Dark Sector review Xbox 360

There's third-person action with more than a hint of Gears of War about it in Dark Sector, this month's new shooter where you'll take on a horde of mutants, ducking and covering and availing yourself of an array of weapons. What makes Dark Sector different from a straight shooter is its innovative glaive weapon, which extends from your own arm and gives you a whole range of new and disgusting ways to despatch your foes. Is the glaive just a novelty, or enough to set Dark Sector apart and keep you playing into the small hours? Find out in our Dark Sector review now!
Click here to read our Dark Sector review for Xbox 360 now!

Dark Sector review for Xbox 360
It's fair to say that Dark Sector is a bit of a gaming magpie, cheekily thieving elements from quite a few other titles but doing so in a way that's never objectionably blatant. Perhaps its most obvious pilfering is from Gears of War - its third-person action is visually reminiscent of Epic's blistering shooter and its cover system which sees you tapping the A button to attach yourself to walls or crouch behind loose masonry. Indeed, many of its encounters recall that 'stop and pop' approach, as hordes of similar-looking enemies gradually encroach on your position, and you're required to take them out by emerging to let off a few shots when they're reloading. Of course, if you're not too bothered about the game's guns, you can always rely on the one element that really sets this apart from Gears - the glaive.

After a moodily monochromatic prologue, hero Hayden Tenno becomes infected with the very virus that he'd been sent to destroy, courtesy of a strange metallic creature piercing his shoulder. Though initially debilitated, Tenno's right arm soon becomes a source of strange power, as a deadly three-pronged blade appears, which is initially used as a kind of lethal boomerang. Pressing the right bumper unleashes the glaive towards any enemies - hit them once and they'll be temporarily stunned, again and they'll suffer a gory demise. The glaive is regularly upgraded as you progress, with power throws that do quadruple damage if you time your release perfectly when your aiming cursor turns orange, or a shield that can deflect incoming projectiles. It can even be used to steal weapons, functioning like a hookshot by dragging them into your arms, though the unpredictable nature of the glaive's power means that you can only use these for a short period of time.

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