Darkest Dungeon has just been updated with its fifth piece of DLC, The Fire’s Edge. It’s a clever bit of content that retrofits the first game with a couple of characters and a cool fiery mechanic that first appeared in the sequel, Darkest Dungeon 2.
In recent times, I have spent a lot more time looking at and playing DD2, so I was really keen to revisit the first Darkest Dungeon and try out the new content. The first thing that struck me upon booting it up: it’s good to be home, even if that home is full of otherworldly terrors.
I started up a new game and kept playing until the Runaway arrived in the stagecoach, ready for recruitment. I wanted to see the new/old burn mechanic in action, and sure enough, my little friend was flaming our enemies in no time. Hell, I’m even one of the 0.01% of players who has already lost one of their own characters to burn damage. Yes, I’m that calamitous.
The Fire’s Edge DLC also adds the Duellist, as well as a bunch of minor additions, including three new districts in the Hamlet: Academie Duello, Craftworks, and Archaeological Base Camp. New mod tools have also been included, and we’re promised a new mod loader soon, too.
I’m not sure it’s an utterly essential upgrade, but it’s definitely a nice-to-have DLC expansion, and as someone who has enjoyed DD2 almost as much as the original, it is great to see the first game get some love after all these years.
If anything, I think it could have been an even more substantial upgrade, as there is plenty of stuff from the sequel that could have been included to fatten up the deal. I guess that’s easy for me to say!
I don’t want it to sound like I’m complaining, either. In this DLC, you’re getting two characters and a few supporting features, including the burn mechanic alluded to in the title. It also sounds like Red Hook didn’t want to rock the boat and add too many things that might break the game either in terms of balance or from a modding perspective.
There’s definitely enough to add some spice to a fresh playthrough, and unless you’ve been enjoying these characters already via player-made mods, it’s a good excuse to go back and revisit an all-time classic as it continues to celebrate its tenth anniversary.
Speaking of which, check out my retrospective: A Decade of Darkest Dungeon, for more about why I’m so fond of this fearsome roguelite.
Finally, let’s do the whole platforms thing! Darkest Dungeon: The Fire’s Edge is out now on PC (Lin, Mac, Win), PS4, and Xbone, and it will follow on Switch on August 20.
