Darkwatch - Review
Added August 26th, 2005 by Serenity Now
Introduction:Darkwatch, the latest addition to the Xbox’s large family of first-person shooters, promises to breathe new life into a rather tired genre. And, for the most part, it delivers. The atmospheric feel is extremely unique. You have your basic western-style environments, but with a great deal of supernatural elements thrown in as well. Darkwatch also implements a very well done multiplayer mode. Don’t get all excited just yet though. Darkwatch has its fair share of problems. If you’re not fond of completely mindless action, forget this game ever existed. If you do, however, want something you can just pick up and play for thirty minutes at a time or so to get your mind away from your studies, you’ll probably want to at least give Darkwatch a try.
Gameplay:
Darkwatch puts you in the boots of an outlaw named Jericho Cross. One night Jericho has the opportunity to acquire some valuable cargo stored on a train. Jericho, obviously, seizes this chance to score some serious riches. However, Jericho doesn’t know that this train belongs to a secret organization aptly named the Darkwatch. Jericho, now aboard the train, heads directly for the vault that he thinks contains the treasure. He opens it, and much to his surprise, it contains hellish vampires. These hideous evil little creatures are out to wreck some serious havoc. When Jericho tries to help the situation that he has created by fighting back, he gets bitten. This bite inflicts a dangerous curse on Jericho that will cause him to gradually transform into a vampire.
Darkwatch pretty much plays like your fundamental first-person shooter; it’s the story and atmosphere that really drive this title. Darkwatch is a run-and-gun gore fest. Jericho will have to make use of horses, vehicles, and anything else that will help him get the job done. Some of the more enjoyable missions are when you have to use your horse. The scheme Darkwatch uses to allow you to seamlessly maneuver your horse, while at the same time have complete control over the camera and your weapon is fantastic. Darkwatch is the kind of game anyone can just pick up and play. The actual game isn’t exactly easy, it’s just the layout is so well done it shouldn’t be a problem to know how to perform something. The fantastic level design is also a huge plus.
As previously mentioned, Darkwatch is a gore fest. It’s, in all honesty, one of the most violent games on Xbox. The ESRB seems to carelessly throw out its ‘’intense violence’’ descriptor quite often nowadays. This time around, they wholeheartedly meant it. The reason why I bring this up is because this game’s violence is not your average wholesome violence found in most shooters. The violence in Darkwatch is grotesque. The way the skeleton zombies feed off the horses was almost enough to make me throw up. To Darkwatch’s advantage, all this gore and violence helps keep the game entertaining. The different variations of carnage, full-blown decapitations, and overall level of exceedingly violent content truly do help this game.
There are certain benefits to being a vampire. The further you progress, the more you’ll come to realize this. The two main abilities that you have are vampire jump (which soon turns into vampire double jump) and blood vision. Fairly early on, you’ll acquire the ability to double jump. This little attribute comes into play more than you would think. For example, the crossbow in this game shoots out tiny explosions that will stick to enemies. If you shoot someone that’s too close to you, you’ll die due to the explosion. However, if you execute a double jump before the explosion, you’ll be just fine. Blood vision works just like a thermal scope would. Enemies will have a bright glow when you’re using blood vision, making it easier to shoot them from a distance. Other, more stylish powers will become available later on in the campaign. Powers so sophisticated, that to activate them, you first have to press the White button, and then press the Black button. In all seriousness, they’re not all that hot and really don’t affect or add anything to the gameplay. The powers that you begin with can be used at any given time, and are much more significant in battle. Your blood bar will act as your meter for special moves. When it’s full, you can carry out a special move, when it’s not, you can’t. Like I said though, the two basic powers that you begin with can be used throughout the game, even when your blood bar is empty.
The multiplayer aspect of Darkwatch is a nice addition to an already well-rounded package. However, it’s obvious that when Darkwatch was in the development stages, the main focus was not put on the multiplayer aspect, but rather on the single-player mode. The cooperative mode present in the PS2 version of Darkwatch has, for some reason, been cut from the Xbox version. Darkwatch is truly at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to multiplayer modes. You literally only have Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Soul Hunter. Team versions of these three modes are also available. The only mode that isn’t self-explanatory is Soul Hunter. It’s a rather simple mode. You have to search for blood clouds that are scattered throughout the map. Collecting these blood clouds will fill up your blood bar -- the player to fill up their blood bar first wins. The team-based version of this mode replaces your individual blood bar with a team blood bar.
If you thought the single-player portion of this game was mindless action, you’ll think the multiplayer is merely child’s play. Tactics aren’t encouraged in Darkwatch; running around like a maniac, shooting everything that moves, however is. I really can’t classify this as a bad thing though, because Darkwatch does what it does very well. It knows exactly what it wants to be. I went into this game expecting a fast-paced shooter that doesn’t incorporate strategy, and you know what? That’s exactly what I got.
Had a rough day? Boss giving you a hard time? Want to slaughter some monsters in a very gory fashion? If you answered yes to any of the preceding questions, you’ll absolutely love the gameplay in Darkwatch. If you want gameplay that requires skill and thought, look elsewhere. All and all, the gameplay in Darkwatch is fantastic, and even more fantastic if you know what you’re buying into.
