Dark Sector
Encyclopedia
Dark Sector is a third-person shooter
video game for the Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
and Microsoft Windows
developed by Digital Extremes
. The game was released on March 25, 2008, in North America, March 27, 2008, in Japan and April 4, 2008, in Europe.
Set in the crumbling infrastructure of a fictional Eastern Bloc
country in the near future, the game features both single and multiplayer action, with players working their way through a world where biological weapons are a hellish nightmare, let loose on an unsuspecting populace.
The game's main character is a man named Hayden Tenno (voiced by Michael Rosenbaum
), a morally ambivalent clean-up man employed by the CIA. He has congenital analgesia
which renders him unable to feel pain. On a mission in a fictional former Eastern Bloc nation, he is exposed to a biological compound which mutates him, dramatically changing his right arm, and giving him the ability to grow a three-bladed throwable weapon called a glaive at will. The glaive is a part of his body, can be used to generate light, and can be controlled remotely by the player.
Dark Sector was met with mixed to positive reviews. Many critics compared it to Resident Evil 4
and Gears of War
due to the similar style of play and story, yet it was praised for its visuals, originality of action and weapon-based gameplay.
The camera is positioned over the shoulder for third-person
shooting, and the player can also take cover by standing next to an object such as a pillar or wall. While in cover, the player can pop out and fire, and also throw the glaive; however there is no blind fire. There is also a sprint function, which works similar to that of Gears of War. there is also a simple melee attack that allows the player to punch or slice the enemy. The game has no HUD (except for the ammo counter); Hayden's health is shown by the screen flashing red when he takes damage. If the player takes too much damage, the flashes will be faster, and a heartbeat will be heard, indicating Hayden is "bleeding out".
Money (rubles), ammo, weapon upgrades, and grenades can only be found in set locations, so they are impossible to farm
. Downed enemies drop their guns, though after his infection, Hayden can only carry these weapons for a few seconds before they self-destruct. Permanent weapons can be purchased and upgraded in black markets, one small for his off-hand use with the glaive (replacing the pistol) and one large, such as a shotgun or rifle.
Dark Sector also has an online multiplayer aspect. There are only two modes (titled 'Infection' and 'Epidemic' respectively) and they feature:
One randomly selected Hayden character in a deathmatch against many soldier characters. Another mode involves two Hayden characters on separate teams; with one team attempting to kill the opposing team's Hayden first. In both modes, Hayden will have superior powers compared to the soldiers. Hayden will be able to become invisible, use the glaive, etc. whereas the soldiers cannot. The developer of Dark Sector, Digital Extremes, has also developed the critically acclaimed Unreal Series, well known for their frantic and robust multiplayer.
After reporting that he has completed his mission, his superior decides to send him after Mezner, the man responsible for the Technocyte infection that has been ravaging the country of Lasria. Hayden proceeds through the compound; defeating several dozen more soldiers and even a helicopter, as well as planting C4 charges throughout the compound. Hayden then finds himself face-to-face with a 7 feet (2.1 m) metal creature of some sort, called Nemesis. Hayden attempts to defeat the monster by firing an RPG at it, but the metallic figure stops the RPG mid-air and redirects it at Hayden. Hayden is forced to jump off a cliff to avoid the missile, and upon waking up, once again finds himself face to face with his target, this time laying on the ground as Mezner lectures him. As Hayden attempts to reach for his gun, Nemesis appears and stabs his right shoulder. Upon instruction from Mezner, it transfers the infection into Hayden via the wound. It appears that he was going to kill Hayden, but Hayden quickly detonates the C4 charges set earlier and manages to escape.
He then arrives at a radio station to contact his superior for further instructions, with his right arm's skin degenerated and exposed flesh. The superior is informed of the situation and tells Hayden to meet up with their sleeper agent, Yargo Mensik, to obtain boosters for the infection. Soon, he hears the footsteps of an enemy soldier and attempts to ambush him. The soldier quickly gets the upper hand and pins Hayden down. Hayden's infected arm then produces the Glaive, and slits the soldier's throat. Another soldier enters the shed and shouts that he has "found him!" over his radio, only to be brutally decapitated by the Glaive as Hayden throws it at him.
