| Darwin Project | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Scavengers Studio |
| Publisher(s) | Scavengers Studio |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 |
| Release | January 14, 2020 |
| Genre(s) | Battle royale game |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer online |
Darwin Project is a free-to-play multiplayer online battle royale game developed and published by Scavengers Studio. It was released on January 14, 2020 for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
Darwin Project takes place in a dystopian post-apocalyptic landscape in the Northern Canadian Rockies. As preparation for an impending ice age, a new project- half science experiment, half live-entertainment- is launched. Players are dropped into an arena, initially armed with only an axe and a bow, and have to gather resources and survive along with 9 others. Players must craft items such as campfires and arrows and upgrade their weapons (axe and bow) using resources in order to survive and fight until only one player remains, winning the game. [1]
Ten prisoners are spawned into a snowy arena made up of seven tiles, each including different environments from tree houses to lava-filled zones and more. The game is run by the eleventh player, The Show Director, who is equipped with powers to make the game more interesting for the ten prisoners fighting for their lives. Each player can choose to play as a male or female prisoner. They are equipped with an axe, a bow and arrows. They can also choose three pieces of equipment from among bear traps, cage traps, snowballs, hooks, gliders, and tripwires. Players can use electronics that can be granted by the show director, or rewarded by getting the first kill of the game. The electronics are used to make powers for the prisoners to give them advantages in fighting or fleeing. Players can choose how to play throughout the arena by choosing different variations of builds. Builds include arrow type, the equipment used, electronic powers equipped (three per player), axe type, a cloak, and boots, all of which will also change the play style of each prisoner.
The development team behind Darwin Project has 18 members. The game was revealed at PAX East 2017 and officially announced at Microsoft's E3 2017 press conference. Multiple alpha and beta tests have occurred on PC. [2]
On 24 April 2018, the game was made into an early access free-to-play title. [3]
On 14 January 2020, the game was released on Steam, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
On 13 May 2020, Scavengers Studio announced that they would stop any further development on the game, while keeping servers opened at least up to the end of 2020. [4]
On 20 November 2020, the studio announced that the servers in two regions (EU-Central and US-East) would stay open. [5] Players from around the world can still play the game in these two regions.
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PC) 74/100 [6] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRevolution |   [7] |
| IGN | 6/10 [8] |
Darwin Project received mixed reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic. [6]
Pariah is a first-person shooter video game developed by Digital Extremes. It was released in May 2005 for Microsoft Windows and Xbox. It uses a modified version of the Unreal Engine and the Havok physics engine. A PlayStation 2 version was also in development but cancelled.
Whacked! is a party game developed by Presto Studios and released in 2002 by Microsoft Game Studios exclusively for the Xbox. It was one of the two original games to be made available for Xbox Live, and it received mixed reviews. Whacked! was the last game developed by Presto Studios before it went defunct.
Castle Crashers is a 2D side-scrolling hack-and-slash video game developed by The Behemoth. The Xbox 360 version was released on August 27, 2008, via Xbox Live Arcade as part of the Xbox Live Summer of Arcade. The PlayStation 3 version was released in North America on August 31, 2010, and November 3, 2010, in Europe via the PlayStation Network. A Microsoft Windows version, exclusive to Steam, was released on September 26, 2012. The game is set in a fictional medieval universe in which a dark wizard steals a mystical crystal and captures four princesses. Four knights are charged by the king to rescue the princesses, recover the crystal, and bring the wizard to justice. The game includes music created by members of Newgrounds.
The Lord of the Rings: Conquest is a 2009 action game developed by Pandemic Studios and published by Electronic Arts. It is derived from The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and borrows many gameplay mechanics from Pandemic's Star Wars: Battlefront games. The game allows the player to play as both the forces of good and evil.
Fable is a series of action role-playing video games for Xbox, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Xbox 360 and Xbox One platforms. The series was developed by Lionhead Studios until the studio was closed in 2016, and is published by Xbox Game Studios.
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare is a multiplayer-focused hack and slash developed by Torn Banner Studios as their first commercial title. The game is set in a fictional setting. On September 20, 2012, a trailer was released which set the release date to October 16, 2012. The developers had confirmed that the game would be PC exclusive initially, but in October 2014, they confirmed that the game would be coming to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in December 2014. A standalone expansion pack called Chivalry: Deadliest Warrior was announced on August 23, 2013, as a tie-in for the television series Deadliest Warrior. It was released on November 14, 2013.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is a 2015 action-adventure game developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Microsoft Studios and Square Enix. The game is the eleventh main entry in the Tomb Raider series, the sequel to the 2013's Tomb Raider, and is the second instalment in the Survivor trilogy. Its story follows Lara Croft as she ventures into Siberia in search of the legendary city of Kitezh while battling the paramilitary organization Trinity, which intends to uncover the city's promise of immortality. Lara must traverse the environment and combat enemies with firearms and stealth as she explores semi-open hubs. In these hubs she can raid challenge tombs to unlock new rewards, complete side missions, and scavenge for resources which can be used to craft useful materials.
