Gaming Target - Xbox: Dark Angel

Written by Leigh Culpin on September 12, 2002

First Impressions: The show might be dead, but that doesn't mean the game will suckЕ maybe.

Radical's at it again, this time bringing us some Dark Angel action. It's basically going for the beat-em-up style of gameplay with your good ole' sci-fi elements mixed in. Really, it should be a winning combination Ц you've got combat, Xbox, the future, a super-human, Max, who happens to be a babeЕ what more can a guy ask for?

Seriously though, Dark Angel is looking like it might turn out to be a fun game. Only thing is, fun might not be enough Ц it's really the type of game to get real old real fast. The enemies are your typical faceless evildoers, and naturally they take a substantial amount of punishment considering that you have recombinant DNA that makes you stronger than any mere human is. However, this recombinant DNA also lets you do some sweet moves and combos, and this is where the real fun begins.

The combat system will let you link and combo most moves, and you can throw in toss or hold moves at your leisure. However, walls have become your best friend Ц you can run towards them and catapult yourself off them, even giving a nice little kick on the way back should any baddies around need to be put down for the count. Another nice maneuver not usually seen in the genre is the dash Ц something Gunvalkyrie used, but not something usually seen in the 3rd person beat-em-up. Then again, you don't usually have feline traits in other games, do you?

Aside from the nifty looking arsenal of moves, the game doesn't look that unusual. The graphics are good, but not great, and the sound's decent but nothing special. The gameplay will really dictate the success of this game (As it should), since the game's more about fighting and less about espionage, romance and conspiracy when compared to the show. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with this, but Radical has to find a way to get out of the trap of appealing to only fans of the series, since it's resemblance ends really in the names, some storyline aspects and special effects.