Games
Sony
Microsoft
Nintendo
Other Platforms
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
42
0 Day Attack on Earth
80
0-D Beat Drop!
68
Alien Breed Evolution: Episode 1
xx
Aliens vs. Predator
xx
Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? Game Time
73
Army of Two: The 40th Day
91
Assassin's Creed II
56
Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forli
71
Axel & Pixel
61
Backyard Football '10
60
Bakugan Battle Brawlers
76
Band Hero
xx
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
90
Bayonetta
70
Ben 10: Alien Force - Vilgax Attacks
89
BioShock 2
62
Blood Bowl
xx
Blur
84
Borderlands
63
Borderlands: Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot
81
Borderlands: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned
82
Brutal Legend
72
Call of Duty Classic
94
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
60
Chaotic: Shadow Warriors
79
Chime
xx
Crash Time III
51
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Deadly Intent
74
Dante's Inferno
59
Dark Void
83
Darksiders
xx
Darwinia+
xx
Deadly Premonition
55
Death by Cube
67
Diner Dash
62
Divinity II: Ego Draconis
84
DJ Hero
86
Dragon Age: Origins
xx
Dragon Age: Origins - Return to Ostagar
56
Dragon Ball: Raging Blast
xx
Dreamkiller
60
Encleverment Experiment
51
Fairytale Fights
90
FIFA Soccer 10
xx
Final Fantasy XIII
92
Forza Motorsport 3
xx
Fret Nice
89
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony
60
Guitar Hero: Van Halen
75
Gyromancer
62
Inferno Pool
61
James Cameron's Avatar: The Game
60
Jurassic: The Hunted
64
Karaoke Revolution
70
KrissX
89
Left 4 Dead 2
71
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
71
LEGO Rock Band
70
Lips: Number One Hits
xx
Madagascar Kartz
66
Madden NFL Arcade
69
Magnacarta 2
xx
Major League Baseball 2K10
96
Mass Effect 2
65
Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond
xx
Metro 2033
xx
Misadventures of P. B. Winterbottom, The
78
MX vs. ATV Reflex
25
NBA Unrivaled
75
NCAA Basketball 10
75
Panzer General: Allied Assault
89
Peggle Nights
53
Planet 51
74
Polar Panic
77
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
67
Puzzlegeddon
51
Qix++
62
Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure!
xx
Rock Band Metal Track Pack
28
Rogue Warrior
73
Saboteur, The
75
Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space
56
Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen!
68
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter
60
Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper
xx
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing with Banjo-Kazooie
xx
SpongeBob's Truth or Square
81
Stoked: Big Air Edition
xx
Supreme Commander 2
80
Tekken 6
xx
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
46
Tony Hawk: RIDE
60
Tower Bloxx Deluxe
75
Tropico 3
55
Vancouver 2010: The Official Videogame of the Winter Olympic Games
66
Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment
73
Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 2: The Last Resort
72
Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 3: Muzzled!
72
Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 4: The Bogey Man
66
Way of the Samurai 3
53
Where the Wild Things Are
xx
Winter Sports 2010: The Great Tournament
81
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.
Dark Sector

Mixed or average reviews
Based on 71 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 99 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >
Game Info
Publisher: D3 Publisher of America
Developer: Digital Extremes
Genre(s): Third-Person Shooter
Players: 10
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release Date: March 25, 2008
Summary
An all-new and original action-thriller designed exclusively for next-generation consoles, Dark Sector thrusts players into the role of Hayden Tenno, an elite black-ops agent sent on a dangerous mission into a decaying Eastern European city that hides a deadly Cold War secret. Attacked by an unknown enemy, he awakens to find part of his body altered by an infection that has granted him inhuman abilities and he must learn to evolve along with his powers, to survive and to become a hero. A dark, gritty experience packed with fast action, incredible superpowers and an engaging story. [D3Publisher of America]
Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central
Also On The Web: Official Website
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Game Chronicles
This is the surprise action game of the year, not that the arrival is any surprise; D3 has been hyping this title for nearly two years, but the sheer quality and originality of gameplay, mostly thanks to a single little throwing weapon, makes this a must-play title for any action gamer.