Hayden continues along the coast, slowly gaining new abilities with the Glaive as the infection progresses and produces some kind of metal that eventually surrounds his right arm completely, encountering both soldiers, Haz-Mat soldiers in masks, and the infected (people infected with the virus and driven mad from pain.) Eventually Hayden encounters a massive, ape-like monster with flesh covered in the same type of metal as Hayden's infected arm. After a short conflict in which both Hayden and the creature come to a neutral standstill, the monster is called back by some sort of signal.
Hayden then makes his way further up the coast to a temporary military base set up in an abandoned pier. After fighting his way closer to the main building, he overhears a Lasrian soldier calling for help on a radio as the infection slowly drives him insane. Hayden then delves into the basement area and after taking care of several infected makes his way to the roof. It is there he gains a new mutation ability and finally finds Yargo. He tells Hayden that his orders have been updated and gives him the booster to help slow the infection. Hayden refuses and asks about the new intel.
Yargo tells him that he and the Agency believe that Mezner wants to recapture the infected which Hayden released when he detonated the Lasrian military base. Mezner had retrieved an old transmitter which emits a signal that attracts Technocyte creatures to its location and concealed it within an old church. Hayden also learns that Nadia, a woman Hayden is acquainted with, is also working for Mezner. Hayden moves on towards the church to destroy the transmitter all the while taking care of legions of both Lasrian soldiers and infected. Being infected himself, Hayden is also attracted to the transmitter. On his way he fights a Jackal Tank, and is knocked out after a fight with an agile, humanoid Technocyte creature. He wakes up at night and continues his mission.
Eventually, he makes it into the church building where Hayden and the Colossus have one final showdown, after killing the Colossus he makes his way into the catacombs and finds the transmitter. Nadia, who has a deep- rooted hatred for Hayden after his last meeting with her, confronts him. She escapes and leaves him to fight his way through a swarm of infected and escape before the C4
he set goes off.
After making contact with his superior again he is told that Mezner has some infected on a ship and is trying to export the Technocyte virus to the rest of the world. After fighting and hijacking another tank Hayden pushes to the coast and hitches a ride on a helicopter to the ship. Fighting the crew, he makes it into the cargo hold and accidentally releases a highly evolved Technocyte monster which sinks the ship. Hayden escapes with his life but Yargo has been found and captured by the military.
Hayden rushes back to Yargo's place all the while killing huge amounts of infected and a large power-armoured soldier. He finds the place but Yargo has been moved to another location where Nadia is torturing him, demanding that he let her into "The Vault". His superior, seeing the horrible mess of things, contacts Hayden and tells him that he's coming to take over and to stand down. Hayden doesn't listen and goes to save Yargo anyway.
Making his way to the train station he fights through more evolved versions of the infected and even more Lasrian soldiers. He finds Yargo as well as the creature he let out of the ship. After killing it and mutating again he gets Yargo and attempts to use the booster, but Yargo tries to say something. Before Yargo can get the words out, Nemesis appears and forces them to split up. Hayden attempts to take Nemesis head on but he soon finds out he's still not strong enough to fight it. Mezner arrives and offers Hayden a chance to kill him, however Mezner has grown powerful enough to mentally control Technocyte infected victims, and begins to mentally overpower Hayden. In a last ditch effort, Hayden injects himself with the booster, which breaks Mezner's control while simultaneously preventing further mutations. Mezner tells him that he had the same booster and both he and Hayden were being prepared for the Technocyte's release. Hayden passes out and both the Nemesis and Mezner leave him for dead.
Hayden wakes up later with Yargo, who tells him that he laced the booster with Enferon, a chemical that kills the infected. He claims that he was worried that Hayden would turn out like Mezner because he had the same injections and the same infection, he also tells Hayden that he can get a suit similar to the Nemesis' in the same building; the Vosro Research Facility, where the Technocyte virus was made during the Cold War. Hayden saves Yargo by sending him through the ventilation system and makes his way down towards the labs where the other suit is kept. After killing hordes of Technocyte infested mutants and bypassing automated security systems, Hayden discovers the suit in an airtight chamber. He enters the room, shooting the lock as he goes so nothing can follow him inside. Just before he puts on the suit, Nadia arrives outside the door and Hayden pleads with her to leave before things get worse than they already are. She says that she's in too deep to get out now and that she is taking Yargo to open the vault.
