Paul Fiander
I was lucky to grab some time with Publisher Iceberg Interactive at Eurogamer and they gave me some time with a few titles the first being Dark Matter. With its release due in September/October of this year I delved into Interwave Studios creation as you can read below.
Set in a derelict spaceship Dark Matter was a surprise title for me to get my hands on. I had literally never heard of the game before but was happy to give it a try. First thing to note is this is a PC title (also coming to mac and Linux) and it's makes great use of the keyboard and mouse control scheme. As its a 2.5D game you are able to navigate with the ubiquitous WASD keys but it's the aiming through the mouse that I really enjoyed. The aiming is very free so you can react to any sight or sound in an instant and being a Survival horror title your peripheral vision will be tested. |
The use of light and dark however is where the strength of this game lies in my opinion. The character casts a small aura of light around herself which cannot be seen by the enemy but also limits your vision to a foot or two. The rest of the environment can be illuminated with a torch, this however can draw enemies towards you so you need to decide when to use it. The lighting is not the only tactical element within the game you also have the ability to scavenge and use the ‘loot’ to upgrade one of four weapons. This also works for health kits and other tools that will help you explore. |
The Scavenging is supported by the games non-linear storytelling allowing the player more of a free role when it comes to gameplay. This should allow players an opportunity for replay as you strive to discover everything about the derelict craft, the differing weapons and ammo will also add replay value, making this a solid investment for the survival horror fans out there. |
The team at Interwave Studios have put together a Gameplay trailer in which you can see below. This will give you more of an idea of what they are bringing to the table. For me at least I cannot wait to delve further into the haunting atmosphere of Dark Matter