Graphics:
The visuals are one of this game’s strongest aspects. The most standout feature when it comes to this game’s graphics is definitely its level design. Stunning detail went into the environments. Darkwatch has a moody feel to it, and the lush, yet dark environments not only compliment the aura, they create it. The way this title mixes western-style surroundings with supernatural elements is amazing. It truly is a unique atmosphere, and thankfully, Darkwatch has nailed it. The textures, on the other hand, are a somewhat different story. They’re average at best. The weapons look buckled, and the character models could use some work.
As previously mentioned, Darkwatch is a gore fest. It’s, in all honesty, one of the most violent games on Xbox. The ESRB seems to carelessly throw out its ‘’intense violence’’ descriptor quite often nowadays. This time around, they wholeheartedly meant it. The reason why I bring this up is because this game’s violence is not your average wholesome violence found in most shooters. The violence in Darkwatch is grotesque. The way the skeleton zombies feed off the horses was almost enough to make me throw up. To Darkwatch’s advantage, all this gore and violence helps keep the game entertaining. The different variations of carnage, full-blown decapitations, and overall level of exceedingly violent content truly do help this game.
There are certain benefits to being a vampire. The further you progress, the more you’ll come to realize this. The two main abilities that you have are vampire jump (which soon turns into vampire double jump) and blood vision. Fairly early on, you’ll acquire the ability to double jump. This little attribute comes into play more than you would think. For example, the crossbow in this game shoots out tiny explosions that will stick to enemies. If you shoot someone that’s too close to you, you’ll die due to the explosion. However, if you execute a double jump before the explosion, you’ll be just fine. Blood vision works just like a thermal scope would. Enemies will have a bright glow when you’re using blood vision, making it easier to shoot them from a distance. Other, more stylish powers will become available later on in the campaign. Powers so sophisticated, that to activate them, you first have to press the White button, and then press the Black button. In all seriousness, they’re not all that hot and really don’t affect or add anything to the gameplay. The powers that you begin with can be used at any given time, and are much more significant in battle. Your blood bar will act as your meter for special moves. When it’s full, you can carry out a special move, when it’s not, you can’t. Like I said though, the two basic powers that you begin with can be used throughout the game, even when your blood bar is empty.
The multiplayer aspect of Darkwatch is a nice addition to an already well-rounded package. However, it’s obvious that when Darkwatch was in the development stages, the main focus was not put on the multiplayer aspect, but rather on the single-player mode. The cooperative mode present in the PS2 version of Darkwatch has, for some reason, been cut from the Xbox version. Darkwatch is truly at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to multiplayer modes. You literally only have Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Soul Hunter. Team versions of these three modes are also available. The only mode that isn’t self-explanatory is Soul Hunter. It’s a rather simple mode. You have to search for blood clouds that are scattered throughout the map. Collecting these blood clouds will fill up your blood bar -- the player to fill up their blood bar first wins. The team-based version of this mode replaces your individual blood bar with a team blood bar.
If you thought the single-player portion of this game was mindless action, you’ll think the multiplayer is merely child’s play. Tactics aren’t encouraged in Darkwatch; running around like a maniac, shooting everything that moves, however is. I really can’t classify this as a bad thing though, because Darkwatch does what it does very well. It knows exactly what it wants to be. I went into this game expecting a fast-paced shooter that doesn’t incorporate strategy, and you know what? That’s exactly what I got.
Had a rough day? Boss giving you a hard time? Want to slaughter some monsters in a very gory fashion? If you answered yes to any of the preceding questions, you’ll absolutely love the gameplay in Darkwatch. If you want gameplay that requires skill and thought, look elsewhere. All and all, the gameplay in Darkwatch is fantastic, and even more fantastic if you know what you’re buying into.
Graphics:
The visuals are one of this game’s strongest aspects. The most standout feature when it comes to this game’s graphics is definitely its level design. Stunning detail went into the environments. Darkwatch has a moody feel to it, and the lush, yet dark environments not only compliment the aura, they create it. The way this title mixes western-style surroundings with supernatural elements is amazing. It truly is a unique atmosphere, and thankfully, Darkwatch has nailed it. The textures, on the other hand, are a somewhat different story. They’re average at best. The weapons look buckled, and the character models could use some work.
The animations in Darkwatch are very fluent. The enemies appear to move smoothly. And most notably, the enemy design is phenomenal. Plus, the amount of diverse enemies is mind-blowing. The Oozers are my personal favorite. They’re big, and they have a great deal of heartburn and indigestion. They spew forth globs of, what appears to be some sort of chunky liquid containing acid. Sick, but trust me, it looks beautiful. From the way they actually cough this stuff up, to their enormous size that made me a little frightened when I first saw one, the Oozers are beyond a doubt an amazing enemy. Overall, Darkwatch’s visuals leave little to be desired.
