Out of the 6 classes currently available in the last couple ofDark and Darkeralpha tests (with the next one coming up), there are some that work great in a team and others that shine surprisingly bright as a solo character.
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To be honest, all of the classes inthis dungeon-crawling battle royale-type gamecan work for solo players as long as they understand the pros and the cons of each class as well as what situations to look out for. But, on average, these are the classes that tend to work best for solo players just looking to get out with their loot.
The Wizard: The Hardest Yet Best Class To Master
Starting with the class that probably has the highest overall skill ceiling, the Wizard. The Wizard might not seem like a good solo class considering it has to constantly meditate to recharge spell casts, is incredibly squishy, and doesn’t have any natural healing tools, but that’s a mistaken assumption. The Wizard, at least in the hands of a pro, is one of the best solo classes simply because it has options for everythingthanks to its spells. The Wizard has AoE spells for fighting teams such asFireballorChain Lightning, they haveHasteso they’re always able to stay at a distance, Invisibility for sneak attacks, and even slowing spells likeIce BoltorSlowto stop any fast-approaching Rogues.
It’s apparent at a glance the difference between a veteran and beginner Wizard player in-game, as one will keep trying to land the perfectFireballand nothing else while the other sneaks up with Invisibility, gets a sneaky hit withChain Lightning, creates distance withHaste, and then usesMagic Missileto prevent anyone from getting close.
The Ranger: The Guy With A Gun In A Knife Fight
A lot of people are calling the Ranger the strongest class in the game, and while this is a bit of an exaggeration, there is some truth to these claims. The Ranger has absurd ranged damage with bows in combination with their Perks, great area-denial options with bear traps andQuick-Shot, and even innate healing withRations. An archer class with access to infinite arrows in a game where both the defensive and evasive options are sparse is truly terrifying. Everyone having guns inEscape from Tarkovwas one thing,but this is entirely different.
This is exactly why the Ranger works well in solo play. Even the most veteranDark and Darkerplayers still get hit by AI enemies sometimes, but the Ranger’s combat loop basically eliminates that chance. Plus, against actual players, a well-placed Ranger can easily fight and win against a three-person squad single-handedly. And, even if their opponents do manage to close the distance, Rangers can use their innate movement speed and bear traps to outrun and frustrate their pursuers before finishing them off with a bolt as soon as they let their guards down.
The Fighter: A True Swiss Army Knife Class
Where Rangers are a great solo class because of their overall utility in two areas, ranged combat and speed, Fighters are good solo classes because of their general utility in all areas. Fighters have good health, good defense, good offense, good survivability, good Perks, good Skills, and are just all-around pretty good. However, notice how none of their aspects are described as ‘great’ or ‘fantastic’.
Yes, Fighters are good at most things, but they’re not really the ‘best’ at anything in exchange. Their average melee damage isn’t as good as a Barbarian’s, they’re not nearly as fast as a Rogue or Ranger, and they don’t have access to Spells like a Cleric or Wizard does. But, for a solo player, a well-geared Fighter (both in terms of armor and weapons) will give them the overall highest chance of survival against the odds. Now, Fighters can’t easily 1v3 an enemy team, but they’ll usually live long enough to attempt to and have the highest chance of living to try and escape if they can’t.
The Cleric: Tons Of Healing In A Game Where Healing Is Sparse
And finally, there are Clerics. In general Clerics are good solo classes for a lot of the same reasons Fighters are. Their offense isn’t horrible, their defense is decent, and they can also use a shield. But, where the Cleric excels exclusively is in their overall survivability and PvE utility. Clerics have a multitude of spells that deal damage to undead such asHoly Lightand theirHoly PurificationSkill. Not only that, but they’re also able to keep themselves alive much longer on average than any other class would by using bothLesser HealandHoly Light.
That said, while Clerics are good for solo players, they still shine the brightest when in a team since they can heal their damage dealers mid-combat andeven revive teammates with a spell. But for anyone just trying to play on their own and survive against enemy squads, a Cleric is a pretty good class choice.
Why Not Barbarian Or Rogue?
And finally, it should be said thatboth Barbarian and Rogue can work in solo play, they can even dominate in the right hands. In fact, with how often players see Rogues running around by themselves, it might seem odd not to have them on here. But, in terms of their overall playstyle and available Skills/Perks,Barbarians and Rogues just struggle more in solo vs squad play than the other classes do.
A Barbarian’s slow interaction speed, slow movement speed, and overall awkward weapon hitboxes make it difficult to chase or escape enemy players. Meanwhile, the Rogue can sneak up on a player easily and even melt them before they have a chance to react depending on how many stabs they get in, but if they get hit even once, they’re basically done for. They’re just two classes that shine so much more in a team situation that it would be a bit silly to only use them in solo play.
Dark and Darkeris set to release in late 2023 on PC.
