Dark Void

by Capcom

Product Features

• Huge bosses that require fast reflexes and aerial barnstorming maneuvers to defeat.
• Unique Sci-Fi action/adventure combines aerial and on-foot combat for a totally unique third-person shooter experience.
• Game hero, Will?s jetpack delivers total freedom of movement allowing players to race against UFOs in high-speed chases and rain death from above onto unsuspecting otherworldly foes.
• Gravity-defying vertical combat/cover system allows for seamless transition between jetpack flight, ship-to-ship dog fighting and 3rd-person shoot-?em-up action ? not broken up into different areas.
• Unique grip system that allows the players to scale walls by jumping from surface to surface and hijack UFO?s while in mid-air.

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00170823O
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches ; 4.8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: January 19, 2010
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,783 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

  #30 in

  Video Games > PlayStation 3 > Adventure

Product Description

Platform: PLAYSTATION 3

Amazon.com Product Description

Dark Void is a single player sci-fi action-adventure game for PlayStation 3 that is destined to change the way gamers think about third-person shooter combat. An adrenaline-fuelled blend of aerial and ground-pounding combat mechanics and cover systems headlined by the game's signature in-game items--the hooverpack and jetpack--in it players will experience 3D action like never before as they transition from ground to air combat, and back again whenever they choose. Traditional 3rd-person combat. View larger. And on-command aerial action. View larger. An ancient evil to confront. View larger. Story Set in a parallel universe called "The Void," in Dark Void players take on the role of Will, a down on his luck cargo pilot who crashes in the Bermuda Triangle, and is inexplicably transported to the alien dimension which is the mysterious Void. Here this unlikely hero is caught up in a desperate struggle for survival, joining forces with a rebel human group called The Survivors in their struggle against an ancient and hostile race known as the Watchers who have enslaved the humans of the Void for millenia. Will's main goal is to discover a way to get back to his own dimension, but in that he and the humans of the Void have a common enemy, it eventually seems that he may be destined for a higher calling as well. Gameplay Action in Dark Void is a combination of aerial dog fighting and third-person ground combat that brings a thrilling new gameplay dynamic to the third-person shooter experience. Ground combat within the game is more or less standard to action in similar games. The aerial portion, is another thing entirely though, and is facilitated by a hooverpack and even more powerful jetpack with a mounted gun that Will is equipped with. Although there are other weapons in the game, these primary weapons allow players to hurtle through the Void at blistering speeds, shooting down anything that gets in their way. Available at anytime in the game after aquired, they epitomize 3D action by introducing a unique vertical combat system full of possibilities and bringing a whole new sense of tension and thrill to the player. In addition, if they so choose players can use their aerial capabilities to counter attacks leveled at them while on the ground and to deal with spatial issues that they may face throughout the game. But just becasue the hooverpack and jetpack are available at all times, this does not mean that they are always the best option. Through trial and error as well as experience with the devices, player's must determine their best uses for each situation. As a companion to its duel combat style, Dark Void also contains a duel cover mechanic. As with other aspects of the game's ground combat, players can expect convenient standard cover options, including a single button option to snap to cover against walls, etc. Cover options while using the hooverpack and jetpack are understandably more varied though, with players being able to utilize vertical cover options to shoot both up and down. Key Game Features Sci-Fi action/adventure combines aerial and on-foot combat for a totally unique third-person shooter experience. Will’s jetpack delives total freedom of movement allowing players to race against UFOs in high-speed chases and rain death from above onto unsuspecting otherworldly foes. Speed and scale unmatched by any other action title: send Will zipping through tight corridors and then out into immense canyons and futuristic geoscapes. Gravity-defying vertical combat system, where moving up is the only way to bring your enemies down. Seemless transition between jetpack flight, ship-to-ship dog fighting and third-person shoot-‘em-up action all exists within the same level – not broken up into different areas. Unique grip system that allows the players to scale walls by jumping from surface to surface and hijack UFO’s while in mid-air. Huge bosses that require fast reflexes and aerial barnstorming maneuvers to defeat. Developed by Airtight Studios, a new group featuring team members from the Crimson Skies series of video games.

