Thursday, October 25, 2012

"Darkwatch", 2005.

Rounding the bend with our vampiric friends, once the well is dry there's nothing to do but... mash-up! Here we have an archetypal... vampire western.

For centuries, the Darkwatch has protected the world from evil. Now, as Jericho Cross, you must join this secret society to save humanity...and yourself.

Experience a Single Player, Story Driven Adventure or Intense Multiplayer Content.
Your Decisions Set You on a Path of Good or Evil
A Vast Arsenal of Powerful Weapons - Each with an Intense Secondary Melee Attack
August 2005
Death Fears Those Who Wear The Badge.
16 Players via Xbox Live
I'm always wary of gameplay features emphasized by Exciting Capital Letters. And how many games can produce a satisfying juggling act of single-player story-driven adventure AND intense multiplayer action instead of delivering half-baked nods to both?
I'm also wondering if we can get a little less symbolism in protagonist names. "Indiana Jones" is an excellent empty signifier. Jericho Cross, not so much. Duke Nukem is unsubtle, but that's pretty much his primary shtick. Why not just call this grim deputy Maneater Bitesalot?
Also: who demanded weapons with both ranged and melee attacks? Again -- specialize, guys! When everything has to do double-duty, they will only do each role half as well.

2 comments:

  1. "Your Decisions Set You On A Path Of Good Or Evil"

    Well, that pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?

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    Replies
    1. And yet so many games don't even make it that far! It amazing to see how far Bioware has run with this basic idea, Fable, Bioshock... considering that it's the first basic building block on which most games are built. Am I a good guy or a bad guy? Well...

      You can play Grand Theft Auto without violating traffic laws, there just isn't much game left when you do -- see Jim Munroe's "My Trip to Liberty City" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxpDHiH5PKk

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