Video Game Vintage Title: Dark Sector

Dark Sector

Dark Sector is a third-person shooter video game developed by Digital Extremes for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows.

Set in the fictional Eastern Bloc country of Lasria, the game centers around protagonist Hayden Tenno , a morally ambivalent CIA "clean-up man". While trying to intercept rogue agent Mezner, Hayden's right arm is infected with the Technocyte virus, which gives him the ability to grow a three-pronged "Glaive" at will.

Dark Sector was met with mixed to positive reviews. Many critics compared it to Resident Evil 4 and Gears of War, due to the similar style of play and story; yet it was praised for its visuals, originality of action and weapon-based gameplay.

Dark Sector Plot

Dark Sector begins with Hayden Tenno infiltrating a gulag compound in Lasria. Hayden makes short work of all enemy resistance to find Robert Mezner, the man responsible for ravaging Lasria with the Technocyte virus. Hayden proceeds with planting C4 charges throughout the building, before encountering a humanoid metal figure called Nemesis. Hayden is knocked unconscious after attempting to destroy Nemesis. Upon awakening hours later, Hayden finds himself face-to-face with Mezner. As Hayden attempts to reach for his gun, Nemesis appears and stabs his right shoulder, transferring the Technocyte virus into Hayden. Hayden quickly detonates the C4 charges set earlier and manages to escape.

His right arm now mutated with Technocyte, Hayden arrives at a radio station to contact the A.D., his superior, for further instructions. The A.D. tells Hayden to meet up with their sleeper agent, Yargo Mensik, to obtain boosters for the infection. Shortly after, Hayden is ambushed by soldiers, just as his infected arm produces the Glaive, which he uses to eliminate the hostiles. Hayden moves along the coast, slowly gaining new abilities with the Glaive as the infection progresses; while encountering both haz-mat soldiers and infected civilians. He also hears Mezner taunting him telepathically, saying that "this change is inevitable."

Eventually, Hayden finds Yargo, who gives Hayden his updated orders and a booster for the infection. Hayden refuses the medicine, and learns that Mezner wants to recapture the infected with an old transmitter, which emits a signal that attracts Technocyte-infected creatures to its location, located within an old church. Hayden also learns that Nadia, a woman Hayden is acquainted with, is also working for Mezner. Hayden moves on towards the church to destroy the transmitter, all the while taking care of legions of both Lasrian soldiers and infected. Eventually, he makes it into the church catacombs and finds the transmitter. Nadia, who has a deep-rooted hatred for Hayden after his last meeting with her, confronts him. She leaves him to fight his way through a swarm of infected and escape before the C4 he set goes off.

After making contact with the A.D. again, Hayden learns that Mezner is using a freighter to export the Technocyte virus from Lasria. After getting on the boat and fighting through the crew, he makes it to the cargo hold, accidentally releasing a highly evolved Technocyte monster, which sinks the ship. Hayden escapes, learning that Yargo has been found and captured by Mezner's men. Hayden rushes back to Yargo's post, where he finds a security feed of Nadia torturing Yargo, demanding that he let her into "the Vault", saying that whatever is in there can control the Technocyte virus. Disobeying the A.D.'s orders to stand down and await his arrival, Hayden sets out to rescue Yargo.

Fighting through a train station, Hayden finds Yargo, who had lost an eye during interrogation. After a psychedelic moment, Hayden attempts to use the booster, but Nemesis appears and forces them to split up. Hayden attempts to take Nemesis head-on, but Mezner arrives and offers Hayden a chance to kill him; however, Mezner has grown powerful enough to mentally control Technocyte creatures, and begins to overpower Hayden. With no other choice, Hayden injects himself with the booster, breaking Mezner's control over him while simultaneously preventing further mutations. Before Hayden passes out, Mezner tells him that he had the same "booster", which was really meant to prepare the two for the Technocyte virus.

