Darkwatch
Encyclopedia
Darkwatch: Curse of the West is a 2005 Weird West
first-person shooter
video game for the PlayStation 2
and Xbox
. It was developed by High Moon Studios
(formerly Sammy Studios
) and published by Capcom
in the United States
and by Ubisoft
in the European Union
and Australia
.
The game mixes western, horror
and steampunk
genres. A sequel
to the game, titled Darkwatch 2, was planned for the PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360
, but eventually got cancelled.
) follows the exploits of Jericho Cross, an outlaw
-turned-vampire
, and his employment in an ancient vampire-hunting order known as the Darkwatch (hence the game's title). After unwittingly releasing the Darkwatch's greatest enemy, a vampire lord named Lazarus Malkoth, Jericho is conscripted into the Darkwatch as an elite operative. Jericho, however, is slowly turning into a vampire himself, after being bitten by Lazarus. The game outlines either Jericho's struggle for humanity or his descent into darkness, depending on the player's actions.
The game begins in Arizona Territory
in 1876 with Jericho attempting to rob a Darkwatch train that is transporting the captured Lazarus Malkoth to the Darkwatch Citadel, a frequently mentioned and often visited location in the game, and in doing so releases Lazarus into the West. In a seeming bit of mercy, Lazarus bites Jericho and gives him the curse of the vampire, causing him to slowly turn into one. The game continues with the introduction of Cassidy as well as the appearance of Shadow, Jericho's undead
horse.
As the game progresses, Jericho finally makes his way to the Darkwatch Citadel, where he meets General Clay Cartwright, the current leader of the order. Cartwright puts him through Torture Maze, the Darkwatch initiation exercise which was designed as a test for Darkwatch Regulators, but Jericho gets a special version specially designed by Cartwright to kill him. When Jericho passes the test anyway, he begins to do missions for the Darkwatch. Missions include tasks ranging from fixing some of the damage he has caused to acquiring Darkwatch equipment, such as the Darklight Prism, a stone that allows vampires within its vicinity to use their powers and walk in sunlight. On some of his missions Jericho is accompanied by other Darkwatch forces including his new partner, a sultry and vicious temptress named Tala. Eventually, during their night of passion, Tala causes him to bite her and inherits some portion of his power, transforming herself into a half-vampire creature similar to him. She then betrays the Darkwatch from within, allowing the undead hordes to invade its headquarters.
A final showdown ensues with Lazarus, in which Jericho arises victorious, and a choice is given for him to side with either Cassidy or Tala. Either Jericho rids the west of the Curse of Lazarus, or he becomes the Curse; the player's choice determines how the game ends. If the character were to choose the good option, then the final fight will be against the vampiric Tala, and if they player chose to take Lazarus' curse for himself, then he must fight the ghost of Cassidy. The bad ending shows the now-monstrous Jericho killing Tala and riding into the night, while the good ending shows Cassidy's soul being released.
With Additional Voices:Laura Ortiz,Rupert Grint
,Colleen O'Shaughnessey
,Hiro Ziyi,Cam Ansell,Olivia Hack
& Jullianne Hough.
variety, allowing the player to select morality awarding Jericho different powers (called Brands) based on the same choices. The evil powers tend to be more rage oriented and deal higher damage per use, while the good powers deal less damage but tend to be more effective against enemies in general. Health is being restored while collecting enough souls of the killed monsters.
During the daylight hours, Jericho's powers are gone, and as such he has to fight as a normal human, using a wide variety of weaponry, from a Darkwatch's standard-issue 24-shot Redeemer handgun to the Gatling gun
-equipped Coyote Steam-Wagon vehicle (using it or a horse changes perspective to the third-person view), as well as melee combat. When riding on Shadow, Jericho is granted unlimited ammunition and high attack speed, at the cost of only being able to use the Redeemer. The game features a location-specific damage and physics system powered by Havok
.
device) via splitscreen gameplay.
The game's story mode is available for split screen cooperative gameplay
on the PS2, a feature absent from the Xbox version. In this mode, both players play as a rank-and-file Darkwatch Regulators (however, cutscenes designed for the single-player mode and featuring Jericho Cross as the main character are left unchanged, causing a number of glaring continuity errors in the co-op mode).
