Reviews for Dark Dawn/
(Thu, 13 May, 2021 – Mike McGrath Bryan)
Dark Dawn: New Zealand-based Corkman draws on Irish mythology for new computer game
While we’re well used to seeing various interpretations of Irish mythos and pre-history in our pop-cultural diet, from music to film and television, it can all sometimes feel a little clichéd or watered-down for some.
One such person is New Zealand-based author Brian O’Sullivan. Originally hailing from Cork, he’s tackled the Fenian Cycle of mythological stories with his Fionn MacCumhaill series of books, rooted in his own knowledge and passion for the area.
The next challenge for his Irish Imbas publishing company, however, lies in reaching people through other media – including the medium of videogames, arguably long-overdue an infusion of Irish legend.
The first step for O’Sullivan is ‘Dark Dawn’, an ‘experimental online literary game’ released on Tuesday – a bilingual, browser-based, branching-story affair set before the age of his series’ protagonist.
“Essentially, it’s the story of a sick warrior who’s convinced – against his better judgement – to try and save a tiny settlement,” says O’Sullivan. “During the game, that warrior must make decisions – influenced by events in his own life – that can change the outcome. It’s a very simple story. A very human story.”
While the medium of videogames has been very slowly embracing the Irish language, including Dublin company Dreamfeel’s LGBT* visual novel ‘If Found’, it’s still a relatively new phenomenon to take in a familar medium in a familiar language.
O’Sullivan speaks about making the game available as Gaeilge. “The western publishing market is very much dictated by English-speaking audiences so veering too far outside the established norms can certainly cost you. That said, if you use the language with respect and not as a branding tool, á la ‘Celtic Fantasy’, you can give the reader an authentic cultural experience while keeping it accessible and fun.”
GrimDark MagazineOctober 21, 2021 Nate Aubin) Last Updated on May 1, 2025
Brian O’ Sullivan’s “Dark Dawn” is a work of interactive fiction about a dying man and a desperate final stand. Set in the world of the author’s Fionn series, readers/players get to experience a dark and gritty retelling of authentic Irish mythology in first-person. With a fifty-strong raiding party days away from the tiny village of Ráth Bládhma, we take on the role of Ultán, a grizzled scout who’s handy with an axe and suffering from a fatal case of black flux. In the pick- your-own-path tradition of the Fighting Fantasy gamebooks or Choice of Games stories, the options readers select lead to different outcomes for the protagonist and the village itself and reveal different sections of the narrative.
In terms of prose, worldbuilding, and characterization, “Dark Dawn” packs a lot of punch for its relatively short length. As a man pondering his imminent mortality, Ultán is a fascinating POV character with a narrative voice flavored by his grim reflections and a gradual acceptance of the inevitable. Having lost his own wife and son to bandits, he has something of a personal stake and a second chance in the survival of Ráth Bládhma. By contrast, however, the author does an equally good job of recognizing the humanity of every character, even the antagonists, with a powerful economy of words and small moments. In this way, I think O’ Sullivan’s done a good job of translating the mythological to the personal and realistic.
One aspect of “Dark Dawn” I really enjoyed was the way even wrong choices led to unique sections of prose. There are some substantial passages, for example, the player only sees through missing the raiders’ scouts and losing the game. The game is a bit linear (as far as I could tell after a few playthroughs) with one real ending and one set of choices to get there. However, quality writing and characters go a long way to counteract this, and I still thought it was a very enjoyable way to spend an hour or so.
Compared to similar interactive fiction gamebooks, “Dark Dawn” is significantly more book than game. Eschewing the mechanics, character sheet, and rulesets of Fighting Fantasy or Lone Wolf, the focus is purely on narrative. And although I found the story to be enjoyable on its own, it does function more as a prequel than anything else. A successful playthrough concludes before the actual impending raid on Ráth Bládhma and points readers to the Fionn series if they’re wanting more.
While it did feel like something of an appetizer to the main course, it was an exceedingly good appetizer at that. Grimdark Magazine readers keen on Irish myth and/or Iron Age adventure should definitely check out this cool (and free!) little tale at Irishimbasbooks.com and try their own hand at saving Ráth Bládhma from a bloody fate.
