When Dark Sector was first revealed in a teaser trailer several years ago, it looked like a next-gen dream: a slick, futuristic sci-fi stealth action game set in space. The game has undergone some major changes since that time. New mechanics have been introduced, and the protagonist’s choice of venue has been switched from derelict space stations to Soviet ruins. Rather than relying on fancy technology to get him through, Hayden makes use of a mysterious parasite to utilize superhuman powers in combat. The details of this infection are not nearly as interesting as one might expect, given its frequent repetition throughout the clichéd storyline. At its heart, Aspyr Media’s Dark Sector is essentially a third-person shooter. There are a few elements thrown in to give the game some distinction, but this changes the core gameplay almost insubstantially.

The images used in this review are from the 360 version, though the PC version is quite similar.

The game begins with a prologue in black and white, where all the mechanics are taught to the player. Hayden can sprint, roll, or simply stroll right up to a suitable piece of cover and fire away with any weapon he can get his hands on. Once infected, Hayden can only operate certain weapons for a limited time, due to some silly “infection detection” contrivance built into each firearm. Boxes and doors can be opened violently with the same button used to melee. Hayden might look like Sam Fisher in his black ops suit, but there is little opportunity for stealth in the game. The standout element is the glaive, a bladed boomerang that Hayden acquires shortly after becoming infected. The glaive is capable of carving through foes both as an airborne and close quarter weapon, and can be used to trigger some interesting “finishing moves.” These only require a single tap to execute, and can be done instantly if you can get right on top of an enemy’s flank or backside, triggering a gruesome scene of dismemberment. Enemies may also attempt to use special attacks on you when they’re close enough, which the game tells you to counter by pressing a specific directional key. You can actually hit the button accidentally by just tapping all directions at once, which makes the experience a bit less frightening.

The glaive can also function as a flashlight, or temporarily hold an electrical charge from open circuits. Just toss it into a damaged generator, then hurl it into a mechanized lock in order to disable it. It’s essentially a flashier version of the “find key, open door” mechanic everyone is so familiar with. Progress through the game allows you to use collected currency for weapon upgrades in underground black markets, which can boost the accuracy and rate of fire of your weapons, but the best abilities don’t require money to unlock. These include abilities like the glaive’s power toss, which does extra damage, or the slow-motion technique which allows the glaive to be steered through the air for precise targeting and maneuvering around obstacles. The glaive is launched by default with the C button, but with all the aiming that is required for its constant use, I found it much easier to assign the glaive to the middle mouse button, which is normally unused.

While the game does make use of grenades and a number of reasonably varied villains, the combat tends to get a bit repetitive. Slicing off an enemy’s arm from long range is a bit less exciting after the 30th accidental execution, and many of the foes have a restricted movement pattern so you can simply pick them off from the safety of your cover. Others, like the shock trooper with the bullet shield, tend to sidle up right next to you for a cheap surprise attack while you’re focused on more distant foes. The enemy behavior tends to remind you that you are in a video game; they are terrible at taking cover, and they rarely do anything substantially innovative or intelligent. When I first fought one of the larger enemies, I whipped around after narrowly missing his charge, only to find that some enemy soldiers had gunned him down. While it’s interesting to see multiple factions going head to head, I would have preferred it if the AI at least allowed me the pleasure of finishing off the rarer “boss” creatures.

There can be little debate surrounding the graphical fidelity of Dark Sector. Its visual style almost echoes that of the most recent Resident Evil, with great use of high dynamic range lighting and bump mapped surfaces galore. The textures do look a bit flat in some areas, but the game’s use of lighting and motion-captured animation at 60 frames a second create some very nice looking cinematics. Even little details like the ribbed surface of Hayden’s bodysuit, the stamped lettering in his firearm, and the glistening surfaces of windows in heavy rainfall contribute to an excellent sense of atmosphere on a high-definition monitor. There seemed to be a few dips in frame rate during multiplayer, which allows teams to gang up on Hayden in order to become him and utilize all his fancy powers. Dark Sector features a nice score, solid without being monotonous, and the voice acting is generally believable. The sounds are convincing if a bit repetitive, though the gunfire sounds a bit too quiet. Still, Dark Sector is a generally pleasing game for the senses. If equal attention had been given to developing the mechanics of gameplay, there would probably be greater incentive to play through it more than once.

Gameplay: 8.0
Simple running, shooting, and taking cover evolves slowly into something slightly more exciting.

Graphics: 8.5 
Great effects and animation, easily the game’s strongest point.

Sound: 7.0
The game generally sounds great, if a bit muted in some areas.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
The hard stuff feels more cheap than fun, but the automatic checkpoints help tremendously.

Concept: 7.0 
Looks like Mass Effect meets Witchblade, only without the intricate story or half-naked women.

Multiplayer: 7.0
Supports LAN gameplay in a sort of Juggernaut mode, with everyone trying to take down Hayden in order to become him.

Overall: 7.5
Dark Sector is a pleasant enough distraction for any fan of action or shooting games. It’s not likely to keep you busy for too long, since there’s little replay value to be found.