, fantasy
, and military themes", an idea soon appoved by the Sammy Corporation
president Hajime Satomi
. The original game concept was not very dark and the vampires "felt more like a cartoon property". In the early derivatives of the project, the game "looked more like something from Pixar
" and its protagonist was supposed to be a train robber named Chaz Bartlett, a "vaguely bumbling sort of comic relief character", described as "Eastern dude who was a card cheat" similar to Bret Maverick
. The turning point for a much darker and mature tone was the final iteration of Jericho's design.
The developers licensed Ennio Morricone
's main theme from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly which was remixed to fit the horror feel of the game. The remaining music on the soundtrack
is completely original, co-composed by Mike Reagan
, a veteran film and game music composer, and Asdru Sierra, front-man for Latin Grammy-winning indie band Ozomatli
.
and a pinup picture was featured in IGN's Hotlist magazine in June 2006. She was also featured in exclusive pictures on the cover and the pinup poster of Play
issue #44 in 2005 and in the 2007 calendar The Art of Heavy Metal.
Tala and Cassidy star in the Heavy Metal
graphic novel which serves as an immediate prequel and expanded introduction to the game. Set in Nebraska Territory
, the story follows them as former partners reuniting for a mission to capture the tomb of Lazarus, an ancient vampire lord and Darkwatch's original founder. Along the way, they release Jericho when they raid a jail. "Cass" does not hide her current dislike of Tala, but Tala kills Cassidy's father-turned-vampire, saving her life. An award-winning picture of Tala and Cassidy appeared on the cover of the July 2005 issue of Heavy Metal.
A 176-page art book The Art of Darkwatch was published in August 2005 by Design Studio Press. A 30-track original soundtrack
Darkwatch Original Game Music Score was released in November 2006 by Sierra Entertainment
.
("If you're looking for an intense shooter experience, Darkwatch will not disappoint.") and the Xbox version at IGN ("Cowboys, vampires, and sexy dead girls are fun in parties, but not so much alone."). According to review aggregation site GameTab, the PS2 version of Darkwatch scored a rating of 82% with the gaming press with the Xbox version scoring 85%. As of June 2010, the game's Metacritic
average score stands at 74/100 for the PS2 version and 75/100 for the Xbox version. In 2010, GamesRadar
ranked Darkwatch as sixth on the list of the top seven weirdest westerns.
Some of the most notable reception the game received regarded the character of Tala. The voice-acting role of Rose McGowan was critically acclaimed by numerous gaming outlets. In 2007, GameDaily
featured Tala in the gallery Babe of the Week: Outrageous Boobs. She was a runner-up in ActionTrip's 2007 lists of Top 10 Video Game Chicks, both by staff and by readers' choice. In 2010, Complex ranked her 14th among The 50 Hottest Women In Video Games. GamesRadar included her on the 2008 list of top seven Native American stereotypes and choosing her to represent "the sex object" stereotype, but nevertheless calling the portrayal of "an empowered female who’s not afraid to be sexy and go after what she wants" to be "a vast improvement over the appalling depiction of Indian women in Custer's Revenge
".
Weird West
Weird West is used to describe a combination of the Western with another literary genre, usually horror, occult, or fantasy.DC's Weird Western Tales appeared in the early 1970s and the weird Western was further popularized by Joe R...
first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
video game for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
. It was developed by High Moon Studios
High Moon Studios
High Moon Studios is an American video game developer, that used to be a part of Sierra Entertainment. After a period as independent studio, the developer was acquired by Vivendi Games in January 2006 and retained the current name...
(formerly Sammy Studios
Sammy Corporation
was established on November 1, 1975 and is a leading developer and retailer of pachinko and pachislot systems in Japan.In 2001, Sammy Corporation created a subsidiary Sammy Entertainment, Inc. It would later change its name to Sammy Studios in 2002. Sammy Studios is responsible for developing and...
) and published by Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and by Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The game mixes western, horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
and steampunk
Steampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
genres. A sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the game, titled Darkwatch 2, was planned for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, but eventually got cancelled.
Plot
The game's story (narrated by Peter JasonPeter Jason
Peter Jason is an American actor who performs in many plays, movies, and TV commercials, including Desperate Housewives and Deadwood. In his free time he makes his own furniture out of wood. He has appeared in 12 Walter Hill films, 7 John Carpenter films, has acted in over 100 commercials and...