Read Full Review >AtomicGamer
If you're a fan of fast-paced action complemented by gluttonous gore, do yourself a favor and allow Dark Sector to infect you.
Read Full Review >Xbox360Achievements
The similarities to Gears hurt its originality, but the glaive is simply awesome.
Read Full Review >Gamers' Temple
There may have not been a lot of hype surrounding the release of Dark Sector, but it’s definitely worth a look.
Read Full Review >GameCritics
The great level design, intense combat setpieces, and the incredibly depressing design aesthetic are all top-notch. It's a prime example of great execution elevating a tired premise.
Read Full Review >PGNx Media
Dark Sector doesn’t try to revolutionize the action game genre. It just wants you to have fun, by killing enemies with an awesome weapon and going online to do the same. And it certainly succeeds as being a fun game, with great presentation values.
Read Full Review >Console Gameworld
In closing, Dark Sector has familiar gameplay to Gears of War, using the cover system, perspective and excessive bloodshed, but it's addition of abilities helps animate the darkened world.
Read Full Review >Maxi Consolas (Portugal)
It’s the culmination of a very long development that presents itself as one of the first good surprises of the year. It doesn’t have the intention to innovate, especially when compared to Resident Evil 4, but its solid gameplay mechanics, alongside with some great visuals, make for a great experience. Especially for those who like visceral action. [Apr 2008]
Gaming Nexus
Outside of a few issues Dark Sector does a good job of blending the elements of action, story, and interaction that create a fun, enjoyable gaming experience.
Read Full Review >Console Monster
Dark Sector is recommended to any gamer looking for a gruesome fix of body slicing action, and whilst the game is not near as bad as the media has perceived, it is undoubtedly going up against a strong line-up of first-person shooters currently on the Xbox 360.
Read Full Review >Xbox World Australia
Its faster-paced take on the Gears of War formula, coupled with the novelty of the bladed glaive mechanic, pull Dark Sector above the mire of mediocre shooters that it could so easily have become.
Read Full Review >MS Xbox World
In closing, Dark Sector is a decent action shooting game that will appeal to those gamers who like a little thinking with their blasting.
Read Full Review >PTGamers
Dark sector is a good action game, mainly thanks to the entertaining Glaive. However, it has its flaws, especially the close combat, short lifespan and weak online mode.
Read Full Review >GameDaily
This action opus provides buckets of blood-spilling entertainment, especially once you utilize the raw power of the Glaive weapon.
Read Full Review >ZTGameDomain
It would have scored 9+ easy with a fleshed out story and engaging multi-player, but as it stands you get a truly visceral and enjoyable single-player action romp that will satisfy any fan of the genre.
Read Full Review >VideoGamer
It's not going to set the world alight like Gears of War and it doesn't revolutionise survival horror like Resident Evil 4, but its thrilling combat and sensational visuals make it well worth adding to your collection.
Read Full Review >360 Gamer Magazine UK
Dark Sector is constantly impressive and tighter than most triple-A releases, with only a few tiny niggles and its decidedly basic structure holding it back from taming the genre altogether.
Armchair Empire
For action fans, Dark Sector is definitely a game worth checking out because it hits all the right notes.
Read Full Review >GameZone
Dark Sector is engaging and addictive, but only the first time through. After beating the game, you will more than likely find yourself searching for a reason to work through the storyline again.
Read Full Review >Thunderbolt
The shoddy script will annoy and disappoint everyone, but luckily, the rest of the game is solid, and even impressive.
Read Full Review >Gamervision
Not everything needs to be "Gears of War," there is room for good shooters with some original elements that fill the gaps in-between "Super Smash Brothers" and "Grand Theft Auto," and that is where games like Dark Sector come in. The multiplayer isn’t good enough to keep you playing for long, but it is definitely worth a single play through.
Read Full Review >Gamer 2.0
On the whole, while a few elements of combat fall short, a decent story coupled with consistently delivered “Wow!” moments make Dark Sector enjoyable.
Read Full Review >Games Master UK
A really satisfying set of powers makes up for middling creativity. And cheer up a bit, eh? [May 2008, p.70]
Extreme Gamer
Digital Extremes has set out to create an original 3rd-person, action-shooter powered by next-gen hardware, and in that respect team from London, Onatario has done an incredible job.
