Darkwatch
Rating:  -
This is a fair game, but if you've played any first person shooters(FPS), you've played this one. You are either shooting monsters or hacking them to "death" with the butt of your weapon.
Like I said, it's just about like any FPS, only set in sort of a western setting that you can't see real well because it is, I guess, appropriately dark.
There aren't many variation within the types of enemies you encounter.
Your character is first person throughout most of the game, except when riding horseback, I don't know why they chose to change it there.
If you are looking for a western game, try Gun. If you want a monster killing game, this is one, but so are so many others out there.
Rating:  -
Darkwatch is, technically, one of the slickest and most responsive shooters to grace the console systems. On the other hand, it's oft-delayed development cycle did nothing to prevent the finished product from coming across half-baked in most every other department.
Interestingly, the game is set in the old West, but with a gothic twist. It seems our protagonist, the outlaw Jericho Cross, has just robbed the wrong train - instead of sacks of wealth it contains an evil vampire lord. Unwittingly unleashing said vampire from the custody of the shadowy organization known as the Darkwatch, this creature of the night proceeds to raise the dead and wreak all kinds of havoc. Sound cool? Yeah, it certainly does, but the implementation of this unique setting leaves much to be desired, and the ensuing plot makes little sense.
This is exceedingly unfortunate, as the gameplay here is well worth any shooter's raised eyebrow. The production values are spot on, and the action has been polished to a blue steel sheen. Think Painkiller meets Halo and you may have some idea what to expect with this one. Blasting countless vampires and other beasties into oblivion with heavily modified old Western firepower is the highlight... and all that blasting is certainly cathartic fun. A cool arsenal and a handful of vampyric superpowers provide action that is undeniably delicious. All of this is wrapped up in tight, responsive controls and a solid frame rate despite the swarms of baddies that fill the game's small(ish) levels.
On the flipside, nonsensical story notwithstanding, the game offers little in the way of variety (and what it does proffer up feels decidedly tacked on, such as one level in which you're tasked to drive a vehicle merely because that's the new trend in shooters). For instance, you'll probably find yourself choosing your favorite weapons early on and sticking to them, and the game's incessant use of Reapers, scythe-wielding undead which are not only the first enemy you encounter but easily the most overused, detract from the overall experience. On top of this, the melee attack (ala Halo) is a little too powerful, and to conserve ammo and make quicker kills you'll probably find yourself bashing enemies in the face just as often as you shoot at them.
The game's single greatest offense, however, comes in terms of its length. This one can be finished with ease on the normal difficulty setting (albeit with one frustrating level near the end that tasks you with jumping through a fiery town killing flying Banshees). There is some slight replay value to be had due to a very gimmicky feature that allows you to make good or evil decisions, but it's just that - gimmicky, and really quite lifeless. The game plays out much the same in either case.
That said, there's still a lot to like about Darkwatch as a first person shootist. Expect the problems, deal with them, and you'll find a slick, fairly addictive action title just beneath the surface. It just had the potential to be so much more, and it's hard not to get the distinct impression that this one was rushed out the door before it could really mature into a grade A product.
Rating: -
It was a long wait and a lot of extensions to the original release date, but Darkwatch is now readily available on the Xbox platform. How does it live up to the hype? Pretty well.
First of all, this game is in a shooter-genre all of its own. The setting is the Wild West, but with a spin, vampires and undead. If any other games have tried this, I haven't seen them. It really is a refreshing setting and helps to make Darkwatch feel fresh while in reality it is just any other shooter.
As a shooter the game delivers fun gameplay, but nothing stellar, and no real moments that made you say wow - like the dual weild in Halo2 for example. The controls are fluid (as others have mentioned if you are familiar with Halo and Halo2, you will want to use the Cheifton controller configuration right from the get go) but occasionally I found that the charachter just didn't always turn when I told him to, especially when taking damage. This was rare, but odd. In addition, his ability to fan the hammer on his revolver for rapid fire didn't always work by holding the fire button down the first time, and I had to release the button and hold it again. So far, those are the only glitches I've noted.
