Zero Punctuation: Dark Void

[domicius]

You forgot Rocket Ranger in the "inspiration" o-meter

I'll second that. Cinemaware title from yonkers back, pretty to behold, sucked to play. But it did have a dude in a jetpack fighting nazis in an alternate version of world war 2. It even had nazis on the moon.

It was the most original game of its time. *hack* *cough* *sputter* *die*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_Ranger

 

[RJ Dalton]

As you describe this game to me, I come up with an interesting dilemma. I want to support a game that they're actually trying and clearly had potential and knew what they were doing enough that they could have made a good game if they hadn't run out of whatever, but at the same time, as much as I'd like to support them in the hope that next time they'll do a good job, if I do support them, then it will give game companies the idea that I'm okay with games like that and will encourage them to make more games just the same. Dear God, was that all one sentence? Oh, no, it was two. Okay then.

So, Mr. Yahtzee, here's my question to you. How do you encourage a game company to keep going and build up a good idea with lots of potential without making them think that they don't need to do anymore work than you did? How do you convince the evil corporate executives to give more money to the company so they can do it better without giving them the impression that they can slack off? Because that appears to be the real problem with a game like this.

 

[GG Crono]

On the subject of that comment about the Napoleonic wars: Do you suppose Yahtzee is a fan of Temeraire [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temeraire_%28series%29]?

 

[TylerC]

The Alzheimer's patient on a stair lift part was genius, great job.

 

[Sylocat]

Shouldn't he have called Isaac Clarke "Arthur C. Asimov" instead of "Philip K. Asimov?" He's not Dick Clark (thank goodness).

 

[JWAN]

Jetpack smears sounds like a good time to me. As of late I try to find interesting ways to break games or do stupid things that no one has ever attempted so I might just pick this one up to see what stupid idea I can come up with next.

 

[KingSnorky]

Wow -- Yahtzee really poured on the metaphors this week.

That being said, it's going to be a long time before I drink a glass of milk again without a little bit of uneasiness...

 

[Pimppeter2]

Heh, that was pretty good. I was expecting a different game though.

 

[Pimppeter2]

On the subject of that comment about the Napoleonic wars: Do you suppose Yahtzee is a fan of Temeraire [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temeraire_%28series%29]?

Thank you a hundred million times for showing me that.

 

[ewhac]

I would just like to comment that Dark Void is probably the stupidest video game title I've ever seen. What exactly would be a non-dark void? Isn't the fact of it being dark in the very nature of void-ness?

No.

Go rent George Lucas's first film, THX 1138 [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066434/]. A significant fraction of it takes place in what amounts to a white featureless void.

 

[JMeganSnow]

I would just like to comment that Dark Void is probably the stupidest video game title I've ever seen. What exactly would be a non-dark void? Isn't the fact of it being dark in the very nature of void-ness?

No.

Go rent George Lucas's first film, THX 1138 [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066434/]. A significant fraction of it takes place in what amounts to a white featureless void.

In order for something to appear white to the human eye, it must either be a light-emitting object (in which case the "void" part doesn't apply), or be a light-reflecting object (in which case the "void" part . . . doesn't apply.) "Void" and "full of objects" are mutually exclusive.

 

[zeratul123]

lol the jetpack, something original hahahaahha

 

[SuperStingray]

I loved this game's gameplay, but it was pretty ungratifying in the end, mainly due to the length. I can honestly see some great multiplayer potential in it, but as it is, the game has an incredible lack of replay value. I recommend a rental, or at least waiting till the price drops, but nothing more is really necessary.

 

[SardonicGrin]

Is there anyone I can contact as to why I can't watch the video? Everytime I click play, I get a very long advert for Escapist shows. And I missing something?

 

[Moose112]

3:32 Bacon Chart!!! YEAH!!!

 

[samsonguy920]

Excellent review, nice to see there are games being made that offer exciting moments of escape from whatever thing you did things in. I still hold disbelief that the final mission in Medal of Honor:Allied Assault should be that fun. Guess Dark Void missed that dramatic escape sequence bit.

So too Human is supposed to be Yahtzee's worst game he reviewed?
Interesting I thought there were a lot worse games he did but yeah Too Human is incredibly badly made.

It's in a box he keeps listed "crappiest games ever." It got picked for comparison to this.

brilliant review. Though have you noticed recently main characters in a lot of games are all starting to sound suspiciously like Nathan Drake lately?

Not so loud, they will hear us!

I won't be getting the game, but it's nice to know that developers are trying something new. Maybe somday they'll also get it right.

I like to think there is no one way to 'get it right.' But the things Yahtzee describes that you can do with the jetpack in Dark Void seems a step in the right direction to a way to get it right.

 

[PrototypeC]

I've never heard of a game called Dark Void, and the video wasn't loading (leaving only an empty black screen) so until I read the comments I assumed Yahtzee was being a dick and making a joke.

 

[Darkf0rge]

No way in hell is Too human the worst game of the decade. Yeah it was sloppy, and unpolished, but it was a good concept and once you got into the combat system it worked just fine. and i know alot of poeple that had a hell of a lot of fun with it.

 

[Gincairn]

Same here, no video, however I've kind of already made my mind up about Dark Void, it looks like an update to an old old old PC game called Rocket Ranger (Also set in an alternate World War 2 and looked like an inspiration for the film the Rocketeer) and gameplay elements aside Nolan North is another reason not to get the game.

I've gotten fed up of hearing his voice in the other titles he's done, surely there must be someone else that could be used for a few titles? Next thing you know he'll be working on MGS5 as the voice of Snake, then he'll do the voice work for the next GTA, Resi Evil and all the other franchises until it's nothing but him.

Don't get me wrong, he was great in a few games, but so overused now that he's becoming an anti-selling point for me.