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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.
Dark Void Game Cover
57%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, optimization
56% User Score Based on 664 reviews
Critic Score 58%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

Playstation 3Xbox 360Xbox Series X|SPCXbox OneXboxWindowsPlayStation
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Dark Void Game Cover

About

Dark Void is a single player shooter game with fantasy, historical and science fiction themes. It was developed by Airtight Games and was released on January 19, 2010. It received neutral reviews from both critics and players.

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.

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Dark Void screenshot
Dark Void screenshot
Dark Void screenshot
Dark Void screenshot
Dark Void screenshot
Dark Void screenshot
Dark Void screenshot
Dark Void screenshot
Dark Void screenshot
Dark Void screenshot
Dark Void screenshot
+17
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56%
Audience ScoreBased on 664 reviews
story65 positive mentions
stability12 negative mentions
  • The jetpack mechanics are fun and provide a unique gameplay experience.
  • The game features interesting concepts like vertical cover and aerial combat.
  • The graphics and art style are decent for a game of its time, creating an engaging atmosphere.
  • The story is lackluster and feels rushed, with many plot holes and an abrupt ending.
  • The controls, especially for flying, can be clunky and frustrating, particularly when using a mouse and keyboard.
  • The game suffers from technical issues, including crashes and problems with the activation key.
  • story
    246 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it lackluster, clichéd, and often confusing, leading to a sense of disinterest. While some appreciate its unique premise and campy charm, others criticize it for being poorly executed, with abrupt pacing and an unsatisfying conclusion. Overall, the narrative serves as a basic backdrop for the gameplay, but fails to engage players meaningfully.

    • “It's a great and fun game with a nice story that flows through 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.”
    • “The story is trash, it's a waste of money, do not purchase this game on Steam.”
    • “The story, while having a bit of a charming bad vibe at first, just becomes straight up bad as it moves at a breakneck pace over the couple of hours the game lasts.”
    • “The story is bad, just full of holes and the character development is nonexistent.”
  • gameplay
    176 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Dark Void" is a mixed bag, featuring a unique jetpack mechanic that adds excitement to aerial combat, but is often hindered by clunky ground combat and generic cover-shooter elements. While the flight mechanics are praised for their fun and intuitive controls, many players find the overall experience repetitive and marred by issues like hit detection and a lack of enemy variety. Despite its flaws, the game offers enjoyable moments and a nostalgic charm, making it a decent choice for fans of the genre.

    • “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.”
    • “There are some brilliant cover mechanics, and the more standard run-and-gun shooter gameplay is supplemented by armed jetpack combat.”
    • “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.”
    • “Although the game has nice ideas, the gameplay is very boring and the combat is generic.”
    • “The gameplay is poor with bad controls and dull weaponry.”
  • graphics
    69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players noting that they have aged poorly and appear generic, while others appreciate the art style and landscapes, considering them good for a game from 2010. Despite some technical issues and outdated character models, many find the visuals enjoyable and fitting for the game's aesthetic. Overall, while the graphics may not impress everyone, they are often described as solid for their time, with some standout moments in design and animation.

    • “The graphics are pretty nice for a game of this era as well, and I'm fairly impressed with how smooth it runs even on newer hardware.”
    • “It does have some very very pretty landscapes; of course, it's 2010 graphics, but being able to fly around the environment and then switch to hovering mode and take out targets or just look at the sunset is really impressive.”
    • “This game has great graphics and gameplay and is generally fun.”
    • “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.”
    • “Shooting feels like crap, graphics are terrible and the flying isn't fun.”
  • music
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 that aligns with the game's era. While some reviewers found the overall soundtrack memorable and engaging, others criticized the rest of the game's audio as lackluster and unremarkable. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a highlight, making the game worth experiencing for music enthusiasts.

    • “The soundtrack is really something special and it really gets you going in the combat sections of the game, and 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
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and numerous glitches that hinder gameplay. While it runs well on certain platforms like Steam Deck and Windows, the overall experience is marred by clunky controls, poor sound design, and a frustratingly buggy performance. Many players express disappointment, especially if they had paid full price, but some feel it may still be worth it during sales.

    • “This game runs great on deck!”
    • “Runs great on Windows”
    • “This game runs great on deck!”
    • “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
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization varies significantly between platforms, with users reporting poor performance on Xbox 360, including severe frame rate drops and crashes, while the PC version offers a more enjoyable experience. Although it is optimized for controller use, some players find the controls overly sensitive, particularly during flying segments. Overall, while the game has potential, its optimization issues detract from the experience, leading to mixed recommendations.

    • “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 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
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game resonates with players by exploring relatable human experiences, though some feel the narrative lacks engagement and depth. While the story's poignant ending leaves a lasting impact, many express disappointment that it feels incomplete without a sequel to fully realize its potential. Overall, the emotional weight is acknowledged, but it is often overshadowed by criticisms of the gameplay and storytelling.

    • “Touching 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.”
    • “Boring story that just won't engage you.”
    • “Doesn't let you fly enough, boring story and enemies, forgettable cover-based shooting.”
  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game 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 info and little stories too.”
  • character development
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is largely criticized, with reviewers noting that it feels absent and poorly executed, leaving players with a story that is riddled with inconsistencies and lacking depth. The design elements intended to convey character growth are overshadowed by the overall narrative shortcomings.

    • “The story is bad, just full of holes and the character development is nonexistent.”
  • replayability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers limited replayability, primarily centered around collecting journals and hidden "tech point" caches for weapon upgrades. However, many users express strong dissatisfaction, with some rating the replay value as 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
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features no microtransactions, providing a seamless experience without the interruptions of loading screens.

    • “No microtransactions, not a loading screen simulator.”
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58%Critics’ scoreBased on 5 critic reviews
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4h Median play time
3h Average play time
2-4h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Dark Void is a shooter game with fantasy, historical and science fiction themes.

Dark Void is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox One, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing Dark Void.

Dark Void was released on January 19, 2010.

Dark Void was developed by Airtight Games.

Dark Void has received neutral reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Dark Void is a single player game.

Similar games include Lost Planet 3, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, Bionic Commando, Front Mission Evolved and others.