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Destructoid review: Dark Sector
by Nick Chester on 03.26.2008 71 comments

Destructoid review: Dark Sector screenshot

I’m not sure what Dark Sector’s lead Hayden Tenno thought he was getting into when he signed up for the “elite black-ops agent” program, but it’s hard to feel bad for this guy. Sent by his agency on a dangerous assassination mission in the (very fictional) Eastern European war-torn city of Lasria, Hayden should have been prepared for anything. In this instance, "anything" means having his body altered by an infection that gives him inhuman abilities. You know, the usual -- the power to become invisible, to generate a projectile reflecting shield, and to grow a boomerang-like blade out of his hand.

It’s these abilities that really set Dark Sector’s gameplay apart from other third-person shooters you’ve already played. But it’s hard not to immediately think of Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 when you pull the left trigger to aim for the first time, and the camera pulls in tight across Hayden’s right shoulder. Digital Extremes unapologetically snatch up elements of Epic’s Gears of War, with a similar cover system and a near-identical CNN-style camera “roadie run” mechanic. There’s even a hint of Ninja Theory’s Heavenly Sword’s “aftertouch” system that is used to manually guide Hayden’s blade-a-rang, the Glaive, through the air.

Hit the jump to find out if Digital Extreme's obvious nods to "the greats" holds up on its own.

Dark Sector (Xbox 360 [reviewed], PlayStation 3)
Developed by Digital Extremes
Published by D3Publisher
Released on March 25, 2008

If you’re going to be so transparent about your influences, you’d better do it up right, and for the most part, Digital Extremes were up to the task. It all comes together well in Dark Sector, with these particular gameplay elements working as well here as they did in the games that perfected them. The cover system made popular by Gears of War is here, warts and all -- it’s quick and simple to pull in and out of cover, but it’s just as easy to accidentally get stuck on cover while an off-camera enemy melees you to your death. It also appears that Digital Extremes tried to overcompensate for Leon Kennedy’s steady but slow hand in Resident Evil 4. The default aiming sensitivity will have you flailing all over the place, making accurate aiming near impossible; an early trip to the game’s control options to turn down the sensitivity was able to make things right, however.

The stars of the show here are Hayden’s infected powers, particularly the Glaive. While the narrative doesn’t really clarify why an infection causes a circular blade to emerge from a human’s hand, I’m not sure anyone is going to mind, because it’s just that damned cool. In one hand you can wield a pistol like you’ve done countless times before, and in the other, the circular saw of doom, which can slice an enemy’s torso clear in half. Or take off a monster’s head. The choice is clear. Take aim with the left trigger and let her fly with the right bumper. But don’t worry -- it’ll also return to its master, taking out anything and everything along the way.

Besides the satisfying carnage, the Glaive feels like just another weapon in your arsenal at the game’s start. But as the infection seeps into Hayden’s body, your powers are upgraded, and the true potential of the weapon opens up. The Glaive can take on the properties of certain elements, for instance -- electricity, fire, and ice. Not only will this do the expected damage to the game’s assorted baddies (there’s really nothing quite as rewarding as hearing a flaming monster howl to its death), but it’ll also be used to solve simple puzzles throughout the game. Don’t get it twisted -- these aren’t brain teasers in the Myst sense. For instance, you’ll merely have to find a way to cause fire, which you can absorb into the Glaive, which is then used to burn an entrance to the next area. In conjunction with the Glaive’s aftertouch, some of these puzzles, while obvious, tend to get a bit tricky. This type of usage does tend to replicate itself throughout the game, and before long they tend to become rather obvious and repetitive, sometimes feeling like a nuisance more than anything.

For all of the greatness of the Glaive, there sure is a lot of gunplay in Dark Sector. You can carry up to two of your own weapons at any time, but ammo is scarce, something that was likely done intentionally to put a bit more focus on the usage of the blade. So more often than not, you’ll find yourself having to rely on the Glaive simply because your clips have been emptied, and less because you really want to. It feels great when you’ve aimed precisely to decapitate an enemy, but having to wait for the Glaive to return can sometimes be a lesson in patience, especially if you’ve missed your target. Well-placed bullets can drop most enemies and monsters within seconds. Considering the game features so many duck-and-cover shoot outs, I found myself wanting to get right down to the killing, style be damned.

