Darkwatch
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Estimated FPS across quality settings and resolutions
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Darkwatch FPS by GPU
Estimated framerates for 14 reference GPUs · pick a resolution and quality
Full benchmark grid · 14 GPUs × 4 qualities × 3 resolutions
1080p performance
| GPU | low | medium | high | ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5090 | 130 fps | 104 fps | 83 fps | 68 fps |
| RTX 4090 | 121 fps | 97 fps | 77 fps | 63 fps |
| RX 7900 XTX | 109 fps | 87 fps | 69 fps | 56 fps |
| RTX 5080 | 102 fps | 82 fps | 66 fps | 53 fps |
| RTX 4080 Super | 96 fps | 77 fps | 62 fps | 50 fps |
| RTX 4070 Ti | 76 fps | 61 fps | 49 fps | 40 fps |
| RTX 4070 | 65 fps | 52 fps | 42 fps | 34 fps |
| RX 7800 XT | 57 fps | 46 fps | 37 fps | 30 fps |
| RTX 3080 | 56 fps | 45 fps | 36 fps | 29 fps |
| RTX 4060 Ti | 53 fps | 42 fps | 34 fps | 27 fps |
| RTX 3070 | 48 fps | 38 fps | 31 fps | 25 fps |
| RTX 4060 | 43 fps | 35 fps | 28 fps | 23 fps |
| RTX 3060 | 37 fps | 30 fps | 24 fps | 19 fps |
| GTX 1660 Super | 27 fps | 22 fps | 17 fps | 14 fps |
1440p performance
| GPU | low | medium | high | ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5090 | 98 fps | 78 fps | 63 fps | 51 fps |
| RTX 4090 | 91 fps | 73 fps | 58 fps | 47 fps |
| RX 7900 XTX | 81 fps | 65 fps | 52 fps | 42 fps |
| RTX 5080 | 77 fps | 61 fps | 49 fps | 40 fps |
| RTX 4080 Super | 72 fps | 58 fps | 46 fps | 38 fps |
| RTX 4070 Ti | 57 fps | 46 fps | 36 fps | 30 fps |
| RTX 4070 | 49 fps | 39 fps | 31 fps | 25 fps |
| RX 7800 XT | 43 fps | 34 fps | 28 fps | 22 fps |
| RTX 3080 | 42 fps | 34 fps | 27 fps | 22 fps |
| RTX 4060 Ti | 40 fps | 32 fps | 25 fps | 21 fps |
| RTX 3070 | 36 fps | 29 fps | 23 fps | 19 fps |
| RTX 4060 | 33 fps | 26 fps | 21 fps | 17 fps |
| RTX 3060 | 28 fps | 22 fps | 18 fps | 15 fps |
| GTX 1660 Super | 20 fps | 16 fps | 13 fps | 11 fps |
4K performance
| GPU | low | medium | high | ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5090 | 52 fps | 42 fps | 33 fps | 27 fps |
| RTX 4090 | 48 fps | 39 fps | 31 fps | 25 fps |
| RX 7900 XTX | 43 fps | 35 fps | 28 fps | 23 fps |
| RTX 5080 | 41 fps | 33 fps | 26 fps | 21 fps |
| RTX 4080 Super | 38 fps | 31 fps | 25 fps | 20 fps |
| RTX 4070 Ti | 30 fps | 24 fps | 19 fps | 16 fps |
| RTX 4070 | 26 fps | 21 fps | 17 fps | 14 fps |
| RX 7800 XT | 23 fps | 18 fps | 15 fps | 12 fps |
| RTX 3080 | 22 fps | 18 fps | 14 fps | 12 fps |
| RTX 4060 Ti | 21 fps | 17 fps | 14 fps | 11 fps |
| RTX 3070 | 19 fps | 15 fps | 12 fps | 10 fps |
| RTX 4060 | 17 fps | 14 fps | 11 fps | 9 fps |
| RTX 3060 | 15 fps | 12 fps | 10 fps | 8 fps |
| GTX 1660 Super | 11 fps | 9 fps | 7 fps | 6 fps |
Where to buy
Darkwatch
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Genres
About
Darkwatch, released in 2005, is an intriguing mix of Western, horror, and steampunk genres. You step into the shoes of Jericho Cross, a notorious outlaw turned vampire, who is drafted into a secret organization dedicated to battling supernatural threats. The game is notable for its unique setting, engaging gameplay mechanics, and a rich narrative that intertwines the gritty elements of the Wild West with supernatural horror, making it a standout title in the PC gaming landscape.
PC gamers who appreciate an immersive experience filled with action and storytelling will find Darkwatch appealing. The game caters to players who enjoy both single-player narratives and the challenge of combat against a variety of monstrous foes. With its balance of difficulty and rewarding gameplay, Darkwatch offers significant replayability, as players can experiment with different strategies and playstyles to tackle its diverse missions and environments.
Considering its respectable rating of 78/100, Darkwatch is worth playing for fans of unconventional genres and narrative-driven experiences. The mix of unique graphics and engaging gameplay provides a fresh take on both the shooting and horror genres, making it a hidden gem in the PC game collection.
Performance profile
Released in August 2005, Darkwatch comes from the DirectX 9 era. Even the cheapest modern discrete GPU crushes it at maxed-out settings; the only real bottleneck today is CPU single-thread speed on older titles that were never multi-threaded.
RPGs like Darkwatch stress VRAM during long sessions — texture streaming, mods and open-world traversal inflate memory use over time. 8 GB VRAM is a practical floor; 12 GB+ is worth the headroom at 1440p and above.
High-end requirement. Darkwatch needs an RTX 4070 Ti or RX 7800 XT for comfortable 1440p 60 FPS at High settings. 4K Ultra 60 FPS is flagship territory — RTX 4080 Super / RX 7900 XTX minimum without upscaling.
Storyline
The game's story (narrated by Peter Jason) follows the exploits of Jericho Cross, an outlaw-turned-vampire, and his employment in an ancient vampire-hunting order known as the Darkwatch. After unwittingly releasing the Darkwatch's greatest enemy, a vampire lord named Lazarus Malkoth, Jericho is conscripted into the Darkwatch as an elite operative. Jericho, however, is slowly turning into a vampire himself, after being bitten by Lazarus. The game outlines either Jericho's struggle for humanity or his descent into darkness, depending on the player's actions. The game begins in Arizona Territory in 1876 with Jericho attempting to rob a Darkwatch train that is transporting the captured Lazarus Malkoth to the Darkwatch Citadel, a frequently mentioned and often visited location in the game, and in doing so releases Lazarus into the West. In a seeming bit of mercy, Lazarus bites Jericho and gives him the curse of the vampire, causing him to slowly turn into one. The game continues with the introduction of Cassidy as well as the appearance of Shadow, Jericho's undead horse. As the game progresses, Jericho finally makes his way to the Darkwatch Citadel, where he meets General Clay Cartwright, the current leader of the order. Cartwright puts him through Torture Maze, the Darkwatch initiation exercise which was designed as a test for Darkwatch Regulators, but Jericho gets a special version specially designed by Cartwright to kill him. When Jericho passes the test anyway, he begins to do missions for the Darkwatch. Missions include tasks ranging from fixing some of the damage he has caused to acquiring Darkwatch equipment, such as the Darklight Prism, a stone that allows vampires within its vicinity to use their powers and walk in sunlight.
