Edge of Darkness

Overview

Dark Reign is a Real Time Strategy game released in 1997. Edge of Darkness is a "total conversion" for Dark Reign. A few of the units from the original game remain, but the majority of the units are completely new. This conversion was published on the official "Rise of the Shadowhand" expansion pack for Dark Reign.

The backstory for Edge of Darkness involves forces from the two factions in Dark Reign being involved in a freak accident that causes the nebula they were in to disable all interstellar travel, caging them in. One hundred years later on the one remaining planet, aliens from outside the galaxy show up wielding a technology that allows them to travel through the nebula. The aliens want a hiding place; the humans want a way out. Only the victor will get what they want.

Screenshots

Gameplay

The human side combines elements of both factions from the original game, and new players probably will find it easy to pick up. They have a lot of versatility and are masters of phasing technology. The humans also have a superior air force, though it is limited by its finite ammo.

The aliens on the other hand do a few things differently. First their power facilities can't increase by harvesting taelon. On the other hand, taelon can be used to supplement income instead. The building units, gloths, are not used up with most buildings, but they do cost more. Additionally, the more advanced structures can only be built using armored gloths, which cost more.

The alien faction also has many ways of transporting its units for mass unloading past enemy lines. They have control of an infantry teleportation device, the armored dreadnaughts which can transport both infantry and vehicles, and the cloaked carriers which can hold many of the smaller flying units. Their air force, while weaker, has self-recharging ammo, and so does not have to fly back to base before attacking again.