Dark Storm Demo

Dark Storm, where to start. I guess by saying that the following is for a very early version of the game, just below early alpha access, or at least that’s how it plays. It’s a game about a near future in which Earth’s natural resources are almost depleted, and a 3rd World War is about to be set in motion.

A key to survival for the human race would be to harness Dark Matter and use it as a means of energy. Which sounds like something scientists and researchers would do, so why the need for guns? Well, as it all seems predictable, it just might be that either you need to defend your lab or get back what was stolen, or you’re a merc.

So far, from the demo you will get the idea that if a game is built using Unreal Engine it’s not going to be an instant success. It will need tons of work, and Dark Storm is not an exception. The first thing that pops up on the negatives radar is how rigid the protagonist’s movements are, at least when walking. Sprinting looks good, though. The animations of the lead character are crucial since the game provides both first-person and third-person perspectives.

To stack a few more mishaps, there’s a slight video/audio delay when switching weapons, sometimes the AI spawns right in your face and of course, there is no time to dodge. The enemy body pickup mechanic is amusing, try it, it’s contortionism meets levitation. Last but not least, when diving into cover you might just land on top of a cube, and from that point on, float on your belly while you get shot.

For a game that’s in its early stages of life, stuff like the above mentioned is common, expected and in most cases it gets resolved when the game is released as a finished product. All of that isn’t a deal breaker, not for me at least.

Dark Storm provides a series of scenarios in which you will have to take out enemy forces using a direct shootout approach or use stealth as your weapon. Regardless of the case, the gameplay feels solid at its core, flawed as it is.

Fans of the genre will find patience with it but when it comes to people who just want to try it out, right now, Dark Storm might not survive more than thirty minutes on a hard drive. It definitely needs work, but it also has a lot of potential.