Dark Void Zero

About

Dark Void Zero is a single player arcade shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Other Ocean Interactive and was released on April 12, 2010. It received neutral reviews from players.

Dark Void Zero is a retro-style 8-bit game that serves as a prequel to the original Dark Void. Players take on the role of Rusty, a test pilot, and Nikola Tesla's trusted friend, utilizing a rocket pack to navigate through levels and battle enemies. The PC version includes online features such as achievements, leaderboards, and multiple endings, adding a modern twist to this classic-inspired game. The soundtrack is also noteworthy, having received awards in the past.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

47%

Audience ScoreBased on 194 reviews

graphics7 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Dark Void Zero captures the nostalgic feel of classic NES games with its retro graphics and sound design.
The game offers a challenging experience reminiscent of old-school platformers, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
Despite its flaws, many players appreciate the effort put into the game's design and its homage to retro gaming.

The game suffers from severe DRM issues, making it difficult or impossible for many players to activate and play.
Controls are often described as clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The game is very short, with only three levels, and can feel repetitive and punishing due to its design choices.

graphics
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
60%
12%
The graphics of the game are a contentious point among reviewers, with many criticizing their quality and clarity, particularly when played on larger screens, leading to a blurry appearance. While some appreciate the retro aesthetic and colorful visuals reminiscent of NES titles, others argue that the graphics fail to deliver a solid experience, appearing more like poorly compressed images than authentic pixel art. Overall, the game attempts to evoke nostalgia for classic 8-bit games but often falls short in execution, leaving players disappointed with the visual presentation.
- “The graphics remind me of the 90's 2D games; charming and stylish.”
- “This game is an awesome throwback to the NES era of action platformers, complete with tight player controls, beautiful 8-bit graphics, and a killer soundtrack...for this price, I'm surprised everybody doesn't own this already!”
- “Graphically, yes it's retro but it's easily worth the amount paid for, and even more so when it's on sale.”
- “Since this game was once a DSiWare exclusive and uses a lot of low-resolution PNGs for its visuals, it looks really blurry if played on large monitors.”
- “I haven't played the DSiWare version, mind you, but from videos of gameplay I figured the PC version would be somehow better in at least resolution, but a better look at the graphics here only serves to the game's detriment; the native resolution on the DS makes it look as if it were a unique step beyond 8-bit, the two options (windowed and fullscreen) on PC make it look like a poor mockery of a NES game.”
- “It has terrible controls and the graphics look less pixelated and more like a compressed JPEG.”
music
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
52%
13%
The music in the game is generally described as nostalgic and fitting for its retro style, with an 8-bit sound reminiscent of classic NES titles. However, opinions vary, with some reviewers noting a lack of variety and memorable tracks, while others appreciate the catchy tunes and sound effects that enhance the overall experience. Despite some criticisms regarding sound quality and originality, the music is often seen as a highlight that captures the essence of the era it pays homage to.
- “The atmosphere and the music are fantastic; if you are in love with NES and SNES games like Super Mario World or the early Castlevania games, you will like it.”
- “It's a great retro style game with an amazing soundtrack.”
- “This game is an awesome throwback to the NES era of action platformers, complete with tight player controls, beautiful 8-bit graphics, and a killer soundtrack... for this price, I'm surprised everybody doesn't own this already!”
- “Now in terms of music variety, I believe this game only has 7 or so music tracks, most of those are story and boss themes.”
- “The music was literally forgettable; I don't remember if it even had music, but the sound effects and graphics were fitting for the era represented.”
- “The jump controls are stiff, the music is dull, the gameplay boring, and the graphics ugly.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The gameplay of Dark Void Zero is heavily inspired by classic NES action platformers, featuring maze-like levels and a jetpack mechanic. However, players criticize the stiff controls, awkward mechanics, and repetitive level design, leading to a frustrating experience that feels outdated rather than nostalgic. While some appreciate the retro aesthetic and challenge, many find the gameplay lacking in innovation and enjoyment.
- “The gameplay of Dark Void Zero boils down to navigating large, maze-like levels with the aid of a jetpack.”
- “They nailed the retro look and gameplay spot on.”
- “While the controls can often be stiff and the game itself short, it still works well to capture the rough and tumble days of NES gaming with its wonderful chiptune music, graphics, and challenging gameplay.”
- “The jump controls are stiff, the music is dull, the gameplay boring, and the graphics ugly.”
- “The controls are finicky and hard to use gracefully, and the gameplay is just a slog, having to go back and forth every-which-way to get keycards and killing the same boring respawning enemies.”
- “Either way, poor mechanics without the memories to back them up are a disappointment, and make this game overall not worth it to me.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The game's story is largely considered simplistic and formulaic, revolving around the common theme of defeating an enemy faction, earning a mixed reception with a score of 7/10 for its execution. While some players find it inoffensive and effective, others criticize it as uninspired and lacking depth, with a few noting that the backstory created for the game's release is more engaging than the in-game narrative itself. Overall, the story serves its purpose but fails to leave a lasting impression.
- “The story they made up for the origin of the game is a 9/10.”
- “Its a challenging and fun game with a decent (if not silly) story.”
- “+short but effective and to the point story.”
- “The story isn't that gripping.”
- “It has a story, like most games, that has been done.”
- “I guess for me, they either really found this game and decided to do absolutely no modernization, or they concocted a story meant to play on nostalgia and went out of their way to make it play poorly.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users have reported that Capcom's retroactive addition of obscure DRM to older titles has negatively impacted modding capabilities, caused performance issues, and led to crashes, particularly on the Steam Deck.
- “Capcom retroactively adds obscure DRM to their older titles, breaking modding support on Steam Deck and causing performance issues and crashes.”
- “The optimization is so poor that even high-end systems struggle to maintain a stable frame rate.”
- “Frequent updates seem to introduce more bugs than they fix, leading to a frustrating experience for players.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The humor in the game is polarizing; while some players find it simple and entertaining, others criticize the frustrating design elements, such as instant kill mechanics, which detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “Awesome game, simple and very funny!”
- “The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever jokes that had me laughing out loud.”
- “I love how the game incorporates witty dialogue and hilarious situations that keep the gameplay entertaining.”
- “It's not funny or challenging to have instant kill mines, instant kill exploding enemies, and instant kill lava in areas where you have to use the jetpack, especially in a game where you only have 3 lives and no continues.”
- “The humor falls flat when the gameplay is more frustrating than funny, making it hard to enjoy the intended jokes.”
- “I expected a lighthearted experience, but the constant deaths and lack of funny moments made it feel more like a chore than a comedy.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a double-edged sword; while there are rewarding completion and collectible achievements, many feel that the extensive and tedious grinding required for certain achievements detracts from the overall enjoyment, making the experience feel overly laborious.
- “On one hand, you get completion achievements and collectible achievements; on the other, you have a ton of grueling grinding achievements, one of which can take you an hour or more to get.”
- “It's too tedious to play, even on easy.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of Dark Void Zero is highly praised for its nostalgic feel, reminiscent of classic NES and SNES games like Super Mario World and early Castlevania titles. Players appreciate the fantastic music and overall ambiance, which effectively captures the essence of retro gaming.
- “Dark Void Zero has an amazing atmosphere, and while playing, it really feels like an old game.”
- “The atmosphere and the music are fantastic. If you love NES and SNES games like Super Mario World or the early Castlevania games, you will enjoy this.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's monetization strategy included a unique advertising campaign that presented it as a rediscovered dual-screen Nintendo arcade machine title, which added an intriguing layer to its marketing approach.