Introduction

The first mainstream game developed by 8monkey Labs, Darkest of Days allows you to participate in some of the (surprise!) darkest days in American history. The game opens with the Battle of the Little Bighorn, where you get to fend off scores of Native American warriors at Custer’s last stand. Just after Custer is slain and moments before you are sure to share his fate, a large spherical portal appears Terminator-style, from which an oddly dressed person beckons you to come with him if you want to live.

You are Alexander Morris, an infantryman from 1876 who is now MIA and presumed deceased. You wake up a couple hundred years in the future in the custody of the organization that saved your life. KronoTek’s founder invented time travel, which is being used primarily for researching past mysteries and preserving history as it happened the first time. You find out from Mother, an unidentified second-in-command, that the good doctor has gone missing; nobody knows where or when he is. On top that, unexplained phenomenon have been occurring in the timeline and have the potential to completely change the present if left uncorrected. As it turns out, your unique condition in the historical record makes you a perfect candidate for top secret operations throughout a period of time spanning millennia. Are you up to the challenge?


I had a bad feeling about this game when I first started playing. I’ve played a lot of games in my time, I know the signs of a clunker, and this one was throwing up red flags all over the place. However, I wound up playing all the way through, so read on to find out whether or not Darkest of Days floats or sinks!