Dark Void Review

By Dan Pearson Published 18 January, 2010

Vertically challenged.

Version tested: Xbox 360

Anyone who remembers The Rocketeer has probably noticed something a bit familiar about Dark Void. I can't imagine that even the most indignant of Capcom executives would deny that the graphic novel and film's visual cues have been echoed somewhat in their "vertical cover shooter". Everything from the pack itself to the leather jacket and natty helmet has been a clear influence on the design of game's main character, and the Boy's Own Adventure ethos is firmly in place.

On playing, however, the clearest inspiration that emerges is Uncharted - which is no great surprise given that Dark Void is really a third-person cover-action game wearing a new dress. Main character Will is very much the pseudo-Drake, all hangdog aphorisms and last-gasp ledge grabs. Voiced by the ubiquitous Nolan North, he spends the first level looking for ruins in a jungle with his ex-girlfriend, professes to be no action hero even whilst taking down four enemies with one bullet, and sports a Lampard-esque range of practical-casual couture. The imitation is so blatant that it's a bit embarrassing.

Sadly, pithy asides and poor fashion choices are about as close as Dark Void gets to Naughty Dog's adventuring crown, as the game's selection of promising ideas fail to gel into anything substantial.

'Dark Void' Screenshot 1

Oh Tesla, will your crazy, alternative-reality japery never cease?

One thing which Uncharted doesn't have is a jetpack, and developer Airtight Games has done a decent job of evoking the feeling of reckless speed and manoeuvrability which you'd imagine might come from putting the business end of a F-111 in a rucksack and strapping it on. Being able to fire up the boosters from anywhere, standing, falling or hovering, means that there's a seamless fluidity to the switch between ambulation and rocketry. The open environments which form about half of the game's levels really facilitate this sort of tactical freedom - Will is never more than a double tap away from Mach 2, and swan diving from a ledge into free-fall before swooping up into a .45-calibre-spewing parabola is a thrill which never really gets old.

Control of the pack is simple enough, and probably considerably easier than conventional physics and bone density would allow, with boost and brake controls complementing a limited range of emergency evasion techniques. Dogfighting isn't easy, but usually offers a sensible level of challenge, made simpler if you can manage to get close enough to an enemy craft to latch on for an attempted hi-jack.

'Dark Void' Screenshot 2

The Watchers are menacing enough, but too little of their aspect is revealed to make them into real characters.

These take the form of button-prompt QTEs, spiced up with a bit of turret-fire avoidance. Functional rather than ground-breaking, they get a little repetitive in longer engagements, and there's no variation whatsoever in the takedown animations which are the end result of any successful attempt. This means that every time you swoop heroically onto an alien craft whipping past at 400mph, rip open its control surfaces and beat the pilot to death with his own weapon, it feels exactly the same, and not the exciting feat of derring-do it so clearly should be. This menial, lacklustre experience is a constant curse in Dark Void, as epic aerial encounters quickly become routine, suffering the death of a thousand identical cuts.

Several of the game's boss battles take place mid-air too, and they offer a slight change of pace - with one larger Watcher craft requiring classic Capcom piecemeal destruction. This also means switching over to hover mode and landing yourself carefully on the deck of a ship to pull it apart bit by bit. This is an interesting way to emphasise the heroism of the vulnerable, un-armoured protagonist and his plucky assault on the forces of evil - the fly biting the tiger - but it's an exception which starkly highlights the tedious norm.

Swooping around on a rocketpack in the Void's rocky canyons is reminiscent of Crimson Skies, which, come to think of it, also features a folksy hero in a leather jacket flying unlikely contraptions. There's the same comic-book pacing permeating the experience. Being caught up in a whirlwind dogfight of detonating future-biplanes and gung-ho radio chatter is Dark Void at its best: exciting and involved. These moments are all too brief, however, as long battles and stingy restart points quickly become tiresome, especially during the many escort missions.

On the ground, it's much the same story. Occasionally there are glimpses of what the vertical cover system can offer, when used correctly in an interesting framework. Will can 'snap' to any ledge, either flattening himself into a crouch above it or hanging from the underside and firing upwards. All of the usual cover controls are available from here, with a touch of X (on the 360 pad) vaulting Will upwards or downwards to the next ledge and A clambering him onto the surface if he's underneath.

