We know, we already previewed Dark Void. But the developers have come out with another preview version of the game which has been smoothed out and fine tuned. And this preview deals with the polished version of the game, something closer to the final product which will be released. The earlier version that we previewed itself was impressive, with its game mechanics, vertical cover system and jet pack flight thrown into the mix. And we were eager to see what we had coming our way in the “polished” version of the already great mechanic.
First off, loading took much less time, and this version really felt like we were playing the actual game, which is about two months away. No more endless waiting for the levels and cut scenes to load, which was much better than the last time. Just as you would expect from something close to the final product, and a definite plus.
This newer version of Dark Void started at the very beginning of the game so we were not lost in terms of the story. Last time around we were a bit confused as to why exactly we were fighting a race of super robots, and what alternate world it was we were in. This time around that was explained. William Grey, the game’s lead crashes the plane he is flying somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle, which lands him in a dimension overrun by robotic creatures called the Watchers. But still the start of the game had us pulling off maneuvers while strapped up to a jetpack, which is again somewhat confusing.
The game’s controls and overall gameplay seem somewhat smoother and more free flowing than the last time we suited up and went up against the unrelenting robots. But the robots themselves seemed to have lost that competitive edge. Playing on normal was hardly anything of a challenge and it was so easy to pick off and take out one robotic enemy after the next. Some of the Watchers were too aggressive, which turned out to be their own undoing. And all you had to do was step out of cover and fire off rounds at them. Other Watchers adopted the more timid approach hiding behind cover, which was also bad for them in its own way. In this case you must simply seek out and find the cowering robots and let the bullets fly. To really get the best out of the enemy AI, you must play the game on the highest difficulty setting, a tactic which could possibly de-plenish the replayability of the game. It must be noted though, that as you go on, the enemies do get tougher and more diversified. But still, battling the robotic aliens in the beginning just seems a bit too easy.
The vertical cover system, as before, was absolutely stunning. Airtight Games has taken a concept and really turned it on its head. A whole different way to scale the vertical wall of a cliff, or a completely new and exhilarating experience when escaping from an old US Navy ship falling into a gorge. Of course the jet pack is made use of while in the vertical cover “mode”. And it’s not just Will’s athletic ability that make’s it possible for him to pull of the moves he does. But his acrobatics are akin to the shenanigans of Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series.
But there’s nothing like flying the jetpack. While in flight you can perform a variety of acrobatic maneuvers to get out of the line of enemy fire and to quickly take position on enemies. A careful balance of hovering and “jetpacking” is necessary when trying to get to hard-to-reach places. Going it all the way full thrust on the jetpack will result in smashing yourself against obstacles, and ultimately, in death.
The game environments are complete with everything you could think of, from broken boulders and plant life, to ancient-looking paintings on the stone structures. But the palm-like trees are not really interactive, and you can literally walk right through them. Nothing taken away from the look of the environments though, which are absolutely perfectly crafted and give the feel as if you are actually in a parallel dimension. One more issue to address is the apparent non-adherence to certain norms such as gravity. For example, you can change direction, to a certain extent, in mid-air once you have executed a jump. This reduces the realistic feel of the game a little.
Overall, a great game for its high-end graphics and thrill factor. The vertical cover sections of the game take some getting used to, as do the jet pack sequences. But once you’ve mastered the concept of flying, it will be as if you’ve grown a pair of wings. You’ll just flat out enjoy flying as you toss, dive, climb and roll. There isn’t any doubt that Dark Void is a game to pick up when it releases in February next year.