Dark Void

 PC
User Score
5.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 78 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 78
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 78
  3. Negative: 27 out of 78
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  1. MarlonBrando
    Jan 22, 2010
    5
    Good IP but the execution is lack-luster. Story doesn't do all that it could... no set up for mission etc. Boils down to mediocre shooter with arcade style flight sim tack-on.
  2. MarkoT
    Jan 19, 2010
    9
    I really like this game, the controls need some time to get used to, but in overall its an inovative game with good ( not state of the art ) graphics
  3. Gofers
    Nov 28, 2010
    8
    I found the story interesting, not all to creative. I wouldn't throw it off as as bad as most say it is. The game play is somewhat slow paced. Air fights get old quick. You'll find yourself using the first two weapons you find for 95% of the game when on foot. Enemies take too long to die, you can unload into their head and still can take a whole clip. If they ever make a sequel, which II found the story interesting, not all to creative. I wouldn't throw it off as as bad as most say it is. The game play is somewhat slow paced. Air fights get old quick. You'll find yourself using the first two weapons you find for 95% of the game when on foot. Enemies take too long to die, you can unload into their head and still can take a whole clip. If they ever make a sequel, which I don't see happening, make thing more unique and fun. And accessible. Speed up the game play, make the air fights and weapons more creative and this game would of done a ton better.… Expand
  4. odysseuscm
    Jan 16, 2011
    6
    All in all this is a fun game. I picked it up for 10 EUR and am glad I did but am also glad I didn't pay more. Gfx are ok but not outstanding, game play is fun once you get used to the controls (I strongly advise against flight controls for flying, i.e. don't invert the y-axis), the combat is quite intense if a tad repetitive. Checkpoint saving is terrible, since there are really fewAll in all this is a fun game. I picked it up for 10 EUR and am glad I did but am also glad I didn't pay more. Gfx are ok but not outstanding, game play is fun once you get used to the controls (I strongly advise against flight controls for flying, i.e. don't invert the y-axis), the combat is quite intense if a tad repetitive. Checkpoint saving is terrible, since there are really few checkpoints. The story is one big mess - don't even bother to really understand it. I still don't know which purpose the natives in the beginning served. Turn your brain off and do the mission. Speaking of mission: the last level is a big disappointment - easy and very short. But all in all this is good enough to kill some time but nothing I would play twice because I have an urge to collect all bonus items (= incomprehensible diaries) etc.… Expand
  5. fasharoony
    Dec 12, 2010
    7
    This is far from a bad game. It's currently going for £5 in tesco in the UK and at that it's a steal. It isn't brilliant, but it is a competent 3rd person shooter with some wacky aerial combat. The real surprise though is the on the ground vertical combat, which will have you trying to remember which way is up ! Sure, the story is tacky but the graphics are pretty good,This is far from a bad game. It's currently going for £5 in tesco in the UK and at that it's a steal. It isn't brilliant, but it is a competent 3rd person shooter with some wacky aerial combat. The real surprise though is the on the ground vertical combat, which will have you trying to remember which way is up ! Sure, the story is tacky but the graphics are pretty good, the soundtrack is nice and the combat is great fun, if not up to Gears of War. To the reviewer (sorry, fanboy) who says it's not up to Halo3 (in his words, 'the greatest game ever !') then that's down to taste. I, for one, think Halo 3 is the most over-rated rubbish to have wasted my time on but I would pick Dark Void over the scurrying little alien drones in halo any day. Give it a try, it's a fiver ffs !… Expand
  6. MustisTheCat
    Nov 23, 2011
    7
    I very much liked the game. It is a relaxing title with similar dynamics to Just Cause. Almost everything is lite here. Small story, small weapon choice, small mission variations. The shooting is ok, and it has interesting ideas like using the jet pack, jumping on the ledges. The controls are very easy, the ui is simple. There are some nice places here that make this game worth playing.I very much liked the game. It is a relaxing title with similar dynamics to Just Cause. Almost everything is lite here. Small story, small weapon choice, small mission variations. The shooting is ok, and it has interesting ideas like using the jet pack, jumping on the ledges. The controls are very easy, the ui is simple. There are some nice places here that make this game worth playing. The simple best about this game are the maps. It is very fun to use the jetpack to hover above the enemies shooting, throwing grenades. There are plenty of great shooting setups that make a good use of a very simple covering system. The thing is that in the end you start wondering what made you especially remember this game for. Well, not much. Good for a weekend walkthrough.… Expand
  7. TruLiquid
    Aug 30, 2010
    6
    This game wasn't, too bad. I felt that the flying combat felt a bit repetive, just flying in circles untill you can lock on to your target. Other then that it was a solid game but slightly lacket execution @LeoM Don't compare games like halo to this game, its not even the same genre. Its no wonder no one found your review helpful
  8. LeberTreeD
    Jan 21, 2010
    9
    This game as a good feeling when you use Jetpack, it's very cool and fun! Good idea in general... Finally a game different from other. Congratulation!
