It seems you can’t swing a dead cat around game convention without hitting a dozen titles promising to up the ante of online gaming. Most of these are merely lackluster knock-offs of tried and true fantasy role-playing games like EverQuest, Asheron’s Call, Ultima Online, and so on. Every now and then a game slips in under the barrage of propaganda to really over deliver the fun that online games promise to be.



Dark Horizons: Lore - Invasion is just such a game. Most gamers will read the title and think it’s another sword and sorcery rehash. Those who take the time to look deeper will not be disappointed however to find that Dark Horizons: Lore - Invasion is actually a high-tech robotic combat simulator not unlike Mechwarrior or MechAssault.

The biggest difference between Dark Horizons: Lore - Invasion and the other, more popular and much hyped variety of robotic combat games, is that Dark Horizons: Lore - Invasion focuses squarely on the head-to-head multiplayer combat that only a true online game could provide. True, there is an “Instant Action” mode that one can play which creates a small, limited, gaming experience that mimics that of the online game. But it pales in comparison to the online experience. There simply is no simulation for cracking a player’s MAV open with a barrage of missiles.



Dark Horizons: Lore - Invasion does have a backstory which is largely forgettable and thankfully is unobtrusive to the rest of the game. Essentially, players choose a side in a global conflict. Each player is then places in the position of a pilot of a combat vehicle called a MAV. A MAV is really just a pumped up bipedal tank with some wicked features such as jets, jumping and lateral movement.

Before entering a map the player is able to do some limited customization of their MAV. For instance, depending on your play style, you can choose to sacrifice armor points for additional speed via a very simple slider control. Push it one direction and drop armor for speed. Push it the other direct and you drop speed for armor. You can also select between three or four primary weapons and three or four secondary weapons. Primary weapons are ranged projectile weapons such as particle projectors and lasers. Secondary weapons are all of the missile category. As you might imagine, the weapons are all essentially the same really only differ in some of the basics statistics. The first weapon type may have more damage but a slower rate of fire whereas the third type of weapon may have a high rate of fire but relatively low damage rating. Each pilot needs to figure out what their play style is and stock their MAVs accordingly.

Personally I suck regardless of the configuration, however, I’ve found that I suck somewhat less with maxed out armor, a primary weapon with a high rate of fire and a secondary weapon with max damage. With this configuration I try to locate a pinch point on the map with a clear line of sight and pound the enemy from max range with my missile then strafe in a zig-zag with my primary weapon. In the unlikely event that I run out of ammo before I get blown into scrap, then I’ll retreat for repairs and reload.



Now for the bad news. While a player can change side in the conflict, which will change their MAV style (and subsequently their weapon choices), there are really only two types of vehicles. Personally this was a real letdown from an otherwise wickedly fun title. Granted, I was weaned on the early days of Battletech and long for a game such as Dark Horizons: Lore - Invasion which will be centered around online play, but allows me to bust out some of my favorite mech styles such as the missile only and heavily armored Archer. Different vehicle styles created a wholly unique playing style. Lightly armored mechs with massive particle weapons requires a drastically different style of play than a heavily armored brute with a kinetic weapon, such as a sword. And I really felt that lack in Dark Horizons: Lore - Invasion.

Without these different vehicle styles Dark Horizons: Lore - Invasion really presents an Unreal Tournament style of game play. Every one is basically the same with basically the same abilities. Hit them more than they hit you, and you will be standing on their smoking wreckage.



Don’t take this small knock as anything more than a minor critique of a jaded gamer. Dark Horizons: Lore - Invasion is pure fun. Fun the likes of which we normally equate with uber-shooting titles such as Half-Life, Doom and Unreal. The OpenGL graphics may not be on par as they pixel pushing behemoths, but it’s just as fun.

In fact, what it really reminds me of is the pure, unadulterated, simplistic fun of Tanarus. And if you know what Tanarus is, you’ll know exactly what I mean, and if you don’t go back to watching Spongebob.



And one final point. Dark Horizons: Lore - Invasion is an independent title. Truly independent. Developed by an obscure house and published by the maverick Garage Games. While this did not factor into my rating, it is really astonishing how clean and tight the code is. The quality level displayed in Dark Horizons: Lore is easily on par with any major title from a top of the line publisher.

Editor's Note: You can check out additional screenshots here . Dark Horixons: Lore - Invasion is available directly from GarageGames .