As someone who spent an unhealthy amount of time on Warframe, I knew about DE's history with Dark Sector with the references they popped in with Excalibur's design, the player species called Tenno, the Glaive, the beta showcase enemies becoming the Grineer, etc. Still feels weird to see people like DE_Steve talk about older games they worked on like UT (which i didnt know they worked on) and DS. good stuff all around bossman
I hate to be “that guy”, but the Tenno aren’t a species. It’s a special title for a certain kinda warrior, akin to the Dax. The operator’s are human (mostly… Possibly a void born doppelgänger) teen-adults with void powers, that were trained as fighters- called the Tenno.
As a Warframe fan that played Dark Sector 4 years ago, I liked the game's dark atmosphere with the music and art direction. That was definitely a product of its time with mid to late 2000s games like Gears Of War, Resistance, RE4/5, and The Darkness sharing that dark gritty atmosphere and music. You don't really get scared in Warframe fighting the infested because you're an overpowered space ninja with an arsenal of weapons and magic powers with other players and AI companions helping you out. That and all the bright colors. In Warframe, I grind infested maps like they're nothing but in Dark Sector, I was genuinely afraid of one of the infected creeping up on me. It was fun seeing designs that eventually made it into Warframe like two of the technocyte bosses were based on the warframes Rhino and Nyx. Or the quadrupedal tank in Dark Sector later being the Jackal in Warframe. After playing Dark Sector I immediately started using the glaive in Warframe, and since then it has been my most used melee weapon in the game.
You'd think with the implied multiverse/alternate realities DE opened up with the concept of Eternalism, and now with Warframe celebrating 10 years, you'd think they'd throw us Dark Sector fans a bone and make a connected reality where Dark Sector had a hand in the later evolution of the Technocyte Virus eventually evolving into the Infested. But alas we can only dream.
I was hoping Dark Sector would get tied into Warframe when the Duviri Paradox trailer first came out due to the Tenno in the trailer looking like Hayden Tenno.
@@Daxter609the problem is they leagally can’t since dark sector propertie rights were owned by the publisher since Warframe Was self published they couldn’t legally use dark sector
I had remembered seeing this game in passing back in the day and not thinking much of it. Gonna have to fix that because the Glaive mechanic looks like it changes the Third Person cover shooter formula considerably and gives the game its own identity. Hayden's armor is also wicked cool and feels like a natural descendant of Guyver and even Gray Fox's armor while still standing apart as its own thing. Even the funny black market merchant seems like an idea that stands on its own, in a way that reminds me of RE 4 without feeling like a copycat. (Glad to see you making vids like this, btw. One of the reasons I followed you on Twitter is that you always seemed to bring attention to lesser known material that's still worth checking out. I hope vids like this continue to introduce people to cool shit like this, man.)
Dead Ass on that Gray Fox comparison, since he's like my 3rd fav metal gear character and not even I thought to make that connection, but better later than never.
One detail that I always adored with this game is in the intro. Specifically that the game is completely monochrome... right up until you get infected. It's a really cool way to show how Hayden is being altered by the virus even beyond just the arm. I also like that they actually provided a justification for why he doesn't lose his humanity: The virus turns organic material into metal, which is exactly as painful as it sounds. Most people go insane from the sheer agony of the transformation, becoming feral as a result. Hayden, however, suffers from congenital analgesia, meaning he can't feel that pain and thus is able to benefit from the infection without going mad.
Had a revelation recently, started remembering a few sparing, specific childhood memories that I had lost until now. This game, strangely enough, is one of those. Great video.
Legitimately will give this game a shot in the future based on this video. When it first released, I've never seen too much about it and thought it was just one of those productions of its time. That is, of course, said in a way that is not with the intention of devaluing it. This game didn't come to mind to me until I found out about Warframe and its references to Dark Sector; it was really cool to find out that the developers of that game lived on to make another game with the same vibe as Dark Sector, almost as if it was simultaneously a new beginning and a reintroduction of old ideas. Lastly, I wanted to compliment you on your editing style. The audio has its issues with your narration being a inconsistent levels and the popping in your enunciation, but it never distracts from the message of what you mean to convey visually. You showcasing cover art of games with cybernetic suits with each new box art quickly fading in one after another is a small but charming touch, and I'm not sure most people would choose to do that out of concerns for readability. Its very amateurish, but I don't say that to denigrate you or the work you put in, but introduce why I dig this video as much as I do: it has a somewhat "classic" RU-vid air to it, and combined with how soulful the message at the last stretch was, turns into an expression of a honest and inspired point of view.
