Title: Dark Sector
.............................................. System:
Xbox 360
.............................................. Genre:
First Person Shooter
.............................................. Publisher:
TBA
.............................................. Developer:
Digital Extremes
.............................................. Release: 2006 .............................................. Online: No .............................................. ESRB: Rating Pending
..............................................
Of all the Xbox 360 titles, Dark Sector is the one the video game society has heard the most about. Before the Xbox 360 was announced vague screenshots of Dark Sector were released to the general public. All that was known about the screenshots was they were using next-gen hardware. Up until now no other information has been released. One thing known for certain is Dark Sector is not an exclusive title. It will be released on the PS3 as well.
The game Dark Sector takes place in the appropriately named “Dark Sector” of space. This is a region of space situated around the planet Pluto. There are obviously some unique aspects about this section of the galaxy but none have been mentioned. Complimenting this cryptic setting is the small amount of gameplay information. Dark Sector appears to be a third person action stealth combination with the emphasis on stealth. A good portion of the footage shown at E3 has the protagonist trying to avoid enemy confrontations. There is action in Dark Sector but it was not as emphasized in the trailers.
To aid in his operations the protagonist has available to him a sleek set of armor. This armor is not just for protecting the protagonist; it also offers several innovative gameplay dynamics. The armor has the ability to shift into different modes. Three of these were showcased at E3. Switching between these three variations is done within the game itself. No pausing, switching modes, and then reentering the game. Each mode will give the player a certain set of abilities appropriate to the situation. The three modes shown were a normal (melee) mode, assault mode and stealth mode. These are not the official terms for the modes of armor but will be used for clarity’s sake.
The normal (melee) mode was the form shown primarily in the trailers. The protagonist could ram into marines and suffocate them when in normal mode. He could also magnetically tear the firearms out of the marine’s hands. The assault mode is light gray in color (when compared to the darker gray normal mode) and comes with the ability to duel wield two pistols. When the pistols are fired impressive sparks and air distortions give a glimpse into the muscle of the Xbox 360. The final form of armor is the stealth mode. When this mode is initiated the armor turns a dark jet black as the protagonist becomes untraceable to all forms of detection hardware. Using these three modes interchangeably will probably be an obligation of the player and offer an appealing and fresh gamplay experience.
There have been only two types of enemies revealed thus far. The first is the typical tough guy marine. These marines were seen patrolling the poorly lit cruiser and come equipped with rifles as well as flash lights. The marine model looks very similar to those established in the PC classic Starcraft. The other type of enemy shown was a large yellow brute of machine. This mechanism came equipped with temperature scanners as well as two very large machine gun turrets resting underneath flaps on it’s back. The stealth mode of the protagonist’s armor was demonstrated in the demo to avoid the detection from this mammoth of a weapon.
It is too early to tell how exactly Dark Sector is going feel when played. Judging from the trailer and information above it looks to bring a unique style of gameplay to the Xbox 360, by combining stealth and action in a new and unique way.