Product Description

Dark Void is a new sci-fi action-adventure game that combines an adrenaline-fuelled blend of aerial and on-foot combat set in a parallel universe called "The Void". Players will take on the role of Will; a pilot dropped into incredible circumstances while on a routine air cargo flight crashes in the Bermuda triangle leading him to be trapped in the Void. This unlikely hero soon finds himself swept into a desperate struggle for survival at the head of a group called The Survivors. Trapped in the Void, these resistance fighters are battling to hold off a mysterious alien race that plans to threaten Earth. Dark Void's unique combination of in-air and on-ground combat creates a thrilling new gameplay dynamic to the third-person shooter experience. Taking 3D action to a whole new level, Dark Void's vertical combat system allows players to dangle from thousand foot drops as they take cover and drop enemies from above and below, bringing a whole new sense of vulnerability and thrill to the player. Defying gravity in vertical combat is only half the battle as, over time, Will is upgraded to a powerful rocket pack which allows for fierce in-air combat as gamers are able to fly through the void at unparallel speeds shooting down anything that gets in their path. Blasting away at massive bosses has never been this much fun as Dark Void offers a unique grip system made up of a variety of grip-based mini-games including skyjacking UFOs mid-flight.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Why the critics are dead wrong, January 21, 2010

By	Brian (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Dark Void (Video Game)

Browsing the plethora of reviews and finding that they handed out mediocre (or worse) scores for this game only served to reaffirm my belief that the majority of so-called "professional" critics and awards (though the latter is another subject entirely that I'll not get into here) are completely worthless. Simply put, the critics got it almost dead wrong when they reviewed Dark Void. At the risk of utilizing too much formality, I will break this review into two parts. The first part will discuss how the vast majority of critics' criticisms are completely off the mark, and the second half will discuss what they somehow missed about this game that makes it worthy of a place on my shelf next to Half-Life 2, Fallout 3, Bioshock, and the like.

For starters, critics complain that you spend too much time without being able to fly. This is flat-out false. First off, the ratio of levels that contain wide-open areas that encourage dogfighting and enclosed levels that encourage on-foot or hover action are pretty even. This is what is known as VARIETY. Not many games can claim that they have a flight simulator, a third person shooter with a super-jump and hover ability, and a platformer (of sorts, which I'll get into later on) in one game, and fewer still can claim that they implemented each mechanic with the same quality and care. In fact, I am hard-pressed to come up with a single example of such a game. Further, even when you are in an enclosed base of some kind (which is NOT the majority of the time), you can still go into flight-simulator mode for a few seconds to cover an amazing amount of ground in the space of seconds, then turn it off and hover...or even drop down and melee someone, earning you style points. And as I said before, it is a rarity that you are in a confined space. On the massive levels afforded to the player, you have three options of movement that you can switch between seamlessly and at will, and the result is the most amazing and fully 3D shooter experience you've ever seen. Even mundane (if you want to join the critics in calling them that) shootouts can be taken to the next level by utilizing your ability to go ANYWHERE. You can jet up and point-blank someone on a ledge with a sniper rifle...you can strafe them with your jetpack machine guns...there are an amazing number of options at your disposal. In addition, even if you do want to turn the shootouts into plain-old shootouts, what is wrong with that? The cover and weapon system is a very solid Gears of War clone, which of course is a fantastic game that even the critics agree on. The difference here? You can then also super-jump and hover or even fly if you like. Even when you think you are being forced into flying, you can often times end up doing other things like free-falling to your target instead (if you like) and seeing how far you're willing to risk it before you hit the hover button to break your fall. And this, I must tell you, is too much fun.

Now, the Gears of War mention brings me to their other criticism that is downright ludicrous: enemies are too repetitive. Wow, really? There's another thing this game shares with Gears of War, except that Dark Void has more impressive and creative bosses: with the exception of a few tougher enemies they introduce along the way, you'll be fighting the same kind of enemies all throughout the game. Shooters follow this formula all the time! If anything, Dark Void is LESS repetitive than other games (particularly shooters) because there are so many different aspects of play. And unexciting shooting they say? It's the same shooting you find in all other shooter games, only you have interesting and creative weapons at your disposal that you can upgrade for a variety of fun effects (something, again, many shooters lack).

Now that we have established how unfair and even downright false the criticisms are, it is time to address what the critics decided to leave out of their reviews that bump this game up from a good time to a great time. First of all, the vertical combat system is ingenious, novel, and all kinds of fun. In fact, I would like to cite an example from early on in the game: you find the U.S.S Cyclops, a naval vessel, hanging vertically from a Cliffside. Since at this early stage of the game your jetpack doesn't allow you to full-on fly yet, you must fight your way up the ship before it falls off. And as you do this, you take cover not behind, but UNDERNEATH various obstacles on the deck. You can then pop up and fire back at enemies who are shooting at you from above or below. In effect, this mechanic is very similar to your average cover-oriented shooter, with a few amazing exceptions: one is that you are obviously facing up or down instead of straight ahead. The other is that if there is another piece of cover directly above or below you, you may either jump or flip down in a stylish spin (depending on which direction) to achieve that position. Then, if you just jumped onto a ledge that an enemy is using for cover, you can grab their leg and drag them off to their doom. And amazing mechanics aside, the level design when based on vertical combat is very well done. Various parts of the ship break apart as you proceed, and at times the tremors force you to tap a random button repeatedly so that you don't lose your grip.

