Lotus leaves, despite growing in muddy marshes and dank ponds, always remain clean. Dirt and grime slide off the broad green leaves in what is called "the lotus effect." In the dirtiest of ponds, you can always make out the pristine green leaves of the lotus flower. How appropriate that Dark Sector borrows the image of a lotus because much like the blossoming flower provides a spot of beauty in murky waters, the game's solid third-person action acts as a brilliant element in an otherwise average, somewhat muddy experience.
As black ops agent Hayden Tenno, the game takes you into the ruins of former Soviet satellite state Lasria. Hayden's mentor has seized control of the dilapidated nation in an effort to harness the unruly power of the deadly biological agent responsible for destroying the once-peaceful domain. In his effort to stop this, Hayden unwittingly becomes infected with the virus. Fortuitously, he survives to find his right arm ensconced in metal and equipped with a glaive. Now, Hayden must learn to use his new superhuman abilities to stop his former mentor, Mezner, and prevent the virus from evolving into an epidemic.
The over-the-shoulder action of smacks of Epic's third-person shooter Gears of War, but distinguishing elements such as the glaive and creative multiplayer modes quickly downplay such a comparison. Hayden's glaive fundamentally shakes up the action, giving it a harder edge and more variety than gun play alone. It's remarkably satisfying to launch the glaive at an enemy from a distance and watch it slice through their neck, resulting in a vivid decapitation. Later in the game, the ability to perform after-touch maneuvers with the glaive adds a unique tactical component that simply doesn't exist in other third-person action games.
Of course, the glaive is entirely optional. You're never really forced to use it through the course of the game in combat; instead, you're compelled to wield it against foes because it's so satisfying. Shooting up an enemy with an automatic rifle doesn't yield the same gratification as slicing infected foes to ribbons with a quick throw. Even so, guns do play an integral part in combat. Hayden carries a pistol alongside his glaive that can be fired without having to swap equipment and you're free to switch to a rifle, shotgun, or grenades at will using the directional pad. Knowing when to ditch the glaive for guns is vital to survival, since many quick enemies can't be taken down with the glaive. This ensures combat remains fresh through the entirety of the game since you're constantly changing your approach in order to survive.
Simple puzzles do force use of the glaive at specific points during the single player campaign. Imbuing Hayden's glaive with electricity, fire, or ice enables you to bypass obstacles or beat a boss. For example, doors covered in viral biomass can be burned by throwing the glaive into flames and then chucking it at the door. Puzzles later in the game require multiple steps like lighting a gas leak with electricity to create fire, which can then be used to burn down obstacles or guiding the glaive through narrow passageways via after-touch. None of these are particularly entertaining, meant as a reprieve from the intensity of combat. Unfortunately, they achieve this end too well and end up breaking the flow of action too much. The game would have been the better without them.
Since multiplayer does away with puzzles and offers combat straight up, it's definitely the way to go. Dark Sector steers clear of multiplayer standbys deathmatch and capture-the-flag, providing two other modes instead: Infection and Epidemic. Both modes capitalize on the game's unique combat features, letting you wield Hayden's viral powers to great effect. Infection, for instance, tags one player as Hayden and the remaining member as Hazmat soldiers. The goal is to kill Hayden, at which point the killer becomes Hayden in the next round. Although the player controlling Hayden would seem unfairly outnumbered, full access to the glaive and special powers unlocked through the course of the campaign balance out the numbers. Much care has been taken to balance the multiplayer game and it shows.
Not having to partake in one of the most atrocious stories ever told through a game provides another boon to multiplayer. The main story thread is a compelling premise to be sure, but it does absolutely nothing to explain it in any detail. Through the course of the game's ten chapters, Hayden seeks out his former mentor Mezner without divulging any information about their relationship. Even worse, references to Hayden's crazed former life are made but never explained. Upon reaching the game's finale, you still have no concept of what's really going on, who Hayden is, and exactly the nature of the enigmatic virus that has infected him and destroyed the nation of Lasria. Action games get cut a bit of slack for poor storytelling, but Dark Sector really takes it to a new low.
