Through the Darkest of Times Reviews
A superbly crafted game that serves as storyteller, teacher, and concerned friend.
Through the Darkest of Times paints what feels like an accurate portrait of life in Nazi Germany. Cherry-picking major events, like the Reichstag Fire or the opening ceremony of the Olympics, it convincingly places you at the scene, putting you in the shoes of a regular German trying to come to grips with how one person--or even five people--can respond in the presence of evil.
Complex themes and a gameplay that really conveys the story: Through the Darkest of Times may be a simple game, but it's worth your time.
Review in Italian | Read full review
This captivating game, which immerses players in 1930s Berlin, is an essential reminder of how fascism takes root and grows
The Night is Darkest Before The Dawn. Through the Darkest of Times is an interesting strategy game that combines the storytelling of a visual novel with the tactics of a war table planner. The art style is striking in its simplicity and the music provides an immersive ambiance. The game's focus on telling the story of the fight against the Nazis from the inside offers a compelling plot and plenty of character moments that draw you in.
The management and RPG style made me think of a digital board game like Antihero, but really it plays more like a visual novel — a genre that leans hard on player interaction to involve you in the story. And in that, Through the Darkest of Times was quite effective.
Through the Darkest of Times is a game worth trying if you are willing to forgive a slow paced and repetitive gameplay, in exchange for an exciting and very detailed history lesson. Those who prefer to get rid of the Nazis with a BFG 9000 should definitively look for something else.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Through the Darkest of Times is not surprising, it's fun and different from normal, but it won't capture the attention of a larger audience.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Through the Darkest of Times is a fantastic proposition and very much a necessary game to understand what it could have been like being a german, a human being, during these terrible years. Even if gameplay mechanics fall short, it's still very recommandable for anyone who needs a reminder and/or is intererested in History.
Review in French | Read full review
Not many games have you play the underdog from beginning to end. It's tense, and each passing day keeps you on edge. You'll be emotionally invested in trying to keep your members, friends, family, and even strangers safe as you make choices that will shape your life and their future. Although a second playthrough doesn't hit the same way emotionally as the first, it's still a fantastic title to understand the heart-wrenching reality of that period.
Through the Darkest of Times tells a compelling, historically grounded story of German resistance fighters who stood up to the Nazis. Its sensitive handling of difficult subject matter makes it a great game for anyone interested in a serious, emotional treatment of Nazi Germany. Unfortunately, the somewhat shallow strategy gameplay falls behind the deep themes.
Once you can accept the occasional glitched mission and language mistakes, it is a journey down history that you will never forget.
A mechanically-archetypal strategy sim elevated by the potent historical context through which it's examined.
With effective visuals, a moving story, and a powerful message, Through the Darkest of Times is a must for anyone who enjoys historical and interactive story-based games.
The writing in Through the Darkest of Times is evocative, powerful and poignant. Too often it's undermined by the game also having systems that contain the same kind of resource juggling and time management that we see in anime dating sims.
Overall this is a nice title and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun but short game.
Unique return to dark Nazi Germany with good story and fair gameplay.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
There is little to recommend about this game. The gameplay is not engaging, with mindless clicking in boring gameplay loops, and the story feels like an endless scolding for something no one alive today even did, accompanied by an undercurrent of shame for supposed parallels to modern politics. Some interesting art is overshadowed by how outright simple and stupid most of the characters look. The not-so-hidden political agenda and modern criticisms to the game are so ham-fisted, it is very tough to recommend this unless one is in the mood for a moralizing diatribe.
Through the Darkest of Times, as the name suggests, tells the story of one of the most horrifying eras in the history of mankind in a relatively different way, and while the concept seems appealing, the game itself is sometimes not. If you are interested in history, this game is probably the right choice for you, but be warned that the gameplay mechanics are not always working as they should.
Review in Persian | Read full review
While games are a great vehicle for departing from reality and enjoying an escape they’ve increasingly been used as a means to put players in sometimes uncomfortable situations in order to convey ideas and foster greater understanding...