When it was
announced a long while back before the anticipated release of the Xbox 360 or
before gamers would get a glance at the PlayStation 3, Dark Sector looked
like the type of game that would grab you by the throat just to get your
attention. Of course, the trailer we saw was short but it looked mysterious and
boy did it get this girl interested. So, now with the Xbox 360 and PS3 neatly
tucked in our homes, Dark Sector makes its debut.
“Ok! Ok! I take it back! My Little
Pony wasn’t just for girls! Happy now?”
Dark Sector’s
beginning is somewhat misleading. Aboard a freighter heading to the Russian
shores of Lasria, an intruder makes a rather frightening discovery that results
in him screaming in horror. We flashback in the mid-1990s as an operative (named
Hayden Tenno) dressed up in a black stealth suit that would do Splinter Cell’s
Sam Fisher proud enters a gulag in Lasria under company orders to bring down a
target that is a threat to national security. The first level actually plays
like a stealth/action spy game but what was aboard the ship that frightened the
intruder in the opening cinematic. It turns out that a biological weapon was
released and people have been infected and, when the chapter ends, so, too, does
Hayden.
When Hayden
awakens, he finds one of his arms ravaged by the infection and suddenly it
attracts one seriously cool weapon … a glaive. Not just any glaive but a
bladed instrument of awesomeness that decapitates enemies as well as picks up
items and brings it back to you. It’s like the campy 1980s Australian (or was it
New Zealand) action flick Krull with the exception that the glaive in
that movie couldn’t pick up shotguns and sub-machine guns. Later in the game,
Hayden can even learn to control the direction of his glaive as well as use it
as a melee weapon
Hayden’s mutated
arm and glaive is what sets this game apart from other action games. What began
as an action-packed spy game turns into a survival-horror game with a heavy dose
of shoot-’em-up action. Another original feature is the fact that most weapons
have a timed self-destruct mechanism that destroys weapons you pick up and use.
This actually makes things a lot interesting seeing as you’re forced to pick up
a variety of weapons without favoring one in specific. In the end, it’s the
glaive you’ll be turning to every time since it’s not only just a weapon but it
is also used to open magnetically sealed doors.
“Steve, tell me the truth. Does
this Hazmat suit make my butt look big?”
While you’ll be
facing a number of armed guards, there are also some mutated freaks that are
like vicious zombies as well as a massive colossus that tears through an area
early in the game. Unfortunately, Dark Sector can get considerably
repetitive and killing off the same types of guards over and over again gets
very old towards the end of the game. Sure, there are boss battles but these are
easy to figure out and not as challenging as they should be considering each
boss’ power. Even the game’s storytelling is a bit on the weak side.
Luckily for us,
though, the PS3 controls are great. You’ll be pulling off cool (yet limited)
finishing moves with your melee attacks and aiming is a breeze. Later in the
game you can visit the Black Market that sells weapon upgrades so you can add
more firepower to guns and controlling the glaive using the SIXAXIS tilting
technology is a blast. Sadly, going for cover is not as great as in other games
and this is bad considering the fact that the enemy knows how to aim their
weapons.
Aside from the
main story mode, Dark Sector contains an online multiplayer mode. It’s
not as deep or as involving as other games in the genre but gamers will
certainly appreciate them. The two game match types feature Hayden versus armed
guards. In Infection mode, one player assumes the role of a fully powered Hayden
while the remaining players assume the role of Hazmat troopers attempting to
hunt down and eliminate Hayden. Finally, there’s Epidemic mode where two teams –
each with a Hayden character – battle it out to eliminate the other team’s
Hayden. The cool part is that the game runs smoothly online and up to 10 players
can play.
“Man, this rocket launcher from Wal-Mart
does work!”
Dark Sector
is also a very
good-looking game despite a few graphical blemishes. The character models look
really good and Hayden is a real cutie even with the infected arm that looks
almost metallic. There are even some great visual effects in the game and I must
say that the PS3 does water and flames beautifully. Even the backgrounds really
stand out although, at many times, the game blurs the backgrounds for
unnecessary reasons. There’s also very little blood in the game despite some
gruesome decapitations.
The game’s sound
is also a delight especially since there is a really good soundtrack and some
stellar voice acting in the game. The actors do a good job of bringing each
character to life but it’s the enemies that tend to repeat themselves too much.
Even their cries of pain get mighty repetitive really quickly. At least the
sound effects are good and listening to the glaive rip into bad guys is a real
plus.
There’s a lot to
like about Dark Sector for the PlayStation 3 and it’s actually fun enough
to see through to the very end but it is far from perfect. That being said,
those who don’t mind a weak story or some repetitive combat will get a kick out
of the game’s awesome glaive weapon or the intense moments that pop ever so
often to show off the game’s true colors. It’s not a next-generation instant
classic but this one is fun enough to be the ultimate weekend rental … or
purchase if you want to fulfill that long overdue Krull fantasy on a
regular basis.
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Gameplay: 7.5
Hayden can
duck, shoot and throw a mean bladed weapon with the best of them and the PS3
controls do justice to the simple gameplay basics. The story itself won’t hold
you captive but the chapters do have plenty “Whoa, did you see that?” moments.
Graphics: 8.5
Hayden is not
just a pretty face since his mutated arm reflects dancing flames and sunlight
nicely enough. The game does show some great PS3-quality visuals at times and in
others just blur them away. Still, there are some solid lighting and visual
effects.
Sound: 8.5
I wish the bad
guys had more to say and the death screams – although wickedly cool – feel more
like looped sound clips. There’s also a really good original score that plays
throughout the game’s cut scenes and the voice acting is top notch.
Difficulty:
Medium
The guards
know how to handle their guns and can make short work of you if you don’t go for
cover. There are some nasty mutants that move pretty quickly and that huge
colossus that shows up early is trouble. Still, most boss battles are very easy
to beat, which is a real disappointment.
Concept: 7.5
Dark Sector
is what you
get if you cross Splinter Cell with a light dash of Resident Evil 4
and any game featuring dismemberment by bladed weapon. The game’s story is
slim on details so it’s the action that steals the show. There’s a multiplayer
mode and it’s just Ok.
Multiplayer:
7.0
Two game mode
types are what you’ll get in the game’s online multiplayer mode. Up to 10
players can take each another on in Infection or Epidemic and the modes are
actually fun for a very short time. You can also set up a System Link match as
well.
Overall: 7.5
Dark Sector
is one of
those action games that could have been better but is still a blast to play
anyway despite its shortcomings. It’s a fun thrill ride that plays up the action
well and throws you head first into some truly spectacular moments. Then again,
weak boss battles and repetitive gameplay simply hold back what could have been
an unforgettable action gem.