Hayden gets the suit and slaughters his way through infected and non infected alike, taking down 3 powered armour soldiers and finally finding Nemesis. In the final showdown, Hayden kills the Nemesis and learns that it was actually Nadia all along. She apologises for infecting Hayden and tells him Mezner is planning a worldwide transmission to spread the Technocyte virus everywhere, Hayden says that he can't stop him because the organization is in the way. Nadia then tells him that she knows he'll "...do the right thing this time", leaves him with the key to the vault, and then dies. Hayden then hijacks another Jackal tank and kills everyone in his path on his way to the vault.
He arrives at the entrance of the vault to rendezvous his superior (His name is revealed to be "Dixon" as seen on his uniform), who says he has made a deal with Mezner and gives him a booster "for the road". Hayden is outraged and stabs him in the neck with the booster, and tells him that he "likes it" [the infection] and goes to destroy Mezner. He kills all of the men under his superior's command and then enters the vault. Once inside, Mezner tries to convince Hayden to join him. This doesn't work and Hayden goes deeper into the vault. He then finds the source of the Technocyte, or at least the first known source: the submarine that appeared off the coast of Lasria, only Hayden finds out that the submarine was actually American (Either by accident or on purpose, we don't know; it is implied that the American government knew all along). After the final showdown with Mezner, and the Technocyte Hydra-like monstrosity he controls, Yargo arrives to tell Hayden that the transmission is still going out. Hayden tries to fry the circuitry by using his glaive but before the dying Mezner, who is not quite dead yet attacks him one last time stunning his right arm, before telling him "You are one of us now". Hayden then catches the now electrified Glaive with his left hand and impales Mezner's skull with it. With the transmission finally halted, the game ends with Yargo saying "That was how it started, the irony of this disease, that in all the others it made evil, but for him it saved his soul".
. However, the original plan was scrapped and the game was not spoken of for another four years, during which the game underwent a massive change in focus. The original design had the game keeping in line with its predecessor as a multiplayer arena-style first-person shooter. An in-game cinematic unveiled years later in 2004, gave viewers a brief look at potential storylines and environments, as well as the graphics of the game. Digital Extremes specifically stated that the clips were not pre-rendered and were actual in-game footage. The game was shown as the first example of what a seventh-generation game would look like.
The game was originally intended to take place in a science-fiction environment, in outer space, with players taking the role of a character that inhabits a sleek mechanical suit with incredible powers. The game was officially revealed by Digital Extremes' in late 2005, around the time of the original release of the Xbox 360.
In 2006, major overhauls to the game were revealed, showing the main character, and a noticeably less sci-fi setting, although Hayden starts to resemble the originally-planned main character as the infection takes over his body. The developers cited a shift in focus by other gaming companies and publishers as the reason for the change to a more modern setting and reducing its sci-fi elements; adding they wanted to achieve the realism that fans would enjoy. Another reason was that the tech demo was originally built before the team knew the maximum specifications of the Xbox 360.
An interview with GameSpot
revealed that the change in setting was intended to make the main character stand out more, as well as making the story more relatable, which they say has been written as a superhero origin story. He added:
Dark Sector was based on Sector Engine, later changed to the Evolution Engine, both Digital Extremes' proprietary next-gen game engines. Official statements about this being just a name change or a major shift in their technology were not released to the public yet. Dark Sector's project lead, Steve Sinclair, stated that the engine was written from scratch. The producer of Dark Sector, Dave Kudirka said when they first built the engine, they did not want it to look like the Unreal Engine 3, and they wanted their own perspective engine. When asked about the games' engine being made on Wii
or PC
, he replied "plausible".
The game went gold on March 7, 2008.
On January 19, 2009, some sites reported that a YouTube
video was available, showing Dark Sector running on a PC. Later it was confirmed that the game was indeed ported to Windows and was on sale, though only in Russia
and the language was Russian by default. Hackers found ways to run the game in English
. An English/French version was added to Steam on March 24, 2009. The PC version's multiplayer mode is only available via Local Area Network
play, as the game is a straight port of the console version with no extra code for internet connectivity.
IGN gave it a 7.7/10, Gamer.tv gave it a 7/10 and GamesRadar gave it a 7/10. XboxFocus gave the game a 3.5/5, citing the game's combat and weapons as fun, but criticizing its paper-thin plot. Game Informer magazine gave it a 7.5 out of 10, GameTrailers gave it a 7.3 out of 10, calling it "an interesting concept, but bases itself around too many games which came before it." PlayStation: The Official Magazine awarded the game a 4/5. Hyper
s Dirk Watch commends the game for "the Glaive and its aftertouch". However, he criticised it for its "patchy AI and steep difficulty curve."