Hayden wakes up later in the Vozro Research Facility, where the Technocyte virus was made during the Cold War. Yargo, who brought him there, tells him that he'd laced the booster with "enferon", a chemical lethal to Technocyte creatures. He claims that he was worried that Hayden would "turn out like Mezner", as they both had the same strain of the virus; however, Hayden had retained his humanity, while Mezner did not. He also tells Hayden that he can get a suit similar to Nemesis' in the facility's subbasement. Hayden sends Yargo through the ventilation system, then makes his way down towards the labs where the suit is kept. After killing hordes of Technocyte creatures and bypassing automated security systems, Hayden discovers the suit; but before he puts on the suit, Nadia arrives outside the door. Hayden pleads with her to leave before things get worse than they already are; she says that she's in too deep to get out now, and that "I'm gonna take Yargo now " before leaving.

Hayden enters the suit, and slaughters his way through infected and non-infected alike, finally finding and killing Nemesis, learning that it was actually Nadia all along. She apologizes for infecting Hayden and tells him Mezner is planning to transmit the Technocyte virus across Earth. Nadia then tells him that she knows he'll "do the right thing this time", gives him the key to the Vault, then dies.

Hayden works his way to the entrance of the Vault to rendezvous with the A.D., who says he has made a deal with Mezner and gives Hayden a booster "for the road". Outraged, Hayden stabs him in the neck with the booster, telling him that "I feel better than ever", and heads off to destroy Mezner. He kills all of the men under the A.D.'s command and enters the Vault. Finding Yargo, Hayden gives him the key, telling him to seal the Vault and dispose of the key. He finds the first known source of the Technocyte virus: a submarine that appeared off the coast of Lasria (seen in the prologue of the game). Hayden discovers that the submarine is actually American. Hayden then discovers Mezner with the Technocyte transmitter, a Hydra-like monstrosity. After fighting and defeating Mezner, the monster and several infected, Yargo arrives to tell Hayden that the transmission is still going out. Hayden tries to fry the circuitry with his Glaive; but Mezner, not yet dead, stuns his right arm, telling him: "You are one of us now." Hayden then catches the now-electrified Glaive with his left hand and impales Mezner's skull with it. With the transmission finally halted, the game ends with Hayden leaving the Vault, catching the Glaive as he steps outside. Yargo, who apparently survives, is heard saying: "That was how it started, the irony of this disease. That in all the others, it made evil; but for him , it had saved his soul."

Dark Sector Gameplay

In Dark Sector, the gameplay revolves around the use of the Glaive, a tri-pronged boomerang-esque weapon which returns to Hayden after every throw. The Glaive can be used for long-distance dismemberment, solving environmental puzzles, and picking up various items. When up close to an enemy, context-sensitive actions may appear, allowing the player to execute enemies with "finishers". Enemies will also hold onto Hayden while attacking, and the player must rapidly press a randomly prompted button to break free. Environmental puzzles in the game usually focus upon capturing various elements (fire, electricity or ice) with the Glaive. For example, a web blocking Hayden's path can be bypassed by capturing fire with the Glaive, and then launching it at the web to burn it down. The Glaive can be dual-wielded with a gun in Hayden's left hand. This allows for combos like stunning a shielded enemy at long-distance with the Glaive, then shooting him while unprotected. As the game progresses, Hayden and the Glaive are given several new abilities; it can be guided through the air, being able to kill multiple enemies (called the afterTouch); a charged-up throw for deadlier attacks (powerThrow); and the ability to make Hayden invisible for a short time (shift) and also provide a temporary shield (shieldPower).

The camera is positioned over the shoulder for third-person shooting, and the player can also take cover by standing next to an object such as a pillar or wall. While in cover, Hayden can pop out and fire, and also throw the Glaive; however, there is no blind firing from behind a cover. There is also a sprint function, which works similar to Gears of War's Roadie Run. There are also simple melee attacks that allow Hayden to punch or slice enemies. The game has no HUD (except for the ammo counter); Hayden's health is shown by the screen flashing red when he takes damage, as well as an indicator showing the attacker's position. If Hayden takes too much damage, the flash speed will increase, and a heartbeat will be heard, indicating Hayden is "bleeding out".

Money (rubles), ammo, weapon upgrades, and grenades can only be found in set locations, so they are impossible to "farm". Downed enemies drop their guns, though after his infection, Hayden can only carry these weapons for a few seconds before they self-destruct. Permanent weapons can be purchased and upgraded in black markets, one small for his off-hand use with the Glaive (replacing the pistol) and one large, such as a shotgun or rifle.