Dark Void’s development has been running silent since E3 2008, but it was one of the upcoming titles showcased at Capcom’s media event held recently in Las Vegas. We met with senior producer Morgan Gray about how Dark Void is shaping up, and out found that while it still is too early in development for judgments, the game does have its share of promising ideas and gameplay elements. One of Dark Void’s goals is all about making the player feel like the hero of a big-budget action movie, and so far the game is looking to be on that path.

In Dark Void you play as Will, an ex-military man who mysteriously disappears while flying through the Bermuda Triangle. What Will finds is this mysterious location in the ocean, along with many others found throughout the world, is actually a gate used by the Watchers, an alien race that has been subjugating humanity. Initially, without any equipment or friends to call on and in an unknown area, Will meets up with famed scientist Nikola Tesla and with his help gains weapons and a rugged jet pack to fly around with. The jet pack itself is symbolic of the game as a whole; while there are some areas that are on foot and others that involve vehicles much of the gameplay revolves around the jet pack in some fashion.

The most obvious use of a jet pack is to fly around, and is something that Will needs to do with frequency. While in flight, the game takes on a look closer to that of Ace Combat, with Will freely flying about while using weapons to shoot down his foes. He can also use his jetpack to get the drop on and hijack enemy vehicles, which in itself is a beefy minigame. For instance, as Will was attempting to jack a flying vehicle not only were randomized button presses required to repeated smash at a weak point to expose the pilot, but also he had to move from handhold to handhold on the exterior of the craft to avoid return fire from the craft’s weapons.

The player will find themselves in many situations where taking cover on the ground may be a more viable option for survival, and though players can take things slow by shooting from cover and peeking out from around corners, more experienced players will begin to incorporate the jet pack into their gunfights. Taking cover and blasting at foes only to rocket up to higher ground and mow down what little resistance remains is encouraged. Moving in close to melee enemies is possible, though some enemies may need to be weakened first while others are always impervious to melee damage. Players must keep the knowledge in mind, as a failed melee attack leaves Will wide open to take a beating of his own.

Vertical combat is Dark Void’s marquee feature, which lets players move up or down a vertical shaft from cover to cover using their jet pack. Players hang from the underside of ledges and trade fire with enemies above, making sure to duck out of the way of falling debris or bodies. Getting hit by such things as they plummet can knock Will’s grip free and send him falling to his death if the player doesn’t recover. Players can also jet up to the underside of a ledge and grab an enemy’s leg, tossing him off before he even has a chance to retaliate.