.
Adam Zweck, the sales and product manager for AFA Interactive, the local distributors of Dark Sector, told GameSpot
AU that the game was banned due to its violence, in particular the finishing moves. "Obviously we're disappointed in it [the decision]. We feel there is justification for an appeal. However, we're exploring several avenues at the moment to see what we can do to get the game on Australian shelves."
The game was eventually released censored, much like the Japanese PS3 release.
On July 22, 2009, Dark Sector was released on the cover disc of PC Powerplay
, an Australian PC gaming magazine, although this was the heavily censored version of the game.
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
video game for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
developed by Digital Extremes
Digital Extremes
Digital Extremes is a Canadian computer and video game developer founded in 1993 by James Schmalz, specifically noted for its part in the highly successful Unreal series of games...
. The game was released on March 25, 2008, in North America, March 27, 2008, in Japan and April 4, 2008, in Europe.
Set in the crumbling infrastructure of a fictional Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
country in the near future, the game features both single and multiplayer action, with players working their way through a world where biological weapons are a hellish nightmare, let loose on an unsuspecting populace.
The game's main character is a man named Hayden Tenno (voiced by Michael Rosenbaum
Michael Rosenbaum
Michael Owen Rosenbaum is an American actor and director. He is best known for portraying Lex Luthor on the Superman-inspired television series Smallville and Dutch on FOX's Breaking In, and for providing the voice for the Flash in the DC animated universe...
), a morally ambivalent clean-up man employed by the CIA. He has congenital analgesia
Congenital insensitivity to pain
Congenital insensitivity to pain , also known as congenital analgesia, is one or more rare conditions where a person cannot feel physical pain...
which renders him unable to feel pain. On a mission in a fictional former Eastern Bloc nation, he is exposed to a biological compound which mutates him, dramatically changing his right arm, and giving him the ability to grow a three-bladed throwable weapon called a glaive at will. The glaive is a part of his body, can be used to generate light, and can be controlled remotely by the player.
Dark Sector was met with mixed to positive reviews. Many critics compared it to Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo Australia, Red Ant Enterprises and THQ Asia Pacific...
and Gears of War
Gears of War
Gears of War is a military science fiction third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios...
due to the similar style of play and story, yet it was praised for its visuals, originality of action and weapon-based gameplay.
Gameplay
In Dark Sector, the gameplay revolves around the use of the glaive. The glaive is a three-pronged boomerang-esque weapon which returns to Hayden after every throw. The glaive can be used for long-distance dismemberment, solving environmental puzzles, and picking up various items. When up close to an enemy, context-sensitive actions may appear, allowing the player to execute enemies with "finishers". Environmental puzzles in the game usually focus upon capturing various elements (fire, electricity, and ice) with the glaive. For example, a web that is blocking your path can be bypassed by capturing fire with the glaive and then launching it at the web to burn it down. The glaive is dual-wielded with a gun in Hayden's left hand. This allows for combos like stunning a shielded enemy at long-distance with the glaive and then shooting him while unprotected. As the game progresses, the glaive is given several new abilities; it can be guided through the air, being able to kill multiple enemies (This feature is controlled via the Sixaxis on the PlayStation 3 and by the right analog stick on the Xbox 360); a charged up throw for deadlier attacks, and is able to make the user invisible for a short period of time and also provide a temporary shield.The camera is positioned over the shoulder for third-person
Virtual camera system
A virtual camera system aims at controlling a camera or a set of cameras to display a view of a 3D virtual world. Camera systems are used in videogames where their purpose is to show the action at the best possible angle; more generally, they are used in 3D virtual worlds when a third person view...
shooting, and the player can also take cover by standing next to an object such as a pillar or wall. While in cover, the player can pop out and fire, and also throw the glaive; however there is no blind fire. There is also a sprint function, which works similar to that of Gears of War. there is also a simple melee attack that allows the player to punch or slice the enemy. The game has no HUD (except for the ammo counter); Hayden's health is shown by the screen flashing red when he takes damage. If the player takes too much damage, the flashes will be faster, and a heartbeat will be heard, indicating Hayden is "bleeding out".
