System: Microsoft Xbox 360

Also available for: Sony PlayStation 3

Publisher: D3

Reviewer’s rating: **

ESRB rating: Mature

Game type: Third-person action/shooter

Kind of like: “Gears of War” meets “Devil May Cry 4”

Best features: Glaive weapon; puzzles

Worst features: Clunky controls; poor multiplayer component

The bottom line: Shooters are dime-a-dozen, and it’s clear that developers have struggled to set their titles apart from each other. “Dark Sector” is no different, but like many others, its steps to stand out only serve to distract from the overall gameplay experience.

This is the story of Hayden Tenno, a covert operative who gets infected with a virus that turns him into some kind of superhero with a mutated arm. This arm generates a boomerang-type glaive that slices, dices, picks up items and can even be controlled remotely.

The potential to turn this unique feature into an overpowered weapon is obvious, but developer Digital Extremes did well in creating balance between the signature weapon of its hero and the regular weapons at his disposal. It takes a mix of both glaive and traditional weapons to get the most out of the game.

That’s not to say the glaive alone cannot be used, but its relative weakness in the early parts of the game makes it a challenge to use exclusively. Its usefulness is demonstrated particularly well in the simple puzzles spaced throughout the game.

There are a number of idiosyncrasies — such as having to press a button to pick up dropped ammo and a cumbersome melee attack — that have a tendency to interrupt the game flow. They’re not enough to cripple it, but certainly will frustrate most players.

But quirks aside, the worst feature is the multiplayer action. There are two game modes, both VIP-style deathmatches in which teams or individuals must kill a single Hayden. Taking away the best feature — the glaive — and giving it to one player is a sure way to quash any lasting interest.

Visually, “Dark Sector” looks great, rivaling even “Gears of War” in some spots. And the sheer level of gore can be fun—decapitations and dismemberment are standard operating procedure, so much that the game is banned in Australia. But in the end, for all its polish and attempts at uniqueness, “Dark Sector” is just a classic case of style over substance.