Goth games (like goth movies) usually become cult hits and generate a dedicated fanbase. Games like Guilty Gear aren't all that popular but still have their large group of fans who will buy the games no matter what. Bullet Witch was a massive disappointment and a game that could have done a lot better if it was released maybe a few years back. But a new goth-ish game is looming over the horizon and is attracting a decent amount of attention, this game is Dark Sector. As we all know by now you take control of this funky looking dude with an amused smirk on his face and a boomerang blade in his hand. I have to say I was mildly excited for this game, it looked like good fun and such but I was promptly disappointed by the gameplay videos. See, according to Digital Extremes a large part of the insparation for the game comes from Gears of War and is even being developed on the same engine. Now I can see Stranglehold being a good game to develop with the unreal engine, as mediocre as that game may be. It used the same engine, yes, but it didn't completley copy camera angles, cover mechanics and art direction from Gears of War. Now, Microsoft's blockbuster game was made popular by its remarkable graphics, neat camera angles and intense combat. Dark sector has two of these things but no intense combat, if they tried to make it more original and not make an homage game it would probably look and work a lot better. This will eventually be the fall of Dark Sector and what will earn it probably a 6.5 on the Gamespot review. Either that or the project will eventually be canceled.

Developers develop good games by being original and creative. Metal Gear implimented stealth when there was none in the industry. Wolfenstien made the jump to 3D for the first time. Gran Turismo implimented the most realistic car handling of its time since the original Need for Speed. And these franchises (save Wolfenstien and Need for Speed) keep reinventing themselves in order to keep producing good games. The key point to making a good game is being original and unique, not copying another game and taking away what made it geniuenly good.

I hope that Digital Extremes learns there lesson soon, lest we want another mediocre game on the market.