Money (rubles), ammo, weapon upgrades, and grenades can only be found in set locations, so they are impossible to farm
Gold farming
Gold farming is playing a massively multiplayer online game to acquire in-game currency which is then sold to other players. People in China and in other developing nations have held full-time employment as gold farmers....
. Downed enemies drop their guns, though after his infection, Hayden can only carry these weapons for a few seconds before they self-destruct. Permanent weapons can be purchased and upgraded in black markets, one small for his off-hand use with the glaive (replacing the pistol) and one large, such as a shotgun or rifle.
Dark Sector also has an online multiplayer aspect. There are only two modes (titled 'Infection' and 'Epidemic' respectively) and they feature:
One randomly selected Hayden character in a deathmatch against many soldier characters. Another mode involves two Hayden characters on separate teams; with one team attempting to kill the opposing team's Hayden first. In both modes, Hayden will have superior powers compared to the soldiers. Hayden will be able to become invisible, use the glaive, etc. whereas the soldiers cannot. The developer of Dark Sector, Digital Extremes, has also developed the critically acclaimed Unreal Series, well known for their frantic and robust multiplayer.
Synopsis
The game begins with Hayden, an American Special Forces agent, sent to a military-esque compound in the fictional Soviet nation of Lasria. He tries to back out of his mission before it has hardly begun, but his superior, communicating via radio, says that he is "past the point of no return." Hayden makes short work of all enemy resistance and finds himself face-to-face with his target, a fellow agent named Viktor, tied to a chair. Viktor is under the impression that Hayden is here to rescue him. He even tells him information to aid him on his way. Hayden swiftly puts a bullet right through his skull.After reporting that he has completed his mission, his superior decides to send him after Mezner, the man responsible for the Technocyte infection that has been ravaging the country of Lasria. Hayden proceeds through the compound; defeating several dozen more soldiers and even a helicopter, as well as planting C4 charges throughout the compound. Hayden then finds himself face-to-face with a 7 feet (2.1 m) metal creature of some sort, called Nemesis. Hayden attempts to defeat the monster by firing an RPG at it, but the metallic figure stops the RPG mid-air and redirects it at Hayden. Hayden is forced to jump off a cliff to avoid the missile, and upon waking up, once again finds himself face to face with his target, this time laying on the ground as Mezner lectures him. As Hayden attempts to reach for his gun, Nemesis appears and stabs his right shoulder. Upon instruction from Mezner, it transfers the infection into Hayden via the wound. It appears that he was going to kill Hayden, but Hayden quickly detonates the C4 charges set earlier and manages to escape.
He then arrives at a radio station to contact his superior for further instructions, with his right arm's skin degenerated and exposed flesh. The superior is informed of the situation and tells Hayden to meet up with their sleeper agent, Yargo Mensik, to obtain boosters for the infection. Soon, he hears the footsteps of an enemy soldier and attempts to ambush him. The soldier quickly gets the upper hand and pins Hayden down. Hayden's infected arm then produces the Glaive, and slits the soldier's throat. Another soldier enters the shed and shouts that he has "found him!" over his radio, only to be brutally decapitated by the Glaive as Hayden throws it at him.
Hayden continues along the coast, slowly gaining new abilities with the Glaive as the infection progresses and produces some kind of metal that eventually surrounds his right arm completely, encountering both soldiers, Haz-Mat soldiers in masks, and the infected (people infected with the virus and driven mad from pain.) Eventually Hayden encounters a massive, ape-like monster with flesh covered in the same type of metal as Hayden's infected arm. After a short conflict in which both Hayden and the creature come to a neutral standstill, the monster is called back by some sort of signal.
Hayden then makes his way further up the coast to a temporary military base set up in an abandoned pier. After fighting his way closer to the main building, he overhears a Lasrian soldier calling for help on a radio as the infection slowly drives him insane. Hayden then delves into the basement area and after taking care of several infected makes his way to the roof. It is there he gains a new mutation ability and finally finds Yargo. He tells Hayden that his orders have been updated and gives him the booster to help slow the infection. Hayden refuses and asks about the new intel.
Yargo tells him that he and the Agency believe that Mezner wants to recapture the infected which Hayden released when he detonated the Lasrian military base. Mezner had retrieved an old transmitter which emits a signal that attracts Technocyte creatures to its location and concealed it within an old church. Hayden also learns that Nadia, a woman Hayden is acquainted with, is also working for Mezner. Hayden moves on towards the church to destroy the transmitter all the while taking care of legions of both Lasrian soldiers and infected. Being infected himself, Hayden is also attracted to the transmitter. On his way he fights a Jackal Tank, and is knocked out after a fight with an agile, humanoid Technocyte creature. He wakes up at night and continues his mission.