) follows the exploits of Jericho Cross, an outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
-turned-vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
, and his employment in an ancient vampire-hunting order known as the Darkwatch (hence the game's title). After unwittingly releasing the Darkwatch's greatest enemy, a vampire lord named Lazarus Malkoth, Jericho is conscripted into the Darkwatch as an elite operative. Jericho, however, is slowly turning into a vampire himself, after being bitten by Lazarus. The game outlines either Jericho's struggle for humanity or his descent into darkness, depending on the player's actions.
The game begins in Arizona Territory
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
in 1876 with Jericho attempting to rob a Darkwatch train that is transporting the captured Lazarus Malkoth to the Darkwatch Citadel, a frequently mentioned and often visited location in the game, and in doing so releases Lazarus into the West. In a seeming bit of mercy, Lazarus bites Jericho and gives him the curse of the vampire, causing him to slowly turn into one. The game continues with the introduction of Cassidy as well as the appearance of Shadow, Jericho's undead
Undead
Undead is a collective name for fictional, mythological, or legendary beings that are deceased and yet behave as if alive. Undead may be incorporeal, such as ghosts, or corporeal, such as vampires and zombies...
horse.
As the game progresses, Jericho finally makes his way to the Darkwatch Citadel, where he meets General Clay Cartwright, the current leader of the order. Cartwright puts him through Torture Maze, the Darkwatch initiation exercise which was designed as a test for Darkwatch Regulators, but Jericho gets a special version specially designed by Cartwright to kill him. When Jericho passes the test anyway, he begins to do missions for the Darkwatch. Missions include tasks ranging from fixing some of the damage he has caused to acquiring Darkwatch equipment, such as the Darklight Prism, a stone that allows vampires within its vicinity to use their powers and walk in sunlight. On some of his missions Jericho is accompanied by other Darkwatch forces including his new partner, a sultry and vicious temptress named Tala. Eventually, during their night of passion, Tala causes him to bite her and inherits some portion of his power, transforming herself into a half-vampire creature similar to him. She then betrays the Darkwatch from within, allowing the undead hordes to invade its headquarters.
A final showdown ensues with Lazarus, in which Jericho arises victorious, and a choice is given for him to side with either Cassidy or Tala. Either Jericho rids the west of the Curse of Lazarus, or he becomes the Curse; the player's choice determines how the game ends. If the character were to choose the good option, then the final fight will be against the vampiric Tala, and if they player chose to take Lazarus' curse for himself, then he must fight the ghost of Cassidy. The bad ending shows the now-monstrous Jericho killing Tala and riding into the night, while the good ending shows Cassidy's soul being released.
Characters
- Jericho Cross (voiced by Christopher Corey SmithChristopher Corey SmithChristopher Corey Smith is an American voice actor, mostly working in the anime dubbing and video game industry. Smith began his movie career as a set dresser in 1986, and has been voice acting since 1992...
): The protagonist of the game, Jericho is a gunslinger and train robberTrain robberyTrain robbery is a type of robbery, in which the goal is to steal money or other valuables being carried aboard trains.-History:Train robberies were more common in the past than today, and often occurred in the American Old West. Trains carrying payroll shipments were a major target...
with a mysterious past before joining the Darkwatch. During his "one last job", he releases Lazarus Malkoth from his prison in a failed attempt to steal the contents. His already deadly skills were enhanced by vampire powers that afford him super-human strength, endurance and agility, and enhanced senses, in the form of the red orb that bloomed from his empty eye socket. Shadow is the name of Jericho's demonic horse that appears at his beckon.
- Cassidy Sharp (voiced by Jennifer HaleJennifer HaleJennifer Hale is a Canadian-born American actress and singer best known for her voice over work in video games like Grandia II, the Mass Effect trilogy, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Tales of Symphonia, the Metroid Prime trilogy, the Metal Gear Solid games, Brütal Legend, and Disney's...
): The game's first female protagonist, Cassidy is the agent who attempts to stop Jericho on the train in the game's opening sequence. After the explosion of Lazarus' prison, she joins Jericho but is soon murdered by Lazarus. Cassidy returns as a good ghost and befriends Jericho, aiding him in his mission to stop Lazarus (a role similar to this of CortanaCortanaCortana is a fictional artificially intelligent character in Bungie's Halo video game series. Voiced by Jen Taylor, she appears in Halo: Combat Evolved and its sequels, Halo 2 and Halo 3, in the prequel and epilogue of Halo: Reach, as well the novels Halo: The Flood, Halo: The Fall of Reach, ...
in HaloHalo (series)Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
). As a little girl, Cassidy was orphaned in a vampire attack and then raised as a ward of the Darkwatch. Eventually, she became the most serious and dangerous agent in the organisation, yet really she is also deeply insecure about herself. If fought as the final boss, she turns into an angel.