The Glaive also has the ability to pick up faraway items, and while it could have just been more of a gimmick than anything else (“Hey! That ammo is across a chasm! Let me use this here boomerang to get it!”), Digital Extremes made a pretty clever design choice with this capability. The game features many open-area firefights, and you’ll often have to pick off enemies from a distance, many of which drop weapons. Considering the previously mentioned scarcity of ammo, you’ll want to get your hands on these weapons, and by using the Glaive’s pick-up-and-return ability, you can. Gunning down a crew of soldiers using their fallen comrade’s rifle gives an interesting feeling of sweet revenge. You can’t simply stock up on these weapons, either -- when out of the hands of the soldiers, the weapons will only last so long before they no longer function. Again, this places an interesting emphasis on Glaive usage in an attempt to make Dark Sector a bit more than a series of hectic shootouts.

Unfortunately, that’s just what Dark Sector really is -- ten chapters of Wild West-style shootouts. There are a few surprises, including huge boss battles that make good use of the infected abilities, and a few areas that’ll put you in control of an enormous mech. But things do start to get repetitive after awhile, particularly towards the game’s end, when you’re bombarded by wave of enemy after wave of enemy. Luckily, the game comes to an end sooner rather than later -- it can be completed in about seven to eight hours -- and it culminates in a fairly clever (yet considerably easy) boss battle. While the game could have stood to have some more diversity, Digital Extremes were smart to bring the game to a close before it wore out its welcome.

Without a doubt, Dark Sector features some of the best textures and lighting in any next-gen game to date. Digital Extreme’s in-house Evolution Engine rivals anything we’ve seen from its competition, even Epic’s impressive Unreal Engine 3.0. The ambient lighting is absolutely incredible and the best I’ve seen on consoles, with fire and bright bulbs casting impressive and fitting shadows throughout the environment. There are times when the game’s visuals will make your jaw drop to the floor, and you’ll swear you’ve never seen anything like it. But then you’ll catch glimpses of some weird shiny hair, or Hayden’s fat baby face, and it’ll make you’ll wish maybe the sector were a bit darker.

The game’s art direction is a mixed bag too. The fictional Lasria looks how you’d expect an Eastern European city torn apart by war and monsters to look, and the detail seen in the environment is impressive and hard to ignore. But Dark Sector suffers from a case of the blues ... and greens and browns. That’s about it, really, and while I didn’t expect sunshine and daisies to rain from the sky in the game’s seventh chapter, the game’s color palette starts to make everything look identical before long.

It has to be said that I think Michael Rosenbaum should do voice work for more video games. Despite some goofy and over-the-top dialogue, the Smallville star nails his lines with effortlessness and an evident skill. The rest of the cast holds up reasonably well around him, but his convincing delivery of Hayden will keep you tuned into the otherwise middling story of betrayal and government cover-ups. It should also be noted that soldiers who are killed sometimes make a similar noise to that of dying enemies in Sega’s Golden Axe. Take that how you will.

As far as replay value is concerned, completing the game will unlock a “brutal” difficulty level. But beyond grabbing some achievements on the Xbox 360, I can see little reason to trudge through the game again immediately after the credits roll. The game does feature a “Black Market” weapon purchase/upgrade feature, but it’s impossible to even come close to seeing all of the weapons and upgrades while making your way through the game’s linear missions. While it’s possible that you may want to play through the game again to see what you’ve missed, it seems likely more of a hassle than anything else. The game does feature a small multiplayer component, with two mode types and a small selection of maps. Multiplayer is an obvious afterthought in Dark Sector, and shouldn’t be considered the game’s main draw, although future content could make it more appealing.

Ultimately, Dark Sector is a fun if slightly derivative third-person shooter. It certainly isn’t close to perfect -- the melee is kind of wonky and disappointingly underdeveloped, it suffers from a fair bit of repetition, and the enemy A.I. is only somewhat smarter than the girls on Flavor of Love. But the infected powers, the occasionally dazzling visuals, and Michael Rosenbaum’s sweet, sweet voice definitely make the game worth a look if you’re a fan of the genre.  

