Dark Void
Game » consists of 10 releases. Released Jan 15, 2010
Rocket out of the void and save a group of stranded humans from an alien force in Dark Void.
How To Navigate A Dark Void
What we saw of Dark Void back at E3 was a "proof of concept," according to senior producer Morgan Gray. The level on display there was pieced together to show the running and gunning, then the cover mechanics, then the jetpack flight, one checklist feature after another. Yesterday we got to see an actual level from the game itself, which will supposedly integrate all those actions seamlessly together.
This level had Will flying from one hovering alien installation to the next, disabling some energy shields. Inside each small base, there was some traditional third-person shooting to be had. The shooting in Dark Void is unapologetically modeled after Gears of War. You snap to cover with a button press, then peek up or around the cover to squeeze off shots. You know how that part works.
That's when you're on a horizontal plane, at least. Capcom's been pushing the game's "vertical cover" as a major marketing point, with good reason; it's a pretty different kind of action. You're basically clinging to the top or bottom of platforms, doing the whole stop-and-pop thing but then using your jetpack when you want to fly to the next cover point. There's a lot of cool action moves you can pull off here, like grabbing an enemy on the other side of the platform and flinging them down into the pit below, or giving a quick burst of the jetpack to dart to another lateral cover point.
At E3, you could already air-jack the aliens' bizarre gyroscopic UFOs and turn them against their makers. That's still in place, but now Airtight has added guns to Will's jetpack, so even when you're zooming around all Rocketeer-style, you've got some offensive options. The designers haven't even gotten into the balancing phase yet, so it's hard to say how vulnerable you'll be in a dogfight against alien aircraft--but it's a nice addition, at least.
Gray filled us in on a few more story details while we were in the house. You won't start the game with the jetpack, actually; instead, you'll go a couple of hours with no helmet, or jets, or anything before picking up a small hover pack that serves as an educational precursor to the full rocket-powered deal. And where do you get all this gear? That's where Tesla comes in. It seems he's also stranded in the void and will play a major part in the game's storyline. So far David Bowie is not signed to reprise the Tesla role, but I was at least heartened to find out Gray has had the same idea. So here's to hoping.
The demo ended with a fight against a big robotic mini-boss shaped like some kind of quadrupedal animal. The best part about it: multiple orange bodily weak points that stood out in stark contrast to the cold blue exoskeleton. It reminded me of bosses from R-Type or Contra, which is never, ever a bad thing.
Jeff had a nice chat with Mr. Gray, so here's that, along with a bunch of video from the demo.
And screenshots of that same demo!
We were all fairly impressed with Dark Void after the short demo ended, though I admit I'm a little sad there won't be any multiplayer in this one, like Crimson Skies had. The flight and dogfighting mechanics seem like they'd lend themselves really well to a competitive environment. But then again, if Airtight can pour all their time and resources into building a kick-ass single-player campaign, it may stand on its own just fine.
What we saw of Dark Void back at E3 was a "proof of concept," according to senior producer Morgan Gray. The level on display there was pieced together to show the running and gunning, then the cover mechanics, then the jetpack flight, one checklist feature after another. Yesterday we got to see an actual level from the game itself, which will supposedly integrate all those actions seamlessly together.
This level had Will flying from one hovering alien installation to the next, disabling some energy shields. Inside each small base, there was some traditional third-person shooting to be had. The shooting in Dark Void is unapologetically modeled after Gears of War. You snap to cover with a button press, then peek up or around the cover to squeeze off shots. You know how that part works.
That's when you're on a horizontal plane, at least. Capcom's been pushing the game's "vertical cover" as a major marketing point, with good reason; it's a pretty different kind of action. You're basically clinging to the top or bottom of platforms, doing the whole stop-and-pop thing but then using your jetpack when you want to fly to the next cover point. There's a lot of cool action moves you can pull off here, like grabbing an enemy on the other side of the platform and flinging them down into the pit below, or giving a quick burst of the jetpack to dart to another lateral cover point.
At E3, you could already air-jack the aliens' bizarre gyroscopic UFOs and turn them against their makers. That's still in place, but now Airtight has added guns to Will's jetpack, so even when you're zooming around all Rocketeer-style, you've got some offensive options. The designers haven't even gotten into the balancing phase yet, so it's hard to say how vulnerable you'll be in a dogfight against alien aircraft--but it's a nice addition, at least.
