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Dark Angel features one of the most elusive stories seen in a video game. Based on the now cancelled TV Show, Sierra's Dark Angel stars Max (played by Jessica Alba).
Max was genetically made in a lab with a mix of human and feline DNA. She is then trained to be a super soldier along with the other genetically engineered 'people'. She was able to escape and now she wants to find out how and why she was born. The TV show may be cancelled but Sierra has published a new game for the PS2 and Xbox.
Max lives in Seattle in a where terrorists have taken over. Terrorists hit the United States with an electromagnetic bomb and turned the United Stated into a third-world county who is ran by the military and a huge compotation. This huge corporation sees Max as someone useful for them. They tell some of their 'people' they want Max to be captured alive. Max's skills aren't alone as Max has the help of Logan, a cyber-journalist who aids her.
Dark Angel's visuals are pretty good. The characters feel like they were taken right from the TV show. Max does look like Jessica Alba which is a nice detail. The cut scenes really show how close the characters are to their TV counterparts. The streets capture what Radical, the developers, wanted. They are dark, dirty and gritty. The camera is sometimes a bit haywire but for the most part captures the game very well. Sound wise, Dark Angel steps up as well. Jessica Alba lends her voice talent to Max and Michael Weatherly does the same for Logan. They sound very good and add some authencity to the game. Her comments are amusing and will keep you interested, but they repeat a bit too much. The music is done very well and changes depending on the mood of the game.
The game is seen through a third-person view, and Max is able to move with a lot of stealth. The stealth isn't as complicated as Splinter Cell or MGS2 but it does its job. If hiding isn't your style, you can rush through an area with your feline quickness. You'll have a lot of movie-style moves at your disposal if you don't want to run or hide. You're able to pull off combos, or do walls kick. If you fill your Rage Meter you are able to use your most powerful moves.
The game doesn't feature a lot of weapons though. You'll pick some weapons here and there, but for the most part you rely on your combat or stealth skills. One of the more remember able weapons is the X5 Stealth Gun. With this you are able to fire an electrical charge to an enemy, but the shot isn't fatal. The developers also included a first person view point to help you look around or aim better.
The game's missions and objectives follow the TV series nicely. The game's levels are extremely impressive in the beginning and while the quality seems to diminish during the game, the later levels are decent. Most of the later levels consist of getting from Point A to Point B and simply destroy or avoid anything and everything in the way. There game features a few boss fights and they add a bit of variety to the game. The puzzles are simple and don't really force you to think. The game keeps the same pace after the first few levels.
Dark Angel is a good game but it's a bit repetitious. It looks and sounds good, and handles well but there is something missing. The license adds a whole lot to the game, and fans of the show will enjoy this very thoroughly. Gamers though, won't find a whole lot of reasons to invest if they don't like the Dark Angel franchise. The Playstation 2 and Xbox versions are identical so the game can be bought for either console without missing out. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Dec 12, 2002
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