Dark Void

Moby ID: 44899

Windows version

Cut epic story about ordinary pilot stuck in alternate world

The Good
First of all, I liked the plot. It is so fictional, and it touches so different things that it stays in mind.

Two different gameplay elements such as 3D shooter and 3D flight is incorporated successfully in the game. Ability to hijack the UFOs on the air is impressive and QTE only allows to simplify the process.

Flight physics is nice, but mouse sensitivity should be strongly adjusted. It was seen that most of the developers worked on Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and it defines the style and success of this part of the game.

The other part - 3D Shooter - is also made well, but it is seen not from the first sight. During 1st episode I was mastering the controls and only after gaining experience with covering system and abilities of Will, I've seen that such part is not bad also.

It may be said that AI of enemies is not high or even middle, but sometimes the battles are very challenging, especially when you fight with so-called bosses.

The music performed by Hollywood Orchestra in the game is great.

The Bad
The worst thing in the game is default flying controls. But it may be made better, adjusting the mouse sensitivity in options. I made it two times. First time in Prologue, when I've controlled some character not seen during the rest of the game, and second time, when Will starts to fly.

The second bad thing is a plot. Not the plot in general, but connection of its parts. It seems that it so much edited or "cut" that many events are left behind the scene seen to the player.

The absence of manual save also gives some troubles, but I'll finally master the controls and raise my class to pass the action sequences successfully.

The presence of Diary is unclear, however I did not find all the diary entries scattered along the playfield. It may be recollected to reach 100%, but I haven't a desire to make this. The story in the dairy entries does not influence the gameplay anyhow.

During the first episode, when Will can't use jetpack, I have found certain places, where you can't go out from due to geometrical polygon's problem. Only restart of checkpoint solved the problem, when Will reappears on the open field.

Another bad thing is AI of enemies. Such creatures are always told that they are more intellectual, but their behaviour is similar to human and Will eliminates them easily.

The final bad thing is a length of the game. It is short, however it allows to see the finish quickly and switch to the next game.

The Bottom Line
The game is a nice science-fiction epic inspired by Jules Verne`s "Journey to the Center of Earth", events of World War II, the Bible, the Star Wars, H.P. Lovecraft's Ancients, and Bermuda's Triangle's mystery. If you may blend all of this and even more and if you like 3D shooters and 3D flights, this game will be your best game for 1-3 days until you finish it. The alternate interpretations of different events shown in the game will be kept in your mind if you'll share such interpretations. Physics on land and in the air is nice, and it is easy to master the controls for non-"hardcore" players, so the fun is guaranteed if you like such kind of the games.

by POMAH (66433) on June 1, 2010

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