Read Full Review >Talk Xbox
If you’re in the market for a third person shooter that involves a little more than just shooting, this will make a worthy acquisition for your Xbox 360 library.
Read Full Review >IGN
When the really similar levels and waves of opponents get too repetitive towards the end of the game, Dark Sector's weak storyline might not be enough to carry the more fickle fan to the finish line...It's fun, but it's not perfect.
Read Full Review >GamingTrend
With a bit more diversity in the environments and enemies, more weapons to use, and a longer running time, Dark Sector could be a real contender.
Read Full Review >GamingExcellence
Overall Dark Sector is a good investment if you’re just looking for some good mostly mindless fun.
Read Full Review >GamerNode
If Dark Sector were a student, he'd be expelled for plagiarism. Thankfully, the Glaive more than makes up for the rampant copying of mechanics and ideas.
Read Full Review >Gaming Age
While it sure isn't a AAA game, it's hard to fault Dark Sector for anything past the seriously broken melee attack.
Read Full Review >Deeko
Digital Extremes has done a fairly good job with bringing a new IP to life, while not the AAA title that many expected, it's an incredibly solid action game with gorgeous graphics, intense combat, and a story that if done right could go places in a sequel.
Read Full Review >Planet Xbox 360
In the future, Digital Extremes needs to put the storyline through the ringer and give it a much better narrative for players to follow through.
Read Full Review >Game Informer
The glaive is something that every action nut has to wrap his or her hands around. Like the BFG or the cerebral bore, you’ll remember this weapon forever. Sadly, you’ll remember the weapon more than the game itself.
Read Full Review >1UP
So it's not for multiplayer fans or story fans or innovation fans, but Dark Sector is certainly a good game. When it all comes together and you're ducking in and out of cover while shooting and throwing the Glaive at groups of enemies, it's a lot of fun, and the visual spark and A.I./pacing/combat polish make it worth playing.
Read Full Review >TeamXbox
And while there’s little aside from the inclusion of the glaive in combat that could really be considered an innovation, it’s still something that can keep a solid hold of the player’s attention throughout.
Read Full Review >GameSpot
Dark Sector lacks the compelling storyline that it alludes to early on, but offers plenty of enjoyable combat nonetheless.
Read Full Review >Destructoid
A fun if slightly derivative third-person shooter. It certainly isn’t close to perfect -- the melee is kind of wonky and disappointingly underdeveloped, it suffers from a fair bit of repetition, and the enemy A.I. is only somewhat smarter than the girls on Flavor of Love. But the infected powers, the occasionally dazzling visuals, and Michael Rosenbaum’s sweet, sweet voice definitely make the game worth a look if you’re a fan of the genre.
Read Full Review >Cheat Code Central
Dark Sector can best be described as a game born out of a formula. To create this game, you will need 2 parts Gears of War, 1 part Resident Evil, and a dash of X-Men. It is totally easy to rip this game to shreds based on this description. But as you play this game, something unexpected happens: you find yourself having an amazing amount of fun.
Read Full Review >Worth Playing
One should go into the title with the knowledge that there isn't much of a story, and some of the gameplay can get pretty frustrating.
Read Full Review >DailyGame
So much effort went into replicating the glaive's flight and awe-inspiring kills that every other aspect of Dark Sector took a noticeable hit in quality and polish, save for the visuals. Remove the glaive, and this game's appeal drops below mediocrity into a rinse-and-repeat nightmare.
Read Full Review >GameTrailers
Dark Sector goes for gore and glory, but does better spattering blood than it does applying polish. Despite a number of original elements and a fairly solid gameplay core, the game isn’t able to add substantially to the formula and mechanics it’s borrowed from other games in the genre.
Read Full Review >Electronic Gaming Monthly
The first few levels drag a bit, but by the time you hold your full suite of special abilities, the combat really clicks. [May 2008, p.80]
The New York Times
Outside of the glaive, the game boasts little that feels original, although Hayden’s sprinting ability is intentionally difficult to control, which adds makes the simple act of running more challenging.