- Tala (voiced by Rose McGowanRose McGowanRose Arianna McGowan is an actress and singer. She is known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB Television Network supernatural drama series Charmed. She played Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley in the CBS mini-series Elvis...
): Tala ("Stalking Wolf"), a Native AmericanNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
shaman and an ambitious and power-hungry Darkwatch agent, is the second female protagonist. When she was young, Tala lost her seerDivinationDivination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
mother and became an outcast from her own tribe, fearful of her mediumshipMediumshipMediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...
abilities. Her father was then killed by a band of fur tradersNorth American Fur TradeThe North American fur trade was the industry and activities related to the acquisition, exchange, and sale of animal furs in the North American continent. Indigenous peoples of different regions traded among themselves in the Pre-Columbian Era, but Europeans participated in the trade beginning...
and she herself was kidnapped and abused by them, until her captors were killed by vampires. Tala was then herself rescued by the Darkwatch troops, who turned her into one of their own. However, her experiences made her extremely bitter, and she began pursuing ever more power at any cost, secretly desiring to get revenge upon the world for the death of her parents. Despite her ruthlessness, Tala quickly rose through the Darkwatch ranks due to her fearless battle efficiency. Tala was originally intended to be a player characterPlayer characterA player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
, but the studio's marketing department "didn’t think that would fly". If fought as the final boss, she turns into a demon. According to GameSpyGameSpyGameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
, Tala is "without question, the more difficult boss to battle".
- Lazarus Malkoth (voiced by Keith SzarabajkaKeith SzarabajkaKeith Szarabajka is an American actor and voice artist.-Early life:Szarabajka was born in Oak Park, Illinois, the son of Anne, a school teacher, and Edward Szarabajka, a savings and loan officer....
): Lazarus was a RomanRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
who first founded the Darkwatch society in 66 AD in order to battle the dark forces responsible for the decline of the Roman EmpireDecline of the Roman EmpireThe decline of the Roman Empire refers to the gradual societal collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Many theories of causality prevail, but most concern the disintegration of political, economic, military, and other social institutions, in tandem with foreign invasions and usurpers from within the...
. He eventually got possessed by a demon and himself became a powerful vampire and turned on the organization he founded, raising an undead army to aid him in his task. The Darkwatch then pursued Lazarus across Europe and later America. Lararus' name was Scourge during the game's development.
- Clay Cartwright (voiced by Michael Bell): The brutal and scheming field commander of the Darkwatch in the rank of Brigadier GeneralBrigadier GeneralBrigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
. A Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
veteran, Cartwight snipes Jericho and enslaves him, forcing him to participate in a series of trials before inducting him into the organization.
With Additional Voices:Laura Ortiz,Rupert Grint
Rupert Grint
Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint is an English actor, who rose to prominence playing Ron Weasley, one of the three main characters in the Harry Potter film series. Grint was cast as Ron at the age of 11, having previously acted only in school plays and at his local theatre group...
,Colleen O'Shaughnessey
Colleen O'Shaughnessey
Colleen Ann O'Shaughnessey is an American voice actress, perhaps best known for her roles as Sora from the first and second seasons of Digimon , Jazz Fenton in Danny Phantom, Ino Yamanaka and Konohamaru in Naruto.She has also worked in the video game industry where she voiced Genis Sage in...
,Hiro Ziyi,Cam Ansell,Olivia Hack
Olivia Hack
Olivia Hack is an American actress and voice actress, best known for providing the voice of Rhonda Wellington Lloyd in Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold!, and for playing Cindy Brady in the 90's theatrical Brady Bunch films. She has also done voices for Fillmore!, Bratz as Cloe, Family Guy, Blood+ and...
& Jullianne Hough.
Gameplay
The game features dynamic gameplay of non-linear missions and a dynamic enemy reputation and experience system that affects player's abilities. Jericho is met with multiple choices of a good or evilEvil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
variety, allowing the player to select morality awarding Jericho different powers (called Brands) based on the same choices. The evil powers tend to be more rage oriented and deal higher damage per use, while the good powers deal less damage but tend to be more effective against enemies in general. Health is being restored while collecting enough souls of the killed monsters.
