In Capcom's Dark Void, you portray Will, a pilot who's dishonorably discharged from the military and takes up work as a private courier. His latest client, Ava (who he has a history with), shows up with a job, and they take off to deliver the goods. Not long after, trouble sets in, and the plane crash-lands in a strange place. While looking around, the pair discover weird slug-like aliens, tribesmen who know a thing or two about technology (thanks to the help of their latest resident, inventor Nikola Tesla), large robotic creatures and backpacks that give men the ability to fly. It all weaves into a storyline that's definitely on the same level as other sci-fi tales, but with a modern twist.
Dark Void's gameplay has two parts: flying and ground combat. You'll start with a small tutorial with the jetpack, but then settle in to an hour's worth of on-the-ground shooting before taking to the skies. The pacing feels a little off because of this, but that doesn't make the game boring. On the contrary, the on-the-ground combat is pretty good. The cover system is not only acceptable but also helpful, and you'll constantly find new ammunition for both rifles, as well as grenades. (Will can also take out enemies using melee attacks, although there are only a handful.)
While on the ground, you'll discover vertical combat. Will climbs up and down ledges, shooting enemies while taking cover behind a platform. This is a neat addition to the game, and it's a blast grabbing an enemy and bashing its head in. It's not for everyone, however. There's a definite sense of vertigo, and it might leave some gamers a little dizzy.
As for flying, it works well for the most part. Turning, shooting and controlling your speed (through braking and turbo boosting) feels accurate, and you can also track your nearest enemy with the press of a shoulder button. However, some maneuvers are too complex. Take the 180-degree turn, for example. You would think that Airtight Games would assign such a move to a button. Instead, you have to click in the left analog stick, then move both it and the right analog stick a certain way. Now, seeing as how you're using these sticks for movement (left for flight direction, right for barrel rolls), this becomes unnecessarily difficult.
In addition, stealing a UFO is way too complicated. While it's fun to do the first couple of times, it grows tiresome tapping buttons like crazy while twisting the analog stick and then knocking out the driver to assume control of the alien craft.
Then we come to the presentation. Yes, there are slight technical problems within Dark Void, including small cases of bad lip-synching and occasional glitches (gotta love those accidental teleports). Still, once you overlook those, this is one fine-looking product. The Void looks breathtaking as you fly at top speed, and the internal structures, particularly the rock-laden tunnel in Episode 1, are equally impressive. Furthermore, the robotic creations will catch your attention, including the hulking space vessels and the ground crawlers. The character models aren't the greatest (Will's got a big schnozz), but they're decent, and the camera never obscures the action.
What we're really impressed by, however, is the sound. The voice acting is actually very good, with Uncharted 2 veteran Nolan North playing Will. We also like the soundtrack, a package of adventurous orchestrated themes put together by Bear McCreary (of Battlestar: Galactica fame).
Does Dark Void set the standard for future Capcom games to come? No. Its lack of multiplayer (dog fighting could have been sweet) and small hiccups in gameplay and presentation keep it from greatness. On the flip side, does it deserve the relentless beating it's taken from the press? No. It's still a fun science-fiction thrill ride, one worth taking for the sights, sounds and entertaining combat. It may not soar above the clouds, but it still manages to avoid the crash landing.
Final Score: 7 (out of 10)
Cool videos you may have missed...
Reader Comments (0)