Details
Format: PS3
Publisher: Sony
Developer: Game Republic
Release: Q3
Players: 1
There’s something to be said for the dungeon-crawling games of the past. The type where the hapless hero stumbles upon a multi-tiered labyrinth and then embarks upon some quest to retrieve whatever mystical trinket resides at the bottom – usually around level 150 near the center of the planet. And in essence Dark Mist pays homage to his archaic style of top-to-bottom level design but with an added degree of flair and originality.
As Althemis the warrior of light, you’re tasked with pushing back the evil dark mist that has spread across her beautifully realized world. Thankfully, Althemis isn’t expected to attempt this bare handed as she brandishes a rather potent ‘Bow of Light’. Curiously, the game plays out like a traditional 2D shooter – a held fire button consistently unleashes a barrage of arrows and the shoulder buttons can be used to classically fix direction and pivot. Further depth is added via three powered attacks and an all-purpose smart bomb. But the game’s strongest point is the challenge offered by fighting the enemies and dark mist in tandem. Too many games add difficulty by lazily increasing the volume of projectiles. And although the variety and numeracy of the cutesy dark legions increases steadily as Dark Mist progresses, the ever-present threat of being swamped by the enemy-concealing mist asks the plater to do more than dodge purple bullets.
But my main gripe with Dark Mist was the method employed in clearing the mist. For a game that, especially in the later boss encounters, demands accuracy. How could it have seemed like a good idea to make the player shake the pad to execute the mist clearing melee strike? This is another fine example of bas Sixaxis implementation. But if you often get sucked into these deceptively uncomplicated PSN distractions you could end up trawling this misty dungeon all night long
Rating: 6/10
