Dark Fall 2: Lights Out

[b]Dark Fall 2: Lights Out[/b] es una aventura gráfica de [i]point-and-click[/i] en primera persona. Como ocurría con el anterior, la ambientación y guion son dos de sus puntos fuertes llenos de detalles y curiosidades, pero el hecho de que sólo esté disponible en inglés puede afectar al disfrute de algunos. Los puzles funcionan de manera similar, unos más simples otros más enrevesados pero siempre teniendo que investigar para discernir y apuntar en papel la información que pueda ser relevante para su resolución. Pero al contrario de su predecesor, abusa de los recovecos y pantallas sin nada en especial lo que puede llevar a momentos un tanto frustrantes. Me gustó más el anterior y este lo recomiendo sólo si disfrutaste mucho aquel ya que la navegación le resta muchos puntos. [i]Aunque no se indique en el título, se trata de la Director’s Cut que salió cinco años después del original con cambios en algunos puzles y una historia expandida.[/i] [h1]Al subir las escaleras, vi a un hombre que no estaba allí[/h1] 1912. Benjamin Parker es un cartógrafo que trabaja en el pueblo inglés de Trewarthan y quien se muestra interesado en cierto faro de la cercana isla de Fetch Rock ya que no se muestra en ningún mapa. Cuando se le ofrece la oportunidad de visitarlo porque ninguno de sus tres fareros responde y el faro está a oscuras, no duda en aceptar la oferta. Pero lo que encuentra va más allá de lo que habría imaginado. La historia está basada en el poema [i]Flannan Isle[/i] escrito por Wilfrid Wilson Gibson a principios del siglo XX sobre el caso real de tres extrañas desapariciones en un faro. Aunque Jonathan Boakes, como con el anterior Dark Fall, decide optar por una ruta sobrenatural. La forma en la que está escrita sigue siendo buena y la ambientación y claustrofobia al tratarse de una localización más pequeña producen un buen resultado. Aunque lamentablemente y al igual que ocurrió con el anterior, está completamente en inglés. Como curiosidad, pese a ser una secuela numerada no es una continuación del anterior, de hecho, el tercero es la continuación del primero. Algo que quiero mencionar ya es que, al igual que el anterior Dark Fall, la falta de accesibilidad puede ser problemática. No sólo no hay forma de controlar los niveles de audio o poner subtítulos (el truco de F1 del anterior no funciona) sino que además la pantalla tiene una resolución estática de 800x600 que no escala con nuestro monitor. Esto quiere decir que el juego se ejecutará en una esquina de la pantalla teniendo el resto en negro. Tras varios minutos de trasteo con el programa DxWnd conseguí que funcionara correctamente a pantalla completa. Incluso tras haber conseguido eso, las dos cinemáticas que hay no funcionan porque el juego te pide una versión que no existe de QuickTime para reproducirlas; es mejor verlas directamente desde la carpeta del juego y dejar que éste se las salte durante la partida, una al principio y otra al final. Para ser una versión posterior con correcciones, podrían haberla tratado mejor. Recorreremos el faro y la isla sobre el que está situado mediante pantallas estáticas, decidiendo con el puntero del ratón por dónde ir o con qué interactuar. Aunque ocasionalmente encontraremos algunos objetos, la mecánica principal es recabar información de las notas que encontramos repartidas por los escenarios, teniendo que apuntar la información en papel ya que el juego no almacena dicha información en ningún sitio, y utilizarla para resolver los distintos puzles. Saber distinguir entre la información pertinente y la que ensalza la trama será fundamental y creo que es uno de los alicientes para este tipo de aventuras. Por otro lado está el diseño de los escenarios. En este caso me gustó más la forma en la que estaban construidos en el anterior. Debido a que se trata de una localización más pequeña, existen muchos recovecos por los que mirar y movernos, lo que supone tener que ir escaneando cada zona con el puntero a ver cuándo cambia. La navegación resulta un tanto problemática. En un par de ocasiones que tuve que usar guía resultó ser porque no había mirado y girado la vista en un punto concreto y por tanto me faltaba información fundamental. Me gustó más cómo se desarrollaba el anterior, este lo he encontrado un tanto engorroso e hizo que me planteara si recomendarlo o no. El juego es un poco más corto que el anterior así que, salvo grandes contratiempos, nos llevará unas 6 horas completarlo y no se desbloquea nada al terminarlo.

I'm sure it was a decent point-and-click and puzzle indie game in its time, but in 2024, this game is just too old to play. I'm surprised this game was created in 2004, because the graphics, interface, resolution, controls, and gameplay actually scream mid-90's! Unless you're so desperate for a puzzle game, this antique game is not worth trying to play in 2024 because it just hasn't aged well.