During the daylight hours, Jericho's powers are gone, and as such he has to fight as a normal human, using a wide variety of weaponry, from a Darkwatch's standard-issue 24-shot Redeemer handgun to the Gatling gun
Gatling gun
The Gatling gun is one of the best known early rapid-fire weapons and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is well known for its use by the Union forces during the American Civil War in the 1860s, which was the first time it was employed in combat...
-equipped Coyote Steam-Wagon vehicle (using it or a horse changes perspective to the third-person view), as well as melee combat. When riding on Shadow, Jericho is granted unlimited ammunition and high attack speed, at the cost of only being able to use the Redeemer. The game features a location-specific damage and physics system powered by Havok
Havok
Havok is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the and member of the X-Men. He first appears in Uncanny X-Men No.54 , and was created by Arnold Drake, Don Heck and Neal Adams....
.
Multiplayer
The Xbox version has competitive multiplayer for up to 16 players online, although system link is not possible. The PS2 version does not offer any online connectivity and competitive multiplayer is limited to two players (or four players while using an optional multitapMultitap
A multitap is a video game console peripheral that increases the number of controller ports available to the player, allowing additional controllers to be used in play...
device) via splitscreen gameplay.
The game's story mode is available for split screen cooperative gameplay
Cooperative gameplay
Cooperative gameplay is a feature in video games that allows players to work together as teammates. It is distinct from other multiplayer modes, such as competitive multiplayer modes like player versus player or deathmatch...
on the PS2, a feature absent from the Xbox version. In this mode, both players play as a rank-and-file Darkwatch Regulators (however, cutscenes designed for the single-player mode and featuring Jericho Cross as the main character are left unchanged, causing a number of glaring continuity errors in the co-op mode).
Development
The development of the game began in the summer of 2002, when Sammy Studios decided to "bring a refreshing theme to a genre riddled with the stereotypical sci-fiScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
, and military themes", an idea soon appoved by the Sammy Corporation
Sammy Corporation
was established on November 1, 1975 and is a leading developer and retailer of pachinko and pachislot systems in Japan.In 2001, Sammy Corporation created a subsidiary Sammy Entertainment, Inc. It would later change its name to Sammy Studios in 2002. Sammy Studios is responsible for developing and...
president Hajime Satomi
Hajime Satomi
was the founder of Sammy Corporation, an entertainment equipment manufacturer, which currently owns Sega, a world-renowned producer of arcade and software games.-History:...
. The original game concept was not very dark and the vampires "felt more like a cartoon property". In the early derivatives of the project, the game "looked more like something from Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
" and its protagonist was supposed to be a train robber named Chaz Bartlett, a "vaguely bumbling sort of comic relief character", described as "Eastern dude who was a card cheat" similar to Bret Maverick
Bret Maverick
Bret Maverick is an American Western series starring James Garner in the role that made him famous in the 1957 series Maverick: a professional poker player traveling alone year after year through the Old West from riverboat to saloon...
. The turning point for a much darker and mature tone was the final iteration of Jericho's design.
The developers licensed Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
's main theme from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly which was remixed to fit the horror feel of the game. The remaining music on the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
is completely original, co-composed by Mike Reagan
Mike Reagan
Mike Reagan is a composer, songwriter and music producer whose music has been featured in multiple videogames, TV commercials, and various film projects, including Any Given Sunday, and Elmo in Grouchland, which garnered a Grammy Award for Best Children’s Soundtrack.He is most recognized for his...
, a veteran film and game music composer, and Asdru Sierra, front-man for Latin Grammy-winning indie band Ozomatli
Ozomatli
Ozomatli is a seven to ten piece band playing primarily Latin, hip hop, and rock music, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles. They are known both for their vocal activist viewpoints and their wide array of musical styles - including salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, rap, and others.In a 2007 NPR interview, band...
.
Promotion and merchandise
A major part of the game's promotional campaign was based on using the sex appeal of its female characters. In October 2004, a picture of Tala "wearing only a feather in her hair" was featured in a spread of the first special edition of Playboy that spotlighted provocative video game characters, also accompanying the article "Gaming Grows Up". Several more naked pictures of her and Cassidy appeared in Playboys "Girls of Gaming" series in October 2005 and again in December 2007. A few censored topless sketches of Tala were posted alongside a fake interview in an exclusive online gallery by IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
and a pinup picture was featured in IGN's Hotlist magazine in June 2006. She was also featured in exclusive pictures on the cover and the pinup poster of Play
Play (US magazine)
Play was a U.S.-based magazine focused on video games, anime, manga, film, DVD, television, comics, music and media. Published by Fusion Publishing, Inc. since 2001, Play magazine also had a separate Internet presence on its website, Play Online...
issue #44 in 2005 and in the 2007 calendar The Art of Heavy Metal.