Eventually, he makes it into the church building where Hayden and the Colossus have one final showdown, after killing the Colossus he makes his way into the catacombs and finds the transmitter. Nadia, who has a deep- rooted hatred for Hayden after his last meeting with her, confronts him. She escapes and leaves him to fight his way through a swarm of infected and escape before the C4
C4
C4, C04, C.IV or C-4 may refer to:* C-4 , a type of plastic explosive* Hafdasa C-4, an Argentine submachine gunIn biology:* C4 carbon fixation, a pathway for carbon fixation in photosynthesis...
he set goes off.
After making contact with his superior again he is told that Mezner has some infected on a ship and is trying to export the Technocyte virus to the rest of the world. After fighting and hijacking another tank Hayden pushes to the coast and hitches a ride on a helicopter to the ship. Fighting the crew, he makes it into the cargo hold and accidentally releases a highly evolved Technocyte monster which sinks the ship. Hayden escapes with his life but Yargo has been found and captured by the military.
Hayden rushes back to Yargo's place all the while killing huge amounts of infected and a large power-armoured soldier. He finds the place but Yargo has been moved to another location where Nadia is torturing him, demanding that he let her into "The Vault". His superior, seeing the horrible mess of things, contacts Hayden and tells him that he's coming to take over and to stand down. Hayden doesn't listen and goes to save Yargo anyway.
Making his way to the train station he fights through more evolved versions of the infected and even more Lasrian soldiers. He finds Yargo as well as the creature he let out of the ship. After killing it and mutating again he gets Yargo and attempts to use the booster, but Yargo tries to say something. Before Yargo can get the words out, Nemesis appears and forces them to split up. Hayden attempts to take Nemesis head on but he soon finds out he's still not strong enough to fight it. Mezner arrives and offers Hayden a chance to kill him, however Mezner has grown powerful enough to mentally control Technocyte infected victims, and begins to mentally overpower Hayden. In a last ditch effort, Hayden injects himself with the booster, which breaks Mezner's control while simultaneously preventing further mutations. Mezner tells him that he had the same booster and both he and Hayden were being prepared for the Technocyte's release. Hayden passes out and both the Nemesis and Mezner leave him for dead.
Hayden wakes up later with Yargo, who tells him that he laced the booster with Enferon, a chemical that kills the infected. He claims that he was worried that Hayden would turn out like Mezner because he had the same injections and the same infection, he also tells Hayden that he can get a suit similar to the Nemesis' in the same building; the Vosro Research Facility, where the Technocyte virus was made during the Cold War. Hayden saves Yargo by sending him through the ventilation system and makes his way down towards the labs where the other suit is kept. After killing hordes of Technocyte infested mutants and bypassing automated security systems, Hayden discovers the suit in an airtight chamber. He enters the room, shooting the lock as he goes so nothing can follow him inside. Just before he puts on the suit, Nadia arrives outside the door and Hayden pleads with her to leave before things get worse than they already are. She says that she's in too deep to get out now and that she is taking Yargo to open the vault.
Hayden gets the suit and slaughters his way through infected and non infected alike, taking down 3 powered armour soldiers and finally finding Nemesis. In the final showdown, Hayden kills the Nemesis and learns that it was actually Nadia all along. She apologises for infecting Hayden and tells him Mezner is planning a worldwide transmission to spread the Technocyte virus everywhere, Hayden says that he can't stop him because the organization is in the way. Nadia then tells him that she knows he'll "...do the right thing this time", leaves him with the key to the vault, and then dies. Hayden then hijacks another Jackal tank and kills everyone in his path on his way to the vault.