Read Full Review >Edge Magazine
A Frankenstein’s monster that actually works. Its mind is sound, its looks beautiful, its sutures invisible and its stolen parts functional in all the intended ways. It has no soul, of course, nor distinct personality, but that’s the nature of the beast. [May 2008, p.88]
Total Video Games
What should have been a solid enough third-person action title is ultimately let down by game design glitches and AI bugs, not to mention an over-reliance on the glaive that cheapens the experience.
Read Full Review >Play Magazine
Shooter fans may not respect it, but they will enjoy it. [May 2008, p.54]
Gamer.nl
The game has some nice action, original weapons and funny endbosses. The game isn't very original though, and it's more of the same. So if you are bored to death and have some money left, then Dark Sector could be a nice solution. But don't expect an earthquake in this genre.
Read Full Review >NTSC-uk
Definitely the type of game to park your brain in neutral, play and enjoy without expecting too much from it.
Read Full Review >GotNext
What it lacks is the spark that elevates a merely decent game to greatness, but it's still a fun time for people who dig the duck and shoot style gameplay.
Read Full Review >Wired
It does exactly what a game is supposed to: It entertains throughout its duration, it flexes the muscle of both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, and above all it squeezes your testosterone gland just enough to make the gaming experience enjoyable.
Read Full Review >Game Over Online
You might get three days of amusement out of it instead of only two. Wouldn’t that be something? Not too shabby for game built around a prop from a twenty five year old movie that nobody’s ever heard of. Not bad at all.
Read Full Review >Totally360
So in essence then, Dark Sector contains some good ideas, some quite obviously stolen ones and for a game that has spent 4 years in development it feels a tiny bit disappointing and seriously lacking in fine tuning or play-testing.
Read Full Review >X360 Magazine UK
The game lulls into tedium's lukewarm embrace far too often for its own good. [Issue#31, p.85]
GameSpy
Dark Sector is a good game that has some great hooks, such as the wonderful glaive and a powerful shotgun. It's unfortunate that other elements, such as unpolished combat and some very generic NPCs, undermine its ambition (though they don't render the game unplayable).
Read Full Review >GameTap
Dark Sector is bipolar rollercoaster ride that tops out at gorgeous, innovative, and striking (glaive, visuals, virus powers) and bottoms out at a bland, unoriginal, and buggy (gunplay, storyline, melee attacks). The extremes are both high and low, but at least Digital Extremes has a solid base moving forward to the inevitable sequel.
Read Full Review >Gameplayer
All the pieces are there, it’s just missing that magic spark that turns a good game into a great one.
Official Xbox Magazine UK
Dark Sector's ultimate error is that it still can't quite shake off its tag of "just another generic action shooter." But it sure as hell gives it a try. [Apr 2008, p.82]
Read Full Review >games(TM)
There’s plenty of fun to be had here, but we’re pretty sure you’ll forget all about it once Epic’s hugely anticipated sequel arrives later this year. [Apr 2008, p.120]
GamePro
Dark Sector isn't a bad game but its considerable potential is squandered thanks to some iffy design decisions and inconsistent gameplay.
Read Full Review >Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
Lacks the punch or variety to be a serious contender in the crowded shooter genre. [May 2008, p.86]
Gameplanet
Dark Sector just has so much unfulfilled potential. The ideas are there, they just aren’t executed well.
Read Full Review >Kikizo
There's no real need for repeat playthroughs, nor will the urge be there once you've finished it the first time. Multiplayer is a great addition, but it surely won't attract the crowds that Halo and CoD consistently pull in, thus making it a (most likely) unfortunate dud.
Read Full Review >Video Game Talk
Unless you are a die hard shooter fan who craves any and all titles, this game, while not a must have, is still an enjoyable title that would be a good addition to your library.
Read Full Review >Eurogamer
The main problem is that the online modes take the one element that everyone will want to muck about with - the glaive - then all but remove it from the equation.
Read Full Review >GameShark
It's initially quite good, until the horrible story and unnecessary puzzles drag it down.
Read Full Review >Official Xbox Magazine
Dark Sector assumes you’ve played a metric ton of games. And even if you have, you’re still likely to get confused and frustrated. Some kind of hint when you’re clearly not grasping it would’ve gone a long way toward easing the pain.