I'd love to give this game a shot again, this time on PC. I remember playing through the whole thing on the Xbox 360, but barely remember much of it. ^^' Also, it's really cool to see you doing reviews. :o Curious to seeing you doing Dark Void if you ever get to that. I thought that game was pretty cool too.
just asked my brother about thjis game cause it popped in my head after so long I LOVEDD ITTTT crazy to see there actually fresh content for this game!? I HOPE A REMAKE OR A COOLER VERSION COMES OUT
Hot take but I REALLY want a Biopunk 3rd person shooter/action game like Dark Sector again. Warframe is fine don't get me wrong. I just like the more modern-ish setting and going up again enemies with increasingly more badass powers. I grew up on Guyver, and my favorite OVA being Baoh. One of my favorite moments in recent RE was when you play as Pierce and grow a giant arm cannon.
Subbed cuz of this video! Great work!!! It's been a while since I last tried Dark Sector... and I was, back then, simply disappointed when I figured out just how steep the ingame system was for buying weapons and upgrades. Noticed that many people that played the game really wanted a NEW GAME + option... but never got any. Maybe, someday, particularly due to this video essay, I might actually come back to it and play it how it's meant to be played without succumbing too hard on my nitpicks and gripes. It is a unique and old game after all. And we honestly need more third person shooters with cover systems that can try and make such ideas interesting.
I can’t even count anymore how many times I beat Dark Sector back to back, such a good game. The glaive has been my only weapon of choice for Warframe. It would be badass if you could control the flight of the glaive in Warframe like you can in Sark Dector
Solid video man! I remember hearing about the game back in the day but never played it, I'll have to give it a go at some point! Also loved the point you made at the end of the video, its something alot of people often forget about and/or overlook. Its always worth remembering that. Looking forward to the next video!
Little tidbit, Warframe allows you to equip a glaive as your melee weapon and it works the same way as it did in Dark Sector. What's even better is that there's an Weekly Act called Ways of the Old in which you're required to kill a certain number of enemies equipped with only a Glaive and a Pistol in your loadout The Technocyte Virus was reworked for Warframe as a more cosmic, eldritch horror that created the Infested. As a further nod to Hayden weaponizing the virus, one of the Warframes you can get is Nidus, which uses that same virus as its main gimmick in its Abilities, mutating and evolving himself as he infects more and more enemies I'm only just now seeing that black market and it definitely got referenced as the dealer Darvo. Same accent, too.
Really nice video for your first time, I look forward to seeing more content. I've heard of this game but never played it. I like it when you introduce me to things I've never heard from. Keep it up.
Follow you on Twitter and had no idea you’ve started making videos. This vid is great and I literally just ordered a copy for Xbox 360 because of this video.
It's a shame you aren't more experienced in Warframe and its past and community (of which Dark Sector is a big part of), I think it'd give you even more appreciation for Dark Sector and what has become of it (Warframe). Warframe is that 2004 vision of Dark Sector turned up to 11 and well beyond, and DE has continually and constantly poured their love into the game for over a decade. I haven't played Dark Sector myself. One of these days I gotta pick it up on Steam and experience it.
Dark Sector is the kind of game that makes me feel nostalgic of late 00's 7th gen edge like Dead Space and Prototype. It's a shame they completely abandoned it in favor of Warframe.
Another reason they changed the setting was that when they went around looking for investors for the game, everyone they showed the preview to said it looked too much like Metal Gear. Also space games just weren't very popular until Dead Space. 17:20 They also added Nemesis as a Nyx skin, and the Proto Glaive for Glaive weapons.
Knowing you and your stance on RE4, yeah I can see and feel that at that time. Funnily Enough I think it makes the game more of a unique beast considering that early build was still used for warframe and in general not that many games I’d say take as much from RE4. Only other example I can think of was shadows of the damned but that’s still doing it’s own thing too.
I brought this game when it first became available but i just recently completed Dark Sector finally and i love the game for what it's worth but the game is too damn janky so i'll never complete it again lol.
Funny how after 5 months, this review becomes FAR more poignant now than it was when you first put it up. Good on you though for covering this rough gem of a game!
imo i always considered darksector to be a prequel of sorts to warframe. The race that controls the warframes are called "The Tenno". Hayden's suit basically the baseline for the Excalibur frame as nemesis is to nyx (there's even skins for them) even have areas called in the game called dark sectors. idk what'll become of warframe 1999, but i assume it has to do with the ideas he had back during 99- early 00s