Hardcore Visits Dark Sector
Published April 24, 2008
At A Glance
- Hardcore braves the mutant streets of Lasria to unearth a few hardcore Dark Sector suggestions for those up to the challenge.
Combine the dusky dilapidated streets of the fictional Eastern European Lasria with a rampant mutating virus, fierce gunplay, a quality cover system and smooth controls, and you already have a recipe for hardcore success. Add a massive, whirling blade called the Glaive with boomerang action designed to slice, sever and decapitate enemies, and you're really cooking with gas.
Looking a little off-target, I'm afraid.
The moody, well-paced actioneer Dark Sectorâ„¢ pushes all the right hardcore buttons as it catapults you from one action set-piece to the next with nary a break to catch your breath, to say nothing of the consistent power upgrades and new unlockable gear that shakes up the combat just when it's needed most.
Inventive as the Glaive and our hero's myriad powers are, they may prove a shade too powerful until you've unlocked the game's Brutal difficulty setting. Therefore, the hardcore gamer must necessarily take steps to add that extra bit of sweet difficulty that we all require. If you want to truly test your Dark Sector prowess, allow me to suggest the following challenges.
The hardcore gamer should endeavor to pick
off these opponents by targeting that bare sliver
of forehead that pokes ever so slightly above
the top of their shields with a pistol shot.
After Touch Restraint
Sublime though it may be to hurl the Glaive in slow-motion with After Touch, guiding the lethal tri-blade to a gory outcome at the expense of your enemy, I urge you to practice restraint when activating this slow-mo power. Use it instead to highlight a rare moment or cap off a frantic battle.
For example, ricochet your Glaive off a nearby wall, hit After Touch and guide the blade through the forehead of that last pesky enemy who foolishly thought themselves safe while hiding around a corner. In short, use After Touch to embellish combat instead of making it the sole focus.
That better be a time-bombed assault rifle.
Enemy Weapons Only
While you should certainly buy and upgrade weapons in Dark Sector's Black Markets if for no other reason than to score the related achievements, avoid taking advantage of the increased firepower they represent. Instead, if you feel the need to retire the Glaive briefly, use the enemy's time-bombed weapons (they explode after several seconds of use) as your Glaive alternative.
Tossing your Glaive to snatch the fallen shotgun from the enemy you just beheaded, and then rushing forth out of cover to blast a few oncoming enemies while the gun's timer chirps to its inevitable destruction, is a great deal more tense and satisfying than switching over to your upgraded assault rifle at leisure while crouched safely behind cover.
Finish the Red
Mistime a power throw with your Glaive and the targeted enemy will find themselves only temporarily wounded. While in this stunned and bewildered state, the enemy will often glow red, opening themselves up for a melee "finishing" move for a short time.
In penance for your mistimed throw, any enemies glowing red should be struck down by the aforementioned melee finishing attack, whether you have to pass uncovered through a dangerous fire zone or not. After all, if you can't time your power throw correctly, you should at least dispatch the enemy in style.
Such a sweet, sweet toy.
Headshot the Shields
The riot-shield toting enemies in Dark Sector are imposing adversaries, but a quick power throw to the shield can expose them to gunfire. Effective? Yes. Hardcore? No. Rather, the hardcore gamer should endeavor to pick off these opponents by targeting that bare sliver of forehead that pokes ever so slightly above the top of their shields with a pistol shot.
This trying tactic is worth the extra challenge and likely frustration as it tests not only your twitch shooting skills, but also your calm under fire as the shielded enemies march forward to unleash their devastating attack.
Glaive Only
While retrieving and using the time-bombed enemy weapons offers its own extra challenge, you might find an even tougher test of skill and tactics by restricting yourself to Glaive-only attacks. This is particularly true in large, long-distance fights where so many of your enemies will be outside the Glaive's range at the battle's outset.
Having to pick your way carefully from cover to cover to close the distance while precisely timing your throws breeds the kind of tension and satisfaction that can be gained only by surviving the most ruthlessly challenging encounters.
Dark Sector for Xbox 360® hits all the expected notes the hardcore gamer has come to expect from a top-shelf third-person shooter. Marry its already finely-tuned gameplay with the preceding hardcore challenges, and you should find the experience even more rewarding.
Article by Hardcore
