Darkwatch - Fight the demons within

Fight the demons within and follow the narrow path of what is right or succumb to the evil inside and quench your thirst on the blood of innocents; upgrade your vampire abilities as you blast through hordes of the living dead; in-game characters and plot respond to the reputation you build; rend the enemy limb from limb with location specific damage; add melee combat to your first person shooting sdefeats, using the blades attached to your many weapons.

Plot

The game's story (narrated by Peter Jason) follows the exploits of a wanted outlaw named Jericho Cross and his employment in an ancient vampire-hunting order known as the Darkwatch. 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, as a result of 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 the 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. His actions inadvertently release 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 Darkwatch agent Cassidy Sharp as well as the appearance of Shadow, Jericho's undead horse whom he fed on and turned in a frenzy after being bitten by Lazarus.

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 defeat 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 both 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 lures 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 hordes of the undead 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; if the player chooses to take Lazarus' curse for himself, then he must fight the ghost of Cassidy. The bad ending shows the now-monstrous Jericho defeating Tala and riding into the night, while the good ending shows Cassidy's soul being released.

Basics

Vampire Jump

One of your most important powers as a vampire is your ability to perform some crazy jumps. And while the simple mechanics of double jumping will get you to places normal humans can not reach, there is a bit more depth to jumping that is worth discovering.

Jump cancelling is a powerful sdefeat when properly used, as it makes your jumping much more accurate. When in the middle of any jump, simply press the interact button to make Jericho fall straight down. This comes in handy when jumping long horizontal distances. As you float over your target landing spot, cancel the jump to drop straight down and avoid overshooting your target.

Of course, your insane vampire jumping is not just used for exploration. Expert jumping can be a huge asset when engaging in combat. When you are being swarmed with enemies, backpedal away from them and perform a double jump so that you are looking down at them from the air. As you float upwards, you can drop a few rounds into the crowd of enemies or even toss a stick of dynamite on the ground. Since you are high in the air, you will not feel any of the dynamite blast, leaving only your enemies to suffer the burn.

Melee Style

So you have got an almost infinite supply of ammo at your disposal and plenty of high-powered weapons to grab, but that does not mean you should forsake good old fashion hand-to-hand combat! Melee strikes in Darkwatch are devastating when used properly, and let you dish out some pain on lesser enemies without using up your ammo stocks.

Different weapons have different melee strikes, though you can assume all are the same except for the Redeemer and the Crossbow (both of which have weaker melee attacks than the other weapons). Melee attacks from other weapons are capable of defeating many enemy types in just one hit. When taking on one or two enemies alone, use quick melee strikes to deal with them and conserve your ammo. Or, if you have emptied your clip and do not have time to reload, quickly melee to finish the job.

Gearing Up

Every time you step into battle, you are faced with the important task of gearing up with weapons to take out the enemy hordes. it is important to pick your weapons wisely, as you are only able to carry two guns at a time. Be sure to find a balance between power, speed, and distance in order to ensure your success.

It is usually a good idea to have one weapon for quick, close combat and a second weapon geared more for long-range shooting. Different missions will require different weapons, but in general it is a good idea to have a Redeemer or a Shotgun for your close fighting and a Carbine or Range Rifle for sniping. Certain instances will necessitate the use of the Crossbow or Rail Rocket, but these should only be used quickly before being discarded in favor of a more versatile weapon set. Read Guns and Ammo for more details on each weapon to better understand their strengths and weaknesses.

Gameplay

Darkwatch features a reputation system that affects player's abilities in addition to the player character Jericho's starting, neutral vampiric powers of "Blood Shield," "Vampire Jump" (a double jump that can be aborted at any moment), and "Blood Vision" (a system of heat vision highlighting enemies and objects that also acts as a zoom). Through the game, Jericho is met with multiple choices of a good or evil variety, allowing the player to select morality awarding Jericho new powers, called "Brands," based on the choices he made. The good path powers are "Silver Bullet" (making the player's weapons cause more damage), "Fear" (confusing minor enemies), "Mystic Armor" (an extra shield system), and "Vindicator" (bolts of lightning destroying all nearby enemies).

The evil powers are "Blood Frenzy" (granting an immunity to damage and extremely powerful melee attacks), "Turn" (turning undead enemies into allies), "Black Shroud" (stealing life force from nearby enemies), and "Soul Stealer" (destroying nearby enemies and stealing their souls). The powers can be activated for a limited time when the HUD's blood bar, which is fueled through collecting souls of the slain enemies, is completely full. Jericho's health is also restored through collecting the souls.

During the daylight hours, Jericho's powers are gone, so 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 a crossbow firing explosive arrows and a rocket launcher, as well as melee combat. In some missions, Jericho can drive a Gatling gun-equipped Coyote Steamwagon vehicle; using it or a horse changes perspective to the third-person view. During horse-riding rail shooter sequences, Jericho is granted unlimited ammunition and high attack speed, at the cost of only being able to use the Redeemer.

Multiplayer

The Xbox version has competitive multiplayer for up to 16 players online, although system link is impossible. The PlayStation 2 version does not offer any online connectivity and competitive multiplayer is limited to two players (or four players while using an optional multitap device) via split screen gameplay. In multiplayer matches, the players can pick up the "Silver Bullet," "Mystic Armor," and "Blood Frenzy" powers as floating power-ups that activate immediately. The game's story mode is also available for split screen cooperative gameplay on the PlayStation 2, a feature absent from the Xbox version. In the co-op mode, both players play as a rank-and-file Darkwatch Regulators but 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.