Gray filled us in on a few more story details while we were in the house. You won't start the game with the jetpack, actually; instead, you'll go a couple of hours with no helmet, or jets, or anything before picking up a small hover pack that serves as an educational precursor to the full rocket-powered deal. And where do you get all this gear? That's where Tesla comes in. It seems he's also stranded in the void and will play a major part in the game's storyline. So far David Bowie is not signed to reprise the Tesla role, but I was at least heartened to find out Gray has had the same idea. So here's to hoping.
The demo ended with a fight against a big robotic mini-boss shaped like some kind of quadrupedal animal. The best part about it: multiple orange bodily weak points that stood out in stark contrast to the cold blue exoskeleton. It reminded me of bosses from R-Type or Contra, which is never, ever a bad thing.
Jeff had a nice chat with Mr. Gray, so here's that, along with a bunch of video from the demo.
And screenshots of that same demo!
We were all fairly impressed with Dark Void after the short demo ended, though I admit I'm a little sad there won't be any multiplayer in this one, like Crimson Skies had. The flight and dogfighting mechanics seem like they'd lend themselves really well to a competitive environment. But then again, if Airtight can pour all their time and resources into building a kick-ass single-player campaign, it may stand on its own just fine.
Looks pretty awsome! I wasn't really sure about the flight controls but after that video i'm egar to get my hands on it and see it for myself. From the videos the shooting while it flight looks more like straight forward dogfighting combat so i geuss you won't be flying in one direction and shooting in the other.
I just hope it's not like Iron Man where you have to hold a button to fly and hover.
Morgan seemed like a cool guy, that may have been one of the best interviews I have seen.. Jeff asks awesome questions, and Morgan gives awesome answers.
This game looks fantastic. Awesome video. Cool that the folks who made Crimson Skies are on this game. I still have Crimson Skies, and I played it again a couple months ago and it still rocked. It still has an old xbox live 2 month trail in the box that I never used too haha.
I WANT THIS GAME.
The strippers vs. scrambled eggs question, placed right in the middle of legit gaming discussion, is a prime example of why this site kicks ass. The game looks pretty good, but nothing about the gameplay or visuals really shouted "first-day purchase," so I'm hoping there's a good story to complement it.
....And I vote strippers because:
a.) It is scientific FACT that scrambled eggs do not have boobs, and,
b.) Having scrambled eggs in your lap makes people question your sanity.
That interview was great. The exclusive part had me cracking up towards the end. Always nice when the interviewer/interviewee are having fun with it.
Game looks like The Rocketeer mixed up with some sci-fi.
That was a very good interview.
Been excited about this game since it was shown off at E3, Rocketeer style flying around sounds sweet.
This games really looking impressive especially for its Rocketeer resemblance. Not so sure how I feel about the Gears style cover system, never have been fond of that. But yeah the game looks like it could be fun, I mean who wouldn't want to hijack a flying saucer and go all out with it!
the guy that edited this video deserves a raise.
this game is like a combination of Warhawk (jetpack) and Mercenaries 2 (sky jacking) and Shadow of the Collossus (boss fights) and Gears 2 (cover system) and that ain't a bad thing.
the scrambled eggs/stripper question makes this site the best site ever. first time i've seen an interview that doesnt feel pre-scripted. now i wanna buy the game just because that Gray dude seems like a groovy guy.
Dark Void looks amazing and its got Jet Packs ... FREAKING JET PACKS MAN ! Looking forward to it now that i know a bit more about the gameplay
Great interview Jeff. I really didn't have any interest in this game till now. The DLC joke had me for a second!
The setting and aesthetic is hitting all the right buttons with me. I can see why people might thing the control is wonky, but the reticle looks solid, and that's where he's going, so it's more like the character is struggling with the jetpack, not so much the player.
If they keep stuff varied, and as the spokesman said, not on the rails, then it could be really fun.
Woot! 599 DLC...is that in Microsoft points or PSN bucks? Anyway, the game continues to look sweet. I like the addition of the guns on the jet pack. Some air to air rockets would be sweeter, still. But, excuse me for being hung up on the Rocketeer, where's the Betty Page-like love interest?
Very cool interview that while being very informative, was hilarious as well. Kudos to Jeff and Vinnie, and Mr. Gray as well. More evidence as to how epic a weekly show would be. Somebody stake these guys already!!!!
Anyway, gamewise, Dark Void looks to have a huge upside. If they incorporate a decent story and the game doesn't lean on one gameplay hook too much, it could be excellent.
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