Dark Void

Dark Void had some great concepts, but ultimately they were never realized. Flying is entertaining enough, but the rest of the game is repetitive and mediocre at best.

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In Dark Void, play as Will, a pilot stuck in the parallel universe "The Void," battling to survive alongside the human resistance, The Survivors, against an alien threat seeking to invade Earth. Experience unique vertical combat with jet packs, engaging in both aerial and third-person battles, as well as dizzying thousand-foot drops, bringing a new level of tension and excitement to the gameplay.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

56%

Audience ScoreBased on 332 reviews

story32 positive mentions

stability6 negative mentions

The jetpack mechanics are fun and provide a unique gameplay experience.
The game has decent graphics for its time and offers some interesting environments.
The vertical cover system adds a fresh twist to the traditional cover shooter gameplay.

The story is weak and feels rushed, with many plot holes and an abrupt ending.
The game suffers from technical issues, including crashes and poor controls, especially for flying.
Repetitive gameplay and a lack of enemy variety make the experience feel stale over time.

story
122 mentions
26 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The story of the game is widely criticized for being lackluster, clichéd, and often confusing, with many reviewers noting its abrupt ending and underdeveloped characters. While some players find the premise interesting and the narrative enjoyable in a campy way, the overall consensus is that the storytelling feels rushed and fails to engage, often serving merely as a backdrop for gameplay. Despite its flaws, a few players appreciate the unique elements and potential for a sequel, but many agree that the story is the weakest aspect of the game.
- “Great story, fun adventure/shooting gameplay, likeable, attractive characters, and not a microtransaction in sight.”
- “The story of Dark Void is marvelous, yet simple.”
- “Good game but hard to control when flying; if you use a joystick it's easy, and yes, the story is too short, but in my opinion, I like to fly.”
- “The story is trash; it's a waste of money. Do not purchase this game on Steam.”
- “The story beats feel off, the plot just runs ahead expecting the audience to already have a rough idea of what the setting is, and the encouragement for you to read collectible in-game journals makes sense if you look at this as a lost FASA game.”
- “The story is bad, just full of holes, and the character development is nonexistent.”
gameplay
88 mentions
32 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, featuring a unique jetpack mechanic that adds excitement to combat, but is often hindered by clunky controls and generic cover-shooter elements. While the flight mechanics are praised for their fun and innovative design, the on-ground combat can feel repetitive and lacks depth, leading to a somewhat uneven experience. Overall, the game offers enjoyable moments, particularly when utilizing the jetpack, but suffers from issues that prevent it from fully realizing its potential.
- “Dark Void’s unique combination of jet pack-booster aerial dog fighting and third-person combat brings a thrilling new gameplay dynamic to the third-person shooter experience.”
- “The flying mechanics and gunplay are a blast.”
- “The gameplay itself half-encourages a generic cover-shooter style of play, which is antithetical to the jetpack, but gives some open environments where using the jetpack is entirely allowed, and somewhat encouraged by design.”
- “There are very few redeeming qualities to be found: nothing about the game's narrative or presentation works, and when it comes to gameplay, there's very little here that can't be found elsewhere.”
- “The gameplay is poor with bad controls and dull weaponry.”
graphics
34 mentions
53 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the art style and landscapes as impressive for its release period in 2010, while others criticize them as outdated and subpar. Many players appreciate the game's visual aesthetics, particularly the diesel-punk elements, but note that the graphics have aged and can appear generic or flat compared to modern standards. Overall, while the visuals have their merits, they are often seen as a weak point in the game's overall experience.
- “The game feel, game design, story, attention to detail, pacing, graphics, gameplay, weapon variety and uniqueness, upgrades, challenge, levels, art style, etc. are all absolutely delightful!”
- “There are some cool scenarios and it has good graphics and animation.”
- “The graphics are very nice; it has a bit of a movie-like quality to it.”
- “The visuals (if you saw my screenshots and thought the game looked good - keep in mind, my game was under heavy use of reshade for improvements to textures and lighting) look very generic and honestly pretty bad even for its time.”
- “Graphics: subpar and flat.”
- “Too many graphics problems and bugs despite countless tests; fixes present in the forum do not work much. The game would seem nice if it was playable from the beginning.”
music
12 mentions
25 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The music in the game, composed by Bear McCreary, is widely praised for its standout quality and ability to enhance the combat experience, evoking a unique and classy atmosphere reminiscent of the era portrayed in the story. While some players find the soundtrack exceptional and worth the price of admission, others feel that the overall sound design lacks memorability, serving more as background noise. Overall, the soundtrack is a highlight, though opinions on the game's music vary significantly.
- “The soundtrack is really something special and it really gets you going in the combat sections of the game; I don't just compliment any soundtrack.”
- “Worth it for the soundtrack alone, the music was composed by Bear McCreary, who did all the music for the Battlestar Galactica series.”