Characters

Jericho Cross

Voiced by Christopher Corey Smith - The protagonist of the game, a jaded American Civil War deserter and drifter who became a gunslinger and train robber. During his "one last job," he releases Lazarus Malkoth from his prison in a failed attempt to steal the contents. While dueling with Lazarus, Jericho gets bitten and infected by the vampire curse. His already deadly sdefeats are enhanced by his vampire powers that afford him superhuman strength, increased endurance, enhanced agility, and heightened senses, in the form of the bioluminescent red orb that regenerated from his empty eye socket.

Shadow

Jericho's demonic horse that appears at his beckon. According to the developers, they created "deep psychological profiles of every character in the game" with "hope that Jericho's character arc — as this desperate lone wolf that is robbing trains with a subconscious death wish — makes a believable transition into this half-vampire hybrid gunslinger and will ultimately envelop the player in his destiny: which is a guy that can be either a hero or a terror."

Cassidy Sharp

Voiced by Jennifer Hale - 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. 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 (meaning "Stalking Wolf")

Voiced by Rose McGowan - The game's second female protagonist. Tala is a Native American shaman and a power-hungry Darkwatch agent. When she was young, Tala lost her seer mother and became an outcast from her own tribe, fearful of her mediumship abilities. Her father was then defeated by a band of fur traders and she herself was kidnapped and abused by them, until her captors were defeated 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. The developers described her as not evil but "just ambitious." Tala is the only character who uses kicks in the game, due to the artists deciding that "some of the combat moves the actress performed fit the character so well that we changed the combat system she's using." If fought as the final boss, she turns into a demon. Tala is considered "without question, the more difficult boss to battle."

Lazarus Malkoth

Voiced by Keith Szarabajka - A Roman who first founded the Darkwatch society in 66 AD in order to battle the dark forces responsible for the decline of the Roman Empire. 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. During the game's development, the villain's name was Scourge.

Clay Cartwright

Voiced by Michael Bell - The brutal and scheming field commander of the Darkwatch. An American Civil War veteran in the rank of brigadier general, Cartwight snipes Jericho and enslaves him, forcing him to participate in a series of trials before inducting him into the organization.

Enemies

Though environmental perils litter your journey, the main obstacles are the hordes of enemies constantly nipping at your heels.

Bone Demons

The first enemy you meet is also the most common. These Bone Demons are the weakest enemy you will face, but that does not mean they are not deadly. Bone Demons will run straight for you, leaping any height in order to reach you. Their only attack is a melee strike, so you can easily pick them off from afar. The Redeemer is the best weapon against them, as just one head shot is enough to defeat a Bone Demon. Be careful not to get surrounded—Bone Demons will try to back you into a corner where they can wail on you pretty hard. In these situations, use melee strikes from more powerful weapons to instantly drop them in their tracks.

Eventually, you will run into a ghostly form of these Bone Demons. The ghost form is more resilient, as it takes a lot more to defeat 'em. Luckily, their attack pattern is just as simple and the same strategies work against them. Stick to more powerful weapons, like the Shotgun or Carbine, and drop dynamite in their path as they march toward you.

Keggers

Keggers are a variation of the Bone Demons, but their attack is way more deadly. They run toward you carrying large barrels of highly explosive dynamite, and will explode when they get near you. You do not want to be in the range of this explosion when it goes off, as it can easily defeat you in one shot. Pick of Keggers from afar to ensure you do not get hurt.

You can take out Keggers with just one shot from any gun as long as your accuracy is good. Simply target the explosive barrel they are carrying and you will do away with the enemy (and any others nearby). The Redeemer is a great weapon against Keggers because of its accuracy and speed, and since you do not need any more power than what the Redeemer offers you will not need to waste ammo from more precious guns.

Riflemen

These snipers are pretty deadly, as their accuracy is unmatched. Simply making yourself visible to Riflemen is enough to get you shot instantly, so you will want to be discreet when it comes to attacking them. Stick behind corners and peek out while zoomed in to go for a head shot. The Carbine and Range Rifle can defeat these guys instantly if you nail them in the skull.

Luckily, Riflemen never leave their post. This lets you carefully set up a plan of attack and pick them off without losing track of them. Whenever you get shot from a Rifleman, take cover and make note of his location. If you can keep cover while taking out the more in-your-face enemies, you can save the Riflemen for last and avoid their fire in the process.

Gunslingers

Like Snipers, Gunslingers are dangerous from a distance, though their accuracy is definitely not as good. What makes these guys more dangerous is their movement ‐ unlike Snipers, Gunslingers will chase after you. Take out Gunslingers quickly since you cannot run for cover, using a Carbine or dynamite sticks to quickly deal with them. Also, melee attacks work particularly well against these enemies. Just one melee from a powerful weapon will drop them instantly.

Keep an eye out for a variation of the Gunslingers. Later in the game, you will run into Gunslingers that are not wearing hats. These guys will take more shots to defeat, though they are still very vulnerable to melee strikes.

Banshees

These floating women can be a pain, but patience and accurate sniping will save the day. It takes a good deal of ammo to defeat Banshees unless you target their heads. Weapons like the Carbine, Shotgun, and Range Rifle can drop Banshees in one shot if you nail their head perfectly. But the biggest obstacle the Banshees throw up is their large projectile shots. You can shoot these shots down with fire of your own, but in the same way your own shots are intercepted by theirs. If you are lining up a head shot and do not fire until after the Banshee launches an attack, her projectile will intercept and negate your shot. Luckily, you can stun Banshees by hitting them anywhere else on the body. Shoot a Banshee in the body once to stun her, then quickly target her head for a quick defeat.

