| Dark Sector |
| Posted on 10th May 2008 by Rob McGregor |
The wonderful thing about the computer games industry is that every now and then a game slips under the radar, suddenly appears, and then turns out to be an utter joy to play. Dark Sector is one of those games. Little was said or known about the Digital Extremes project until it hit the shelves, but there is no denying the enjoyment this game can offer.
You play the character of Hayden Tenno, a 'disgraced' covert ops agent sent to the Eastern European city of Lasria to uncover a rather unpleasant Cold War secret. After being attacked by an unknown enemy you become infected with the Technocyte Virus - a bio-weapon designed to turn its victims into mindless killers. Your job is simple: control the power, learn to utilise your abilities and save the day!
Not an unfamiliar story in many respects - flawed hero, 'save the day' plot, inconvenient ailment. All have been part of various video game formulas down the years. Dark Sector's gameplay is not wholly unfamiliar either. The levels are as linear as any old-fashioned shooter, so there is little chance of you getting lost. You simple have to fight your way through each level, polishing off some bosses and calculating your way out of some tight situations as you go. While this may sound terribly 'seen it all before', Dark Sector's little touches are what make it so fun to play.
The most obvious difference from other games is the glaive - part of the virus impact on you is the growth of this deadly cross between a boomerang and a Frisbee, which appears from your hand. While you will need to use the power of the glaive to smash open a few locks and reach a few items on high ledges, its main function is to help you dispatch whatever enemies stand before you. You can throw it at them, use it to perform melee attacks and finisher moves, and even utilise elements around you - throw it in to a fire and it comes back to you fully ablaze ready to be unleashed upon unsuspecting enemy soldiers and such like. The beauty of the glaive really kicks in when you learn to use the 'after touch' ability - basically, the after touch allow you to control the flight path of the glaive. Simply by throwing the glaive and then holding down the right shoulder button you can control its direction, taking out enemies hidden behind walls and pillars with blood splattering satisfaction.
The glaive is not your only weapon though; you also have the standard issue pistol to take pot shots at enemies with or you can collect new weapons, either by purchasing them from various 'Black Market' locations dotted around the game, or by picking up the ones fallen enemies have dropped. You can only use those you have picked up for a short time however, which can be a little annoying at times. The guns are generally quite good and Digital Extreme have been sensible enough to realise some require you to use both hands - so no Arnie style one arm shotgun firing fests. They do add a nice compliment to the glaive's somewhat brutal methods of chopping through enemies and hacking off limbs.
The combat system is helped by a reasonable cover system and 'accurate' headshots - shoot an enemy in the head and they're down. It does make it more enjoyable to know that one well-placed shot is much better than wildly firing in their general direction and hoping for the best! The cover system is simple but effective: hide behind pillars, benches or walls and shelter from the oncoming hail of bullets you may face. In some situations you'll need to keep moving as certain areas of cover are simply no more than a sheet of wood, which can be quickly destroyed by enemy gun fire.
With good use of cover and some well aimed shots with either your guns or your glaive, no situation is impossible. Even if it does take a couple of attempts, you always have that feeling of 'I can do this' running through you, which drives you on. Even the boss battles seem fair - no boss feels unbeatable, and they are as susceptible to a well placed shot as any other enemy.
Graphically, Dark Sector is also pretty good, if a little bleak. Large parts of the game are set in dark or murky areas, and even those in brighter surroundings take place in the now rather sorry-looking Lasria city and can seem very downbeat. But it looks polished and neat, and the bleak colour scheme does help add to the overall atmosphere of the game.
The multiplayer modes also holds a certain attraction - the opportunity to utilise the tactics and abilities you have picked up in the single player game against other players is neatly done. While it is unlikely to become a massive online experience in the way other shooters have become, it is well worth a look. The only downside is that with only a small online following, you can quickly become bored with the multiplayer side of things.
Overall, Dark Sector is a surprisingly enjoyable game. It so quietly crept onto the shelves that it would have been easy to miss for some, but this is one game almost certainly worth a look. Digital Extreme have taken some pretty conventional gaming ideas and added their own tweaks and touches to create a highly enjoyable third person shooter. The story is good enough to keep the game moving and the gameplay is a simple but enjoyable treat - few things in the game's world match the simple pleasure that the glaive and after touch features can provide. |
Single Player Score: 8/10
Multiplayer Score: 6/10
Overall Score: 7/10 |
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