Now THIS Is An Action Title
D'arci Stern is perhaps my favorite video game heroine, and her story is an interesting one. She is a rookie cop out to help rid Union City of a cult called, "The WildCats". They have something sinister planned for the streets of UC on the dawn of the Millennium. You will not only fight thugs, sycophants, hookers and crazies, but also agents that blow up when you kill them, and creatures that can only be described as "ungodly". This title is sure to entertain, pending, of course, you are a patient player.
-Graphics:****. Note that this rating is based on it's time, not today's standards. Comparing it to the PSX and DC version, you will see the PC is the most stable, fluid, beautiful version you can get. The streets are teaming with people, there are puddles the reflect the scenery, skyscrapers cut the sky and leaves roll with the live traffic. I was so impressed with this game when I was young. Though I've always loved Tomb Raider, I felt this should have been the title to proceed with us to where we are today.
-Sound:*****. The voice acting is spot on. You have your typical Scottish cop, your brash talking streetwalker, and the neighborhood psycho speaking gibberish. D'arci, herself, sounds like she would make Pam Grier proud. Some people you speak to on the street have voices, others don't. Most notable is a funky little beat that loops as the action comes and goes with the exploration of UC. Very well-thought out and executed.
-Mechanics:*****. As stated, this was basically TR in the city. And that was enough of a recipe to keep me hooked, well into today. Though Union City is split up into levels, don't get it confused- it is a sprawling city. You can literally beat-up, arrest and search everyone you come across. Of course doing this too often will result into disciplinary actions from your Chief, but the option is there, should you seek it. The story is pretty good, for it's date, and the world it takes places in tells it perfectly. Seriously, this game has A LOT of personality. I also want to note that you can "power" D'arci up by exploring the city and finding power-ups (Stamina, Constitution, etc). Very neat idea...
-Controls-***. Much like Lara Crofts older outings, D'arci is hampered by living in a 3d world, being controlled by a d-pad. Even with Xpadder, the controls are wonky. You press a separate button to run forward- it's very weird. But, spend sometime getting used to it, and by the third level, you're good to go. I would say the controls are what kept D'arci from sticking around.
-Overall-*****. This is one of the best games I have ever played, just in terms of ingenuity. I also think it is the first game to feature a black female character in the lead, which is cool. I couldn't believe they ditched this concept in the crappy sequel. While I know I may never see D'arci again, I still cherish the time I had with her.
Best place to purchase it nowadays is gog.com- you get the game, manual, artwork, screensavers, avatars and soundtrack for a very modest price. Just thought I should put t out there if you wanted to try it out- which I highly recommend!