Capcom had always been a Japanese company first and foremost. The most they usually ever have to do with the West is when they need to localize their very Japanese games. They very rarely actively collaborate with external American developers. I really have to wonder why since Darkwatch, their collaboration with High Moon Studios, gave them an absolute gold rush.
Darkwatch combines two things that I never imagined could go well together, the Old West and vampires. Players take control of Jericho Cross, a former outlaw. I say "former" because, after attempting to rob the wrong train, he releases and gets cursed by the vampire lord Lazarus. His only hope to save himself is to join the Darkwatch, an organization that hunts down nightmare creatures. Unlike most stories in first-person shooters that are just there to provide an excuse for all the shooting, story actually takes a major role here due to its morality system. Jericho gets different vampiric powers based on moral choices that he makes throughout the game running the gauntlet from adding holy power to his bullets to stealing souls in a way that would make Shang Tsung jealous. The game even has two endings based on those decisions, providing incentive to go through the well-told story twice.
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The minute-to-minute action feels like a mix between Doom and Halo. Jericho is limited to carrying two weapons and has a regenerating health that is supplemented by taking blood from his victims. However, the levels are tighter, preventing the possibility of getting lost. There are some side areas that provide weapons and collectibles, but there are no major divergences from the main path. Enemy AI is passable. While there are plenty of idiot skeletons that just bum rush with their fists, the more mystical foes don't hesitate to spam their long-range powers and try to flank. The weapons are largely standard for the setting, but there are some fun additions like a crossbow that shoots bolts that stick dynamite to the target. There are also some unique levels that fit the setting like using a Gatling Gun on a stagecoach and rail-shooter segments on a horse that operate like the Panzer Dragoon games. It's a shame there aren't more of them. The only real disappointment is with the multiplayer which plays it very safe. While the vampiric powers are available as pick-ups, the modes are the standard Deathmatch and Capture the Flag variants that you can find anywhere.
The game still looks very good even now. While the characters do have the angular look expected from a sixth-gen game, they still have their own flare. The rustic settings familiar to anyone who watched a lot of Westerns take on a new appeal with the supernatural elements. The effects are still impressive, particularly the Blood Vision which reminds me a lot of Predator Vision from Alien Vs. Predator. I also have to give props to the sound. Using Ennio Morricone's music from The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly may be cliched, but it worked so well here. The game even had great voice work, especially from Rose McGowan as the priestess Tala.
Darkwatch shows how well a new idea from an outside party can turn out. It still looks great, it still plays great, and its single-player story still holds up. Even though the multiplayer is lackluster, I still encourage everyone to give this one a shot. It's a shame High Moon canceled plans for a sequel. Surely another Darkwatch would've been a better investment than a bunch of mediocre Transformers games, right?
