameplay, all recorded and streamed at the same time from the same machine here is what I have to say.
The game runs good. It MIGHT need some optimization touches but that's fine. 13600K + 3080Strix, on 1080p. All maxed out, DLSS OFF, FIDELITY OFF, REFLEX ON+BOOST, RT ON average 80fps outside the first capital, 40 inside it, again, this is considering I was streaming and recording at the same time on the same machine.

As for bugs, to be honest, I could say I encountered less than 5 instances of something amiss, but I don't even remember specific moment at the moment. They were that much impacting... :/ hahaha

As for the microtransactions etc. First of all, do not buy the deluxe edition. You can get everything on that edition or even better items after 3 hours of gameplay max. End of story. Same goes with microtransactions. Wtf is everyone talking about? are you that far gone into the no brain lane? It's a single player game, with microtransactions of STUPID ITEMS that you can actually get super easy in-game. The mere existence of items, you can get with zero in-game effort, on the steam store for people to buy, it's so funny, because people are actually going to buy them. Want to know how I know this? Because people complain about them! What is wrong with you all?!

10k gold to change appearance or some 100 RC (If I recall correctly for 2 books that enable you to change everything. A mechanic that in my opinion should not be in the game in the first place as you created a character in the beginning, stick with it.)
The fact that the game even allows players to fully customize their characters at any point, and people still find a reason to cry about that, is astonishing!

EDIT: Fun stats. As of now, 23/03, 5:20AM GMT+2,
10% of players have not played the game.
30% have not completed the first quest.
50% have not reached the main city.
Enjoy your reviews.

Starting with a disclaimer, I am/was never a fan of CoD games after the OG Modern Warfare 2.
The only reason I am playing Warzone 2.0 on Steam instead of Battle.net as I did the first 2 days, is so that I can address some of the issues that revolve around the gaming community in general. I honestly don't know what's worse. Reviewers that's don't actually play the games they review, or that players writing reviews and jidging do exactly the same thing?
So let's start with the review about Warzone 2.0!
This is purely about WZ 2.0, how it plays, the optimization, the engine, how it feels and what to expect.
I was some of the "lucky" few that started playing the game ASAP, that meaning, 2 hours before the official release, as anyone could do. At that point the menu was not complete with all the options as only the warzone quads was available BUT there were NOT issues, no lags, no server or datacenter problems. (which btw have been fixed by today 18/11)
The issues started at about 15 mins before the official release time, but still it was a HUGE release of a game that more or less every fps player (not everyone is a gamer) wanted to try out, so that was to be expected, so every "reviewer" yelling about lags, please, you have been through more than one release in your lifetime.
As for the game, I LOVE the engine. I feel like CoD took a turn towards BF games, by making gunplay feel sturdier that other CoD games. Propably one of the best CoD games of the past 3-5 years, atleast. People say enemies are bullet sponges, but people are also complaining about pizzas being generally round, so I would take that with a grain of salt.
The gunsmith system was enchanced and that's another thing for everyone to take a look at. You can customize your weapons even more now, take then to the firing range for a spin, and even tune parts to your liking. (I am w8ing for people to start looking out for "best tune of that part" guides insted of actually playing their own way, there is no BEST that fits everyone but you know, the placebo effect is strong).
As for how the game runs, I would beg you to start setting your games settings to your systems capabilities. I know, not eveyone can have a beast, but all have to be able to enjoy games. That being said, do it with the graphic settings your system can support. The game needs a bit of work towards optimization, but a tad bit, but nowadays there are SO MANY software and hardware enables settings to squeeze performance out of your system, so don't overdo it. The game came out in 2022, at maximum settings it's really stunning, but maximum setting can't be run by anyone even if the game was the jewel of optimization. Find your own balance and enjoy your game!
Closing, I would like to praise the DMZ mode and get my hopes out there, I really hope that this mode becomes even better once it's out of beta. Something to love and look for.