Spud1
Reviewer - Spud1Like most of the other reviewers I had issues installing the game..the installer simply refused to install it, copying about 1gig of data over the course of an hour. Copying the DVD to the hard drive and installing from there did the trick, but I should not have had to do this. I did eventually get it installed though..and then had problems launching it, causing computer lockups after reaching the main menu. I replaced my graphics card (8800GT) with an ATI 5770 last night however, and when I tried again it worked perfectly..ironic really as the game touts its "Nvidia" association! (note I didn't replace it soley for this game..but it was a very good excuse to upgrade hehe). Anyway on to the game.
The Good.
I didn't really have high hopes for the game from the box, it sounded like a typical console port of a 3rd person action game, with a little bit of a twist. I was pleasantly surprised when I started playing though. The graphics are really quite impressive - lots of wide open spaces full of detailed greenery, architecture and the like. The game models are impressively detailed, and had a feel much like Half Life 2 to me..I know we're a few years on from that now but that is the impression I got. You are thrown in at the start to a flight scene where you have to fight off some enemy "planes" (for want of a better word), great fun bit of dogfighting that gets you used to the controls in flight mode.
The focus then shifts very quickly to ground based exploration and combat, where you stay for the next hour or so of the game. This transition works better than you might expect, being pretty slick and seemless really, and I think this dynamic is well implemented. The storyline is quite engaging, always prompting you to ask "whats next" and it does tend to keep you on the edge of your seat, something which I find quite impressive in the age of basic "you are stuck here, kill things to get home" stories.
There is a love angle here too like any good movie Combat is fun and quite simple to get the hang of - pretty much point and shoot, either from the hip or aiming with the right mouse button. One thing I must mention here is the "cover" system, which works very well. You press C to hide somewhere and can then pop out to fire with the right mouse button, very similar to how Gears of War does it..but just better. It's very slick and you will soon be using it everywhere. You are not forced into this however and in some situations you can just "rambo" through..but this will often get you killed. The weapon choice is pretty good with a nice variety, and also a great upgrade mechanic which sees you collecting "upgrade points" from dead enemies that you can spend at certain points in the game to upgrade your current weapons with larger magazines etc. It's a nice touch similar to experience but with a focus on damage. I have really enjoyed the first few hours of play and hope that there is plenty more to come..this game does have a few niggles that i'll get to but on the whole, its a really fun game.
Click for larger imageThe Bad.
Aforementioned technical issues aside, once I got it running it was pretty stable and I didn't have any crashes. I do have a few gripes with the game though..The first is the controls. They are a bit flaky to say the least, especially with regard to sensitivity in the air and on the ground. This is the first game I've played where my sensitivity buttons on my sidewinder have been useful, though without them I think I would struggle! I suspect this is due to the keyboard/mouse combination and that it would be a non-issue with a gamepad however. T
The POV that you are given is also very odd..your character is to the left of the screen, and not central as you would expect. This does allow a greater field of view as you can see what is in front of you, but its REALLY odd when you first start playing, especially if you are used to the traditional central POV. There are a few issues around the level design and scripted nature of this game - lots and lots of invisible walls where you should be able to go but can't, and this does make it feel very scripted and like you are being pushed towards a certain goal all the time..this isn't helped by the objective marker which is always on your screen, and makes the game feel very dumbed down. Again this is something we are getting used to with console ports. I am not very keen on the health system either, it's call of duty style where you get hit, hurt, and can just hide to recover..I much prefer the old fashioned health pack system, but it doesn't ruin the game and it does make it much easier than it could have been.
The lack of a health indicator is a real pain though, all you get is a blurred screen when you are near death..no real indication of how damaged you are. My last gripe is the lack of multiplayer - I can see why but it would have been a nice addition, especially for the flight mode. Oh and I guess one last thing - it's way too easy. Enemies are too easy to kill, the AI is rather poor compared to some other modern titles, and the game does give you far too much direction about where to go/what to do..but on the up side it does make it very accessible.
Conclusion.
All in all despite it's bad points I have really enjoyed Dark Void, and it's surprised me. Good storyline, good game mechanics and a lot of fun to be had, this game does keep me wanting more. It's missing a bit of polish in the controls and definitely needs a bit of tweaking w/r to the installation process, but all in all I would reccomend this game to anyone who likes action shooters, well worth a purchase.
Spud 1 scores - 8/10