Later in the game, you will run into a ghostly variation of the Banshee. These ghosts take a lot more ammo to defeat, but head shots are still effective (though no longer an instant defeat). Use the same strategy to stun the ghostly Banshees and follow up with a head shot to take 'em out in expert fashion.

Oozers

The bigger they are, the harder they fall, right? These tubby monsters are pretty slow moving, but they have got a long range vomit attack. This projectile can be dodged pretty easily as long as you stay mobile, but if you get backed into a corner you are not going to like the results. Use vampire jumps and drop dynamite sticks under these guys to blow 'em up. it will take a couple of explosions followed by a volley of bullets, but these guys will eventually explode in a mess of flesh.

If you find yourself under pressure from one of these enemies, drop a bullet into them from a high-powered weapon (Carbine or Shotgun works well). They will recoil in pain, stunned for a moment long enough to let you run around them.

Vipers

Though simple-minded, Vipers are pretty dangerous because of their defense. Not only are Vipers difficult to defeat, but they also teleport around your bullets, forcing you to take your shots methodically. As Vipers rush toward you, drop one bullet into their skull to force them to teleport away. When they reappear, they'll temporarily stall as they roar in anger. This gives you a chance to get a couple of shots off on their skulls without them teleporting away.

It only takes about three headshots from a powerful weapon to drop a Viper, so as long as your aim is good and you are quick to target you shouldn't get overrun by these enemies. Backpedal away from them as they charge you, and use your double jumps to shoot from above.

it is usually a good idea to have one weapon for quick, close combat and a second weapon geared more for long-range shooting. Different missions will require different weapons, but in general it is a good idea to have a Redeemer or a Shotgun for your close fighting and a Carbine or Range Rifle for sniping. Certain instances will necessitate the use of the Crossbow or Rail Rocket, but these should only be used quickly before being discarded in favor of a more versatile weapon set. Read Guns and Ammo for more details on each weapon to better understand their strengths and weaknesses.

Guns and Ammo

Despite the inherent talents of Darkwatch™ headliner Jericho Cross—berserker rage, lightning summoning, and essence-draining abilities—the human/vampire bandit still relies mostly on good, old-fashioned firepower when dispensing with his undead opponents. It would not be an authentic Old West shootout without a huge array of hyper-kinetic guns to use against skeletons, banshees, and animated corpses. As a member of a millennia-old secret society dedicated to protecting humanity from the supernatural, you have quite a selection of one-of-a-kind, occult-fueled ordnance at your disposal.

Redeemer Revolver

Short Range: Good · Long Range: Good

This is a standard-issue pistol—aside, of course, from the built-in option to fan the hammer. It quickly expends an entire clip in machine gun-style fashion. The most common weapon you encounter, it also packs surprising stopping power and blows the arms, legs, and heads clean off opponents. The accuracy is not so great; however, especially if you go the rapid-fire route. But at point-blank range, adios.

The Redeemer strikes a good balance of short and long range ability. Though the gun is underpowered, the large clip allows you to spray a lot of fire, letting you deal damage and target multiple enemies quickly. The Redeemer has one of the weakest melee attacks in the game, forcing you to rely mostly on ammo, but since ammo for the gun is almost always available this shortcoming is not much of a problem.

Blackfish Carbine

Short Range: Good · Long Range: Great

A modified musket that is been turned into a breach-loading repeater, the carbine has decent range and stopping power. Employ this firearm to eliminate distant gunmen with just a couple of shots. Also useful in close-quarters melee, thanks to a solid heft and a bladed handle.

The Carbine is a good balance like the Redeemer, though its strengths lean more toward long distance shooting. The gun is accurate and very powerful, letting you decapitate most enemies with just one precise shot. The Carbine's melee attack is very powerful as well, letting you drop lots of enemies pretty quickly without spending a round of ammo. Unfortunately, the Carbine does not hold many rounds and the ammo is usually in short supply. it is a great gun when you are fighting just a couple of enemies at a time, but when you are swamped by hordes you will want something a little faster.

Carson Range Rifle

Short Range: Poor · Long Range: Excellent

Equally capable of taking out a vampire or enemy-spawning mark of evil at 200 paces, this one is light on damage potential but great for keeping your distance while harassing adversaries. Hitting the mark is a little difficult — it is not the most on-target option — but an integrated sniper scope more than makes up for any shortcomings.

As the name implies, the Range Rifle is best suited for long distance shooting. The weapon has unparalleled sniping ability, allowing you to zoom in close for an accurate shot. When the level requires a long distance shooter, there is no choice better than this. The Rifle's weakness is its small ammo clip—with only four rounds of ammo in a clip, you will need to reload constantly in order to take out multiple enemies. This (combined with the rare ammo) makes the Rifle less than stellar for up close confrontations and, like the Shotgun, not very versatile.

Argus Shotgun

Short Range: Excellent · Long Range: Poor

Forget sawed-off alternatives—this sucker sports four beautiful barrels and one wicked six-inch blade. Save it for use when standing toe-to-toe against a powerful baddie. Two barrels deploy at any given time, spewing flesh-shredding rounds, while the second pair simultaneously reloads. Spread effects are decent, but face it — it is far more fun emptying the chamber right into a zombie's rotting chest.

