Developer: Digital Extremes
Publisher: D3 Publisher
Genre: Sci-Fi/Third Person Shooter
Release: Late Q1 2008
Players: 1
Rating: RP
Platform: Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3

Dark Sector Gallery

Dark Sector has shown a lot of progress and maturation recently, compared to the vague details it had contained initially from its 2004 announcement to the Tokyo Game Show of 2007. There was a lack of information to go on, but now as we near the release an abundance of details have been revealed. The character and the storyline have mutated over the development cycle, in a similar fashion to the way Hayden Tenno, the covert operative you control, undergoes himself. In its current form you are headed into the European country called Lasria, where a strange disease has been manifesting itself and a fellow operative has disappeared. Your immediate mission is to investigate this deadly virus called the Technocyte and the Soviets who seem to be in control of it, but along the way you end up contracting the disease yourself, dramatically altering the storyline and gameplay from then on.

Being infected does have its benefits, because as the mutation festers your arm transforms from a tainted open wound to a metallic one that can wield a glaive, illustrated predominantly in combat. If you are familiar with the Gears of War controls then adjusting to this shooter should take little time if any, for a lot of the cover, roadie running, and shooting mechanics remain the same. As you progress, you will even upgrade abilities attributed to your mutation, one of the first being the “power throw” effect of increasing the damage of your throw, which instead of merely damaging and stunning enemies, will amputate limbs and decapitate your targets. In addition, further on you can change the element of your glaive, making the details of your surroundings all the more important. For example, say there are some mutants rushing you but you notice water spilled over the pathway they are crossing; shock it with an electric glaive as they advance to take advantage of your environment and dispose of them. There are also some great execution moves to finish off your enemy that will be satisfying to perform and exhibit the efficacy of your glaive.

Although this game is a shooter, do not expect to pick up any weapon lying around and instantly employ it. Government issued armament have sensors to detect an infected person handling it, and self-destruct within a few seconds once they are operated. Fortunately, there are ways of using guns during the game, a majority of which will be obtained through a modification process from the black market. Adding to the synergy of weapons is the dual wield option that allows you to use certain firearms in one of your hands while holding the glaive in your other. One of such guns is the TEKNA Burst Pistol, which as the name implies, fires rounds in a 3 shot burst. The increased clip size will come in handy as you dispatch enemies, and make it an ideal addition for close to mid-range combat coupled with the glaive. Other guns, like the Striker shotgun or the VX Carbine Rifle, will not have the luxury to dual wield, so you will have to judge the situations accordingly for what weapons to utilize.

Artistically, the game is coming along nicely, with a very dark and gritty feel that incorporates an immerse atmosphere. You will notice the change in visuals from the bleak back and white view to the fully colored screen, emphasizing the start of your infection by radically altering the hue. As the action heats up on screen, the game has continued to run smoothly, which is always a concern when faced with impressive and updated graphics on an engine. The sound effects as well have a gratifying application, which will make everything that goes on in Dark Sector all the more violently pleasant.

With gameplay blended from Gears of War, Resident Evil 4 and even Bioshock, it will be important to see how well this game will deliver an impact and lasting impression to stand up with the other games of this generation. Scheduled to be a 2008 Q1 release, it could very well help bring about an even bigger gaming year than 2007.