Score: 7.5

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sushi111's Avatar
sushi111 at 03/26/2008 15:16

Nice review.

Glad to see the game didnt turn out too bad.
Gameboi's Avatar
Gameboi at 03/26/2008 15:18

I'll be picking this up soon. Looks like they were also influenced by Krull, and the Guyver. That's a winning combination to me.
Usedtabe's Avatar
Usedtabe at 03/26/2008 15:19

Why is this the "destructoid playstation 3 blog" when it was the 360 version that was reviewed?
Usedtabe's Avatar
Usedtabe at 03/26/2008 15:19

Also, great review
Gameboi's Avatar
Gameboi at 03/26/2008 15:20

@Usedtabe

Because us PlayStation fans need love too.
Magesx's Avatar
Magesx at 03/26/2008 15:21

It's weird, I kept seeing ads and stuff for this game but I had no idea what the game was about until now. Nice review, I'll probably rent it someday.
Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 03/26/2008 15:21

@ Usetabe:

I don't design the pages, I just write the content. Talk to Niero about it. I'm sure he has a fancy explanation.
Gameboi's Avatar
Gameboi at 03/26/2008 15:23

I'd like to think that the games are pretty much the same on both platforms, hence the shared review.
Heretic's Avatar
Heretic at 03/26/2008 15:23

1 – Unbearable. Practically unplayable. An exercise in absolute madness.

2 – Awful. Maybe the idea was kind of clever, or you may have fun accidentally, but everything else is horrendous.

3 – Bad. Some aspects are terrible, others are either so-so or kind of fun.

4 – Poor. An admirable effort with a sliver of promise, but essentially mediocre.

5 – Average. Half of the time the game is fun, half of the time it isn't, for whatever reason. This game is absolutely average in every single way -- neither exceptional nor face-melting awful.

6 – Decent. Slightly above average, maybe a little niche. But you wouldn't recommend it to everybody.

7 – Good. Replayable, fun, but nothing innovative or amazing. The game potentially has large flaws that, while they don't make the game bad, prevent it from being as good as it could be.

8 – Great. Very fun -- its essential gameplay aspects are cool and interesting, but may not be implemented in the best way.

9 – Fantastic. Negligible flaws. Otherwise very, very good; a fine example of excellence in the genre.

10 – Incredible. As close to perfection as we've yet seen in in the genre or gaming on the whole. A polished, unparalleled experience.
MaxVest's Avatar
MaxVest at 03/26/2008 15:24

You say "it should also be noted soldiers who are killed sometimes make a similar noise to that of dying enemies in Sega’s Golden Axe" as though it were a bad thing. Nice write-up.
big filth's Avatar
big filth at 03/26/2008 15:33

"It also appears that that Digital Extremes"

nice review sir. hmmm. Im almost to the point of wanting to play this game, but dont know if I should buy it.

The questions comes down to

Dark Sector OR Viking??

which one is better?
Demtor's Avatar
Demtor at 03/26/2008 15:34

The best review of this game I've read all day. You are both fair and balanced with a game that doesn't break new ground, isn't the next greatest thing in gaming, but just a decent fun game without a whole lot of depth to it. Sounds like a sweet rental to me.
Sam Spectre's Avatar
Sam Spectre at 03/26/2008 15:34

Nice review. I'm not sure when I'll be picking this one up but hopefully soon.
Cowzilla3's Avatar
Cowzilla3 at 03/26/2008 15:39

Thanks for putting that there heretic. I read the review and thought this sounds like a five maybe six but now that I'm reminded of the exact dtoid scale the rating is right on.

Nice right up Nick.
Cowzilla3's Avatar
Cowzilla3 at 03/26/2008 15:39

or write...you know...however you want to spell the word.
big filth's Avatar
big filth at 03/26/2008 15:41

7 – Good. Replayable, fun, but nothing innovative or amazing. The game potentially has large flaws that, while they don't make the game bad, prevent it from being as good as it could be.

8 – Great. Very fun -- its essential gameplay aspects are cool and interesting, but may not be implemented in the best way.

--

somewhere in between there seems entertaining enough. Damn you release schedule and your hectic pacing!!!