  9. NickK
    Jan 22, 2010
    10
    Story is terrible, but the gameplay is very very fun. Especially when you get fully upgraded jet pack and weapons.
  10. EliasN
    Feb 5, 2010
    3
    While I was waiting for this game to finally be released way back in 2008 I must say the preliminary game site and player reviews have me a little worried. Many state they were very disappointed in what they saw and how the game played overall. I usually wait for my fellow gamers and critic reviews before I purchase a game but for some reason I went ahead and bought the game. It took me a While I was waiting for this game to finally be released way back in 2008 I must say the preliminary game site and player reviews have me a little worried. Many state they were very disappointed in what they saw and how the game played overall. I usually wait for my fellow gamers and critic reviews before I purchase a game but for some reason I went ahead and bought the game. It took me a few moments to rearrange my keyboard mappings and mouse to the way I prefer but right off the bat I was thrown into a hellish aerial firefight with all kinds of alien and human craft darting in and out. I couldn't tell who was friend or foe while I struggled to figure out how to control the jetpack. I couldn't hit a goddam thing, only after I readjusted up the mouse sensitivity and made a few more keyboard changes was I able to make hits and take downs. I was finally able to jump on one of the alien spacecrafts and take it over just like in the slick looking previews. Anyway, my impression is that they worked really hard at getting the eye candy, audio and music just right but kinda left the story to fit in any where it could making it very thin. The upgrade feature feels tacked on, you collect blue, red or purple glowing orbs strategically scattered in inaccessible locations all over the levels. Find an orb you get points towards upgrading your weapons, pretty simple except the upgrade interface is overly simplistic and tt looks like it belongs in a indie game instead of one striving to be a first class FPS. It would have made more sense to implement a system like maybe finding and using alien tech laying around under bushes or trees and fashioning better gadgets and improved weapons then the one in place now. The Journal and its pages also seem like a poorly contrived plot device added to help move the idiotic storyline along. Apparently they're are provided to act as backfill for the story but all they seem to do is add more confusion to the already muddy plot. The most absurd sequence in the game occurs when both protagonists encounter the villagers for the first time and are introduced to Nikola Tesla. Neither one of them had the good sense to ask the most obvious, basic questions like "Hey, How did you get here"? or "What the hell are those robot things and why the hell are you all running around half naked"? or "WHERE THE HELL ARE we"? Instead we are treated to a cutscene where Tesla gives them both rocket jetpacks he somehow magically put together. Tesla gives them an important goal, shoves them out the door then promises more will be revieled later, weird. The game does have a nice open world feel to it, you're not prevented from exploring a good ways away from the beaten path. The AI enemies are pretty stupid, they just stand there taken hit after hit until they fall down. It takes a butt load of shots to drop one but by the time it does more enemies come boiling up out of no where takenb potshots at you, nice. Overall I'm giving the game a 3 because of the poor storyline, stupid AI and tacked on weapons upgrade system. Don't drop $40.00 bones for this game like I did just rent it.… Expand
