Dark Deity takes place in a ravaged land that is seemingly now at peace. As is the case with most strategy RPGs, though, that peace is not going to hold for long. The game begins at an academy wherein the main party is being trained for combat. After graduation, the team, led by Irving, is sent out to deal with some bandits for the king.
Are the crimes that these bandits commit one-off tragedies, or is there something more at play here? That’s the basic premise for this indie strategy RPG that is inspired by Fire Emblem. Here are some mechanical things that players should be aware of in Dark Deity to get the edge in battle.
8 Consider Difficulty Options Carefully
Unlike most modern RPGs that let players change difficulty on the fly, Dark Deity does not. Players can choose between Mortal, Hero, and Deity, which range from typical easy to hard modes. There is also an adjustable slider players can use to fine-tune their experience. This slider can increase experience points and gold earned.
If players are familiar with Fire Emblem difficulties and like them, try Hero or Deity. For those that want a more relaxed experience, go with Mortal and tweak those bars. There is no shame in going easy.
7 Balance Characters
There is not much room for leveling up in Dark Deity, as it is primarily a linear RPG experience. This means that every battle counts. While it may seem like a good strategy to beef up favorite characters, this will weaken the party as a whole.
Pay attention to character levels and try not to let anyone get too far ahead. Keep characters within two to three levels of each other. This means players need to rotate who gets kills.
6 Try To Always Do Something On A Turn
There is a good way to continually level up characters even if they don’t participate in combat. On a turn, always be sure to take an action.
This can range from healing a character to using a special skill to buff someone. Every little bit will help even if it is just ten points at a time. This is a good rule of thumb to follow for any strategy RPG, and Dark Deity is no exception.
5 Wait To Spend Upgrade Points
Dark Deity has an interesting weapon system. Every hero in the game will come equipped with four weapons, each of which excels in certain combat situations. For example, a heavier sword may do more damage while another could boost speed.
These weapons can be changed in battle and upgraded while in camp via Tokens. Tokens aren’t rare, but they are expensive, so don’t spend them recklessly. When in doubt, go with the more balanced weapon. It should suffice in most battle situations.
4 Make Sure Everyone Has At Least One Healing Item
Dark Deity's inventory system is a bit tricky to navigate. While it may be a pain compared to other RPGs, players should bear with it. Make sure to equip characters with at least one healing item, if not two, before combat.
There are healers in the game who come in handy. However, as they can only act once per turn, they need a little help. That’s where the items come in. Going into battle with tons of healing items also helps with taking actions and gaining experience points while not physically fighting.
3 Look At Potential Bonds
The bond system in Dark Deity will not only help in battle, but will also expand the story of the characters. This is similar to the systems in the Fire Emblem games. Not every character can bond with every other, though. Some are very limited.
Before going into battle, it's a good idea to look at who likes who at camp. This will ensure players won’t waste turns fighting alongside another comrade who won’t say a peep to them. It can be a lot to keep track of everyone’s relationships, but players should at least try.
2 The Weapon Wheel
The weapon wheel returns in Dark Deity, as it does in most games in the Fire Emblem series. Players should pay attention to the arrows before fighting an opponent. Green arrows mean players will have an advantage, while red arrows pointing down are bad.
A red arrow doesn’t mean players will lose the encounter, but they may not do as much damage. They might miss more often as well, but it is a real tossup. It’s hard to predict how stats truly affect combat in this game, and in RPGs in general.
1 Pay Attention To Goals
One of the more flexible aspects of Dark Deity is the mission goals. Most other strategy RPGs focus on players wiping out entire maps of soldiers or taking down enemy bosses. While those goals exist in this game, more often than not, players just have to survive.
Kill as many soldiers as possible in a set amount of turns. That’s it. As long as one team member is left alive, players will win the match. Still, players should have personal goals to finish off everyone regardless to gain as much experience as possible.
Dark Deity was released on March 17, 2022 for the Switch. It was released previously in 2021 as a PC exclusive.