Dark Sector
Preview
What would you do if you had a metal arm? Raise hell
by Keaton Arksey
previewed on PC
Remnants of the Cold War
Hayden Tenno, a CIA covert operative, has begun questioning not only his superiors but also his place in the world. Maybe he should have quit his work for the service before accepting his latest mission, or maybe he should just have disappeared. Buy Hayden is not a quitter and he wants to finish what he started. He sets out to infiltrate an Eastern European country that has been hiding a dark Cold War secret.
So far, Dark Sector may seem a little formulaic, but things are about to ramp up. During his mission, Hayden is attacked by an unknown enemy and infected with a virus designed to be used as a bio-weapon. Called Techonyte, this virus slowly destroys the mind, turning the victim into a mindless killing machine. Surprise! Hayden survives (if he didn’t this would be a very short game, wouldn’t it?). His affliction doesn’t kill him but grants him superhuman powers instead. His newfound powers will come in handy as he makes his escape and labors to find the secret of his attackers. The virus is all but neutralized and, besides his human attackers, Hayden will have to fight off the infection to stop it from taking over his mind completely. The strong science fiction background is offset against the game-world that has been grounded more on reality. The gritty urban look a la Gears of War really drives home the fact that the game is set in this day and age.
Weapons and moves
Watching the screenshots, you may notice that Hayden’s arm is silver. Caused by the virus, his arm can be used for battles, Terminator style. During combat a glaive (essentially a three pronged blade) spawns out of Hayden’s arm. It can be used in melee combat, eviscerating your enemies, or ranged by throwing it at them instead. More interestingly though, is the ability to use the blade for puzzle solving. It is possible to give it properties such as fire or electricity simply by throwing it through fire or an energy source. In true ‘Captain America’ style, Hayden can call his blade back to him. If this move is carried out correctly, it can dispatch roomfuls of enemies in a hurry. Hayden has several other cool moves. Slitting an enemy’s throat with the blade, snapping necks… it is all on the menu. Besides Captain America, Hayden also borrows a trait from Megaman. He can absorb abilities from slain bosses and use them to upgrade and expand his abilities.
Besides his blade, our hero has a wide range of other weapons available to him. You can take your pick from handguns, machine guns and the always faithful shotgun to blow your enemies to smithereens. They will come in handy because it is not just armed soldiers that you will be fighting. A third faction of insane infected, reminiscent of Zombies, will also join the party. They too have access to melee weapons and will constantly be pressed to battle both sides.
Immersive
The settings and the graphics look great. The game takes place in an abandoned city strewn with overturned cars and vacant buildings. Snow drifts from the sky and collects on the ground, fires light up the surrounding area creating shadows, and blood spurts out of enemies when cut. The textures and character models look good, using a heavily modified Unreal Engine 2.5 with various other engines thrown in for good measure. Areas include the aforementioned city, the countryside, what appears to be a base and a warehouse full of the infected. Of course, more will be included, and it should be interesting to see what the developers will come up with. The game lacks a HUD which helps to further immerse the player in this visceral experience.
Along with the single-player part of the game, a multiplayer component will be included and should take advantage of all the abilities from the single player, allowing battles with both the blade and guns.
Dark Sector’s greatest strength is that has an original take on the First Person Shooter genre and mixes it with an equally original storyline. In a time of sequels and retreads, this is most welcome. With upgradeable skills, an involving story and great graphics, this is a game to watch out for in February of next year.