Shotguns are made for tearin' stuff up in close range combat. One point-blank shot with a Shotgun is enough to defeat most enemies in the game, though the weapon does require you to get a lot closer to your opposition than you may way to get. Luckily, the Shotgun has a relatively large clip and plenty of power in its melee strike. Feel free to carry one around at all times, but be warned: ammo supply is a little weak for the gun, and the weapon is pretty useless at long range. The Shotgun is not as versatile as some other weapons, but it has its own purpose.

Dual Crossbow

Short Range: Poor · Long Range: Good

Arrows make an excellent delivery platform for explosives. The crossbow's triggers fire two projectiles almost simultaneously, so launch your quarrels from a distance and watch enemies ignite. Extremely powerful, it is also highly dangerous; once struck, victims tend to run around wildly, effectively doubling as suicide bombers. Stay far away.

The Crossbow's biggest selling point is the amount of power it packs while maintaining a relatively large ammo clip (compared to the Rail Rocket). Shots from the Crossbow will explode after contact, which makes them great for taking out groups of enemies in the distance. Unfortunately, the shot is somewhat slow, making it difficult to hit moving targets (especially flying ones). Also, the explosion of the shot can hurt you, so it is not a good idea to launch a Crossbow arrow into a group of enemies that is right near you. The Crossbow is not a good weapon to use constantly, but used appropriately (minimally), it can be pretty effective.

Rail Rocket

Short Range: Poor · Long Range: Great

A wicked twist on a naval signal cannon, this inspired invention hurls mortars great distances. Steer the fired projectiles while in flight, tracking opponents who turn and flee as certain doom approaches. For close-range combat though, stick with its ability to double as a melee weapon, lest you too suffer the ravages of explosive effects.

The Rail Rocket definitely is not a practical weapon, but it does have its uses. The power of the Rocket is unsurpassed, letting you deal massive damage to whatever you target. Use the weapon against large enemies and to quickly destroy Marks of Evil. The Rail Rocket is also good for taking out large numbers of enemies, but be careful not to launch a shot too close—you could end up shooting yourself. Because ammo is rare, it is best to use the Rail Rocket and then dump it in exchange for something more practical, but do not be afraid to make use of it when one's around. Just do not ditch your other weapons.

Dynamite

More effective than a bullet against adversaries, dynamite is also more difficult to use against them, thanks to its delayed damage effects. Foes scatter when you light the fuse; wise players vacate the area as well, or risk being blown to bits.

Gatling Turret

The turret is an upgrade on the garden-variety Gatling gun, which improves its overall rate of fire. This is most commonly found mounted on mobile vehicles such as the coyote steam wagon. You cannot throw, jump, or use Blood Vision while manning one, but an unlimited ammo supply more than makes up for any strategic limitations.

Cannon Turret

Reach out and crush someone with this massively potent weapon. Granted, it has its downsides, such as slow movement speeds, poor turning ability, and blind spots. Find these aboard Darkwatch trains and steam wagons. Stationary turrets sporting an unlimited number of cannonballs are also a common sight in multiplayer match-ups.

Darkwatch Scepter

Use this viciously spiked and bladed bad boy — a weapon fit for a king — to crown your opponents or cleave them in twain. Originally offered as an instructional tool for use in the Darkwatch Training Maze, you are also sure to stumble across samples out in the field. An option of last resort in story mode, scepters gain considerable power in multiplayer rounds of Capture the Flag, where they serve as both flag and melee weapon.

Warmaker Pistols

Not so hot in terms of stopping power or ammo capacity, these dual pistols are great for sapping an approaching foe's health via a series of alternating shots, which do considerable damage when suffered in rapid succession. Once up close, ailing foes are dispatched with a quick one-two punch melee strike.

Missions

• 1. The Wrong Train
• 2. Ride Like The Devil
• 3. Boneyard
• 4. Devil's Belly Mine
• 5. Darkwatch Outpost
• 6. Torture Maze
• 7. Baptism of Fire
• 8. Rescue
• 9. The Deadlight Prism
• 10. Invasion
• 11. Hangtown
• 12. The Morning After
• 13. Showdown
• 14. The Right Train
• 15. Deadfall
• 16. Curse of the West

Vampiric Tips

Darkwatch™ combines vampires and the Old West to create an entirely new kind of FPS. As half-vamp gunslinger Jericho Cross fights to recover his humanity, he allies himself with the shadowy Darkwatch organization and takes on hordes of zombies, vampires, and other night terrors. Here are a few pointers for becoming the fastest half-dead gun in town.

Burn the Source

Often you have to contend with a seemingly endless flood of grunt-level foes. This is because it actually is an endless flood, one that flows from the awful, cocoon-like "hives" that spawn the beasts. You must destroy the hive to stop the tide, and that is not always easy. Sometimes the game puts the hive high on an inaccessible hill or sticks it to a sheer canyon wall. You can pump round after round into the hive from a distance, but if you want it done quickly you must use your dynamite. If you time your toss right, you can not only blast the hive but also take out a handful of the enemies it just created, to harvest even more of that sweet Blood Cloud. If all else fails, use your Vampire Jump to get close and then melee the hive to pieces.