The maps are actually very small and/or linear and you are limited in where you can run (and thus, your strategy is limited). You have the added ability to lean from side to side, and while I haven't noticed much of a difference using this ability, it could prove helpful. The appearance/mood/setting is very well done, creepy and dark, and mature. Their are corpses and muilated bodies, etc. that push this game into the mature realm.
Now, shooting is the key element of shooters, so on that note, the guns are very, very fun and inventive (but not believable) given the era. You start with a simple revolver but you won't be limited to that for long at all. In the same opening level you get the Redeemer and that is the pistol you will most likely keep throughout the game. While holding an amazing amount of ammo and having rapid fire, the Redeemer also allows you to fan the gun's hammer and thus greatly increase your rate of fire. It is a great way to mow down waves or put rounds into a large target, but it can also eat your ammo and it is difficult to adjust your aim. You will also have the options of dual pistols (fire more lead, but very inaccurate except at close range), a carbine (slow rate of fire, somewhat powerful), shotgun (not really my favorite, only effective at close, close range and slow rate of fire) and Range Rifle (sniper rifle). You will encounter stationary weapons and you can shoot with unlimited ammunition from the back of your horse - undead horse. You can also throw dynamite, and shoot dynamite bolts from a gas powered crossbow. This weapon is fun, great at distances and against groups, but the delayed explosion means that nearby enemies will be on top of you before the dynamite explodes - and you get to blow up with them. All the weapons have a melee attack, and for some, like the crossbow, you may use it more than the primary fire in some instances.
The enemies in Dark Watch all looked amazing to me, and have very good animations - although they are all the same after a short while. They all look creepy and really add to the atomoshere of the game, and are just plain fun to shoot up. Some elements of the world around you respond to gunfire/bashing, but not a lot.
You have some vampiric abilities in Darkwatch, but I found them to be somewhat bland. You earn them by doing good or evil deeds and thus earning good or evil (if you will) powers. The powers are essentially defensive sheilds and buffs to the power you deal with your guns. You have a double-jump that is quite useful from the start, but unlike some other vampire games you don't have a glide, hover, slow fall, or anything of that nature, and you don't have any sensory awareness (radar) to tell you where enemies are - and they will come at you from behind a lot and you won't have any advance notice that they are there. You do have "bloodvision" that turns everything into shades of red and gray and allows you to see the enviroment much subdued and the targets and certain items are easier to make out - they glow pink.
I've completed what I would guess is 50% of the game, not a very long game, but typical for a shooter. I haven't really noted a lot that would make me want to replay the game in full, but I can see myself coming back to it from time to time.
In short, if a Vampire Western theme appeals to you, this game will deliver hours of enjoyment.
Rating:  -
why are you people all harping on the fact that this game is for mature people? A LOT OF GAMES ARE FOR MATURE PEOPLE! evil dead. mortal kombat. GTA. halo. breakdown. about 75 % 0f all video games are intended for adults! it is stupid to note a specific game as being for mature gamers just because it involves decapitation. a lot of them do!
Rating:  -
I bought this game because at the time there were no new games for the xbox at the time that i thought were worth spending 50 bucks on. Dark Watch had so much hype online, in magazines and in stores that i thought id get it, bad mistake. The game is fun for 20 minutes then it becomes clear that each level will be the same as the last and this will continue to happen. It is so repetitive that the game could be playing the previous level with a new name and i would have believed it. Each level involves shooting a skelton, zombie or banshee in the head with a very small amount of guns, fun at first then a pisser after. It starts off as a small challenge, but once you get hang of the controls and get good at shooting the enemies in the head(quickest way to kill them) it becomes a synch. I beat the game in 3 hours, no joke. Then i looked around the options to see if there is anything else to do, there was none. Pissed off that i had just spent 50 bucks on this games i put it in the case and havnt touched it since.
Pros: Fun for 5 mins, decent graphics, origional story line.
Cons: disgustingly repetitive, lack of "cool guns", way too short and easy.
Dont get it, and if your thinking of renting try another game
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