  11. LRose
    Feb 5, 2010
    6
    Dark Void basically consists of an attempt to meld two games into one: a standard third-person shooter (TPS), and an arcade-like flight combat game using a jetpack. The TPS portion of the game is fine, but not innovative (save for the instances of "vertical cover" which are good but limit you to pretty much a predetermined path). The flying/jetpack sequences are better, that is once you Dark Void basically consists of an attempt to meld two games into one: a standard third-person shooter (TPS), and an arcade-like flight combat game using a jetpack. The TPS portion of the game is fine, but not innovative (save for the instances of "vertical cover" which are good but limit you to pretty much a predetermined path). The flying/jetpack sequences are better, that is once you get used to the wonky and somewhat unresponsive controls. (I used a keyboard and mouse, but I understand that a controller works better.) The graphics are adequate, but nothing to write home about. The story is weak and poorly presented (although the voiceover work is generally fine), and the game itself is very short; at most, maybe 6-7 hours of gameplay. The best part of the game, by far, is the soundtrack. All-in-all, the game is average, I enjoyed parts of it more than others, but I doubt I'll go back to it anytime soon, if at all. I do think that it's worth playing, if you can get it on big-time sale. At $40, it's overpriced.… Expand
  12. plotlesviolence
    Mar 15, 2013
    9
    I don't get why no one seems to like this game. I'm having an absolute blast with it.
    Compared to most 3PS's, the enemies have slightly more health but all the machine guns are more accurate, which I feel is a much better system (you're fighting the enemies, not the weapon spread). Plus one-hit melee kills while standing or over/under cover for additional options. And the game is really    I don't get why no one seems to like this game. I'm having an absolute blast with it.
    Compared to most 3PS's, the enemies have slightly more health but all the machine guns are more accurate, which I feel is a much better system (you're fighting the enemies, not the weapon spread). Plus one-hit melee kills while standing or over/under cover for additional options. And the game is really good about recognizing and rewarding headshots. I tried to replay Gears of War 1 recently and got bored halfway through, but this just feels better.
    And the vertical cover system works great. If you're flanked from above and below by enemies, then whether you take cover above or below the ledges becomes a shifting element of strategy. Whether you mantle upward for melee kills at the risk of giving the enemies a better shot is another element of strategy. And frankly, it's just cool to see a killed enemy ragdoll toward you as it falls off a cliff.
    Compared to the Rogue Squadron series, the jetpack flight seems just fine to me. And the ability to zoom into a horizontal ground fight or hover out of vertical cover for better aim (a the risk of exposing yourself) adds another layer.
    The slugs-inside-robots aren't quite as interesting as the multi-destructable robots of Binary Domain (another underappreciated shooter), but they are unique(r) than most games. I like the exploding red guys that leave damaging large energy spheres.
    Also I don't get the criticisms about graphics. It's not the prettiest game in the world, but I think it looks good (especially compared to the average Xbox360 title), and I like the semi-cartoony 50's style art choices. Admittedly the environments repeat.