Head Shots and Undead: A Dangerous Combination

Darkwatch breaks with shooter tradition somewhat in that head shots are not necessarily an instant defeat. Sure, your bullets and shotgun blasts do damage and may even decapitate the zombie shuffling toward you, but no head does not mean no danger. Some undead keep coming after you have literally blown their heads off, so do not take your eye off any enemy until you see the Blood Cloud their death leaves behind. If you do not have time to aim at the attacking enemy's remaining vulnerable spots, go ahead and fan the hammer to fill whatever is left with lead.

Power to the People

Speaking of Blood Clouds, you must collect this essence left behind by defeated enemies to fuel Jericho's vampiric abilities. These powers are what set him apart from the average FPS hero, so be sure to make the most of them. Once you have explored the obvious uses (Blood Vision provides a limited zoom to aim by, Vampire Jump lets you reach remote areas), try thinking about them tactically. Since Blood Vision calls out anything supernatural, you can use it as a locator for magical items, portals, or even that zombie cowpoke who keeps shooting at you from the shadows.

Vampire Jump does not just let you take the high ground, it gets you off the low ground—you do not need to jump on something to get away. Jericho jumps so high he can get out of almost any bad situation; better yet, on the way down he can target and shoot his enemies so that things are not so dangerous once he lands. You can also steer yourself slightly in mid-flight so that you are sure to come down precisely where you want to either on top of that precious ammo pick-up or behind your most dangerous enemy so you can bushwhack him.

Your choice of new vampiric powers is limited by your actions in the game — abuse, murder, and feed on the innocent to open up the darker, nastier powers; protect and defend them to unlock the good ones (which are just as effective and visually satisfying). Along with your choice of powers, your actions also determine your interaction with NPCs and the ending you get, so make every choice carefully.

Darkwatch provides a slick mix of spooky chills and shooter action. Since you can customize Jericho Cross' powers, you are sure to find your own tips based on the gunslinger you have created. In the meantime, these pointers can keep you alive until you start making decisions about your own undead hero.

Secrets

Unlockable Movies

Throughout the game, you will view various cutscenes that show the story of Darkwatch. As you view these cutscenes, they will become available for future viewing in the Extras menu. Completing the game will unlock most of the available cutscenes, though there are a couple of extra ones that depend on whether you made good or evil decisions. You can go back to previous levels to unlock the cutscenes you missed because of your decisions — the movies you unlocked the first time will remain unlocked, but all progress after the level you replay will be erased.

Unlockable Concept Art: Evolution of Jericho

Complete the game once on the default difficulty (Cowboy) to unlock a video of artwork that shows the various stages of Jericho's character development.

Multiplayer

The first step to earning your multiplayer sdefeats is to conquer Darkwatch's single player campaign. you will learn the basics well enough, but single player practice can only take you so far. When face-to-face with an actual human rival, you will need to implement more advanced tricks than what you are used to using on undead ghouls.

Jericho Be Nimble, Jericho Be Quick…

Next to having a steady aim, being nimble in your movements is the most important sdefeat for survival in Darkwatch multiplayer, and the key to expert movement is handling your jumps. The jumps of Darkwatch define the multiplayer experience, and bad jumpers will quickly find that they cannot keep up with the better trained opposition.

Because the double jump is so huge, you can cover a lot of ground with a single jump, letting you zip across the levels much faster than someone that is just walking. Practice your jumps to get familiar with the jump trajectory in order to sdefeatfully land on small platforms and ledges in the midst of combat.

Perhaps the best use of jumping is to make yourself a hard target to hit. A fast-moving target is hard to hit, and there is no way to move faster in Darkwatch than by jumping. Specifically, the jump cancel action moves your character faster than anything else. By repeatedly jumping and canceling your jump, you will make yourself a very hard target for an opponent to hit. If you can learn to do this while maintaining a steady aim, you will have an impressive advantage over your competition.

it is Dy-no-mite!

Weapon selection is key to success, and it is also important to always keep dynamite on hand. Dynamite is very powerful in multiplayer matches, giving you a powerful tool in combat even if your equipped weapons are less than stellar. Learn to use the dynamite effectively and you will double your offensive power.

Because high-flying jumps are so prevalent in the game, hitting people with dynamite explosions requires some precise timing. Most opponents will be jumping constantly, though your only real chance to hit them is when there are on the ground (since dynamite typically does not explode in mid-air). A good tactic to use is to follow an opponent's jump and toss a stick of dynamite directly under them as they land. If you time it right and your aim is good, they'll land directly on top of the dynamite and feel the full impact of the explosion.

Dynamite is also useful in cramped quarters. If you are backing away from an opponent inside a small cave or corridor, litter the path ahead of you with dynamite. With any luck, you will catch the pursuing opponent in the blast, weakening him for an easy defeat.

Best Weapons

There are lots of weapons to choose from, and not all are created equal. For a weapon-by-weapon breakdown, check out the Guns and Ammo Review.

In general, more power equals more defeats. The Rail Rocket, like rocket launchers in most multiplayer FPS games, is very dominant in the hands of a sdefeated player. The Carbine is deadly at long range, and the Crossbow is very effective in tight areas. The Shotgun is capable if instant defeats if you hit someone point-blank, but at longer ranges it is hard to use effectively.

Power Up with Power-ups

Every multiplayer level is littered with power-ups that augment your abilities temporarily. Memorize the locations of these power-ups and constantly grab 'em up. If you can devise an attack route that takes you past a power-up, you will be able to gather it every time it respawns and monopolize the power.

Silver Bullet: Gives you infinite ammo and increases the power of your shots.
Blood Frenzy: Increases the power of your melee attack and makes you temporarily invincible.
Mystic Armor: Temporarily boosts your armor, letting you sustain more damage before dying.