I need a second job. I may go trade something in towards this after work.
DaedHead8's Avatar
DaedHead8 at 03/26/2008 15:41

Good review. I had forgotten about this game, I actually confused it with Prototype at first. Based on your review I'll check it out though I'll probably wait until I see it cheap.
Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 03/26/2008 15:42

@ Gameboi:

Also, D3 only sent me a retail copy of the 360 version. Which is what we asked for, to be fair. In any case, it's my understanding that the two versions are more or less identical. I just happened to only play the 360 version.
blehman's Avatar
blehman at 03/26/2008 15:42

Cool, this'll merit a rental in a little while.
EternalDeathSlayer's Avatar
EternalDeathSlayer at 03/26/2008 15:46

I just picked this up along with Viking, can't wait to try it out. I'm all for derivative game design if it's well implemented. And the Glaive looks cool.

Also @ Nick Chester: Is it just me or is the game's box art and shit kind of....cheap? The description on the back of the box isn't very....descritpive. I guess they're hoping the Glaive sells this game along with the graphics.
DestructoidFNF's Avatar
DestructoidFNF at 03/26/2008 15:46

Awesome review. I had no idea there was a mech mission. You gave this game alot of credibility, and im renting this now.

Thank god you're head isn't in your butt. This was a good review, and a good reviewer.
ogo2k's Avatar
ogo2k at 03/26/2008 15:48

It's nice to see something relatively nice about this since it fell into the "been delayed, must suck" rut..
the review is probably indicative, i may rent it.
loki d20's Avatar
loki d20 at 03/26/2008 15:49

One good thing is that everyone seems to be scoring this game at the same level (7-7.5). I think what hurts it most is that it's not hyped like other FPSs, I bet that would push it up to an 8-8.5 score level like other games.
ZServ's Avatar
ZServ at 03/26/2008 15:51

awesome; this is goin on my gameq. :D
Jim Sterling's Avatar
Jim Sterling at 03/26/2008 15:51

IN!

YOUR!

FACE!

FLORIAN!
Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 03/26/2008 15:57

@ eternaldeathslayer:

Agreed about the box art. There's very little in the way of info on the back of the box, too. Half of it is in French! What is this French nonsense? ;)
big filth's Avatar
big filth at 03/26/2008 15:58

loki d20 says:

"think what hurts it most is that it's not hyped like other FPSs,"

wow. this is the second time in 2 days I have seen someone refer to a third person game as a "FPS"
Jim Sterling's Avatar
Jim Sterling at 03/26/2008 16:00

Also Nick you may send me that copy of Dark Sector if you're not gonna replay it. :-D
Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 03/26/2008 16:04

@ Jim:

You're not going to play it on your PAL machine, either, buddy.
Jim Sterling's Avatar
Jim Sterling at 03/26/2008 16:07

Nick: D3 is Western, right? If that's not region-free, I would be shocked.
Go Man's Avatar
Go Man at 03/26/2008 16:07

Awesome review! I kinda wish this game stayed with the more Sci-fi look when it was first announced, but it still looks great!
Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 03/26/2008 16:14

@ Jim:

Joint is NTSC, son! Says it on the spine. Plus, I had to actually borrow an entire 360 from someone to review the game (since my is dead). I told him I'd give him the game when I was done.
Elrando's Avatar
Elrando at 03/26/2008 16:15

"the occasionally dazzling visuals, and Michael Rosenbaum’s sweet, sweet voice definitely make the game worth a look if you’re a fan of the genre."

Mancrush? Mancrush.
Sharpless's Avatar
Sharpless at 03/26/2008 16:17

This review is in the 7-10 range, so there shouldn't be any bitching in the comments. Phew!
Jim Sterling's Avatar
Jim Sterling at 03/26/2008 16:17

Nick: Fine, but when I get that copy of 50 Cent II, it's all for Jimmles! :-)
mix's Avatar
mix at 03/26/2008 16:18

Have to give this a little play through. Looks half decent and sounds not to shabby after the review!
Revolt in Colour's Avatar
Revolt in Colour at 03/26/2008 16:31

