Darkest Dungeon, the despair-inducing roguelike RPG (which Video Game Choo Choo named the 8th best game of 2016), will soon be updating in a big way. In a recent Steam news update, developer Red Hook laid out plans for Darkest Dungeon’s newest build, which, in addition to general improvements to all areas of the game, will introduce a new “Radiant Mode” to the experience.
According to Red Hook, “Radiant Mode” is a “version of the game intended to take less time to complete than the normal ‘Darkest’ mode.” The release mentions that all enemies and permadeath conditions will remain the same, but other tweaks will be made to tighten up playtime. The list includes changes such as allowing for more powerful heroes to arrive through the game’s Stagecoach mechanic, accelerated XP, and a more frequent town event system.
In addition, the update will change the “New Game+” mode to the more gothic-sounding “Stygian Mode,” which can now be selected right off the bat on a new campaign instead of requiring an initial completion. It’s also, according to the release, “slightly more deadly.” The upcoming build will also toss in miscellaneous tweaks such as four new enemies, new town events, and general bug fixes.
Although a wide release hasn’t yet been scheduled, Steam users can download the beta version of the update right now. Per instructions from Red Hook, intrepid adventurers can access this rough build by opening up the “betas” tab in the Darkest Dungeon “properties” menu and selecting the drop-down box to choose “coming_in_hot.” Best of luck for those strong enough to brave it.