Enemies have the same abilities too, with the various flavours of Watcher trooper flinging themselves around the girders and platforms relatively intelligently. Manoeuvrability does not equal combat prowess, however, and the robotic quasi-Geth will still hang their heads flagrantly above and around cover.

'Dark Void' Screenshot 3

Thank goodness for vapour trails.

Despite a few vertiginous views and extended vertical sequences, the use of this quite clever system is never fully realised. Again it becomes mechanical and dull, cover-by-numbers stuff as the Watchers obligingly position themselves at optimum range and reveal themselves as targets for the various pew-pew lasers in your arsenal. The Watchers themselves are well enough designed, with a fair variety of enemy troopers displaying different behaviours, if not considerable intelligence.

Despite the classy, fifties, B-movie design of the Watcher UFOs and weaponry, flat textures and dully repetitive environments are a plague which sickens Dark Void beyond the point of real contention before the first hour is over - it simply doesn't have the necessary visual distinction to set it apart from the crowd. The poor camera doesn't help the presentation and occasional sudden and inexplicable deaths put another nail in the coffin. Whilst Dark Void's storyline is well thought out, its character work is pretty one-dimensional - even managing to make the inconceivably awesome Nikola Tesla seem dull and annoying.

'Dark Void' Screenshot 4

Swinging the camera around in vertical cover can make you quite queasy.

There are a few nice touches and some original ideas swimming around Dark Void, but they're like pieces of succulent chicken in a tepid and flavourless soup. Its contextual prompts for what your next cover action will be if you hit X should be standard in cover shooters, while Bear McCreary's music lessens the mundanity a great deal. Non-Hollywood storylines are always welcome and vertical cover should definitely have a future.

The lasting impression which Dark Void leaves is still one of disappointment, however. Had Airtight been a bit braver, more willing to deviate from the norm and run with some of its bolder ideas, then this could have been a great game. Instead, Dark Void's extremely short campaign - with no motivation for replay and no multiplayer options - is more like a portfolio of half-baked concepts hurriedly crammed into an uninspired package for ease of presentation, more show-reel than show-stopper.

5 / 10

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About Dan Pearson

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Comments (56) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • galerian86 #1 2 years ago

    Me want some Crimson Skies.

    Well, that is a disappointment. I guess even the delay couldn't help it that much.

  • Hunam #2 2 years ago

    Sounds about right to me.

  • ram #3 2 years ago

    D.Void

  • PearOfAnguish #4 2 years ago

    Shame, it was a promising idea.

    Do love the animations when he's flying though, that unsteady wobbling and waving of the arms.
    Edited by 1 at 18/01/10 @ 14:15

  • Lunatic4ever #5 2 years ago

    Well guys i tell you what,though the DEMO was big crap i gave this game a fair chance and YES ITS FUN.
    I wouldnt say its ABSO-FUCKIN-LUTELY great but yeah the gameplay is fluid and though characters,graphics and the plot are just mediocre ... its undeniable that jumping down a cliff and activiting the jetpack short before hitting the ground is awesome and i mean..i cant say BUY IT...but i say go for a rent!

  • ParanoidZombie #6 2 years ago

    This is 2010's bionic commando: a gimmicky second-tier Capcom shooter developed in the west. If you fancy buying this game, i recommend you try the terrible XBL demo which, just like bionic commando's in 2009, constitutes a solid deterrent.

  • Korpers #7 2 years ago

    Null and Void

  • andromeda #8 2 years ago

    Those "Watchers" would look great in Mass Effect.

  • Diogo_Ribeiro #9 2 years ago

    Being saying it would be average at best for a long time. No surprises here. Funny thing though: Capcom complained about third party exclusives not selling on Wii. Looking at stuff like the next gen sequel of Bionic Commando and this, which are not Wii-bound, you get the feeling they're missing the forest for the trees.

  • muscleblade #10 2 years ago

    "This is 2010's bionic commando"

    I dont think so. I loved Bionic Commando from GRIN. I dont think this is in the same leage.

  • riz23 #11 2 years ago

    Dark 'A' Void?

  • Blakester #12 2 years ago

    I don't see the point of this game.

    A HD update of Amiga/ST classic Rocket Ranger for less than a tenner would be more favourable.

  • andywilkie35 #13 2 years ago

    A generous score

  • Phattso #14 2 years ago

    The demo told me everything I needed to know about the game sadly, and this review just confirms it. Such a shame - the premise was excellent I always thought, and some of the early previews were very upbeat. :(

  • cianchristopher #15 2 years ago

    I thought that picture of Tesla was David Bowie in The Prestige...