Unlockables List

Wrong Train Animatic

Complete The Wrong Train with 65% or more Accuracy

Enemies 1

Complete Boneyard with 65% or more Accuracy

Enemies 2

Complete Showdown with 20 or more Melee defeats

Weapons

Complete Morning After with 70% or more Accuracy

First Encounter

By Chris Zimmerman

they have been around for centuries — watching, waiting, preying on humanity (no, not telemarketers — vampires, goof). In Darkwatch™, a new first-person shooter from publisher Capcom and developer High Moon Studios, it is your job to finally lay the dark creatures to rest. Just one hitch—the blood of the beasts runs in the veins of anti-hero Jericho Cross, whose humanity wanes with every second spent wandering the Wild West.

Blood In, Blood Out

Almost as unique as the title's storyline and neo-Gothic aesthetic — note how every weapon, including shotgun and redeemer pistol, could double as a sadomasochistic centerpiece — is, of course, its setting. The tale opens atmospherically enough, as Jericho leaps onto a train roaring through the moonlit night. A wanted outlaw with a string of robberies and assaults to his credit, Cross has come seeking treasure. What he finds instead, after fighting his way through jittering cars filled with meat lockers and savaged corpses, is destiny. Or rather, a royal pain in the neck, in the form of a blood-sucking psychopath named Lazarus. After unintentionally being released from the vault where he's held captive, Lazarus proceeds to bite the bandit. And, just for fun, he alters the shape of the land all around, uproots trees, annihilates frontier outposts, and summons the dead from their graves. Bummer.

Luckily, life as a plasma addict is not so bad; you are rescued from eternal enslavement by Cassidy, a sexy female gunslinger. Following her lead, you first stave off Lazarus' immediate attacks (he teleports around the roof of the train, sending sickle-wielding zombies your way) then make a break for it on horseback. After hopping into the saddle, you thunder across an open plain, controlling your steed's movement with the left thumbstick while popping shots at the cadaverous cowboys using the right thumbstick to aim. Blow baddies out of their chaps or shoot their mounts out from underneath them, and you might just live to join the Darkwatch, an ancient organization which protects humanity from supernatural horrors. Plus, have some good old-fashioned (if not necessarily kid-friendly) fun, literally taking enemies apart piece by piece.

Tales From the Crypt

Exploring open-ended levels such as cemeteries, secret passages, crypts, canyons, and mausoleums, you discover most of the title's entertainment value comes from pure gunplay. Furthermore, the action's fast, furious, and of the ultra-violent variety. Dark lighting and scary scenery props — rotted tombstones, splintered saloons, and creaking shanties — set the stage for mayhem, as you empty your six-shooters and unleash explosive crossbow bolts into the hordes of rotting corpses.

Enemies, who stumble on after you have blown off arms, legs, and even heads, actually exhibit considerable intelligence as well. Lob dynamite or a grenade toward an immensely fat, fanged blob (armed with twin swords and capable of vomiting bile your way) and it flees with surprising quickness. Take potshots at snipers lurking atop overlooking ravines, and they duck behind rocks for cover. Pump flammable projectiles into a banshee, and she floats around dodging subsequent assaults, even though it is obvious permanent obliteration is both certain and imminent.

Fangs for the Memories

As the game progresses, your powers increase — no Nosferatu would be complete without a host of unholy abilities. You begin with basic talents including blood vision (the ability to spot enemies, power-ups, and exits through a crimson haze) and a regenerating blood shield. Collect blood clouds dropped by fallen enemies to fill a special meter. Once it reaches maximum capacity, you have got the option of invoking additional talents such as damage-enhancing effects, mystic shields, and sweet techniques that literally put the fear of God into adversaries.

Interestingly, the specific sdefeats you acquire are determined by your moral outlook. To wit, at various points during the adventure, you are presented with ethical dilemmas. Choose to save a woman infected by Lazarus' bite versus defeat her, for instance, and you align yourself with good instead of evil. As a result, you move further away from having the option of sucking out enemy souls, but one step closer to gaining the choice of calling down chain lightning.

Whatever your philosophical preference, rest assured you are in for a frighteningly good time. Spookier than Serious Sam, more haunting than Halo®: Combat Evolved, and every bit as atmospheric as Area 51, Darkwatch should lay skeptics' doubts—plus several hundred supernatural beasties—to rest when it ships this August.

Rory McGuire, Darkwatch Designer

One of the most anticipated Xbox games casts you in the role of an agent of a secret society charged with protecting mankind. During this adventure, you blow zombie cowboys to pieces, hunt down an ancient vampire lord, and wreak havoc across a haunted Wild West environment. We sat down with one of the game designers for some inside information about this cool new title.

We're here with Darkwatch™ game designer Rory McGuire from High Moon Studios. This unique game combines elements of several game and story genres. How do you classify the game, and what separates it from other Westerns and/or “survival horror” games?

Darkwatch is a vampire Western first-person shooter (FPS). Every Western icon is present, but it is twisted, rotting, and clawing its way out of the ground. Gunfights in cow towns with rowdy bandits become duels with cadres of undead gunslingers. Stepping into a brothel means dealing with the banshee denizens, who do not want your money but your eternal soul. Fending off angry natives turns into fighting whole tribes of locals consumed by vampirism.