This definitely looks like something I'll rent. or Maybe buy in 6 months when I can get it on eBay or something for $20-25.
rpbowlinggod's Avatar
rpbowlinggod at 03/26/2008 16:44

holy shit @big filth
I needs me some of that ass! btw: nice review
DynamicSheep's Avatar
DynamicSheep at 03/26/2008 16:50

I was in no way interested in this game prior to this review. Now, it's in my Gamefly queue. They should pay you guys for these.
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 03/26/2008 17:02

lol @ jim.... seriously... LOL
etchasketchist's Avatar
etchasketchist at 03/26/2008 17:30

I'm not going to complain about the review score because I hear that's a no-no, but instead I'd like to complain about the review text. Furthermore, to prove that I did indeed read the whole thing, I'd like to specifically complain about the last line of the review text. Could you all please strike the phrase "worth a look if you’re a fan of the genre" from your critical vocabularies? Thanks.
EternalDeathSlayer's Avatar
EternalDeathSlayer at 03/26/2008 17:31

I was in no way interested in this game prior to this review. Now, it's in my Gamefly queue. They should pay you guys for these.

They should pay you guys for these.

The Irony. LoL @ DynamicSheep, even if it was unintentional.
Cowboy TTop's Avatar
Cowboy TTop at 03/26/2008 18:25

Good review, I'm glad its worth a purchase still, as it could have been a lot worse. I guess EA's Dead Space will have to fill, where Dark Sector was boldly going before.

And hey, a game that doesn't use the Unreal 3 engine and still looks quality, bravo to Digital Extreme and D3 for staying with this game. Still worth picking up, like D3s EDF 2017 before it.
Professor Pew's Avatar
Professor Pew at 03/26/2008 18:47

Looks like a decent rental. Definitely sounds a lot better than it looked in all those gameplay vids.
GuitarAtomik's Avatar
GuitarAtomik at 03/26/2008 18:56

Michael Rosenbaum is awesome. I want to hang out with that dude.

Also, good review Nick. I'm slightly interested in this game because of my obsession with the Predator disk but I think I'll rent it.
TheDiamondSutra's Avatar
TheDiamondSutra at 03/26/2008 19:24

Rent-alot of things should be rentals. Games are expensive so I'm gonna Gamefly this like Army of Zwei.
SWE3tMadness's Avatar
SWE3tMadness at 03/26/2008 19:29

Well, no surprises here. I didn't expect much of it from seeing the demo vids and commercials, but I'm glad to hear it turned out decent. Maybe they can expand a bit on these ideas if a sequel gets green-lit.
inque's Avatar
inque at 03/26/2008 19:49

Looks like they were also influenced by Krull, and the Guyver. That's a winning combination to me.

Anything with Guyver is pure win!!!
s0lesurviv0r's Avatar
s0lesurviv0r at 03/26/2008 19:58

Michael Rosenbaum is great in everything he does, even though I hate Smallville with a passion. "The Great Brain Heist" may be one of the greatest cartoon episodes ever made.
Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 03/26/2008 20:15

@ etchasketchist:

How about: "If you're into this kind of crap, give it a try!"?
Roryzilla's Avatar
Roryzilla at 03/26/2008 20:25

I picked it up for PS3 and it's really fun. I've only seen a framerate drop on the first encounter of a giant monster. The game is cool as it starts off in black and white, and as hayden is infected, goes to color. SOo beast.
JohnThEReaper617's Avatar
JohnThEReaper617 at 03/26/2008 21:05

Ah Jim is a genius scoring that copy of 50 Cent 2 all for himself MUHAHAHAHA also good review might give it a rent
Heretic's Avatar
Heretic at 03/26/2008 21:20

I would rent this if I had a credit card.
weedgan's Avatar
weedgan at 03/26/2008 21:50

you guys tell me to rent everything!
PsychosesMan's Avatar
PsychosesMan at 03/26/2008 21:58

Didn't Colette or someone give a 6.0 game a Buy It rating? How does that work? Are they completely separate?
Sharpless's Avatar
Sharpless at 03/26/2008 22:40

As I understand it, the score and the graphic are unrelated. Some good games might be better off as rentals, for example.
Necros's Avatar
Necros at 03/26/2008 23:33

Good to see it's not completely generic.
Roryzilla's Avatar