“The Dark Eye” Bundle

Genre: Compilation / Graphic Adventure

Players: 1

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Review:

“The Dark Eye” Bundle, released on Nintendo Switch in 2023, is a Compilation containing three games (two Graphic Adventure games and a Turn-Based Strategy-RPG) all set within the Dungeons and Dragons-esque world, The Dark Eye.

I have separately reviewed these games. Here is what I thought of all of the games in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Score
The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav	Graphic Adventure	1	C+
tl;dr The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav is a “Point and Click”-style Graphic Adventure with a mostly-great presentation, but the gameplay leaves something to be desired and the characters are all pretty unlikable. Fans of the genre may still find this worth a look, but most players are better off looking for something else.
The Dark Eye: Memoria	Graphic Adventure	1	C+
tl;dr The Dark Eye: Memoria is a “Point and Click”-style Graphic Adventure that is a direct sequel to The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav. This game is definitely an improvement, thanks in part to the first game’s unlikable protagonist Geron now sharing screen time with the far more interesting new protagonist Princess Sadja. However, this story’s strong ties to the predecessor’s probably means you’re better off not skipping that game if you want to play this one.
Blackguards 2	Turn-Based Strategy-RPG	1	C+
tl;dr Blackguards 2 is a Turn-Based Strategy-RPG about a noblewoman imprisoned and deformed for seemingly no reason, driven mad and aspiring to escape and conquer the kingdom. The story and characters here are great, but the gameplay and controls are unnecessarily confusing, and the pacing is pretty slow. This game’s unique charms may still make it worth seeking out for fans of the genre, but more casual players are better off skipping it.

In short, the two Graphic Adventures both have a connected story, and while Memoria is the better of the two, you have to play through Chains of Satinav to really appreciate it so it’s kinda’ a wash. Meanwhile, Blackguards 2 is the odd man out in this group, and it’s pretty good, but far too linear and slow-paced to be a truly great entry in its own genre. In the end, all of these games are decent, but fall well short of anything truly great.

When talking about value, this Compilation fares pretty well. These three games will separately set you back $50, but the bundle only costs $35, saving you almost a third of the cost of the trio. This holds true when you look at sale prices, too – all three games drop down to a tiny $2 in sales, but the bundle drops down to a mere $3.50, working out to be even a better savings than the non-sale price (if you’re looking at relative prices, at least).

Honestly, I think this is a case of a bundle that elevates the games within it. While all of these games have individual weaknesses, together they shore up those weaknesses – Chains of Satinav and Memoria really need to be played together to fully appreciate them, and Blackguards 2 adds in a nice dash of variety. Combine it all with a really good price, and you have a package that’s worth checking out for players looking for a decent trio of adventures in a Medieval fantasy setting.

tl;dr – “The Dark Eye” Bundle includes two Graphic Adventure games: Chains of Satinav and Memoria, as well as one Strategy-RPG, Blackguards 2. While all of these games have their flaws, this bundle helps to even out what’s lacking here, all under a pretty good price. The result is a package that’s definitely worth a look, especially when it goes on sale.

Grade: B-

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