Darkwatch combines weaponry and vampire powers, so the gameplay is also an intuitive blending of genres. With abilities such the as a leaping double “Vampire Jump,” heavy emphasis on melee that is unique to each weapon, and acquired “area of effect” vampire superpowers, you have a very unique arsenal of attacks for a FPS. For instance, a group of enemies hiding behind cover are in for a surprise as you leap through the air onto a nearby building, run along a series of rooftops, drop behind the dug-in foes, and then tear them asunder in close combat.

Tell us a little about Jericho, and what makes him a unique hero. How do his vampirism powers work? What is his ultimate goal?

Jericho Cross is a train robber lining up his final score before heading south to Mexico when he picks the wrong train, inadvertently releases a vampire lord, and gets himself bitten for his troubles. This is all established in the first sequence of the game, so you quickly acquire powerful Darkwatch weapons and Jericho's vampire powers. You find out how to leap high into the air, regenerate the Blood Cloak shield, and learn darker powers fueled by the souls of your enemies.

Depending on the good or evil decisions you make, Jericho acquires good or evil superpowers. All the powers use the blood of the dead, Blood Clouds that Jericho absorbs from fallen enemies. Jericho's attacks vary: he drives himself into a vampire frenzy to become temporarily invulnerable, turns the undead against each other, inspires fear in his enemies, or just lays waste to everyone in sight by reaching out and stealing their souls.

He needs all of these powers to pursue his goal-defeat the creature that bit him, the vampire lord Lazarus. defeating Lazarus lets Jericho reacquire his soul or become a vampire lord himself.

Every cowboy hero needs a good horse. How have vehicles and mounts been incorporated into the game, and how will they work in multiplayer?

The horse is a staple of Westerns, even the vampire Western. We put a lot of thought and energy in creating Jericho's horse, Shadow, and the environments he rides through. Jericho is not just riding some pony; Shadow is an undead horse fit for his vampire master, and he can take a mean beating just like Jericho can. Jericho uses Shadow to fend off undead riders, chase down a train and jump on board, and even fight bosses from horseback. While using Shadow, you maneuver fluidly, dodging back and forth as you speed up or slow down to catch a nearby foe.

Jericho also discovers the Darkwatch organization's experimental Coyote Steam Wagon, a steam-powered Gatling gun-mounted vehicle. The Coyote mows through enemies faster than any other weapon in your arsenal. it is also available in multiplayer, where you use it to tear through foes, run flags, and escort teammates.

Speaking of multiplayer, how big can we expect Darkwatch battles to get on Xbox Live? What multiplayer options are built into the game, online or offline?

Darkwatch supports up to 16 players via XboxLive. You use the full arsenal of Darkwatch weaponry for Capture the Flag, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and team or free-for-all variations of a unique game mode called Soulhunter where opposing teams or players gather Blood Clouds. There are 16 unique maps spanning across various locations, such as a snowed-in pass, a dangerous cliff side, and a rundown cow town. In addition, there are also eight daylight variants, which minimize vampire powers. The offline option offers four-player split-screen multiplayer, with the same modes and maps available.

How important will melee combat be in the game, and will that emphasis change over the course of the single player game as Jericho himself changes?

Melee combat is an integral part of theDarkwatch experience. The undead cowboys charge like frenzied maniacs. The Darkwatch have adapted to this by mounting blades (or, in the case of the Rail Rocket launcher, a hammer head) on the hilts of their weapons to make for improvised melee weapons. Jericho puts these blades to good use, lopping off undead heads and limbs alike. Jericho also interacts with objects in the environment, such as knocking a TNT keg toward a charging enemy.

The title refers to a secret evil-fighting organization in the game-how much can you tell us about the Darkwatch, and their role in Jericho's story? What secondary characters will help or hinder his progress?

The Darkwatch are as ancient as Western Civilization; their formation began with the fall of Rome, and they have been fighting a shadow war with the undead for nearly two millennia. After Jericho is bitten by the vampire lord, he does not have much choice but to seek them out, and he inevitably ends up joining them.

In the Darkwatch organization, Jericho fights next to Cassidy Sharpe, a cowgirl turned vampire hunter; Tala, a Native American woman hunting vampires after her tribe was slain by them; General Clay Cartwright, the grizzled leader of the Darkwatch; plus countless Regulators who are the shock-troopers of the militant organization.

Tell us about the guns. What sort of weapons does Jericho wield, and how are they upgraded or enhanced throughout the game?

Fighting the undead is not for the faint of heart, and the Darkwatch were forced to evolve or die. This evolution came in the form of technology, and the Darkwatchare far ahead of anyone else in terms of armament. TheDarkwatch have fully automatic machine guns, rocket launchers, and pistols that qualify more as submachine guns than Peacemakers. Each weapon has its role in hunting the undead: the Range Rifle pops a zombie's head at a few hundred yards, while the Crossbow rapidly fires sticky explosive rounds up close.

The real joy is not just the weaponry; it is what you do with it. Enemies in Darkwatch feature full location damage and Havok physics. This means when an undead gunslinger comes at you, blow his arm off and his pistol with it. While he recoils in pain, blast his head clean off, then shoot it on the ground afterward. This is much more than just set dressing, because enemies are intelligent about reacting to damage. For instance, a character using a two handed weapon draws a knife and comes at you in melee combat after losing his arm.

What about the Western and horror genres appealed most to the designers? What was the genesis of the idea that became Darkwatch?