[h1]Ein lobenswerter Versuch, kommt aber nicht an den Vorgänger heran[/h1] Obwohl sich Dark Fall 2: Lights Out große Mühe gibt den Spieler mit einer spannenden Handlung, abwechslungsreichen Ortschaften und einem zugänglicheren Schwierigkeitsgrad einzufangen, kann das Adventure leider nicht dieselbe Faszination wie Teil 1 entfalten. Am problematischsten ist natürlich die teils unbequeme und undurchsichtige Legung der Knotenpunkt-Verbindungen. Hierdurch läuft man ständig Gefahr Screens oder sogar ganze Gebiete zu verfehlen. Was natürlich auch mal zu einer Sackgasse führt und somit den Griff zur Komplettlösung provoziert. Darüber hinaus enttäuscht auch die Linearität der ersten Spielhälfte und der starke Abbau des Gruselfaktors. In audiovisueller Hinsicht tritt die Serie mit dem zweiten Teil auf der Stelle. Echte Fans von Jonathan Boakes oder Adventures im Myst-Stil werden dennoch ihren Spaß mit Dark Fall 2: Lights Out haben, daher kann man hier wohl noch gerade so einen Blauen Daumen rechtfertigen. [h1]Pro und Kontra:[/h1] Pro: - interessante Handlung, welche Geistergrusel, Zeitreisen und Science-Fiction miteinander kombiniert - der Schwierigkeitsgrad der Rätsel und Puzzle ist wesentlich freundlicher geworden - abwechslungsreiche Gebiete Kontra: - die Grafik war schon damals hoffnungslos veraltet - die Reisepunkte sind viel zu leicht zu verfehlen, weswegen die Gefahr Spielabschnitte zu übersehen sehr groß ist - der Gruselfaktor ist kaum vorhanden - ist wesentlich linearer als der Vorgänger

Dark Fall 2: Lights Out is the sequel to Dark Fall 1: The Journal and mixes psychological horror with supernatural mystery. You play as Benjamin Parker, a cartographer who's looking into why lighthouse keepers keep disappearing on Fetch Rock Island. The game jumps around in time, taking you from 1912 to 2090 BC and even 2040 AD. There are sci-fi elements mixed with the horror this time around. Like the previous game, it doesn't have any combat or jump scares. You work with point-and-click controls and solve various puzzles. The focus is really on the story, exploration, and atmosphere instead. The sound design does a great job of creating a creepy atmosphere with spooky little sound effects, though I preferred the ones from the first game. The story itself can get pretty confusing at times, however. There are some problems with the game too. Some plot lines don't get wrapped up, there are no subtitles available, and the game is more linear than its predecessor. Something else to keep in mind is that there's no journal or diary feature. You have to write down important clues and details on your own, similar to the first game.

Horrible navigation like Myst, left the room, just going in circles with no direction. Unplayable.

Dark Fall II: Lights Out is a quietly ambitious psychological horror adventure that builds on the foundations of the first Dark Fall while pushing its ideas in stranger and more cerebral directions. Developed by Darkling Room and published by THQ Nordic on Steam, the game embraces a deliberately slow, investigative pace, asking the player to engage with mystery, atmosphere, and abstract storytelling rather than overt scares or action. It is a game that demands patience and attention, rewarding those willing to immerse themselves fully in its lonely, unsettling world. The story places you in the role of Benjamin Parker, a cartographer sent to survey the Cornish coastline in 1912. What begins as a routine assignment quickly transforms into a haunting investigation centered on the disappearance of three lighthouse keepers at the remote Fetch Rock Lighthouse. From the moment you arrive, isolation is palpable. The lighthouse stands battered by wind and sea, cut off from the mainland, and steeped in an oppressive silence that suggests something deeply wrong. Rather than presenting a straightforward ghost story, the narrative unfolds gradually through journals, notes, recordings, and environmental details, encouraging players to actively piece together the truth rather than passively receive it. One of the game’s defining strengths is its atmosphere. Fetch Rock Lighthouse and its surrounding locations feel authentically desolate, enhanced by fog, dim lighting, and a sense of abandonment that never fully lifts. The environments are static and pre-rendered, but this stillness works in the game’s favor, creating the impression of a world frozen in time. Sound design plays an even more crucial role, with distant voices, creaking structures, wind howling through empty corridors, and sudden, unexplained audio cues that unsettle without resorting to jump scares. Much like its predecessor, the fear in Dark Fall II comes from suggestion and anticipation rather than confrontation. Gameplay adheres closely to classic point-and-click adventure design. Movement is screen-based, interaction is deliberate, and there is no combat of any kind. Progress depends entirely on exploration, observation, and puzzle solving. Puzzles are often intricate and interconnected, requiring players to remember information, interpret cryptic clues, and frequently take notes outside the game. There are no modern conveniences such as quest logs or hint systems, which can make progress feel opaque at times. While this design choice reinforces immersion and the feeling of being a lone investigator, it can also be unforgiving, especially when the solution hinges on a small detail discovered much earlier. What truly sets Lights Out apart from the first Dark Fall is its expanded narrative scope. As the mystery deepens, the game introduces elements of time displacement, transporting the player to different eras connected to Fetch Rock’s history and future. These shifts dramatically alter the tone and context of the story, blending psychological horror with science fiction concepts. The time travel mechanic adds layers of intrigue and thematic weight, though it also makes the narrative more abstract and challenging to follow. For some players, this ambition enhances the sense of cosmic unease; for others, it risks diluting the grounded, haunted realism established early on. Pacing is intentionally slow and methodical, sometimes to a fault. Long stretches of exploration and puzzle-solving are punctuated by moments of revelation, but progress can stall if a crucial clue is overlooked. Backtracking is common, and revisiting familiar locations with new knowledge is a core part of the experience. This structure reinforces the feeling of being trapped in an unresolved mystery, but it can also lead to frustration for players who prefer clearer direction or more frequent feedback. Visually, the game shows its age, but its artistic intent remains effective. The pre-rendered environments lack modern detail, yet their composition and lighting convey mood remarkably well. Combined with the restrained use of animation and sound, the visuals contribute to a dreamlike quality that suits the game’s themes of memory, time, and haunting. The lighthouse itself becomes a character, its narrow staircases and confined rooms reinforcing a sense of vulnerability and isolation. Community reception reflects the game’s niche appeal. Fans of classic adventure games and slow-burn horror often regard Lights Out as a worthy follow-up, praising its atmosphere, sound design, and willingness to explore complex ideas. Critics and less patient players, however, frequently point to its dated interface, demanding puzzles, and opaque storytelling as barriers to enjoyment. It is a game that does little to accommodate modern expectations, choosing instead to remain faithful to an older design philosophy. Ultimately, Dark Fall II: Lights Out is a thoughtful and unsettling experience that prioritizes mood, mystery, and intellectual engagement over accessibility or spectacle. It is not designed to scare in obvious ways, but to quietly erode the player’s sense of certainty through isolation, ambiguity, and lingering questions. For players who appreciate atmospheric horror, careful puzzle solving, and narratives that unfold through implication rather than explanation, it offers a memorable and deeply haunting journey into the unknown. Rating: 7/10

