[E3 2008] Dark Void
The folks behind Crimson Skies are taking to the air again. We go hands-on.
Published: July 26, 2008
The folks at Airtight Games know a thing or two about air-based games (in fact, their name is a little play on that). Having crafted the incredibly cool Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge for Microsoft a few years back, they finally struck out on their own and formed a company to do a little multi-platform luv, and we couldn't be happier for it if our limited time with their first game Dark Void is anything to go by.
Though the game was obviously early (framerate issues were more or less constant), if their premise of an almost Rocketeer-like flying and adventure holds up, it could be an absolutely fantastic take on platforming (including their much-vaunted "vertical platforming" segments) and learning-to-fly bits. The core story centers around the Bermuda Triangle -- or rather what happens to things that seem to disappear once they enter the Triangle.
As it turns out, a man named Will discovers the truth: the Triangle is a portal to The Void, an alternate dimension where aliens dubbed The Watchers are prepping an invasion into our dimension and only The Surivors, who Will reluctantly ends up leading, can stop them. Sure, it sounds a little cookie-cutter, but the game's setting, a kind of alternate-reality take on our world, is something Airtight knows more than a little about, and the sci-fi take on, again, something that feels pulled from The Rocketeer is right up our alley.
We spent a little time with the game, first learning the basic on-foot controls as we dueled with what looked almost like Cylons from Battlestar Galactica (sort of a blend of the old and new series' robotic baddies), discovering things like taking pot shots at them with our laser blaster, and even getting up close for some melee kills (pulled off with some nice little pre-canned execution-style moves) and learning to control the jetpack strapped to Will's back. At first, it was just used for some light platforming and crossing larger gaps (a double-tap and hold gives him a bit more air time), but soon we came across those vertical platforming events and fell in love.
They play out a little like the clambering bits in Prince of Persia and the Crystal D-developed Tomb Raider games, where scooting sideways to get to the next ledge slipped us into an almost rhythmic progression skyward. The difference here, of course, is that the ledges would be far too high or far out for Lara or the Prince to jump to. Instead, button prompts allows us to engage the rocket pack for a few seconds of verticality, and we soon started to feel the flow of jumping way up, grabbing a ledge, scooting along it and then moving either up or sideways to find the next handhold. It was a very cool experience indeed.
That, however, paled in comparison to what happened once we finally acquired the means to take proper flight. With a jet pack upgrade, Will (or rather us controlling him) stepped to the edge of a cliff, dove off and then kicked in the jet pack. What followed was a few seconds of flailing as Will got used to flying around, and a few more while we did the same, then a free, open cruise around the very level we'd navigated so carefully on foot. We tried taking down a few enemy targets, but the real fun came when it was time to jump onto one of the flying saucers patrolling the skies.
By nearing one and pressing a button, we latched onto the edge and started tugging at some of the control panels on the side of the saucer. This wasn't so easy, however, as we had to contend with a cannon that would fire at us as we tried to rip up the panels. This required a bit of button mashing, followed by some careful button presses to dash to the side to avoid incoming fire, and then repeated the process until the top popped off, we hopped over to it, threw the pilot off and commandeered the saucer for our own means -- namely taking out other saucers with some heavy firepower and a cool little lock-on system. Unfortunately, our demo time with the game was cut short, but even just the few bits of platforming, combat, vertical climbs and flight were more than enough to whet our appetites. We can't wait to see how the game comes along in the coming months, but since the game won't actually hit until Spring of next year, we're sure there'll be plenty to talk about soon. As soon as we find out more, we'll let you know.
Though the game was obviously early (framerate issues were more or less constant), if their premise of an almost Rocketeer-like flying and adventure holds up, it could be an absolutely fantastic take on platforming (including their much-vaunted "vertical platforming" segments) and learning-to-fly bits. The core story centers around the Bermuda Triangle -- or rather what happens to things that seem to disappear once they enter the Triangle.
As it turns out, a man named Will discovers the truth: the Triangle is a portal to The Void, an alternate dimension where aliens dubbed The Watchers are prepping an invasion into our dimension and only The Surivors, who Will reluctantly ends up leading, can stop them. Sure, it sounds a little cookie-cutter, but the game's setting, a kind of alternate-reality take on our world, is something Airtight knows more than a little about, and the sci-fi take on, again, something that feels pulled from The Rocketeer is right up our alley.
We spent a little time with the game, first learning the basic on-foot controls as we dueled with what looked almost like Cylons from Battlestar Galactica (sort of a blend of the old and new series' robotic baddies), discovering things like taking pot shots at them with our laser blaster, and even getting up close for some melee kills (pulled off with some nice little pre-canned execution-style moves) and learning to control the jetpack strapped to Will's back. At first, it was just used for some light platforming and crossing larger gaps (a double-tap and hold gives him a bit more air time), but soon we came across those vertical platforming events and fell in love.
They play out a little like the clambering bits in Prince of Persia and the Crystal D-developed Tomb Raider games, where scooting sideways to get to the next ledge slipped us into an almost rhythmic progression skyward. The difference here, of course, is that the ledges would be far too high or far out for Lara or the Prince to jump to. Instead, button prompts allows us to engage the rocket pack for a few seconds of verticality, and we soon started to feel the flow of jumping way up, grabbing a ledge, scooting along it and then moving either up or sideways to find the next handhold. It was a very cool experience indeed.
That, however, paled in comparison to what happened once we finally acquired the means to take proper flight. With a jet pack upgrade, Will (or rather us controlling him) stepped to the edge of a cliff, dove off and then kicked in the jet pack. What followed was a few seconds of flailing as Will got used to flying around, and a few more while we did the same, then a free, open cruise around the very level we'd navigated so carefully on foot. We tried taking down a few enemy targets, but the real fun came when it was time to jump onto one of the flying saucers patrolling the skies.
By nearing one and pressing a button, we latched onto the edge and started tugging at some of the control panels on the side of the saucer. This wasn't so easy, however, as we had to contend with a cannon that would fire at us as we tried to rip up the panels. This required a bit of button mashing, followed by some careful button presses to dash to the side to avoid incoming fire, and then repeated the process until the top popped off, we hopped over to it, threw the pilot off and commandeered the saucer for our own means -- namely taking out other saucers with some heavy firepower and a cool little lock-on system. Unfortunately, our demo time with the game was cut short, but even just the few bits of platforming, combat, vertical climbs and flight were more than enough to whet our appetites. We can't wait to see how the game comes along in the coming months, but since the game won't actually hit until Spring of next year, we're sure there'll be plenty to talk about soon. As soon as we find out more, we'll let you know.
