There's a heatwave sweeping across this part of the world, which means I start to sizzle like bacon on a grill as soon as I pop my head out of the front door. I haven't turned to dust yet or begun to sparkle but I fear that my skin will peel if I don't shelter indoors and I'm becoming increasingly moody about the lack of rain and fog. This makes me the perfect person to step into the shoes of freshly turned vampire Eric Bane. I stepped into the Dark with him this weekend and have returned to tell you exactly wot I think.
]]>I have to admit that I am intrigued by Dark. A sci-fi vampire stealth game doesn't turn up every day, so even if Dark doesn't look like it's going to be able to compete with the highest AAA production values, it's going to be fascinating to see how it plays. That we've yet to see any kind of hands-on with the game might not bode well, of course. The E3 trailer, which can be seen below, is... an interesting choice. I presume the music was chosen to shriek out over the hubbub of the E3 show floor, rather than to actually work with stealth-game footage. Because. Yeah. I've posted the most recent gameplay trailer too, so you have a better idea of what's afoot.
Anyway, the game is playable at E3.
]]>Kalypso Media describe a vampire as "the ultimate killer". Maybe I'm being picky, but I'd say the ultimate killer is one who doesn't die if he sees the sunshine. Or if a cocktail stick pricks his chest. Or if his head is cut off. I mean, those are some pretty severe weaknesses. I'd argue "the ultimate killer" would be one who can go outside whatever the weather. But, DARK (presumably it's shouted?) insists otherwise, and tries to prove it will a new trailer showing off your skills.
]]>Kalypso and Realmforge's stealth action game Dark has revealed its sneakings and dude-throttlings in a new trailer, which you can see below. The sci-fi vampire game, which is still scheduled for Q2 of this year, looks intriguing, with references to Splinter Cell and Deus Ex chiming in with its more Masqueradey vampiric associations. The trailer shows a lot of the sneaking action, as well as a range of powers that players can use to splat or avoid antagonists.
Eric Bane is still a terrible name, though.
]]>I really quite like Dark's premise, which basically amounts to vampires tossed in a scrumptious stew of stealth, role-playing, and gritty near-future conspiracy. On paper, that reads to me like Vampire: The Masquerade meets Deus Ex, which is something I'd expect to find in a box labeled "All of Nathan's Hopes and Dreams." There would also be a pony. But then I see footage, and my emotions do that thing where they flutter about like a confused swarm of those creatures that use sonar to see. You know, submarines. I mean, Dark doesn't necessarily look bad. It's just sort of confusing, is all.
]]>It's been a long time since we've heard from DARK, a spooky action-RPG. Six months, in fact, with pretty much radio silence from its publicity machine. So to reappear with only more screenshots at this point seems a little odd. It's time for some more footage, guys. Moving pictures. This doesn't feel like progress. The last time we saw it was May's rather impressive teaser, that showed the cel-shaded design, and the FEAR-alike scares. And since then, just the memories. Now, some images:
]]>Described I can only assume erroneously as an "action-RPG", DARK is seemingly actually a first-person RPG, in a horror setting. Focusing on stealth, you'll be playing as a vampire fighting against the GeoForge Corporation, using all your vampiric specialities to uncover their evil. You can see a somewhat predictable trailer below.
]]>When I first saw the words "vampire" and "RPG" appear in DARK's elevator pitch, my brain immediately made a mad dash down the portion of memory lane marked "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines." But then my incredibly rare T-Rex-like vision disorder cleared up, and I saw other words skitter out - for instance, "stealth-action" and "RPG elements." So no, this probably isn't the long-awaited successor to Bloodlines' bloodline, but the RealmForge-developed, Kalypso-published vampire, er, chokeslam sim could be interesting.
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