Switching gears a bit, there are a few minigames that start up under certain circumstances and provide yet another avenue of game play variety similar to the way The Force Unleashed did. When hijacking an enemy fighter in the air, you must avoid their rotating cannon while attempting to access the cockpit and kill the pilot and simultaneously making sure you don't lose your grip. Some of the tougher enemies require you to start up a similar minigame to defeat them, which are equally creative and fun. Archons can be taken out either by coaxing the pilot out (via sabotage) and breaking its oddly-shaped neck or grabbing one of its exposed pieces of metal on their weapon emitter, tearing it off, and chucking it into the main weapon's nozzle, causing an overload of some kind (the danger here is of course getting out of the way of the weapon before it fires).

Last, but certainly not least, there is one critical element that elevates this game into great status, and this is overlooked by many (including critics) for reasons I cannot fathom. Just as this game took a bold leap into the realm of freedom of movement, so did the developers demand a quality musical score. Sure, there have been great scores composed for video games in the past...but none of them completely matched the tone of each level, nor did they develop themes that represented various characters or races and evolved with the situation. The care that the composer took not only to develop a quality score but also to ensure that you never heard exactly the same piece of music twice is astonishing. Further elevating the soundtrack's quality is the simple fact that the drums, South American woodwind instruments, string sections...the entire, massive ensemble was recorded live. There is not a single fake instrument sound to be found. The result is music in the background that enhances your game play experience to such a degree that it makes you feel like you're in the latest box-office hit. From racing, thundering Taiko drums underscoring the frantic melodies carried by the French Horns or perhaps the Duduk, to soft, introspective character moments, Dark Void has covered the one area that is so often overlooked by developers to a degree that I have never before seen. Kudos, Capcom, for actually spending money on an aspect of video games that is, in my opinion, equally as important to the experience as the level design or the gameplay mechanics.

Now, I'm not going to pretend that Dark Void has no flaws. I would add my own that hasn't even been touched by the "professional" reviews that I've seen (they can't even get the weaknesses right!): the dialogue is very uninspired. The story is good, but when the dialogue isn't very sharp, it can be hard to be concerned about the plot as much. And in fact, there is one universal criticism that this game actually deserves: there is no multiplayer or even coop featured in the game. Your only option for play is a single-player campaign. The campaign is of course fantastic and hours upon hours of fun...but a cooperative mode and especially some sort of minigame mode involving aerial stunts, races, obstacle courses, and the like would have been excellent additions to this game. Better still would have been deathmatch maps for multiplayer play, designed so that players can dogfight or duke it out on the ground in the same area. This game, while realizing much of the potential it revealed, still has more potential to rise and meet, but anyone who rates this game as anything less than an 8/10 or so would be a hypocrite, because I guarantee you they had more fun than that. As I would suggest with any medium that has dedicated critics to tell you what is good and bad, ignore them and try it out yourself.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Critics too harsh overall, January 25, 2010

By	J. Leigh "jleigh7" (chicago) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)

Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Dark Void (Video Game)

Pros:

- When at long last, an hour into the game, you do get to use the full capabilities of the jetpack, it is exhilaratingly fun.
- It's a comic book story and it's fun to follow along.
- You get more out of the game if you are more adventurous in how you fight the enemies.
- There is considerable gameplay mechanic imbedded in the game such as pulling enemies off ledges, various cover around obstacles, sniping enemies, meleeing enemies, controlling turrets, quicktime combats against enemies, controlling enemy vehicles.
- Worlds are nicely three dimensional to give you a reason to use the jetpack.

Cons:
- There is a considerable lack in enemy variety.
- The game can feel repetitive unless you liven it up with your own antics.
- Far too easy to accidentally crash into an obstacle with the jet pack on and killing yourself.
- Camera control can be challenging when you are scaling ledges.
- WAY TOO SHORT with an anticlimactic ending. It's as if they just ran out of money or time. Or there was some kind of corporate decision to cut it off and release the rest as downloadable content.

On the whole the critics are far too harsh on this game. The game grows on you the better you are at adventurous combat. For example, yes you can shoot the enemies on the ground behind cover. But then you'd be playing Halo! But you're the Rocketeer! So take to the skies and swoop down on your enemies. Yeah it's sometimes harder to do this but it is awesome when it works.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Game, January 21, 2010

By	Lamb of Bodom (Whittier, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Dark Void (Video Game)

If you ever played Crimson Skies you'll feel right at home. Control config. is even the same wich is a good thing. Newbies might have some trouble with camera work but is a skill easily attained. cover system is basic and easy but the real fun is in the flying. 2 hours slipped by me without even focusing on the missions. I gave this game a 4 because the cover system can be a little etchy at times, and graphics arent too wowing, but this is definitely a game that should not b ignored.

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