The Escapists is a strategy game played from a top-down perspective. The game was developed by Mouldy Toof Studios and following a Steam Early Access release in 2014, was released in 2015 for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It was released on iOS and Android in 2017. A Nintendo Switch version of the game containing all downloadable content was released in 2018. The game was launched on the Epic Games Store on 23 September 2021, with the weekly free game campaign of Epic Games. Players assume the role of an inmate and must escape from prisons of increasing difficulty.
Sea of Thieves is a 2018 action-adventure game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Studios. The player assumes the role of a pirate who completes voyages from different trading companies. The multiplayer game sees players explore an open world via a pirate ship from a first-person perspective. Groups of players encounter each other regularly during their adventures, sometimes forming alliances, and sometimes going head-to-head.
Fable Fortune was a free-to-play digital collectible card game set in the Fable universe. The game was released for Windows and Xbox One in February 2018, after an initial early access release. It was co-developed by Flaming Fowl Studios and Mediatonic. In late 2019, Flaming Fowl Studios announced their intent to cease work on further updates for the game, citing its lacklustre performance on the market. The support for the game was finally discontinued on 4 March 2020.
State of Decay 2 is a 2018 action-adventure survival video game developed by Undead Labs and published by Xbox Game Studios. The game is a followup to State of Decay and was released for Windows and Xbox One on May 22, 2018. Like its predecessor, players are tasked with building a community, managing resources and surviving against the horde of zombies.
Realm Royale is a free-to-play third-person shooter battle royale game developed by Heroic Leap Games. The game features multiple character classes each with unique abilities. It is a spin-off of the hero shooter Paladins, where it originated as a game mode known as Paladins: Battlegrounds. The game was released for Microsoft Windows via Steam's early access program in June 2018, with versions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One released two months later. Realm Royale entered open beta on PS4 and Xbox One on January 22, 2019. On May 24, 2019, the game entered closed beta on Nintendo Switch and went into open beta on June 20, 2019. On August 22, 2022, the game was relaunched and updated as Realm Royale Reforged, marking the first update to the game since February 2020.
Super Animal Royale is an indie battle royale video game developed and published by Pixile Studios. The game features 64-player matches starring anthropomorphic animals who use a variety of weapons and firearms from a 2D overhead perspective and was built using the Unity game engine. An early version debuted on Steam Early Access on December 12, 2018, with a free-to-play demo version released the following month in January 2019. An Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S version appeared on Xbox Game Pass in game preview on June 1, 2021. The game left early access on Steam and was released for macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on August 26, 2021, and for Google Stadia on December 14, 2021.
Chivalry 2 is a 2021 multiplayer hack and slash action video game developed by Torn Banner Studios and published by Tripwire Interactive. The sequel to Chivalry: Medieval Warfare (2012), the game was released on June 8, 2021, for Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S.
Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is an action-adventure video game developed by Soleil, a then subsidiary studio of the Japanese video game developer Valhalla Game Studios and published by Adult Swim Games. It is based on the American animated television series Samurai Jack. The game serves as an alternative scenario that takes place during the show's series finale in its final season; Genndy Tartakovsky confirmed it to be canon to the series. It was released on August 21, 2020, for iOS and macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, and received generally positive reviews from critics.
Hyper Scape was a free-to-play first-person shooter battle royale game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game was notable for its integration with video game live streamers which allowed viewers on Twitch to affect the outcome of a match.
Spellbreak was a free-to-play, class-based third-person shooter video game developed by Proletariat for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, released on September 3, 2020.
CRSED: Cuisine Royale is a battle royale multiplayer online shooter video game developed by Latvian studio Darkflow Studio and published by Gaijin Entertainment. It was previously known as Cuisine Royale. The game was officially launched on December 19, 2019, and was relaunched under a new name in December 2020. It is a free-to-play game with optional microtransactions.
Naraka: Bladepoint is a free-to-play action battle royale game developed by 24 Entertainment and published by NetEase Games Montreal. It is a game where up to 60 players fight each other to be the last one standing. The game incorporates martial arts-inspired melee combat and features a rock-paper-scissors combat system. There are vast arsenals of melee and ranged weapons to choose from, as well as a grappling hook that can be used for both combat and traversal. In addition, each hero has unique skills and talents, allowing for customization to suit your play style. The game was released for Microsoft Windows in August 2021 and was ported to Xbox Series X/S on June 23, 2022. An Xbox One version was later released on December 22, 2022. PlayStation 5 port of the game was released on July 13, 2023, and the game was made free-to-play on that date. Naraka: Bladepoint has sold more than 6 million copies globally since its launch in August 2021.
Eternal Return is a multiplayer battle royale game developed by Nimble Neuron and published by Kakao Games. The game was released in early access on October 14, 2020. Eternal Return features a mix of multiplayer online battle arena gameplay with survival game elements. A player can choose one of the many characters already released and is pitted against 17 other players to survive and battle on an island called Lumia, with the last player standing being the winner. The game is available for Microsoft Windows via Steam and Microsoft Store, with versions for Xbox consoles and mobile in development.
