Review

Dark Matter Review

  • First Released Oct 17, 2013
    released
  • PC

You'll scream, but not because you're scared.

Editor's note, 10/22/2013: At the time of this review's publication, Dark Matter has been pulled from the Steam and Good Old Game digital storefronts, but boxed copies are still available for purchase on the publisher's website, and are available for pre-order from Amazon UK.

Dark Matter is a side-scrolling survival horror game that cribs liberally from the likes of Dead Space, Aliens, and pretty much any other property that has pitted a lone protagonist against creepy crawlies on a derelict spacecraft. The familiarity doesn't stop there, though; with a gun-toting heroine to a 2.5D presentation, it has also got some strains of Metroid and Shadow Complex coursing through its veins. In borrowing from the best, Dark Matter delivers some convincing atmospheric touches, but a number of issues--from the mildly annoying to the downright frustrating--keep it from matching the quality of its many inspirations.

The first thing that hits you when waking from cryosleep isn't some slimy alien tentacle, but the game's effective use of atmospheric lighting; illuminated door panels, flickering neon fixtures, glowing computer terminals, sparking wires, and even the bioluminescence coming off some of the alien species cut through the darkness consuming the ship's corridors. While it isn't anything you haven't seen before, the minimal, clever use of light--coupled with some equally effective shadow-casting trickery--impressively sets the survival horror tone long before you exterminate your first extraterrestrial.

This spaceship has lots of ladders. Lots and lots of ladders.
This spaceship has lots of ladders. Lots and lots of ladders.

The creepy atmosphere is further supported by some goose-bumps-inducing audio work. Aside from a HAL 9000-like AI that chimes in with useful tips and tales of dread, as well as a mood-setting score played softly in the background, sound is used sparingly; from the echoing clank of the protagonist's footsteps to the hydraulic cues coughed up by activated bay doors, everything registers with a core-shaking thud. More than just setting the stage for scares, though, many of the effects might stop you in your tracks; the sound of squishy alien innards beneath my feet, as well as the "clicking" emitted by the evildoing ETs, managed to prod my prickly neck hairs into dancing an uneasy jig on more than one occasion.

Save for the occasional corpse still being digested by a baddie, the levels have little personality.

Thanks to its inspired use of lighting and audio tech, Dark Matter mostly nails its intended nerve-fraying vibe. Unfortunately, its core gameplay, level design, and storytelling don't fare quite so well. Character movement feels clunky, almost robotic, while combat encounters don't live up to the more frightening pre-battle buildups; though the sound of enemy limbs skittering along the floor would brace me for battles that I expected to tax my fragile psyche as much as my trigger finger, this was rarely the case. For starters, many of the enemies just aren't scary. The first ones you encounter, ankle-high arachnids sporting purple skin and floppy antennae, look more like Muppets than monsters.

Don't shine a light on these guys unlesst you want to make them angry.
Don't shine a light on these guys unlesst you want to make them angry.

As the story progresses, threats become slightly more menacing--exploding blobs, goo-spitting floaters, armored crawlers--but battling them often devolves into boring cycles of rote shooting and reloading, all while you awkwardly walk backward to avoid attacks. Dark Matter attempts to mix things up by having certain threats act aggressively toward light, but aside from having you shoot out the occasional light source or power down your flashlight, the mechanic does little to spice up the derivative gunplay.

More successful is the game's crafting system. While it does little more than allow you to transform collected scrap into health packs, special ammo types, and weapon upgrades at designated stations, it stresses the game's survival focus. The alien encounters rarely frighten, but frantically searching for scrap--or a place to craft it--to ensure your long-term safety regularly sees your pulse raised above any doctor-recommended level. Balancing resources to remain well stocked in ammo and health packs, rather than looting these items in the world, also yields some tension-ratcheting moments.

Worst of all, the game comes to an unexpected halt, ending with a wall of abrupt text rather than a satisfying conclusion.

Sadly, searching for these crafting resources is the only real incentive to stray from the critical path. Both the game's map, which fills in as you find new areas, and backtrack-reliant objectives encourage Metroidvania-style exploration, but your disembodied AI companion gives good directions, and there's little worth experiencing beyond the story-progressing path. Aside from the aforementioned lighting effects, levels are essentially constructed of long, dark corridors filled with crates, lockers, and ladders. Save for the occasional corpse still being digested by a baddie, the levels have little personality.

On top of its many flaws, Dark Matter sports a few immersion-breaking bugs. The frame rate sometimes chugs to a near stop, weapon reloading decides to break at the most inopportune times, and developer jargon like "pre_cameraTrigger" appears onscreen when you pass certain areas. Worst of all, the game comes to an unexpected halt, ending with a wall of abrupt text rather than a satisfying conclusion. Fan outcry over the game being incomplete has caused developer Iceberg Interactive to issue a statement saying that it's working on a patch that will offer a "more conclusive and satisfying ending." Since that statement was made, the game was pulled from most digital distribution channels, but boxed copies are still available for sale.

You won't find any conveniently placed health or ammo, but you can craft your own.
You won't find any conveniently placed health or ammo, but you can craft your own.

Inspired by a number of popular sc-fi properties, Dark Matter held the promise of offering an appealing mash-up of Metroid-style gameplay and Dead Space-like scares. While it mostly gets the mood right, due in no small part to its slick lighting and audio work, its other elements barely range from subpar to serviceable.

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The Good

  • Atmospheric lighting and audio effects enhance the fright factor
  • Simple but satisfying crafting system helps sell survival horror vibe

The Bad

  • Buildup to battles is more satisfying than actual combat encounters
  • Boring level design relies too heavily on bland corridor crawling and collecting
  • Campaign comes to an abrupt conclusion, giving the game an unfinished feel

About the Author

Matt Cabral has never met a derelict spaceship he didn't want to explore; from System Shock 2's Von Braun to Dead Space's U.S.G. Ishimura, he's spent countless hours blasting alien uglies, scavenging for supplies, and having his pants scared off. For the purpose of this review, he braved about six hours on Dark Matter's ghost ship.