Operation Darkness for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

Operation Darkness got me excited. There are very few Turn Based Strategy games for the Xbox 360 and what's not to love about Zombies, Vampires and Skeletons in a WWII environment? Unfortunately, while the core gameplay is fun, there are many glaring faults and poor design decisions that make this title very frustrating and not for the feint of heart.

There is nothing impressive graphically about this title. It's not up to snuff with the current range of releases. The graphics look like they were ported from last generation or very early this generation and there is some minor slow-down at times (typically during the load into the battlefield). If graphics are your thing, you'll want to avoid this title.

The camera and controls are awkward. You will often select to attack and find yourself facing the wrong direction when you go to move across the field to select your target. The camera doesn't stay put and often buildings and other objects will obscure your view. It's not unbearable, but it certainly makes getting into the game harder. Actions and menus in the game require too many button presses to get anything done. Everytime you go to loot a corpse, you are prompted with a message reminding you that you can loot corpses for weapons and items. It's almost like they forgot to tell it to stop displaying the tutorial message after the first time. There's no ability to bulk sell/buy items which can be rough if you need to restock your supply of medkits or ditch all the spare ammunition you don't need.

However, even with these shortcomings, the battles are intense and very fun. There's a large variety of weapons and special attacks and it very rewarding watching that last tank explode after you hit it with a fireball or shot a bazooka at it. And there's nothing better than watching Jack the Ripper lay into a German Vampire with a broad sword.

Bottom Line:

If you love Turn-Based Strategy and are willing to put in the time, it's a good game.