I can understand some of the scores this game received when it was first released. I'll say it right off the bat: the controls can be crazy-wonky at times, the story is a bit loopy, some levels are too small while others are too big, and overall it has an aire of disappointment. For a lot of people, they were disappointed with the game as a whole for being so questionable. For me, I was disappointed it never fully reached what it seemed it was supposed to be.
I'll begin by saying this is the only Capcom game that I've owned for a long period of time and have played through twice. I think a majority of what they produce is ultimately exciting, innovative, and really interesting...but upon trying it out, it always just kind of falls short. Dead Rising and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is my modern case in point. However, Dark Void presents something that I just can't explain.
Dark Void started as a game Capcom hired a western game studio (Airtight Games with employees who were involved with Crimson Skies) to produce, in hopes of beginning a new IP and attracting western audiences. Unfortunately, it failed. It had a great number of elements to it, looking back; a score done by Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galactica), a relatively unused gimmick (jetpack), and such an interesting story. Not to mention, it was made in an effort to make new IPs during the times of Mirror's Edge, which I feel very strongly about. What ultimately resulted in its failure was the lackluster reviews it received, the fact that it was new and not a "tried and true" IP, and that it was significantly flawed.
The story follows Pilot Will Grey and his awesome jacket, attempting to save his female interest, Ava, while also reluctantly fighting back an alien race from taking over the Earth. While it's standard Sci-Fi fare, it's told in such a way that reminds me of the mystery of older generations of games -- when there wasn't a Google to search the reasoning behind something or a better explanation of what's going on. I mean, hell, I spent a good hour to two hours attempting to find even a shred of "underground" info on this game's development.
The reason it deserves consumers' time stems from the fact that it just feels ambitious. Playing through it, you realize the confusing elements stem from a lack of time or budget in production and it makes me want to know what the original intent was behind so much of the game. It's support for games like this that will help the games industry move forward, producing new and original content alongside current, established IPs. Unfortunately, the market in just about every industry sucks, and Dark Void was a risk that unfortunately failed to pay off.
And what makes it even more disappointing is it sets up for a sequel that would have been set during WWII. All these confusing elements lead to something that is never going to happen. My only hope is that Brad Pitt's movie company (Plan B) goes through with the production of the movie. Even without the game ties, the story is still such an interesting Sci-Fi.
All I can really say is that if you like third-person cover-based shooters or titles that are mysterious cult hits, then Dark Void is worth the small admission price.
Pros:
Mysterious Sci-Fi story
Fun jetpack mechanic
Phenomenal soundtrack
Cons:
Controls can be irritating
Level design is often lacking
So much left unexplained!
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