So, as some of you may have heard, Dark Matter was released on Steam a few days ago despite not meeting their Kickstarter goals. It's important to note they have no indication of the game's current state nor is the game in a "Early Access" state.

This is what happens about 4 hours in: Clicky.

Now, it may look like an old NES "The End" type of kill screen, but this happens right after getting a new weapon in the middle of the plot. There are even unachievable achievements based on killing enemies that never appear!

The devs have tried to pass this off as a "smaller scale" game due to their failed Kickstarter, but it's pretty obvious they just pulled the plug once the funds dried up. There was also an "Episodic Content" excuse that makes little sense as the game is not marketed or sold in this way at all! Further Reading/Source

Needless to say, buyers we're not amused.

It's a shame as the game looks like it would be fun but I for one would never drop $15 on something like this. Thoughts?


Update! Looks like Steam has caught on and has removed the option to buy the game. There is a warning message on the store page that reads "Notice: Currently there is a known issue at the end of the game. The developer is aware of the issue and they are working on a patch as a solution."

It was a bug all along I guess! :D

11 years ago*

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Good lord I was about to buy it, thanks

11 years ago
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Already got my refund. All is well that ends well I suppose.

11 years ago
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"It was a bug all along I guess! :D"

A bug in which the screen says: "You have reached the end of the game ... Click anywhere on this screen to be returned to the main menu"? Hell of a bug.

11 years ago
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"Notice: Currently there is a known issue at the end of the game. The developer is aware of the issue and they are working on a patch as a solution."

I guess "a known issue" is one way to put that it wasn't damn finished. Can't wait to see how they're going to "patch" in the last part of the game (at least ME3 had an ending they could actually add stuff to).

11 years ago
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Between this, and Garry's Incident, it's been a vintage week for developer skullduggery :)

Hopefully a couple of heads on spikes (metaphorically speaking, anyway) will discourage other developers considering pulling similar low-down stunts like this in the interests of a quick buck or a chance to wash their hands of an unpopular project, while convincing some other sucker to pay for it...

11 years ago
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that will teach you to haphazardly buy indie games that had to use kickstarter/greenlight.... stick to studio games.

11 years ago
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Some of the best PC games are Indie Games. Just because there are shitty devs out there doesn't mean we should ignore all Indies and only buy from EA/Activision etc.

11 years ago
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And especially because the notion that "studio games" cannot royally suck or be soulless cash grabs that overpromise and underdeliver is, erm, let's call it naive. I guess you can have better luck asking for a refund, though! That's something.

11 years ago
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The game being unfinished is a "known issue"? Cute.

11 years ago
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11 years ago
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Well, I already got the game so I might as well play it.

11 years ago
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Yea, I got this game this past weekend and made a big mistake by not reading the forums before doing it. I saw 2.5D modern side scroller and was assuming it'd be quality like Shadow Complex or something along those lines.

The game is a mess needless to say.

At any rate, if it doesnt come back and you have the game, get the card drops, they will be the rarest cards on Steam before long.

11 years ago
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Closed 11 years ago by AgeOfArmageddon.