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“Mayday, mayday, we’re going down”

What could be worse than being on an airplane as it’s crashing? How about piloting a plane that’s crashing…in the Bermuda Triangle and then strangely being transported to an alien dimension called the Void. This is the scenario in Dark Void, the new video game from Airtight Studio. By taking on the role of Will, a down-on-his-luck cargo pilot, you are quickly ensnared in a vicious rebellion pitting a rebel group of humans, called “The Survivors” against the adverse alien race known as “The Watchers”. Enslaved by The Watchers for thousands of years, humans of the Void are engaged in a classic struggle for survival, and while Will’s main goal is to find a way back to his own dimension, you come to realize that the only way to do this is to join in the fight for freedom against the common enemy.

First let me say that many of the gameplay concepts in Dark void are fantastic. Applying a vertical combat system that allows you to attack enemies from above or below while dangling thousands of feet off the ground, Dark void gives you a precarious sense of vertigo not often found in third person shooters. In time Will is equipped with a powerful jet pack, complete with effective mounted weapons making for intense aerial battles and acrobatic maneuvers, that takes combat sequences to an entirely new level. As you soar above ground spinning, flipping, and blasting enemies in mid-air and off the ground, you’ll experience a new sense of fun and wonderment.

But as interesting as this combat system is, it quickly becomes repetitious, and quite frankly, boring. The machanics are stiff and the gameplay monotonous. Coupling that with below average graphics makes Dark Void an extemely disappointing video game, at best. It’s such a shame that with so much potential to be a truly revolutionary title, Airtight Studio gives us this lame version complete with a weak storyline and even weaker character development. Even the audio voice-work is sub-par with very few exceptions.

While certain concepts in Dark Void are interesting and fresh, overall the game is seriously lacking. Even though there will be some gamers that will enjoy the aerial combat sequences enough to be able to overlook the title’s shortcomings, most of us will be left with a sense of disappointment and a feeling of “what could’ve been”. As others have pointed out, Dark Void is worth a rent but you should try to play the game before buying it.

Available on: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC