Darkest of Days Launches TODAY on PC and Xbox 360

Time-Traveling First-Person Shooter Takes Players on a Wild Ride Through History


CEDAR FALLS, IA--(Marketwire - September 8, 2009) - It's here! Phantom EFX, the world's leading developer and publisher of PC-based casual game titles, and independent game development studio 8monkey Labs announced today that their highly anticipated historically based first person shooter, Darkest of Days, launches today for both Windows-based PC and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Beginning today, Darkest of Days is available for purchase for $49.99 on the Xbox 360 and $39.99 on PC at most major retailers, including Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Gamestop. Darkest of Days will also be available for purchase online from www.phantomefx.com as well as larger online retailers such as Amazon.com. Digitally distributed copies will be available as well from Steam, Direct2Drive, Digital River and other outlets.

"For me and everyone else here at Phantom EFX and 8monkey Labs that have been working on Darkest of Days for the past three years, it's almost hard to believe that launch day is already upon us," said Aaron Schurman, CEO of Phantom EFX and lead writer for Darkest of Days. "We've put our blood, sweat and tears into this game, and we're extremely proud of what we have accomplished. We feel that Darkest of Days is not only a fantastic game on its own merits, but that it will serve as a breath of fresh air into the somewhat crowded FPS genre and give players across the world a truly memorable, exciting gaming experience."

Have you ever wondered what could happen if time travel was a reality? Have you ever thought about the possibility of going back in time to rewrite history for the better? That possibility is a reality in Darkest of Days, where players will travel back and forth through the annals of time to relive some of mankind's most dire hours. By fighting through terrible events such as The Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest conflict of the Civil War, and both World War I and II, the player will attempt to save certain key individuals who were never meant to become involved in these truly monstrous events and save history from those who would attempt to change it.

Key features of Darkest of Days include:

--  Wreak Havoc with Future Weapons in Antiquity: Something nearly every
    gamer that's ever played a shooter based in the past has always wanted is
    the ability to bring a futuristic weapon back through history and kick some
    major butt. How differently would Custer's last stand have turned out if
    the General was equipped with an M-16 assault rifle? You'll be able to
    answer questions like this in Darkest of Days. While not every battle and
    situation will allow you to wield weapons from the future, there will be
    plenty of opportunities for you to unleash futuristic fury on your
    unsuspecting foes.
    
--  Brand New Engine: The dedicated team at 8monkey Labs has created an
    all-new, groundbreaking game engine known as Marmoset. The Marmoset Engine
    not only breaks from the all-too present Unreal engine FPS clones flooding
    the market, but also allows for some amazing graphical capabilities. You'll
    fight through epic battles filled with literally hundreds of NPCs on the
    screen at the same time, all with an advanced AI and all without a hint of
    graphical slowdown and all set against wide-open environments that are
    lushly detailed and dynamically lighted.
    
--  Compelling Storyline: Darkest of Days is a compelling, action-packed
    first-person shooter to be sure, but it's not just mindless run-and-gun,
    blow 'em up gameplay. You'll have to not only think about how to approach
    certain key battles and situations, but you'll also have to take care when
    fighting -- certain key people that were never meant to die will be marked
    with a special blue aura. If you kill them, you'll face dire
    consequences...
    

Darkest of Days is rated M for Mature by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) for blood, strong language and violence. For more information about Darkest of Days, please visit www.darkestofdays.com.

About Phantom EFX:

Phantom EFX is a game company that creates ultra-realistic experiences that come to life on a personal computer for Windows and Macs. Phantom EFX, with top notch talent, facilities, resources, and a relaxed Midwest atmosphere, has the vision and capabilities to be a successful game company that creates titles that are fresher, more entertaining and graphically superior to the present market offerings. For more information about Phantom EFX, please visit: www.phantomefx.com.

About 8monkey Labs:

8monkey Labs is an independent game developer located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. With over a decade of experience in game engine development and graphics programming, 8monkey Labs is comprised of an extremely talented group of 3d artists that stay on the leading edge of modeling and shader techniques for games. 8monkey Labs is currently working on implementing their own proprietary AAA game engine, the Marmoset Engine, into the upcoming historically based, time-travelling first person shooter, Darkest of Days. For more information about 8monkey Labs, please visit www.8monkeylabs.com.

About Darkest of Days:

Have you ever wondered what could happen if time travel was a reality? Have you ever thought about the possibility of going back in time to rewrite history for the better? That possibility is a reality in Darkest of Days, where players will travel back and forth through the annals of time to relive some of mankind's most dire hours. By fighting through terrible events such as The Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest conflict of the Civil War, and both World War I and II, the player will attempt to save certain key individuals who were never meant to become involved in these truly monstrous events and thereby change human history for the better.

In Darkest of Days, you take on the role of Alexander Morris, an unlucky foot soldier who gets transferred to General Custer's regiment days before the Battle of Little Bighorn. Moments before his inevitable demise, a futuristic time agent warps in to save Morris and transports him to the future where he is told that time travel is now a reality. However, an unknown faction is attempting to re-write history for their own benefit. Your job is to stop them, and you'll fight your way through eras spanning thousands of years to do it.

For more information about Darkest of Days, please visit www.darkestofdays.com.

Contact Information: Media Contact: Jerry Whitehead III Reverb Communications (209) 586-1495 ex. 111 jerry@reverbinc.com