Balancing Gear Impact in Dark and Darker

A crucial aspect that appears to be overlooked by the developers is the way their game unfolds and the inherent design limitations that shape it.

In titles like Tarkov, Hunt Showdown, The Cycle Frontier, and others of this genre, a less-equipped player navigating solo against a duo or trio possesses the ability to employ tactics such as hiding or strategically selecting targets to gain an upper hand. However, this dynamic does not hold true in this game.

Dark and Darker offers little in terms of genuine hiding spots if a formidable duo/trio or a highly-equipped solo player decides to scour corners and map perimeters that fall outside the circle’s confines.

Evading pursuit proves equally challenging for those not wielding the Rogue class. Escaping is often improbable, especially when hindered by slower door-opening speeds. In such instances, the only recourse is to pray that the chosen escape path already boasts open doors, enabling distance to be maintained, or that the pursuers relent.

Similarly, tackling rooms with gear that falls below the green tier is a laborious endeavor and consumes considerably more time, particularly for solo or duo players, in contrast to the hyper-geared trio teams that steamroll opponents. Furthermore, this approach generates a significant amount of noise.

As you astutely mentioned, gear enhancements should undoubtedly yield benefits for PvE engagement, along with modest improvements for PvP scenarios. Nevertheless, acquiring better gear should not transform players into impervious PvP juggernauts.

An illustration of the challenge emerges in goblin caves. On three consecutive runs, I met my demise within moments due to encountering a player almost entirely clad in purple gear, whereas I was outfitted in greens. Despite strategically outplaying my opponent through multiple tactics—landing 4-5 headshots, deftly evading 75% of their attacks, and leveraging PvE to my advantage—the outcome was unaltered. In the end, with nearly half their health intact, they triumphed.

This frustrating trend repeated itself three times in the span of five matches. While I refrain from the “it’s your skill” sentiment, this particular instance demonstrated that even when I showcased superior tactics across all three skirmishes, I still fell short due to gear disparity.

If I’m hitting my mark on 80% of shots, predominantly in the form of headshots, while my adversary misses 75% of their strikes without any headshots, and yet they prevail—asserting that this is not a gear imbalance and merely a question of skill feels disingenuous. Do you need Dark and darker PVE OR PVP tips? Do you need buy Dark and Darker Gold? Welcome to MMOexp.com.