Game Review: Dark Sector (Xbox 360)

April 3rd, 2008, 04:43 Posted By: Shadowblind


By that single small statement of Xulap's I reinstate thy miniviews in HH as well! Honestly, I didn't think anyone cared for them. Too bad on DCEmu they don't. Guess thats why the mods stopped bitching for a reviewer.

Aaaaannnnyway, an anticipated title thats been in production since the PS2, Dark Sector is the story of CIA operative Hayden Tenno who has been sent on an assassination mission in Lesria, Russia. A lunatic has been reportedly trying to smuggle a deadly virus into other nations. This is no normal virus, however. It not only rusts peoples skin to steel, but turns them into an undead, or worse. Hayden caught the virus on the mission, and somehow utilizes its power in the form of a glaive.

Graphics are disheartening for a title thats been in development for so long. The characters, specifically the main one, look great. Everything else, does not. Textures are on the bland side, and clipping issues weigh it down even more. Very little slowdown. But the reflections from gunshot and fire look great on Hayden. Animations are hit and miss. Some look great while others look...um...something.

The story itself is bland. It begins great, just got infected, don't know whats going to happen, don't know why your doing what you are...then gets generic. Your chasing down a baddie whose trying to spread a virus. Sound like a bad episode of Justice League? It should, its practically the exact episode. Still, the interests that surround this odd virus are rather compelling. But it gets far too repetitive half way through to really matter. The crypt levels are great, though. The ambiance and the fog, the moonlight and the tombs, they all make that level truly survival horror.

Sound is sound. The gunshots work, the screams are bloody, and the metal clanks. The cemetery levels really shine though. They're perfectly creepy. the zombies howl, the wind whistles, and you slice through demon dogs piercing snarls.

Gameplay is good. The glaive is really one of the only interesting parts of it, but gunfights work well, if not a little odd. (Aiming seems to work sometimes and other times fail.) Still, the half-assed finisher moves I could've lived without. They rely too heavily on your sense and desire for brutal deaths then interesting cutscenes. Honestly, they went a little too far on how much the enemies scream in pain. The puzzle elements are really just Zelda junior. In fact, if gears of War and Zelda had a really lazy kid, this would be it. The cover system works, but around the corner gunfights just aren't very good. And the fact that you can't pick up weapons because your "infected" is beyond annoying. Still your powers and your elemental-glaive really make it interesting. Zombies are fun.

So heres the verdict:

Presentation: 3.5/5
Boring storyline but decent menus and ambiance for some levels make it a mixed feeling. Not usually a good thing.

Sound: 4/5
Everything sounds like...well what it should. Nothing too interesting though, and music is there...I think.

Graphics: 3.5/5
Bad backgrounds meet good foreground. Let the battle of the century begin!

Gameplay: 4/5
Its alright, if not overused. The puzzle elements fall flat, though the cover system is alright. the glaive is quite fun.

Replay Value: 3.5/5
If you could bear the single player, try out multiplayer. I haven't really played it much, but I know you'll want to play it on hard mode again for the Achievements.

OVERALL:

Its not an 4 and not a 3.5. So I compromised. Really, we've seen it before and again and again. its just another shooter, but with a fun little melee weapon. It all works, though.

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