1. HR Boss Summoning Mechanics (Execution)

While the idea of summoning bosses via specific items is intriguing, the execution has left much to be desired. The drop rates for the required totems are incredibly low, and players often find themselves spending hours just to summon a boss, only to fight it once or twice. For instance, a group of players spent seven hours hunting Wendigos, but they only managed to summon the Wyvern twice, which is absurd for Dark And Darker Gold such a time investment.

Additionally, some HR bosses in the crypts and inferno are still not summonable, which adds a layer of inconsistency. This issue feels like a significant barrier for casual players and those who don't have the time to grind for hours on end. It's an exciting mechanic, but the grind feels excessive.

2. Gear Roll System

While the new gear rolls provide more flexibility in builds, the return of the old gear roll system, especially the inclusion of movespeed rolls and all-attribute rolls, has raised concerns. These rolls add more power to gear, but once the marketplace returns, it could create a massive imbalance. Players with optimal gear from the marketplace will have a significant advantage, which might make it difficult for casual players to compete.

The changes to unique gear rolls, where you now get one stat rolled up to 4x, are a step in the right direction, but the return of the all-attribute rolls is a step backward. If this system stays once the marketplace returns, it could make the game feel like a pay-to-win experience, which many players are wary of.

3. Lack of Real Adventure Feel

Despite the new additions, Dark and Darker still lacks a real sense of adventure. While the dungeons are well-designed, there's not enough variety in points of interest (POIs), dungeon interactables, or endgame challenges to keep the gameplay from becoming repetitive after a few weeks. The game still feels like a loop of farming, loot gathering, and battling, without enough long-term goals to keep things fresh.

4. Cheesing Still Too Optimal

The prevalence of cheesing mechanics continues to be an issue. These strategies, which involve exploiting AI behavior or game mechanics to avoid fighting enemies fairly, have persisted for years. The new mobs, while introducing new mechanics, can still be easily cheesed. This undermines the design of the game and makes some of the new additions feel hollow.

5. Melee Combat Issues

Melee combat continues to be a point of frustration for many players, particularly because of desync issues and hitbox problems. The logic behind collision and overlapping hitboxes feels off, which can lead to inconsistent results in combat. This has been a recurring issue for Dark And Darker Gold Coins a long time and is still not addressed despite being frequently mentioned in developer Q&As.