Dark Void proves that new gameplay in the action genre is still possible in the post-Gears of War, post-Halo 3 world. Jose Perez III wants to show us the next step in the progression of 3rd person action shooters, and from what I’ve seen so far of his game Dark Void, he may have what it takes to do it. Out of all the 3D action games I played at E3, Dark Void was far and away my favorite, beating out both Resident Evil 5 and Bionic Commando (sorry Simon). Bionic Commando was great, but while playing it I couldn’t help but constantly compare it to the original. Likewise, while playing RE5 I kept thinking “This is just like RE4, only prettier (and more awesomely racist).”
Dark Void is like nothing I’ve ever played. Take the cover system of Gears, mix it with vehicle hijacking of GTA, throw it all thousands of feet in the air, and you’ll get a rough idea of how fantastic this game is. Dark Void‘s storyline sounded equally fresh; a Bermuda Triangle, survival horror, historical figure laden fantasy adventure. No generic space marines or career criminals in sight, which didn’t bother me one bit.
If Dark Void is a hit, it will not only signal the end of Capcom’s terrible track record of misplaced trust in US game developers (I’m looking at you Final Fight: Streetwise), but also the return of original ideas in 3D action gaming. Be sure to check it out when it drops sometime next year.
