Falling into a void may not seem like such a pleasant experience for most, let alone plunging in nose first with an ex-girlfriend flying co-pilot. But Will Augustus Grey takes it like just another everyday thing, with just a hint of surprise and a minimal amount pessimism and denial. Dark Void is the third person action video game from Capcom with loads of robotic beings, a few physics anomalies, and some rather bland humor.
After crashing his cargo plane somewhere in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle, Will finds himself in a strange place inhabited by even stranger beings and mysterious creatures. A small bunch of human survivors live in constant fear of metallic creatures called ‘Watchers’. And with the help of Nikola Tesla, the rebel humans manage to adapt Watcher technology to suit their needs.
The graphics of the game are one of its strongest features. And running through the village area with love-interest Ava or while engaged in an aerial battle with UFOs manned by Watcher pawns, the graphics give a sense of being encapsulated in truly another world. The game environments are lush and beautiful with flora, and hieroglyphics on what appear to be structures built from rock. The environments are far from what is expected though, and it is common to see your character walking right through things like trees. Game graphics gets a strictly alright 7.7 out of 10, while game environments receive a 7.4 score out of 10.
Flying the jet pack is one of the two things bordering on amazing in the game. The rocket pack comes with mounted guns to shoot at enemy space craft, and can be upgraded to house bigger guns which fire higher caliber bullets, as well as rockets which explode on contact. Rocket pack upgrades are crucial and must be done as soon as possible. They will give you the edge you need in a dog fight, and will boost your chances of successfully completing the flight missions in the game, faster and with greater efficiency.
Another feature that seems to hold the game’s head above water is the vertical cover system, which is packed into Dark Void, in addition to the standard cover system. Will can leap down the vertical faces of canyons, ledge by agonizing ledge, albeit in an overly acrobatic manner. And while you’ll need the jet pack to get up cliff faces, the mechanic remains pretty much the same, almost seeming to defy gravity in an alternate universe, where the laws of physics are somewhat questionable. The vertical cover system also opens the doors to enemy attacks, otherwise not possible. And you’ll soon find yourself under fire from enemies above, below and alongside you.
There is another thing about Dark Void which has to do with flight. You can hijack an enemy UFO or jump into a survivor aircraft to boost the damage you dish out to your foes. Hijacking enemy aircraft is really immersive, the first few times you do it at least. It is a mini game in itself, in which you must leap to the left or right of the aircraft to avoid its guns, and hold on for dire life as the aircraft rolls, before you rip open a part of the hull, exposing the creature piloting it. But once you figure out the pattern to beat the seemingly not-so-intelligent beings maneuvering the disc-shaped craft, it just doesn’t go anywhere from there. And any game that has you following the same pattern to beat a kind of enemy gets old, and fast.
The AI in the game is definitely not as tough as the first build we previewed, and never gives us as much of a challenge as we would have liked. The robotic enemies seem to have the same unenthusiastic approach each time you meet them in combat, each fighting for itself, never coagulating to form possibly a formidable force. Your heart will not get pounding in such fight sequences, even when you come up against knights. And the enemy either adopts too timid or too bold an approach, neither of which is really challenging or satisfying. The enemy AI gets a measly 6.5 on 10.
The game’s story is something that is sure to let down most gamers who pick this one up. Thin as a layer of ice covering a lake during the end of the winter, the game’s story had us a bit confused, and treading in quite a disoriented fashion. It seems like there are huge arcane chunks, and the cut scenes don’t seem to offer concrete explanations for much either. Hell, even the ending is a bit confusing! All things considered, the story doesn’t deserve more than a 6.2 score out of 10.
Dark Void’s gameplay is really engaging at times. While at times it makes you feel like you’re playing just any other third person action title, but in a void, with robots. The combat while on foot is practically the same throughout. Every now and then it does get mixed up with hovering enemies though, which makes it slightly more challenging. But still is rather plain. Other combat is really engrossing, such as that involving the rocket pack, and will have you dying to keep at it, in every sense of the term. Just imagine if the game had a rocket-packing multiplayer! It would blow your mind. Gameplay on the whole gets a 7.2 out of 10.
The game is a rather small one in terms of hours of play it can deliver. But what it lacks in overall game length, it makes up for in replay value. Once you complete the game on any difficulty, you are somewhat compelled to return to the void and tough it out once more. All weapon upgrades unlocked during the first playthrough will be available in future run-throughs and any points earned will be added to the existing, helping you upgrade more weapons. Having upgraded weapons at the start of the game the second time you play, also helps in defeating the many Watchers you will inevitably encounter. So playing on a higher difficulty setting makes sense. Replay value in Dark Void is good and receives an 8.2 score out of 10. But whether you will actually have another go at all the craziness in the void is a separate issue altogether.
The Final Word: Dark Void rarely had us on the edge of our seats, but it did offer intriguing gameplay, engaging battle sequences, especially with the rocket pack and when in vertical cover, and some unimaginable creatures from another world. What it lacked in terms of humor and story, it made up for in the rocket pack segments. A fairly good game, but it definitely could use some sprucing up.
Graphics: 7.7/10.
Environments: 7.4/10.
AI: 6.5/10.
Story: 6.2/10.
Gameplay: 7.2/10.
Replay Value: 8.2/10.
Overall (not an average): 7.5/10.