    I love this game and have recommended it, especially now that it's dirt cheap ($5 on Steam as of writing, but you really need an Xbox controller to enjoy it). Mostly I'm just disappointed that a fun game (I would say 8.5/10) with a lot of great ideas won't get a sequel it really deserves.    … Expand
  13. Mazuko
    Jan 22, 2010
    2
    I played this game thinking that Rocketeer OMG!! Only to realize yet again...why I have never enjoyed any attempts at flight in video games outside of actual simulators. The 3rd person ground game is ..... eh .... nothing really special. There is a few cool scenes and a few cool ideas but most of it is the same repetetive crap that you saw 10 minutes before but ina different location. The I played this game thinking that Rocketeer OMG!! Only to realize yet again...why I have never enjoyed any attempts at flight in video games outside of actual simulators. The 3rd person ground game is ..... eh .... nothing really special. There is a few cool scenes and a few cool ideas but most of it is the same repetetive crap that you saw 10 minutes before but ina different location. The flight mechanic is a distaster. Fly straight up? You do a loop and go flying straight into the ground. It takes WAY too long to turn around and even aim properly. Often I found myself flying into my objective as I could not turn around. Even the camera goes all loopy on you when fly as it is very hard to keep your vision "level" so one second you are flying dead on, the next you are looking at a crooked angle and BAM you hit a wall. The sound track however, is freaking amazing. By far the best part of this game, if I had a chance right now, event hough I know it is being release soon, I would go buy the sound track to this game and get a refund on the game itself.… Expand
  14. [Anonymous]
    Mar 24, 2010
    1
    *lets out a MASSIVE sigh* One of the worst games ever.... I'll give this game a 1/10 just for the concept; if not for that the game would've been a 0. Usually I think most of the games here on Meta deserve a higher score. This one here though..... it deserves its score to be cut in 1/4s. For the life of me I can't see how it got anything above a 20. I **know** this review *lets out a MASSIVE sigh* One of the worst games ever.... I'll give this game a 1/10 just for the concept; if not for that the game would've been a 0. Usually I think most of the games here on Meta deserve a higher score. This one here though..... it deserves its score to be cut in 1/4s. For the life of me I can't see how it got anything above a 20. I **know** this review is very long, but if you're thinking about buying, you should honestly read it, it's worth it. It won't take up THAT much of your life. I was waiting for this game for months, and bought it the day it was released. Jetpacks and vertical combat? I gotta have it!! So far, I've made it past the initial Jetpack scene and about 5 minutes of the FPS beginning.... thats about 10 minutes total, if that. I've resigned myself to believethat buying it was just one of those mistakes you make when it comes to buying games. Wasting money is never fun but it happens. I'll start with the FPS half of the game. I didn't find much wrong with it except for the fact that, somehow, the game constantly made me nauseous after only a few minutes. The odd part about this is that Im an FPS vet and I'm playing 4-5 of them every day right now as is usually the case. Therefore, it's not the fact that its an FPS with quick turn-arounds and the like, I just really don't know WHAT it could be :/ Now the flight.... *shakes head*. I have NEVER seen such horrible flight mechanics. I'm absolutely SHOCKED that I haven't seen similar complaints in these reviews, I would be insanely surprised if it was just me who felt this way. Along with FPS and RPG games, flight games are my next fav so it's not flight itself that is making this so difficult. The controls (even customized (with my G19 gaming KB and G500 gaming mouse) as best as possible) and mechanics are just bottom-notch. It may be better with a joystick, but I didn't bother to try just to somewhat salvage this terrible game. The entire experience is an adventure into "What the &%$# is going on?!?! This is ridiculous!". The last thing I have to complain about, is very odd. I've never come across this problem before in my life. I am a graphic/game designer, so I have a very high- end rig along with large monitors, and top of the line gaming peripherals (KB, mouse, gamepad, stick, headset, speakers.... this has a point). That being said, I have NEVER had to adjust the sensitivity of my mouse ingame before as I have way of doing it in realtime on my mouse and KB. This game however, required me to spend almost an hour tweaking the sensitivities of the mouse during ground and air movrments (each has its own sensitivities). That's a HUGE pain that completely takes away from the fun of the game. Even with the sensitivities tweaked as much as possible I STILL had to constantly use my DPI switcher depending on what I was doing at the time (running, aiming, platforming, free-flying, dog-fighting). Unforgivable.... Ridiculous. So I say to you few who read this insanely long review, or the people who just skipped to the last paragragh.... Avoid this game like the Black Plague. It had a good concept, but I've never seen a game mess up a good concept so entirely. If you happen to be a masochist though.... this is the game for you, hands down. One of the worst games I've ever bought, and I've purchased more games than I can remember or care to admit.… Expand
  15. soniaJ.
    Jan 26, 2010
    10
    Story is terrible, but the gameplay is very very fun. Best Rpg Ever.