He arrives at the entrance of the vault to rendezvous his superior (His name is revealed to be "Dixon" as seen on his uniform), who says he has made a deal with Mezner and gives him a booster "for the road". Hayden is outraged and stabs him in the neck with the booster, and tells him that he "likes it" [the infection] and goes to destroy Mezner. He kills all of the men under his superior's command and then enters the vault. Once inside, Mezner tries to convince Hayden to join him. This doesn't work and Hayden goes deeper into the vault. He then finds the source of the Technocyte, or at least the first known source: the submarine that appeared off the coast of Lasria, only Hayden finds out that the submarine was actually American (Either by accident or on purpose, we don't know; it is implied that the American government knew all along). After the final showdown with Mezner, and the Technocyte Hydra-like monstrosity he controls, Yargo arrives to tell Hayden that the transmission is still going out. Hayden tries to fry the circuitry by using his glaive but before the dying Mezner, who is not quite dead yet attacks him one last time stunning his right arm, before telling him "You are one of us now". Hayden then catches the now electrified Glaive with his left hand and impales Mezner's skull with it. With the transmission finally halted, the game ends with Yargo saying "That was how it started, the irony of this disease, that in all the others it made evil, but for him it saved his soul".
Characters
- Hayden Tenno (voiced by Michael RosenbaumMichael RosenbaumMichael Owen Rosenbaum is an American actor and director. He is best known for portraying Lex Luthor on the Superman-inspired television series Smallville and Dutch on FOX's Breaking In, and for providing the voice for the Flash in the DC animated universe...
) is the game's main protagonist and anti-hero. With his arm infected by the Technocyte virus, he sets out to stop the virus from spreading across the planet. - Yargo Menshik (voiced by Jürgen ProchnowJürgen ProchnowJürgen Prochnow is a German actor. His most well-known roles internationally have been as the sympathetic submarine captain in Das Boot , Duke Leto Atreides I in Dune , the minor, but important role of Neo-Stalinist dictator General Ivan Radek in Air Force One and the villain Maxwell Dent in...
) is a "sleeper agent" and a scientist who knows the origin of the Technocyte virus. - Robert Mezner (voiced by Nick NielsenNick NielsenNick Nielsen is an author of humorous science fiction .There's currently no additional information to be found about Nick Nielsen other than this paragraph from the dust jacket of his first book:...
) is the game's main antagonist. Cruel and ruthless, he plans to expand and spread the virus around the world, claiming he wants to create a new utopiaUtopiaUtopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
. - Nadia Sudek (voiced by Julianne BuescherJulianne BuescherJulianne Buescher is an actress who performs in film, television, and on stage and radio. As a voice artist, she is known for many roles including Anko Mitarashi on Naruto. Buescher is also a skilled puppeteer and has worked for both Sesame Street and The Muppets...
) is a woman who works along side Mezner. Hayden and Nadia apparently know one another, but their connection isn't dwelled upon. She later turns out to be Nemesis, a metallic monster with the same powerful abilities as Hayden's. - Viktor Sudek is a minor agent captured by the Lasrian hazmat team. He becomes infected and is promptly killed by Hayden under orders to eliminate him by his superior Dixon. Possibly Nadia's brother.
- Dixon is Hayden's CIA superior. He gives Hayden's orders to guide him of out Lasria. However, it is later revealed, that he'd used Hayden for his own evil purposes and he later makes a twisted deal with Mezner. Hayden becomes enraged and kills Dixon.
- The Blackmarket Dealer is an arms dealer who supplies weapons and equipment without the governors on them to Hayden for a number of rubles. He hides in the Lasrian sewers all over the city.
Development
The development of Dark Sector was announced on February 11, 2000, on Digital Extremes' website. The game was originally proposed as a follow up to Digital Extremes and Epic Games' critically acclaimed multiplayer first-person shooter, Unreal TournamentUnreal Tournament
Unreal Tournament is a futuristic first-person shooter video game co-developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes. It was published in 1999 by GT Interactive. Retrospectively, the game has also been referred to as UT99 or UT Classic to differentiate it from its numbered sequels...
. However, the original plan was scrapped and the game was not spoken of for another four years, during which the game underwent a massive change in focus. The original design had the game keeping in line with its predecessor as a multiplayer arena-style first-person shooter. An in-game cinematic unveiled years later in 2004, gave viewers a brief look at potential storylines and environments, as well as the graphics of the game. Digital Extremes specifically stated that the clips were not pre-rendered and were actual in-game footage. The game was shown as the first example of what a seventh-generation game would look like.
The game was originally intended to take place in a science-fiction environment, in outer space, with players taking the role of a character that inhabits a sleek mechanical suit with incredible powers. The game was officially revealed by Digital Extremes' in late 2005, around the time of the original release of the Xbox 360.
