Darkwatch Review

Darkwatch, from High Moon Studios and Capcom, can best be described as Halo in the Old West, with a few Zelda-like boss battles thrown in. So if you like Halo and if you like Zelda games, then you will probably like this game. Okay, I know that’s not the best logic in order to get you to check this game out, but this will be a game that will go underappreciated and overlooked if I don't try my best

Jericho Cross, Outlaw turned Vampire…so what of it?

You play Jericho Cross, an outlaw looking for a big score on a secret treasure train. On the night of the deed, Jericho makes his way to the safe and inadvertently unlocks a captured vampire being transported by Darkwatch, an old organization dedicated to defeating supernatural evils. After blowing open the safe, Jericho unlocks Lazarus, the oldest and most powerful creature of his kind. Out of kindness, he spares you, but makes you one of his kind. So with growing supernatural powers, you have to track down Lazarus and kill him before the ‘Curse’ contains you completely. If you win, you can get back your soul; if not, well, start talking to Brad Pitt.

Dead Man Walking

So you travel the old west hunting down skeletons who are adept with scythes, gunslingers who could use a makeover, and snipers who like to wear capes. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you’ll also meet some tubby beasts who like to spit mud/vomit/pee—whatever it is that will burn you. You’ll travel with Darkwatch members in order to free the world of the evil. There are Cassandra and Tala, the Scientist, and Colonel Cartright, the Donald Trump of Darkwatch, who doesn’t have much respect for you.

You’ll be toting pistols, shotguns, carbines, nail guns (which are fun to shoot, but very dangerous), range rifles, and you’ll be able to mount cannon turrets for a little mass poundage action.

But don’t worry about the bad guys because you have a few ways to protect yourself. One is the Blood shield, which depletes as you get hit. It does recharge nicely, though. Once this is gone, then your health decreases. Fortunately, each bad guy you kill in Darkwatch leaves behind a glowing blood dot which replenishes your health. The only reason you may dies is if you’re being overwhelmed by enemies slicing and dicing you.

One thing I really like about this game was the nearly non-stop action. Right off the bat you're on the train trying to get the loot—which is basically a tutorial level—and the next minute you're riding your recently undead horse fighting Lazarus. And that’s just in the first five minutes. The game flows like that throughout: fight, short cut scene, fight, fight, (maybe die once or twice), fight, another cut scene, then fight once more and end of level.

The maps in Darkwatch are well laid out and not monotonous. Some paths are straight-forward, but most often than not, it will open up into an area where you have to do some major battling. And you can expect the Old West atmosphere. Gunslingers hide behind wagon wheels, duck under horse troughs, and shoot their gun by slamming the hammer with their palm. But it’s funny how they don’t know a head shot does wonders for their already dead lives. I know about the head shot…and that’s all that matters.

Maverick’s in Town

All this game really needed was the ability to play poker at will. The environments are well defined and sharp and give you lots of cover and additional ways to kill enemies, like TNT barrels, or explosive detonators. Pressing down on the right thumbstick gives you Blood Vision, which is basically night vision for Vampires. Everything turns red, but everything that is vital to completing the level and enemies turn bright red. It’s just a way to help you see or to help you find where things are if you get disoriented. Blood Vision also helps you with head shots by defining the head a little bit more.

Character design was substandard compared to the overall graphics of Darkwatch. Jericho Cross is one bad-ass man, but he’s too chiseled to be human…oh that’s right, he’s a Vampire. Cassandra and Tala walk like models and Colonel Cartright looks like a blocky version of General Robert E. Lee.

While the actual gameplay graphics were exceptional, cut scenes and secondary characters models were not. But this is a problem with a lot of games, especially First Person Shooters.

4-Player Lovin’

The multiplayer mode is just as good as Halo, except it just takes place in the Old West. The map designs are well-thought out and you have many choices on how you want to play. I won’t go in-depth on the multiplayer because the first sentence in this section said it all. There are not bots to play, which always disappoints me since I have no friends. No really, I don’t.

Thompson’s Two Cents

This is an above average FPS with great graphics and a good storyline. The nonstop action is what drew me in quickly and has kept me playing. There are four difficulty levels to choose from and if you want to be risky, you’ll pick the hardest, Deadeye. Or you can be lazy and choose Greenhorn. You can’t go in guns a blazin’ because you will die, especially in the boss battles, which resemble Zelda bosses in the predictability in the way they fight. You have to get your bearings on who you’re fighting and figure out a weakness.

Notice I didn’t compare Darkwatch and Halo throughout this review. I want this game to stand on it’s own and I think it has a good chance to do that. Because of the subject matter (the Old West) and being overshadowed by other games (Halo, Unreal, Madden), some players may not think about checking this game out. If you like FPS then you should have this in your FPS arsenal. If you just like to play any type of game then at least rent it. Who knows, you might be able to save Jericho’s soul from damnation.

See ya ‘round pardner.

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