Dark Half

Game Details:

"Dark Half" tells the story of the destined battle between the human hero Fahl and the demon lord Lazam. The game's biggest feature is the "dual protagonist" mechanism, where players switch between the righteous hero and the dark demon lord, experiencing two parallel but intertwined storylines. This concept breaks the traditional RPG's "good versus evil" dichotomy, allowing players to consider the boundaries between justice and evil from different perspectives.

In the game's battle system, the demon lord's skill release requires absorbing human souls to accumulate "evil energy," while the hero uses traditional magic and equipment progression. This differentiation greatly enriches the battle strategy. The graphics adopt a 16-bit pixel style, and the gloomy tones and Gothic style add a profound atmosphere to the game, with highly immersive background music.

Although it was only released in Japan at the time, "Dark Half" won a group of loyal players with its unique setting and dark story, and was later hailed as a hidden gem of the SFC era.

Editor's Recommendation:

"Dark Half" is an SFC dark horse RPG that cannot be ignored. Its biggest highlight is allowing players to advance the plot from two completely different perspectives - a hero striving to save the world and a demon lord intending to destroy it. This setting not only makes the plot conflict more intense but also causes strong fluctuations in the player's moral judgment. Against the background that most RPGs at the time followed the "good defeats evil" template, "Dark Half" appears bold and profound.

In addition, the game's combat design is also challenging, especially the contrast between the demon lord's soul absorption mechanism and the hero's traditional growth system, which adds a lot of depth to strategic gameplay. If you are interested in dark themes, multi-linear storylines, and highly free tactical RPGs, this game is definitely worth a try.

Game Guide:

I. Basic Mechanism Description

• The game progresses in "chapters," with each chapter controlling either the hero or the demon lord.
• The demon lord's combat system relies on absorbing souls to enhance skills and restore stamina. It is recommended to prioritize killing civilians to accumulate energy before challenging powerful enemies.
• The hero's side uses a conventional RPG growth system and needs to focus on team development, equipment enhancement, and skill combination.

II. Combat Tips

In the Demon Lord Chapters:

• Absorb as many souls as possible in each map, which not only enhances your abilities but also affects the difficulty of subsequent chapters.
• Pay attention to the order of magic release. Some skills require a specific "evil energy" value, so it is crucial to plan the order of moves in advance.
• If some NPCs are not dealt with properly, the hero's chapter will receive assistance, which can affect the plot direction.

In the Hero Chapters:

• Pay attention to the character's position and the enemy's attack range. Some enemies have full-screen magic or area attacks, so the formation must be dispersed.
• Some equipment has special effects, such as reflecting magic or life steal. It is recommended to reserve them for the main character.
• The traps and dark obstacles laid by the demon lord require specific props or skills to break, otherwise, it will greatly increase the challenge difficulty.

III. Ending Influence Factors

• The game has multiple endings, depending on the performance and choices of the hero and demon lord in each chapter.
• If the hero chooses to "forgive" a specific enemy in a specific chapter, the ending will be biased towards "peaceful coexistence."
• If the demon lord slaughters wantonly, it will lead to the "ultimate darkness" ending. It is especially important to make careful choices.