Gritty action, adventure color 'Dark Sector'

— -- From Digital Extremes, the co-creators behind the award-winning Unreal series, comes a new atmospheric action game, Dark Sector. But unlike the developer's past adventures, this shooter is much darker, and is played from a cinematic third-person perspective rather than a first-person view.

While not without its faults, Dark Sector is sure to please discerning Microsoft Xbox 360 or Sony PlayStation 3 gamers.

You step into the boots of Hayden Tenno, an elite black-ops CIA agent who awakens in a decaying Eastern European city in the near future, and finds his right arm has been altered by an injection, granting him superhuman powers. Ironically, this virus will help Hayden — who looks like a cross between Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor and Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump — take down the malevolent faction that infected this impoverished nation.

Though it doesn't make much sense, the byproduct of your powerful arm is a throwable "glaive" — a three-bladed boomerang — that can slice and dice deadly mutated monsters before whirling back safely into your hand.

You'll also use the glaive to break open locked doors or smash open objects, such as barrels, to reveal much-needed ammo. Later in the game, you can learn to control the direction of the blade, such as steering it around corners to chop down an unsuspecting enemy (and for dramatic effect, it's shown from the blade's perspective, and in slow motion), or have it set ablaze and explode on impact.

Hayden will also gain access to various weapons, such as shotguns, automatic rifles and rocket launchers.

Despite a few bland and cliched environments, such as a shipyard and crate-filled warehouse, Dark Sector offers plenty of exhilarating combat for both the single-player campaign and the two multiplayer game modes available online. The cemetery level proved quite chilling and gratifying, though, thanks to zombie-like baddies who jump out at you from behind mausoleums.

Another shortcoming in Dark Sector is questionable artificial intelligence, with enemies who don't always run for cover when you're shooting at them.

None of these issues really detract from this Mature-rated game, however. While the gun- and rocket-based weapons aren't much to write home about, it's hard to grow tired of your faithful glaive, which helps separate this title from the many other action games available today.

It may not be the best game of the year, but gamers looking for a solid spring diversion will want to sink their blades into Dark Sector.

Contact Saltzman at gnstech@gns.gannett.com.