Dark Envoy - Director's Cut Review

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COG reviewed the Director's Cut of Dark Envoy:

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DARK ENVOY DIRECTOR'S CUT REVIEW - QUESTIONABLE IMPROVEMENTS

Dark Envoy Director's Cut Review

I didn't play 2023's Dark Envoy, which is surprising because I try out the vast majority of action RPGs. So, unfortunately, I can't speak to whatever changes or improvements appear in the new director's cut release. All I can do is evaluate the game now, and assume it's the best possible version. With that said, let's get started.

Hybrid Action
Developed by Tower of Time's Event Horizon, Dark Envoy is a cross between a third-person action RPG and a traditional CRPG, where players can pause the action and make tactical decisions. In Dark Envoy, the "Tactical Mode" is especially useful as the party grows from two to a more complex grouping. It's particularly important as AI party members tend to have poor decision-making skills and battlefield awareness on their own. Going into Tactical Mode to move characters, select spells and ready-range weapons is an interesting blend-in with more action-focused mechanics. The downside is that the screen soon becomes a chaotic mess that's difficult to parse or control.

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Dark Envoy isn't without its strengths. The class system and skill trees lend themselves to interesting character builds and adventure party variety. But Director's Cut or not, Dark Envoy simply had too many serious technical issues and minor hiccups. They constantly intruded into whatever fun the game was trying to give me. I'll check back later to see if things improve but for now, Malakai and Kaela are on their own.

Score: 60/100