While always a Western, Darkwatch went through many incarnations before it became the game that it is now. Initially, it began as a comedic platformer with a much different Jericho character. As time went on, we realized that a darker take on the Western genre was not only unique, but allowed us to create the visuals and gameplay that we wanted. From there, the Darkwatch, a gritty secret society hunting the undead, was born.

Our current style enabled us to create crazy environments that have not been seen before, as well as the distinctive characters and weaponry that populate them.

Darkwatch has had more than one home over the last couple of years. Could you tell us a little of that development history, and how High Moon and Capcom got together to bring us the game?

Darkwatch started as the first-ever U.S. internal development project for the Sammy Corporation, which was eager to expand its videogame business in North America. Originally, our team worked as a subsidiary of the company under the name Sammy Studios. When Sammy acquired SEGA®, less focus was directed toward U.S. development.

As part of an amicable agreement, the merged company SEGA-Sammy divested itself of this studio, allowing us to establish ourselves as an independent company and obtain the rights to all of our original intellectual property, including Darkwatch. Hence, High Moon Studios was born and we announced the new company prior to this past Game Developer's Conference. We had spoken to several publishers and felt that Capcom was the perfect choice for us. Capcom has an impressive lineup of games like Resident Evil and Devil May Cry, so Darkwatch seemed to fit naturally alongside their renowned properties. We are definitely both excited to be working together on this project.

When it comes to first-person shooters, there's a new sheriff in town. And this one has some pretty sharp teeth.

By David Chapman | Aug 15, 2005

It's been a long and interesting road for the boys and girls of High Moon Studios and their debut Western/horror shooter, Darkwatch. Originally planned as a Sega release, the game's fate was in question when Sammy Corp. decided to shut down the California-based studio responsible for its development. Rather than go quietly into the abyss, the developers took matters into their own hands and formed High Moon Studios, taking their vampire cowboy with them. After finding a new publisher in Capcom, Darkwatch has finally hit store shelves, and the final product is easily worth the wait.

Darkwatch is the story of Jericho Cross, an Old West outlaw looking for one last big score. Unfortunately, his latest target turns out to be transport train carrying the vampire lord Lazarus Malkoth. After unwittingly releasing Lazarus from captivity, Jericho finds himself at the wrong end of a Lazarus' curse. Deputized by the secret organization known as the Darkwatch, Jericho sets out to put right the wrong he unintentionally set in motion. Along the way, Jericho will not only have to face off against all manner of undead creatures, but also the evil growing inside of him.

If you're a fan of first-person shooters, you'll feel right at home with Darkwatch. The game follows most of the general conventions of genre. In fact, as far as the gameplay element goes, Darkwatch isn't exactly dripping with originality. The controls are pretty straightforward: run, jump, shoot guns, throw dynamite -- that sort of thing. Jericho's arsenal of weapons will be instantly familiar to FPS fans as well. You've got your basic pistol (which also comes in the dual wield variety), a carbine rifle, a shotgun, a sniper rifle, a crossbow "dynamite launcher," and even a rocket launcher … because we know that those were all the rage back in the Old West.

Jericho's special powers are little more than standard FPS power-ups, as well, but renamed and retooled to fit Jericho's vampiric nature. Choosing to follow a "Good" or "Evil" path changes very little in terms of the game itself, simply opening up different sets of available powers and setting up a few cinematic changes. The game's horseback riding element is a unique change of pace, however there are only two stages that ever take advantage of it. Beyond this one element, there's simply not a lot in Darkwatch's gameplay to differentiate it from the rest of the FPS market.

What does set this game apart from its FPS brethren is its amazing presentation. High Moon has done an amazing job of creating a world filled with creativity and thematic atmosphere. And all of this atmosphere is brought to life courtesy of some stunning graphics and sounds. Without exception, each element in Darkwatch enhances the personality and mood of the world in which Jericho Cross "lives." The game's unique setting lends itself to some really cool visual designs. From the undead sharpshooters and saloon girl banshees to the desert canyons and abandoned streets of the surrounding townships, everything in the game fits the Old West horror theme to a tee.

The game's textures are crisp and detailed, and even when the screen fills with action, the Xbox version's framerate never falters. The sounds are just as immersive as the graphics. From the crack of pistols firing, to the clop of cowboy boots on wooden sidewalks, and even the classic theme from "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" which starts the game, it's all just a part of what gives Darkwatch its Old West flavor.

Aside from the cookie cutter gameplay, my only real gripe is that so much work obviously went into developing this engrossing world and story, and yet I couldn't help but feel like small chunks of the plot were missing. Although a lot of this can be dismissed as setup for the inevitable sequel, there were still just a few too many loose threads for my liking. Even so, Darkwatch is still one of the most entertaining single-player experiences I've had in some time.

As much fun as the single-player experience is, the multiplayer element is just as good. The game supports up to 16 players via Xbox Live in FPS mainstays deathmatch, team deathmatch, and capture the flag. There's also the "Soul Hunter" game, which pits players in a race against each other to fill an onscreen meter by collecting souls which spawn throughout the map. The multiplayer runs smooth as silk. I had no trouble with lag of any kind during my time with Darkwatch. The levels are well designed, giving players plenty of room to move, and plenty of spots to ambush opponents. It's an impressive part of an already impressive game.

Darkwatch has had to travel a long, hard road to make its way to store shelves. However, like the hero in most Western tales, the crew at High Moon came through in the end and has delivered a truly remarkable experience. And, while the game itself may not have broken any new ground, the world it introduces more than makes up for that. It will leave gamers hungry for more.