This game! I was so unprepared for how cool it was! It was not at all what I expected, but was better actually. I finished this game weeks ago and forgot to review immediately, but I've been thinking about it ever since I finished. Crazy concept. I actually started playing the Dark Fall games in an attempt to find something that could satiate the Nancy Drew game desire I have. These games are good, but not necessarily similar to Nancy. They have far less structure to them, which can be confusing at times to figure out what you're meant to do next, especially if you gloss over something written or don't keep your own notepad handy to write down everything you learn (still no in-game notes or tasklist). But the plot was interesting (the ending was a bit... abrupt? Confusing? I wish it had been explained better) and I liked the few nods back to the first game, which I also wasn't expecting. All in all, great game. Really great follow up to the first. Definitely needed a walkthrough though.

I'll just stop now, right at the beginning. This game feels wrong. Although it is the same engine and theme as the first, it is obtuse, cliché and boring. It feels like the bad rip off of dark fall 1 the journal. It's subtle but it's there. Everything that made Dark Fall 1 great, is gone. Everything that made Dark Fall 1 a pain, has been magnified a thousandfold. You played DF1 and got accustomed to the awful way of navigating because, at least, it suited the regular plant of the hotel? The Dev is having none of that, here you go enjoy mouse tank controls on a open landscape and inside a small, round lighthouse which is 80% a spiral staircase. Enjoy navigating that. You somehow learned how to manage red herrings and pixel hunting in DF1 and felt confident? Once again, too bad. This game appears to be 97% filler content and the pixel hunting is everywhere, and will lead you to filler props most of times. The navigation combined with the most unreasonable angles needed to interact with any item makes the experience a pain. You loved the non linear gameplay in DF1, the fact that puzzles didn't need to get solved right away and you had tons of rooms and locations to explore while you thought on it? DF2 is linear and if you don't solve whatever it is the game wants right now and then, you cannot progress. Well no issues in solving riddles you think, that's the game anyway right? Wrong, here in DF2 you just have to pixel hunt 3468 different screens equals to all possible navigation angles until something meaningful can be clicked thus allowing you to progress. No hints on what that thing could be, where to look or what you need to accomplish now. Did you appreciate the subtle noises in the DF1 hotel? Please be ready for some reaallly generic crap in the audio department in this game instead. Cartoonishly evil laughs, violin screeches, the whole Cliché Orchestra is here, to follow you everywhere regardless. You thought DF1 interface was bad? In DF2 it is the same but worse. Remember how mercifully few were those interactable items that were put back down if you were to click on it and miss the hotspot? Like the tape recorder and its play button.. Well, you already guessed it, here every item gets interacted like that. You're welcome to read my review on Dark Fall 1, I was so enthusiastic about that game. I cannot believe that the same person made this one. It fails in every regard, but mainly entertainment. Dark Fall 1 was good but it fell flat at the end. Dark Fall 2 already begins flat. I can only conclude that whatever inspiration fueled the development of that first gem, it was a one time thing. I am putting this game down and not touching anything else from this author

Very recommended. A good second entry in the Dark Fall series. It has a very good and compelling story with a good dark atmosphere. Brace yourself for a real challenge though, cause the game can get very cryptic at times and suffers from some of the issues and limitations of it's time. But if you like old school adventure games you'll enjoy this one.

Really Enjoyed the game though it needs some real Horror