Tala and Cassidy star in the Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (magazine)
Heavy Metal is an American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine, known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy/science fiction and erotica. In the mid-1970s, while publisher Leonard Mogel was in Paris to jump-start the French edition of National Lampoon, he discovered the French...
graphic novel which serves as an immediate prequel and expanded introduction to the game. Set in Nebraska Territory
Nebraska Territory
The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska Territory was created by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854...
, the story follows them as former partners reuniting for a mission to capture the tomb of Lazarus, an ancient vampire lord and Darkwatch's original founder. Along the way, they release Jericho when they raid a jail. "Cass" does not hide her current dislike of Tala, but Tala kills Cassidy's father-turned-vampire, saving her life. An award-winning picture of Tala and Cassidy appeared on the cover of the July 2005 issue of Heavy Metal.
A 176-page art book The Art of Darkwatch was published in August 2005 by Design Studio Press. A 30-track original soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
Darkwatch Original Game Music Score was released in November 2006 by Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
.
Reception
Upon its release Darkwatch has received positive reviews from most reviewers, including the ratings of 7.9 ("Good") for both the PS2 version at GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
("If you're looking for an intense shooter experience, Darkwatch will not disappoint.") and the Xbox version at IGN ("Cowboys, vampires, and sexy dead girls are fun in parties, but not so much alone."). According to review aggregation site GameTab, the PS2 version of Darkwatch scored a rating of 82% with the gaming press with the Xbox version scoring 85%. As of June 2010, the game's Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
average score stands at 74/100 for the PS2 version and 75/100 for the Xbox version. In 2010, GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
ranked Darkwatch as sixth on the list of the top seven weirdest westerns.
Some of the most notable reception the game received regarded the character of Tala. The voice-acting role of Rose McGowan was critically acclaimed by numerous gaming outlets. In 2007, GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
featured Tala in the gallery Babe of the Week: Outrageous Boobs. She was a runner-up in ActionTrip's 2007 lists of Top 10 Video Game Chicks, both by staff and by readers' choice. In 2010, Complex ranked her 14th among The 50 Hottest Women In Video Games. GamesRadar included her on the 2008 list of top seven Native American stereotypes and choosing her to represent "the sex object" stereotype, but nevertheless calling the portrayal of "an empowered female who’s not afraid to be sexy and go after what she wants" to be "a vast improvement over the appalling depiction of Indian women in Custer's Revenge
Custer's Revenge
Custer's Revenge is a controversial video game made for the Atari 2600 by Mystique, a company that produced a number of adult video game titles for the system...
".
See also
- DeadlandsDeadlandsDeadlands is a genre-mixing alternate history roleplaying game which combines the Western and horror genres, with some Steampunk elements. It was written by Shane Lacy Hensley and published by Pinnacle Entertainment Group....
- High MoonHigh MoonHigh Moon is an award-winning werewolf western webcomic series, developed in 2004 with a debut in 2007 as a part of Zuda, DC Comics' webcomic imprint. The first season concluded on July 8, 2008. Season two ran from August 16 to November 25, 2008...
- Jonah HexJonah HexJonah Woodson Hex is a Western comic book antihero created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga and published by DC Comics. Hex is a surly and cynical bounty hunter whose face is horribly scarred on the right side. Despite his poor reputation and personality, Hex is bound by a personal...
- Vampire Hunter DVampire Hunter Dis a series of Japanese novels written by Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano since 1983.To date, twenty-two novels have been published in the main series, with some novels comprising as many as four volumes...
External links
(archived)- Official website and concept art at High Moon StudiosHigh Moon StudiosHigh Moon Studios is an American video game developer, that used to be a part of Sierra Entertainment. After a period as independent studio, the developer was acquired by Vivendi Games in January 2006 and retained the current name...
- The Art of Darkwatch slide show
- Darkwatch at Giant BombGiant BombGiant Bomb is an American video game website and wiki that includes gaming news, reviews, commentary, and video, created by former GameSpot editors Jeff Gerstmann and Ryan Davis in collaboration with Whiskey Media...