- “Playing the game reminds me strongly of Rocketeer, which is pretty cool, and the music is unique, classy, and matches the era of which the story is portrayed.”
- “Sound/music 3/10”
- “Nothing memorable, just lame background music.”
- “Teslapunk rocketer fights lizardmen, robots & bionicle rahkshi as the music from 2004's Battlestar Galactica blazes... circa 1939.”
stability
8 mentions
25 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various glitches that hinder gameplay. While it runs well on some platforms like the Steam Deck and Windows, many players experience severe bugs and issues that detract from the overall experience, leading to a lack of recommendation for those seeking a stable gaming experience.
- “This game runs great on Deck!”
- “Runs great on Windows.”
- “Minus the constant crashes, freezes, crazy camera sensitivity, weird graphics, clunky controls, horrid sound design.”
- “I do not highly recommend this game, very very buggy.”
- “The game crashes on startup and no amount of troubleshooting seems to fix the problem.”
optimization
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
-20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The game's optimization varies significantly across platforms, with better performance reported on PC compared to Xbox 360, where users experienced severe frame rate drops and crashes. While it is optimized for controller use, some players found the controls overly sensitive, particularly during flying segments, which may deter less skilled gamers. Overall, the optimization issues have led to mixed reviews, with some players recommending caution due to performance problems.
- “It is optimized for controller use.”
- “The game itself is really decent; of course, the controls are a bit sensitive, especially flying controls at the start. However, it's not because it's poorly made or vaguely optimized. This game demands a bit of skill from a player, which is why the majority may not recommend it. The storyline is quite interesting in my opinion, and that's another reason to love this game.”
- “Performance-wise, I suffered a crash bug on some cutscenes if the game was not locked to 30 fps (resolution option) and in compatibility mode (I did this first, so it may not be needed).”
- “Performance-wise, I suffered a crash bug on some cut-scenes if the game was not locked to 30 fps (resolution option) and in compatibility mode (I did this first, so it may not be needed).”
- “Bad performance, pedestrian mechanics; removed from the hard drive after the first on-foot encounter brought the framerate to 5 fps.”
- “Played this on Xbox 360; it had bad performance on the console. Now on PC, I get better performance, so why not? It's enjoyable, 6/10 recommended.”
emotional
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-67 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game resonates with players by exploring universal human experiences, though some feel it lacks depth and engagement. While the story aims for a poignant impact, particularly with its heartbreaking ending, the absence of a sequel leaves some narratives feeling incomplete.
- “Touching on the human experiences most people have in their lives, without agenda, politics, or subverted expectations... well, mostly.”
- “The story spans more than a single game, clearly, but a single game is all we got. I have a feeling that the heartbreaking ending would have been redeemed if 'Dark Void' had ever received the sequel it deserves.”
- “The story is boring and fails to engage the player emotionally.”
- “I found the emotional depth lacking; it just didn't resonate with me.”
- “The characters felt flat, making it hard to connect with their emotional journeys.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is enhanced by rag doll physics, leading to amusing and unexpected character interactions during gameplay. Additionally, the inclusion of humorous narratives and anecdotes adds depth to the comedic experience, making losses entertaining to read about.
- “It has ragdoll physics too, so some of the losses you take can be quite funny.”
- “Those are funny to read because they add some information and little stories too.”
character development
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-150 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Character development is criticized for being virtually absent, with reviewers noting that the story is poorly constructed and lacks depth, leaving characters feeling underdeveloped and unengaging.
- “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to witness profound transformations through their choices.”
- “Each character's backstory is intricately woven into the gameplay, making their growth feel authentic and impactful.”
- “The way characters evolve based on player decisions creates a deeply immersive experience that keeps you invested in their journeys.”
- “The story is bad, just full of holes and the character development is nonexistent.”
- “You are supposed to see it by the machinery he is around and the character design.”
replayability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, primarily centered around collecting all journals and hidden "tech point" caches for weapon upgrades. However, some users express a strong dissatisfaction with the overall replay value, rating it extremely low.
- “There is some amount of replay value to find all of the journals and collect hidden 'tech point' caches for weapon upgrades.”
- “Replay value -1000/10”
monetization
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-300 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The game features no microtransactions, providing a seamless experience without the interruptions of loading screens, which enhances overall player engagement.
- “No microtransactions, not a loading screen simulator.”
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
- “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending extra.”
- “The constant prompts to purchase in-game currency really detract from the overall experience.”