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Darkwatch: Curse Of The West Review: To Buy Or Not Buy?

Darkwatch Cover

Darkwatch: Curse Of The West Review: To Buy Or Not Buy?

Darkwatch: Curse of The West developed by High Moon Studios is a first-person shooter game for PlayStation and Xbox released in 2005. The storyline follows an outlaw gunslinger Jericho Cross who has been pulled into vampire ranks by an unfortunate encounter with a vampire lord. To save the West, and his own soul from damnation, he has been recruited by the Darkwatch. An ancient consortium that has protected humans from the ravages of evil since the beginning of time. Jericho must hunt the vampire through an American frontier now overrun by evil minions. 

Along the way he relies on his deadly gunfighting skills and advanced weapons and vehicles put at his disposal by the Darkwatch, as well as a few surprises afforded him as a half-vampire: superhuman abilities and a trusty undead steed. Let’s take a look at whether or not this game is worth investing in.

Weaponry and Skill Sets

Darkwatch monster's screenshot
Darkwatch features a wide variety of weaponry.

Pistols, shotguns, rocket launchers and dynamite are the basic weapons of choice. Upgrades will be required to fight off different kinds of enemies. Although you don’t level-up the way you would in an RPG you do amass supernatural powers and more powerful weapons. While he battles the evil vampires and other undead enemies, he will use a variety of weapons including a crossbow and spells and powers he gets from the undead he destroys.

Physical skills such as double jumps are an excellent feature that you will use almost as much as the weapons themselves. The ability to jump into the stratosphere is inherited from vampires. You almost have the ability to fly as you take to the air over rooftops and to the peaks of canyons. While in the air you can float and take part in some aerial combat.

Features of Darkwatch: Curse of the West

Darkwatch screenshot
Jericho ready to vanquish his foes.

A morality system lets you choose the path of good or evil. The powers that you gain on the path of good will be more flexible and ultimately more powerful than those of the evil path. The AI is well programmed. When combating an enemy, you won’t be able to predict its pattern as it actually reacts to your actions. If you shoot it will dodge your projectiles. If you’re slow on the draw it will take the opportunity to attack. Other enemies will hunt in packs and try to surround you. The Banshees are a particularly frightening bunch that attempt to tear you apart with their relentless, blood curdling screams.

Incorporating some of the best elements of games such as Half Life and Halo, Darkwatch seems more straightforward and easier to get into. It’s non-linear and chock full of cutscenes. Which can render the game difficult to follow. The sound effects are well timed and reproduced loud and clear. Even though the music is minimal it adds to the ambient eeriness.

Parting Thoughts

Darkwatch is instantly compelling and will appeal to all gamers that want to experience something cool during this hot summer. The controls alone are worth the price of admission. They are so smooth, accurate and user-friendly that they rival the ease of those of a PC and mouse.

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