Read Full Review >DarkZero
The Glaive works well and is rather satisfying to use but this is offset by the old school use of ammo crates and parts of levels being sealing off, making it as linear as they come.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
And the poor storytelling doesn't hurt the game as much as the tedium, and the feeling that the game is padded by five or six hours—which suggests that the real draw isn't dismemberment, but distraction.
Read Full Review >G4 TV
The game isn’t fun at all (including the pathetically limited multiplayer options which aren’t worth going into)...It’s just frustrating that Dark Sector, with all the trappings of a good game could squander nearly every single one of them with bad level design, poor logic, repetitive combat, and no attention to what made its inspiration so…inspiring.
Read Full Review >Giant Bomb
Between the dreary action, the sluggish movement speed, and the seemingly tacked-on multiplayer, you’ll probably want to pass on the whole thing.
Read Full Review >Game Revolution
Every aspect of this game is horribly average, derivative, unpolished, or worse. Half-assed, floaty, imprecise character movement. Half-assed melee combat. Half-assed cover mechanic. Half-assed weapon upgrade system. Half-assed sound design and mixing. Quarter-assed story. No-assed AI.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 7.6 (out of 10) based on 99 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
darkrocker0007 gave it a6:
This game was great as far as the concepts go, but they didn't put those concepts to full effect... it could've been played out a lot better. The glaive makes the game despite the lack of storyline and the repetitive game play. As far as playing it goes... its a game to play for a bit, then leave for a bit, then come back. It would be very hard for me to play through.... But all in all you'll have more fun looking up reviews than playing the game itself.
Daz gave it an8:
A good enjoyable game that kept my interest. the combination of glaive and pistols made decision making an important part of the game. Some of the baddies were interesting and i particularly liked the puzzle element to the game. On the whole I was surprised by how good this game was and if you like shooters it is definitely recommended.
Tayor B. gave it a7:
Personally i thought this game was pretty good. Its no GOW or RE4 but it is still fun. While the game does feel alot like the aformentioned titles it distinguishes itself with the use of the glaive. The flying disc of death is very fun to use and the gunplay in the game is above average. The graphics are pretty good with the only flaws being framerate related. The multiplayer is ok but lacks depth due to the fact that there are only two multiplayer modes. While the game has its issues it is still fun to play. 60 bucks is a high asking price, and for some it might be worth it. Even if you don't want to shell out 60 bucks at least give the game a rent and you'll get some fun out of it.
Homes gave it a7:
Graphics were great. The galive was fun as were the powers. Sadly the repetive levels, i mean every section of every level was the same 8 out of 10 times. You at one end enemies at other, foight to end behind cover. For as long as this game was developed i was disappointed by the fact that the bodies only disconnect at the waist knees and elbows. The story may be the worst video game story this year or even decade. It makes halo 3 and gears look like epics. What cutscenes there were made no sense and seemed to be completely random in plot function. Lastly the subs don't match up with teh dialogue but this is just a minor concern.
john q gave it a10:
This game is simply phenominal. AMAZING graphics and sounds, lots of variety in the gameplay too. You will find yourself going from using a rocket launcher to shoot down a helicopter, to taking on 20 russians at a time, to being stuck in a black room with mutated beasts coming at you! Also they introduced a new type of weapon, the glaive. Craziest thing ive ever seen. I love it. By far my favorite game this year on any system.
Scott Posey gave it a7:
Great game, but just doesn't have the lasting power of others. Play it for the single player, but don't expect much out of the multi.
B M gave it a2:
This game is bogus and totally over-rated. I got bored by the second mission. Chopping down generic bad guys with the glaive is totally pointless. Bullets are faster! And what's with the crappy character movement. What kind of shooter game doesn't let the character crouch out of the line of fire. Really bad targeting abilities, really bad character movement, slow "shooting", but mostly just REALLY BAD. Here's a tip for all game makers: stop spending so much money and time worrying about making the graphics as real looking as possible (I mean, do we really care that much weather or not the cloth hanging from the windows is moving with the wind?) and try not to forget about making a decent game next time! This game has a very good idea, they just blew it!