In 2006, major overhauls to the game were revealed, showing the main character, and a noticeably less sci-fi setting, although Hayden starts to resemble the originally-planned main character as the infection takes over his body. The developers cited a shift in focus by other gaming companies and publishers as the reason for the change to a more modern setting and reducing its sci-fi elements; adding they wanted to achieve the realism that fans would enjoy. Another reason was that the tech demo was originally built before the team knew the maximum specifications of the Xbox 360.
An interview with GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
revealed that the change in setting was intended to make the main character stand out more, as well as making the story more relatable, which they say has been written as a superhero origin story. He added:
At the beginning of the game when we do the prologue he's just kind of this anti-hero kind of guy. And very simply, concretely in the game, there are certain types of barriers that he has to open with contextual stuff. And then when he changes, then he begins tearing those things off and becomes much more brutal. So what we're trying to do is convey that evolution on the inside, but also convey it on the outside so that those game elements that are around him are evolving as he does.
Dark Sector was based on Sector Engine, later changed to the Evolution Engine, both Digital Extremes' proprietary next-gen game engines. Official statements about this being just a name change or a major shift in their technology were not released to the public yet. Dark Sector's project lead, Steve Sinclair, stated that the engine was written from scratch. The producer of Dark Sector, Dave Kudirka said when they first built the engine, they did not want it to look like the Unreal Engine 3, and they wanted their own perspective engine. When asked about the games' engine being made on Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
or PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
, he replied "plausible".
The game went gold on March 7, 2008.
Windows version
Initially a Windows version of Dark Sector was planned to be released on the same date as on consoles. But later it was dropped and there was no news on its release.On January 19, 2009, some sites reported that a YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
video was available, showing Dark Sector running on a PC. Later it was confirmed that the game was indeed ported to Windows and was on sale, though only in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the language was Russian by default. Hackers found ways to run the game in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. An English/French version was added to Steam on March 24, 2009. The PC version's multiplayer mode is only available via Local Area Network
Local area network
A local area network is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building...
play, as the game is a straight port of the console version with no extra code for internet connectivity.
Sequel
When asked about a sequel in a 2008 GameSpot interview, Steven Sinclair stated that there was "nothing definitive" planned, but commented that he would "love to do one", and that Dark Sector only scratched the surface of the character and weapon's potential.Reception
Dark Sector received mixed to positive reviews. It has scored an average 72% from Metacritic based on 45 reviews. On GameRankings, the average ratio is 73%. Game Chronicles praised the game saying "..Dark Sector will have your adrenaline pumping like no other game currently can.." Other reviews include the San Francisco Chronicle who said "...Dark Sector is a chill thrill.." and gave it a 'Positive'. 360Sync gave the game a A-.IGN gave it a 7.7/10, Gamer.tv gave it a 7/10 and GamesRadar gave it a 7/10. XboxFocus gave the game a 3.5/5, citing the game's combat and weapons as fun, but criticizing its paper-thin plot. Game Informer magazine gave it a 7.5 out of 10, GameTrailers gave it a 7.3 out of 10, calling it "an interesting concept, but bases itself around too many games which came before it." PlayStation: The Official Magazine awarded the game a 4/5. Hyper
Hyper (magazine)
Hyper is a multi-platform Australian video game magazine. Australia's longest running gaming magazine, it has been in publication since 1993, and was released the same month as the better known UK magazine Edge...
s Dirk Watch commends the game for "the Glaive and its aftertouch". However, he criticised it for its "patchy AI and steep difficulty curve."
Banning in Australia
In February, before the release in March 2008, the game was banned by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) for sale in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Adam Zweck, the sales and product manager for AFA Interactive, the local distributors of Dark Sector, told GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
AU that the game was banned due to its violence, in particular the finishing moves. "Obviously we're disappointed in it [the decision]. We feel there is justification for an appeal. However, we're exploring several avenues at the moment to see what we can do to get the game on Australian shelves."
The game was eventually released censored, much like the Japanese PS3 release.
On July 22, 2009, Dark Sector was released on the cover disc of PC Powerplay
PC PowerPlay
PC PowerPlay is Australia's only dedicated PC games magazine. Also available in New Zealand, PC PowerPlay focuses on news and reviews for upcoming and newly released games on the Microsoft Windows platform. The magazine also reviews computer hardware for use on gaming computers...
, an Australian PC gaming magazine, although this was the heavily censored version of the game.