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Throne of Darkness is a Japanese-themed action role-playing game released in 2001 by Sierra On-Line, a subsidiary of Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing. Players control up to four (out of seven) different samurai at a time. The game has three separate multiplayer modes which support up to 35 players.
| Throne Of Darkness | |
|---|---|
 North American cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Click Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Sierra On-Line |
| Producer(s) | Mark Seibert |
| Designer(s) | D. Isaac Gartner Ben Haas |
| Programmer(s) | D. Isaac Gartner |
| Artist(s) | Ben Haas Victor Lee |
| Composer(s) | Etienne Grunenwald-Rohr Mark Hardy |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Action role-playing, hack and slash |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Plot edit
The game is set in Yamato, a medieval version of Japan ruled by the shogun Tsunayoshi and the daimyō of the four clans. To become immortal, Tsunayoshi transforms himself into the demon Zanshin, the Dark Warlord, who unleashes his army of darkness to conquer Yamato. Zanshin's forces sweep across Yamato one night, catching the clans by surprise and annihilating them. However, believing that the four daimyō were killed, Zanshin recalls his soldiers prematurely, leaving one daimyō and seven of his retainers alive. As dawn breaks, the daimyō decides to counterattack, ordering his seven surviving samurai to destroy Zanshin and his minions.
The four clans and daimyō are named after historical Japanese clans and persons:
- The Mōri clan, led by daimyō Mōri Motonari.
- The Oda clan, led by daimyō Oda Nobunaga.
- The Tokugawa clan, led by daimyō Tokugawa Ieyasu.
- The Toyotomi clan, led by daimyō Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Gameplay edit
Gameplay resembles Diablo II, as many of the game's developers worked on Diablo.[2]
Reception edit
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 68/100[3] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| AllGame |    [4] |
| Computer Games Magazine | [5] |
| Computer Gaming World | [6] |
| EP Daily | 9/10[7] |
| Game Informer | 6.5/10[8] |
| GameRevolution | A−[9] |
| GameSpot | 7.1/10[10] |
| GameSpy | 68%[11] |
| GameZone | 9.5/10[12] |
| IGN | 7.5/10[13] |
| Next Generation | [14] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 78%[15] |
| RPGFan | 85%[16] |
The game received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[3] Blake Fischer of NextGen said that the game was "Fun but frustrating. Ultimately, the steep learning curve (formations? Don't even ask...) and increased micromanagement keep this game from being a 'Diablo II killer.'"[14]
The game was a finalist for The Electric Playground's "Best RPG for PC" award at the Blister Awards 2001, but lost the prize to Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura.[17]
References edit
- ^ Walker, Trey (September 25, 2001). "Throne of Darkness Ships". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on October 24, 2001. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Lafferty, Michael (October 10, 2001). "A Click producer takes GameZone into the world of Throne of Darkness". GameZone. Archived from the original on August 3, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ a b "Throne of Darkness". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Allen, Christopher. "Throne of Darkness - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 17, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Chick, Tom (January 11, 2002). "Throne of Darkness". Computer Games Magazine. theGlobe.com. Archived from the original on April 21, 2002. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Nguyen, Thierry (December 2001). "Throne of Darkness" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 209. Ziff Davis. pp. 118–19. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Walker, Mark H. (October 31, 2001). "Throne of Darkness". The Electric Playground. Greedy Productions. Archived from the original on October 19, 2002. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Brogger, Kristian (December 2001). "Throne of Darkness". Game Informer. No. 104. FuncoLand. p. 116. Archived from the original on February 28, 2005. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Gee, Brian (October 2001). "Throne of Darkness". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Kasavin, Greg (October 4, 2001). "Throne of Darkness Review [date mislabeled as "May 17, 2006"]". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on October 5, 2001. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Bub, Andrew S. (October 19, 2001). "Throne of Darkness". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 24, 2006. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Lafferty, Michael (October 3, 2001). "Throne of Darkness - PC - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 5, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Butts, Steve (October 4, 2001). "Throne of Darkness". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ a b Fischer, Blake (December 2001). "Throne of Darkness". NextGen. No. 84. Imagine Media. p. 115. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Poole, Stephen (December 2001). "Throne of Darkness". PC Gamer. Vol. 8, no. 12. Imagine Media. Archived from the original on March 15, 2006. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Cavner, Brian (September 17, 2002). "Throne of Darkness". RPGFan. Emerald Shield Media LLC. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ EP staff (2002). "Blister Awards 2001 (PC Games)". The Electric Playground. Greedy Productions. Archived from the original on September 17, 2003. Retrieved October 23, 2021.