Audio:
Darkwatch is essentially, and on paper, a horror game. I wish the music would keep up with the atmosphere. Simply put, there’s not enough music in this game. I had the sound turned all the way up, and the only thing I could here was the squeals and screams of my enemies. The music only plays when you’re in a huge epic battle. The thing is, the entire game is filled with small, yet intense battles, and it’s a shame the nice and creepy orchestral score featured in Darkwatch is only apparent in the largest of large-scale battles. The voice-overs in the single-player campaign are very well done, but the announcer in the multiplayer facet of this game is dreadful. The sound of the announcer’s voice sounds so fake and cheaply produced. However, the voice-acting featured in the campaign is pretty darn good. The actor voicing Jericho really did a nice job in portraying a tormented vampire. Darkwatch’s auditory value is fairly decent, I just wish they would have mixed and equalized the music in the single-player campaign better so that people would actually be able to hear it.
Controls:
Darkwatch’s controls are very slick and responsive. The layout is very similar to other popular first-person shooters on Xbox, except for a few minor things. The reload and melee attack buttons have been switched around. For example, in Halo you press X to reload, in Darkwatch you have to press B. Nothing major, but some people might feel a little bewildered at first. To fire your weapon press the right trigger, to crouch press the left thumbstick. To jump press Y, to double jump press Y twice. You can also cease a jump in midair by pressing A. To switch between normal and blood vision, click the right thumbstick. Another place where Darkwatch differs from other shooters, as far as the control layout goes, is how you carry out special moves. The Black button is used to select the power you would like to use, and the White button is used to activate it. Darkwatch, for the most part, controls incredibly well.
Replay:
Darkwatch’s main campaign isn’t extremely lengthy, but it’s still moderately long, and the multiplayer portion is sure to add quite a few hours of enjoyment. However, mindless shooters generally become old very fast, and sadly, Darkwatch is no exception. Since the multiplayer in this game is so shallow, not much time will be spent attempting to tweak your skills. The diverse enemy design certainly helps to keep things from becoming dry in the single-player mode though. If you’re thinking about buying this game for its multiplayer mode, forget about it. You’ll play for a few hours, and that’s it. This is solely a single-player experience.
Audio:
Darkwatch is essentially, and on paper, a horror game. I wish the music would keep up with the atmosphere. Simply put, there’s not enough music in this game. I had the sound turned all the way up, and the only thing I could here was the squeals and screams of my enemies. The music only plays when you’re in a huge epic battle. The thing is, the entire game is filled with small, yet intense battles, and it’s a shame the nice and creepy orchestral score featured in Darkwatch is only apparent in the largest of large-scale battles. The voice-overs in the single-player campaign are very well done, but the announcer in the multiplayer facet of this game is dreadful. The sound of the announcer’s voice sounds so fake and cheaply produced. However, the voice-acting featured in the campaign is pretty darn good. The actor voicing Jericho really did a nice job in portraying a tormented vampire. Darkwatch’s auditory value is fairly decent, I just wish they would have mixed and equalized the music in the single-player campaign better so that people would actually be able to hear it.
Controls:
Darkwatch’s controls are very slick and responsive. The layout is very similar to other popular first-person shooters on Xbox, except for a few minor things. The reload and melee attack buttons have been switched around. For example, in Halo you press X to reload, in Darkwatch you have to press B. Nothing major, but some people might feel a little bewildered at first. To fire your weapon press the right trigger, to crouch press the left thumbstick. To jump press Y, to double jump press Y twice. You can also cease a jump in midair by pressing A. To switch between normal and blood vision, click the right thumbstick. Another place where Darkwatch differs from other shooters, as far as the control layout goes, is how you carry out special moves. The Black button is used to select the power you would like to use, and the White button is used to activate it. Darkwatch, for the most part, controls incredibly well.
Replay:
Darkwatch’s main campaign isn’t extremely lengthy, but it’s still moderately long, and the multiplayer portion is sure to add quite a few hours of enjoyment. However, mindless shooters generally become old very fast, and sadly, Darkwatch is no exception. Since the multiplayer in this game is so shallow, not much time will be spent attempting to tweak your skills. The diverse enemy design certainly helps to keep things from becoming dry in the single-player mode though. If you’re thinking about buying this game for its multiplayer mode, forget about it. You’ll play for a few hours, and that’s it. This is solely a single-player experience.
Summary:
Darkwatch is a great end-summer flick. The solid gameplay combined with the bloodcurdling theme makes for a wonderful gaming experience. Be warned though, if you’re expecting Darkwatch to have a deep and challenging gameplay engine, you have another thing coming. And because of the extreme violence, this also isn’t one for people with weak stomachs. Darkwatch is a stress reliever more than anything else. My only complaints are that I would have liked to have seen a more refined multiplayer mode, and the music in the single-player campaign should have been louder. Other than those two things, Darkwatch is a great game that nearly anyone can get into.
Darkwatch is a great end-summer flick. The solid gameplay combined with the bloodcurdling theme makes for a wonderful gaming experience. Be warned though, if you’re expecting Darkwatch to have a deep and challenging gameplay engine, you have another thing coming. And because of the extreme violence, this also isn’t one for people with weak stomachs. Darkwatch is a stress reliever more than anything else. My only complaints are that I would have liked to have seen a more refined multiplayer mode, and the music in the single-player campaign should have been louder. Other than those two things, Darkwatch is a great game that nearly anyone can get into.
