Dark Void (PC) Review - PAGE 1

Jetpacks and lost alien civilizations collide with humanity facing World War II in Dark Void; rare is it that gamers catch such epics in the video gaming realm. The game presents a science fiction story dating back to the origin of humankind. A battle of alien gods and men tumbling through a cycle of destruction; William and friends stumble into this battle while on a cargo mission looking to transport artifacts over the sea, and in a turbulent storm, the crew and plane fall into a tailspin, plowing into the Bermuda triangle. Dark Void brings players into the climax of this battle as tensions run high and the grip of the Watchers reaches further than it ever has.

The battles in Dark Void come in three episodes, bringing together a full play of drama and action. The first episodes bring William to the jungles where the natives on the Earth's end of the void live, bringing questions of the Gods -- known as the Watchers -- as they dominate the landscape. The following episode progresses at the same speed, bringing new insights into the world and the role of William in this struggle against the alien menace.

Unfortunately the biggest shortfall of Dark Void shows itself: the pace is simply too slow. The midpoint of the story arrives as the game is well into episode three, with few remaining chapters. The result feels like a slap to the face with a conclusion and details too vague. To put it bluntly, it feels like Airtight Games should have just made two installments, using a cliffhanger to lead players onto the next title if there was enough material.

While the overall experience is worthwhile, there is a lurking air of disappointment in the final execution. The survivors start to set up their story; the mystery Watchers in the background tease the lurking evil. Everything has a place until the tablecloth jerks out from under and sends the story toppling. For those looking for more than run and gun tactics, Dark Void will leave you with a sense of failure, and nothing stands to repair that.

Moving into the graphics realm, we're impressed on the PC side; Unreal Engine 3 delivers the same levels of visual candy many gamers are familiar with. Making use of a simple configuration panel, Dark Void allows for basic detail and model quality and resolution adjustments. It also brings in PhysX support for NVIDIA and AGEIA product owners, providing improved physics response from crashes and environmental objects.