    Maybe that provided some inspiration too?

    Uncharted, Crimson Skies, The Rocketeer, The Prestige.... Wow, shame it turned out so "meh" - those are some grade-A choices for "inspiration"...
    Edited by 3 at 18/01/10 @ 14:43

  • Jonathan_Fakenham #16 2 years ago

    Well, that's one more scratched from the must-grab queue, and onto the bargain-bin list.
    Although the early previews were amazing, the demo was fun but depressing. Too bad it didn't turn out so well..

    On the positive side, this leaves more room for exploring every nook and cranny of Mass Effect 2.

  • Nightbite #17 2 years ago

    two words that put me off any game of this type - "escort missions"

  • muscleblade #18 2 years ago

    "I thought that picture of Tesla was David Bowie in The Prestige... "

    Its a connection. Nikola Tesla was the man who discovered electro magnetic fields.

  • PearOfAnguish #19 2 years ago

    "Its a connection. Nikola Tesla was the man who discovered electro magnetic fields."

    Bowie played Tesla in The Prestige.

  • jonsaan #20 2 years ago

    Nolan needs to be paid well enough to be locked to the Uncharted franchise as a lead character. I guess that will never happen though.

  • octavedoctor #21 2 years ago

    Despite the demo, I was starting to be put off when I realised all the videos and screenshots were starting to show an overly brown world.

    Between the demo and review, this game is such a disappointment, it initially looked so good on paper.

    Ah well, bring on Mass Effect 2 etc

  • JohnnyWashnGo #22 2 years ago

    Oh dear : (

  • Scimarad #23 2 years ago

    I thought the controls on the demo were bloody awful; Shame as the actual idea is really good.

  • drumbaby #24 2 years ago

    The demo was excruciatingly bad.

  • FogHeart #25 2 years ago

    But...but...it has 'Dark' in the title! Has that word lost its clout?

  • Stomp224 #26 2 years ago

    Poor Nolan North. the dude has talent, but all he seems to be asked to do is 'Drake'. Considering that Drake is pretty much his own voice, i suppose he cant be blamed for taking the easy money.... :s

  • Diabeu #27 2 years ago

    shitfuckcock the demo was crappucino to be honest
    still have so much love for guys that gave me crimson skies, going for rental for this moment

  • Snidesworth #28 2 years ago

    I enjoyed the demo, but it wasn't brilliant. A budget purchase in the future, perhaps, but definitely not worth full price.

  • asphaltcowboy #29 2 years ago

    Bionic Commando was a great game with a few punishing design decisions. This seems a fair bit less interesting!

  • Mr.DNA #30 2 years ago

    The early footage of the game looked incredibly promising, with the protagonist performing all kinds of amazing-looking mid-air acrobatics and death-defying stunts. It looked utterly rad, and it's a shame that it's turned out to be utterly gash. Mind you, I always was a mite suspicious of that egregious, beret-wearing producer whom Airtight periodically carted out to build the hype machine. The curmudgeon in me is kind of glad in a way that the game's destined to be critically panned, as that bloke was just pretension personified.
    Edited by 2 at 18/01/10 @ 16:49

  • Retroid #31 2 years ago

    I'll be grabbing this from the bargain bin, I think.

  • LR100 #32 2 years ago

    I felt sick after playing the demo. The control system whilst flying gave me motion sickness and I never get motion sickness.

  • Eurolamer #33 2 years ago

    What a shame. I had half an eye on this ever since it was announced.

  • harrisimo #34 2 years ago

    Uninstalled demo after 30 mins. Lame name, lame game.

  • TriggerHippie #35 2 years ago

    The Rocketeer? Pah! King of the Rocket Men on a Saturday morning was where it was at!

    /grab zimmer frame

  • bad09 #36 2 years ago

    Is it wrong I quite liked the demo?

    Maybe my judgment is clouded from glory days of Amiga gaming (Google Rocket Ranger you young hoodie troublemakers, Oh and turn that bloody crap "music" off!) but I liked this game enough to buy. Admittedly, it won't be until it's below £15 but I like it.

