Review: Dark Void

Airtight Games first next-gen title didn’t exactly set the world on fire - but it’s crazy cheap now… and actually pretty good!

*Price Paid: $9.99

Developer: Airtight Games
Publisher: Capcom
Platforms: X360/PS3 

Airtight Games is a developer some gamers may not be too familiar but they have a pretty solid history. Formed from the core team that created the much loved Xbox titles Crimson Skies and Mechassault; they’re a development group that while not exactly what one would consider AAA, have made some damn good games. It’s with that hope and optimism that many expected their first next-gen outing, with Capcom no less, to be a damn stellar one. Sadly, the game bombed right out of the gate. But hey, just because it wasn’t the AAA title many of us wanted; does it make it a flaming turd of a game? The answer dear friends is a solid NO.

Dark Void sees you playing as Will Gray an everyman who’s voiced by Nathan Drake - I mean Nolan North. It’s hard not to at times almost feel the aspirations that Airtight had to make another title like Uncharted. There’s action, adventure, third person shooting and a sassy love interest. Sad for them it never comes out all that compelling  - well at least they got Nolan North right. 

The whole premise of the game has Will being sucked into another dimension called “The Void” where aliens called “Watchers” basically enslave poor hapless humans who happen to find themselves trapped there. Unbeknowst to humanity, the Watchers once inhabited our realm and were treated like gods. Not only were they treated like deities but they also helped in furthering along human evolution. Humans being the cocky bastards that we are got tired of taking orders and being treated like pet gerbils, so we somehow found a way to exodus their ass to another dimension. 

So now they want sweet sweet revenge on humanity. Sure they’ve got their claws on some poor humans who have found themselves in the Void, but their true goal is to escape and once again make humanity its bitch. Got it? Good. 

Will and his quasi - girlfriend Ava find themselves in the Void after a freak storm while flying through the Bermuda Triangle (haven’t we learned to not fly there!) destroys their airplane. After a quick tutorial level and an impromptu meeting with Nikola Tesla, who for some insane damn reason is making jetpacks in the Void - you’re on your way. Sure it makes no damn sense, but you just kinda roll with it. 

Dark Void plays a lot like a poor mans Gears of War with a badass jetpack. You’ll upgrade your weapons, take cover and shoot stupid robots. What really sets Dark Void apart from Gears (aside from the buttery-smooth combat and just being a much better game in every damn way) is the jetpack. You’ll be able to fly like the Rocketeer, shucking and jiving your way through the clouds and raining down bullets on ufo’s and Watcher troops. You’ll even be able to hi-jack some of their ships through a series of quick-time events, and you’ll want to; because while your jetpack is pretty boss, the Watchers ufo’s control a hell of lot better and have a considerable amount more firepower. 

I’ll admit the guns don’t feel nearly as solid and they need to be and for some supposed badass aliens, the Watchers are push-overs. Literally, we have humans that have been there for years putting up with these aliens crap but it takes a guy in a jetpack and a solid right cross to free the land of this tyranny? Kind of lame, but again… I guess you just have to go with it. 

Dark Void a pretty fun game, doesn’t look too bad but has an amazing soundtrack. While the combat and flying through the air is a blast, it’s the heat pumping soundtrack that will keep you playing. Dark Void can be found for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 for $10 or less brand-spanking new.

If you’re looking for a good single player game on the cheap, you can do a whole lot worse than Dark Void.

 By: Michael Torres