Playing Hayden Tenno, a US government assassin, the player starts out infiltrating a Russian base to find a missing informant, and stop a terrorist from spreading a mysterious infection. Except during the course of his mission Hayden himself becomes contaminated and starts to undergo a transformation which gives his flesh a steel-like appearance. What's more, the infection causes his right hand to sprout a detachable Glave that he can throw and recall at will. All very handy when Tenno finds himself stranded, weapon-less and heavily out-numbered by both the infected locals and the hazmat teams sent to clean up.

Dark Sector draws immediate comparisons to 2006's Gears of War because of its third person viewpoint, emphasis on shooting and allowing the player to use cover. It’s not entirely the same, as there’s no ability to blind fire; but there’s no denying that everything feels more than a little familiar. The player can sprint between bits of cover, snap-to them before popping out to shoot, or SWAT-turn from pillars to walls or anything else which stops incoming fire. This is one of the reasons why a number of people have mistakenly confused Dark Sector as running on the Unreal Engine, instead of Digital Extremes' own proprietary creation. It handles just as well as Gears, its mechanics are very similar and the game is also just as stunning on a visual level.

The style may be only a little different to Gears of War, but there’s no denying that Dark Sector paves its own way and is still one incredibly fine-looking game. Characters have a solid feel to them and an impressive level of detail. This includes things like the metallic sheen on Tenno’s mutated skin, which spreads as the game progresses; the way the light glints off the blades of the glave; and even small things like the inflating, breathing sacs on the enemy gas masks. Environments also offer a great level of detail, including some lovely water effects, plus lighting from both the environment and things like electrical sparks or torch light. There’s also good use of depth of field blurring, with the player able to look off into the horizon and see buildings slowly burning against the haze.

All these are displayed in some finely-crafted set pieces. Moments such as: taking on mutated villagers in a sunlit court yard, while a broken recording of the Russian National Anthem crackles hauntingly over a tannoy; Or tackling a giant and very angry boss in the middle of a church as it uproots pews, and smashes straight through solid pillars in a bid to pummel you into the floor.

Although the player has access to pistols, shotguns and automatic rifles, which can also be upgraded with extra abilities, it’s clear that Digital Extremes intended for the glave to be the weapon of choice. Enemy weapons can be picked up, but are fitted with a self-destruct mechanism that causes them to break quite quickly, and so they are only useful as a quick fix. The player is able to collect Rubles throughout the game and can use them to buy additional weaponry that doesn’t have a limited lifespan, although the inventory is limited to the pistol, glave and one other weapon. This means the Glave is the most permanent and easy option so it’s fortunate that it’s immensely satisfying to use. Looking like an homage to the 80s film 'Krull', the Glave will slice through anything organic that ends up in its flight path. Dark Sector is gory and bloody, and nothing demonstrates this better than being able to slice off enemies' limbs and leave them flailing about on the floor in a shower of their own blood. Heads pop off and torsos are severed clean in half - something that is made easier once the after-touch ability is gained and you can steer the glave.

As the player progresses, more and more abilities are gained as Tenno’s infection continues to spread. While it gives a nice feeling of becoming more and more powerful, some of the abilities feel virtually redundant: such as the stealth ability, which isn’t really required at any point.

Along with being used to pick up hard-to-reach objects, the Glave can also be charged with different properties, such as fire, ice and electricity. Using these, the player can burn, freeze and shock enemies; but they can also be used to interact with parts of the environment. Simple puzzles break up the combat: for example, setting fire to objects to clear a path, or charging the Glave with electricity to short circuit mechanically-sealed doors. While the elemental attacks mean the Glave is the most versatile weapon, there are lengthy periods where the game doesn’t seem too fussed about allowing you to obtain these charged attacks. For example, some lights can be smashed to charge the Glave with electricity, but it seems the game only wants you to be able to do at specific points, rather than whenever you want.

This is indicative of Dark Sector's down sides. In some respects the game is polished and well considered, while in others it is quite rough around the edges. On a technical level, it suffers from some odd, twitchy glitches, like ammo crates getting stuck on Hayden’s feet and ragdolls that seem to be a generation behind in the way they spasm at the slightest impact. There are also some odd design decisions and problems with pacing. Some stages feel very stop-start with the combat, including periods in which the players is walking around with very little happening. More bothersome is the fact that in the early stages players are given no indication of how to progress, but later on similar sections are accompanied by a written explanation of what is required - even though it’s the same type of puzzle that’s been encountered previously.

The single player campaign lasts around 8-10 hours but there are also multiplayer modes for those left wanting more. The online portion is solid, if unoriginal; entertaining for those who like their standard fair of deathmatch, and protect the VIP.

Dark Sector is best summarised as a classic example of doing an action game by the numbers. It’s not that it does any one thing particularly badly, rather that it’s a combination of factors which hold it back. While it doesn’t do enough to truly innovate or enhance, it’s unfair to expect every game to be a blockbuster hit. Despite its flaws, Dark Sector manages to draw everything in and then hold it together for the duration.

Definitely the type of game to park your brain in neutral, play and enjoy without expecting too much from it.