  • patchbox360 #37 2 years ago

    'Had Airtight been a bit braver, more willing to deviate from the norm and run with some of its bolder ideas, then this could have been a great game.'

    gamers rarely purchase such games

  • metalangel #38 2 years ago

    Demo was fun but the flaws were apparent. Flying was great (apart from it being too easy to kill yourself while taking off) but the on-foot combat and camera in enclosed areas was very poor. The melee attacks are not so much hitting people as "press B at the right time to trigger an animation" which is also a big minus. Again, a real shame as the jetpack is brilliantly realized.

  • Slipstream #39 2 years ago

    Having played the demo I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel like an average game, even if certain elements did shine through.
    Animation, Interesting QTE segments, and workable covr system. (it's like Wanted)
    It is unfortunate that all of this is offset by a dul,l neglected enviroment character models that lack any real detail.
    It's a shame that this game feels like a first generation title because it really does have alot of potential...Oh and Nolan North.

  • Lord_Gremlin #40 2 years ago

    After the demo I saw this coming. A good game can't have piece-of-shit demo.

  • Darren #41 2 years ago

    I tried the PC demo of Dark Void last week and it's been a while since I've played a game as spectacularly bland and unexciting as this one. The flight controls are especially awful as you cannot move the camera at all with the right-analogue stick and the default sensitivity is way too twitchy. As for the rest of the gameplay, it's a generic third-person shooter with no redeeming features at all. Even the graphics are a bit ropey despite running on the Unreal Engine 3 (or perhaps because of it?).

    Thank goodness for demos really, saves me from making the mistake of actually buying the game. The game goes down as one of the shortest lived demos on my machine, installed and uninstalled in less than 15 minutes!
    Edited by 1 at 18/01/10 @ 19:28

  • stan_dman #42 2 years ago

    Any game with jetpacks is almost insta-buy, shame this didn't work out. I continue hoping for a remake of tribes 2 with updated graphics and decent solo campaign.

  • Nephirion #43 2 years ago

    Hmmm 5/10 is a must avoid!!!!

  • shotgun44 #44 2 years ago

    PC Gamer seemed to think the jetpack was pretty much piss poor. Not that this game seems particularly notable anyway...

  • Badassbab #45 2 years ago

    Demo was crap so not surprised. Shame on you Capcom for getting involved with tripe like this.
    Edited by 1 at 18/01/10 @ 22:40

  • Lunatic4ever #46 2 years ago

    yeah ,the demo was pretty much a suicide mission for capcom this time

  • cristoflanga #47 2 years ago

    Shame.

  • Tyronne #48 2 years ago

    After playing the demo of this, I found it simply not for me.The visuals were dated and would not have looked out of place in a ps2 game let alone something on the ps3.

    One to stay away from unless you can find it in the bargain bin ,its pissing down outside and have literally nothing else to do.

  • RandomTerrain #49 2 years ago

    Glad I never bothered playing that demo.

  • muscleblade #50 2 years ago

    @PearOfAnguish

    That was what i meant by "Its a connection". Same dude.

  • M4RV #51 2 years ago

    The PC demo turned out to be way better than I expected, but still, it hardly warrants a day-one purchase. Nice on theory, but lackluster execution. Too bad...

  • SlackMaster #52 2 years ago

    @ ParanoidZombie - I really enjoyed Grins Bionic Commando. Yes, it was a little rough around the edges but apart from that a very enjoyable game, especially when you begin to get good at the swing mechanic.

    I played Dark Void at the expo and tbh thought it was quite good. Will have to wait until this is in the bargain bin maybe.

  • M_of_the_sys #53 2 years ago

    I'll be grabbing this from the bargain bin, I think.

    I hope you're still planning on paying for it though? Otherwise that would be theft.

  • ExplodingClown #54 2 years ago

    There's just not enough jetpacks in games. Last ones I played were 'Outwars' and 'Project Nomads' (which was pretty groovy - hope it makes it onto GOG).

    Will pick it up when it hits £15 or less on Play.com....

  • chubster2010 #55 2 years ago

    I've played (and completed!) Dark Void and really enjoyed it. It's flawed in numerous ways, but is by no means a disaster.

    It certainly doesn't warrant reactions such as Badassbab's:

    'Shame on you Capcom for getting involved with tripe like this.'

    It's not tripe, and Capcom/Airtight have nothing to be ashamed of.

  • smoothpete #56 2 years ago

    "Will pick it up when it hits £15 or less on Play.com.... "

    It's £15 on play now :)

    Sod it, for 15 quid I'm happy to have a punt. I'll just think of it as Uncharted 3: This Time It's Jetpacks