  16. Azoteh
    Dec 28, 2011
    0
    Broken game. Always crashes at cutscenes and the only fix is skip them as fast as you can. There isn't support from developer so this game is wasted money IMO. Crapcom sucks!
  17. LeoM.
    Jan 27, 2010
    4
    This game is not good graphic like halo 3(the greatest game of all time) and not FPS. Patch this game for FPS and I will give it a 6. This game are also lacking deep characters and story like the classic halo and gears of war series. Instead of buying this game, buy a real classic like MW2 or the soon to come out halo reach!
  18. Basem101
    Aug 20, 2013
    4
    this game had a nice start and i thought it would be awesome but then it went to be one of the most terrible game i ever played game play is horrible and so repetitive simply skip this game
  19. mkrabon
    Jan 17, 2016
    4
    Dark Void is ultimately a game that should have been great, but falters in almost every area that matters.

    The game does a some things SO well; the jetpack controls are tight, the vertical shooter gameplay is great, and you can approach missions from almost any angle to gain a tactical advantage. Unfortunately, it's ridiculously unfinished. The story is garbage (with thinly veiled    Dark Void is ultimately a game that should have been great, but falters in almost every area that matters.

    The game does a some things SO well; the jetpack controls are tight, the vertical shooter gameplay is great, and you can approach missions from almost any angle to gain a tactical advantage. Unfortunately, it's ridiculously unfinished. The story is garbage (with thinly veiled stolen plot sequences from The Matrix), the missions have no build-up, and the transition between cutscene and gameplay never stopped being jarring. Also, the later levels were completely unfinished, with tiled textures being extremely obvious on completely flat terrain. Not to mention I finished the game in under six hours.    … Expand
  20. WolfHQ
    Jan 7, 2016
    10
    Awesome game, the large objects movement really great. Also really good feeling when you use Jetpack.
    Don't uninstall the game, just complete couple mission and you see that this game is really fun.
  21. AlienSpaceBats
    Nov 3, 2013
    7
    A B-movie amongst games. The plot is a little silly and the game takes a while to get off the ground but once you get the jet pack things become a lot more fun. Controls can be a bit of an issue as the thing handles like a greased piglet in flight, but I thought Dark Void had some very nice touches, worthy of special mention is Bear McCreary's soundtrack.
  22. tjacobs38
    Jul 27, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. The use of jet packs and .45 cal machine guns is very inventive but the overall plot is kind of lacking some realness. All in all the game was fun, a bit to easy at times but still very fun. The flying battles were boring and repetitive and the final boss battle was too easy and was over before i knew it. Overall this game is a solid one, nothing that is a must have though.… Expand
  23. drakenseng
    Mar 30, 2013
    7
    A Very good solid 3rd person action adventure shooter game. The Story is about humans vs robots basically but it got boring for me and uninteresting after awhile. The Gameplay offers lots of variety in shooting with flying around, upside down, etc. The Graphics are solid, it has a sort of cartoonish vintage cinematic look and feel to it. Overall, its a very good shooter but the storyA Very good solid 3rd person action adventure shooter game. The Story is about humans vs robots basically but it got boring for me and uninteresting after awhile. The Gameplay offers lots of variety in shooting with flying around, upside down, etc. The Graphics are solid, it has a sort of cartoonish vintage cinematic look and feel to it. Overall, its a very good shooter but the story didn't draw me in enough to make me want to continue playing.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

73
#73 Most Discussed PC Game of 2010
51
#51 Most Shared PC Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
57

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 22
  3. Negative: 4 out of 22
  1. PC Zone UK
    53
    A criminal waste of time and energy, as standard and generic a game as you could hope to find. [Feb 2010, p.74]
  2. Game Informer
    70
    Unfortunately, the shining strengths of the game are buried underneath a thick layer of rust that only the thirstiest of air-junkies should bother chipping through. [Feb 2010, p.95]
  3. VideoGamer
    60
    And once the brutally short campaign is over, Dark Void is over.
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