Posted by Tim Fischer on March 30, 2010

Dark Void

Categories: Featured Articles, New Games, Previews | one response

Ever wanted to visit the Bermuda Triangle? Maybe you should invest in a textbook about other dimensions before embarking on your journey just in case Airtight Games’ idea about the area is actually true: The Bermuda Triangle being a doorway to another dimension populated by shipwrecked humans and aliens who claim the Earth as their own is enough to make anyone want to strap on a jetpack and fight for the human way of life. Dark Void takes the player in the unknown with a style right out of a 1950s radio show and gives you a short, but satisfying game.

You play as Will, a pilot based out of Nassau, Bahamas, who takes a job from a former lover, Ava, in 1938. While flying through the Bermuda Triangle, you witness a UFO when a freak storm erupts that transports you to another dimension controlled by a race of beings called the Watchers. These aliens claim that the Earth is theirs and that humans are nothing more than a slave race for them. Shortly after crashing, you lose track of Ava and spend the rest of the 14 levels trying to find her, help the shipwrecked humans fight for their lives and stave off an alien invasion of Earth.

Dark Void is your typical third person shooter. Find bad guys and shoot them. The main difference from other games of the genre is the flight mechanics of the jetpack that you receive shortly after losing Ava. Instead of platforming by jumping, you have to use the jetpack to fly around the massive levels. Flying can be a bit tricky and does take a bit of getting used to, but the challenge comes from the “vertical fights.” There are parts where you have to control Will through a series of ledges while fighting the Watchers. Basically, you hang from a ledge while firing your weapons up or down toward the enemy depending on your point of view. While a great idea, which caused a lot of talk last year, there weren’t enough segments in the game that this type of fighting could really cause a WOW factor.

While progressing through the three episodes you meet allies such as Nikola Tesla, a scientist, and Atem, native of Dark Void. They give you information about where you are and what needs to be done to not only protect to inhabitants of the Void, but also Earth itself. As you play, you will pick up six upgradable weapons. Each weapons and the jetpack can be upgrade three levels to increase damage, range, power, etc. The best gun is a Watcher grenade launcher, which can usually kill with one shot, but you will most likely end up using the Watchers rifle due to better odds of ammo drops.

Also, be on the lookout for the 57 journals of survivors spread out over the levels. These journals tell the story of Dark Void’s inhabitants and survivors such as Amelia Earhart. Collecting the journals gives you a sense of story and an achievement, but other than that, they are useless.

If you are looking for a game that will give you a lot of gamerscore in a short playthrough then consider picking up Dark Void. You will seriously finish this highly anticipated game in less than 7 hours, but at least you’ll have fun for those few hours.