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Dark Angel
Score: 75%
ESRB: Teen
Publisher: Sierra Entertainment
Developer: Radical Entertainment
Media: DVD/1
Players: 1
Genre: Action

Graphics & Sound:
This may be a first, but Dark Angel the game is stronger, by far, than the television show. This from a fan who tuned into the first season with high hopes James Cameron could bring the same kind of magic to Prime Time he displayed on the big screen. With no small amount of disappointment, I watched the show devolve into the kind of formulaic stuff one would expect out of any by-the-by show. I'm sure there are those who would disagree, but the show didn't hold many surprises after the first couple of episodes. The game, on the other hand, is full of surprises. The graphics are top-shelf, and the music throughout sets the kind of cool, funky tone that was certainly a staple of the show. One thing that can certainly be said for Dark Angel is it had a nice style, and before I got tired of Max going through the motions I was really into her cool, 'superchick' thing. The game picks up on that nicely, and everything from the chatter and Max's comments when she dishes out pain to the Eyes Only broadcasts and cut-scenes during transitions between levels carry a sassy edge. The fact that the actors from the show gave their voices for the game adds a lot of legitimacy for fans, I'm sure.

If you have trouble visualizing Dark Angel as a game, envision a combination between some brawler like Final Fight and Metal Gear Solid. There is no question the designers had Metal Gear in mind when they put Dark Angel together, but it's satisfying to be able to interact with the enemy using fist and foot instead of always being so damn stealthy. And, where the camera in third person action titles usually stays at a bird's-eye view, you'll often see it pull in to capture some special shot or go into slo-mo when Max does something particularly cool during a fight. It's a smart camera. Navigating a level according to looks can be a bit frustrating, because Max is supposed to be this 'more than human' bad girl, but she still can't seem to jump over trucks or sometimes even navigate around simple objects because 'that's not the path.' Something like not being able to jump at all as Solid Snake. If you can suspend disbelief over Snake's inability to so much as leave the ground for a little hop, you can buy into some of Max's limitations.


Gameplay:
In the first few moments playing Dark Angel, I suspected I had the game pinned down. Run around, knock people out and probably grab some keys or solve a puzzle along the way. Not really, as it turns out. You do spend a great deal of time knocking people out, but that's only a piece of the action. Following the story from the show, you play as Max, a genetically modified super-soldier who just wants her childhood back. Or rather, she wants to know who did the things that were done to her, and what's become of the rest of her 'family.' So, she sets out to claw her way to the man (or woman) at the top of what she knows as the experiment called Manticore.

Entering the game, you find Max dropped into a war zone in what was Seattle, before the apocalypse. Soldiers surround your position, and just getting out of the first alley requires a knock-down fist fight. Luckily, Max has a comrade, Logan Cable. This guy runs his Eyes Only show over pirated frequencies, and is as intent on solving the mystery of Manticore as Max. Periodically, Logan will tune in and let you know something is coming up ahead or just give you a tip on how to handle the situation. If this sounds like the Codec from you-know-where, you're not far off. In fact, most of this game could be characterized as Metal Gear expanded to include more brawling. Max rarely uses weapons, so all the fighting you'll do is up close and personal. Apart from a taser-like projectile she can employ to take down enemies who otherwise might trigger an alarm, Max wades into battle with fists a-flyin'. Man, the fighting is pretty awesome! I was a bit skeptical, but this is a brawler done the right way. The controls are simple enough, with buttons for punch, kick, grab and a jump button, but the really cool thing is how you can trigger special attacks to create John Woo moves. Things like running up a wall and launching devastating kicks or just flying into the air to roll over the top of a crowd and knock some heads along the way are accompanied by a slo-mo camera that does a beautiful job of capturing the spirit of the moment and pulling you into the action. Otherwise, Max is capable of knocking down some enemies, using police batons to do extra damage against a fierce enemy or taking guys out from afar with stealth. Fully destructible environments further enhance your immersion in the action and create some neat effects. Most every mission is very short, but it's a bit irritating to see as much load time between missions. It should just start over when you die, if you want to start over.

If fighting were the only cool thing to do, we'd be in trouble, but stealth plays a pretty big part in Dark Angel also. Even more demanding than Metal Gear, if Max triggers an alarm or becomes exposed in a level, she has a limited amount of time to knock out all the guards or complete the level objective. When the clock runs down, backup troops arrive and its game over. This can be tedious, especially because it's difficult to tell how far guards can see or which direction they're facing before you move, but capture usually points to the need for a different approach. Much like the VR missions in Metal Gear, small levels in Dark Angel always have a few optimal strategies. Boss fights aren't as much about strategy, but you do have to be able to read the boss quickly and react. Muscle is still what you'll use most of the time to take out bosses.


Difficulty:
Three levels of difficulty can be chosen right off the bat, and determine much about how you'll experience Dark Angel. Only the truly sadistic would choose the most difficult, because even on the easiest setting, you'll quickly find some guards who can take you down. Learning how each type of guard responds teaches you about enemy AI, which is good. If you get surrounded, you're dead meat, and you'll learn to quickly take out the guys with guns. There are few 'gifts' in the game where enemy AI is concerned, so you can expect to earn your way through most levels. Frantic button pushing works for some, but it won't do any good for others. I like that timing and thoughtful action are accentuated over mindless action, but Dark Angel is still a game for action fans. Anyone expecting a deliberately paced adventure will the sorely disappointed.

Game Mechanics:
Destructible environments, good camera, enough detail on Max to make her look pretty hot (for a videogame, of course) and other visual goodies betray the fact that Dark Angel is built on a solid engine. Design and texture within levels helps create even more presence. One of the extras on the DVD is a Dark Angel novel you can read as well as a Trailer you can watch. It's too bad there isn't some sort of Tutorial or Practice level to play or try out moves in, and it's also a bit disappointing that some tally of all the moves you've learned isn't available. But, there are plenty of goodies to offset any 'missing' features. Max's enhanced vision, as featured in the show, is portrayed here as a foggy binocular view that doubles as a sniper scope for the small weapon Max carries. At any time, you can move the camera around in the third person using the right analog stick or check out a map for the bigger picture. Once Logan chimes in with information or an objective, Max can access a log that tracks the information, but levels are rarely long or complicated enough to create much confusion. Putting Max through her paces in a fight is easy enough, but the most powerful moves take practice. Pressing kick or punch buttons multiple times predictably creates combination attacks, and jump combination attacks can create some slo-mo supercharged action. But, to really get the full effect of something like a wall kick, you have to know how to trigger it, which the manual goes through. And, you'll find that most of your powerful moves show up when Max is in Rage Mode, and she does much more damage here as well. Trigger this mode by pressing and holding one of the attack buttons, and it sure makes knocking out a big group of enemies easier!

Dark Angel has more under the hood than you might suspect from looking at the wrapper or judging by the show. If you thought Dark Angel the show was cool, you'll be in heaven playing the game. And, if you didn't know anything about the show, or wrote it off after it started dragging, you'll find Dark Angel the game to be a redeeming brawler with some added elements of strategy and stealth. Not that Max will unseat Solid Snake anytime soon, but she's got some good stuff going for her. Lots of action, a cool vibe and some great visuals make this a must-rent and for any action fans a game that should make its way into the library before too long.


-Fridtjof, GameVortex Communications
AKA Matt Paddock

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