Darkwatch
When you think about FPS games Capcom has published, you probably start by drawing a blank. Then you realize the company has a few under its wing, namely the Resident Evil Chronicles games, Killer 7, Resident Evil 7, and that awesome (but sadly cancelled) Mega Man spin-off only known as Maverick Hunter. But Darkwatch might not come to mind because it was neither developed by Capcom nor a part of an existing IP. The game was made by High Moon Studio (of Transformers: War for/Fall of Cybertron fame), and it is a forgotten and bloody gem.
At first glance, Darkwatch seems as though it will rely on the most overused of cliche settings: the steampunk old west where steam-powered dune buggies replace horses and every weapon sports more gears than Kingdom Hearts characters wear zippers. But then Darkwatch introduces vampires into the mix, complete with vampiric abilities for players’ characters to use alongside their revolvers, dynamite, and whatever other steampunk weapons they grab with their black leather-gloved hands. While the game mostly plays like an old school FPS (no automatically restoring health here), it implements a morality system that changes the ending and available abilities, and it also uses a lighting system that steals away all the protagonist’s sweet vampire skills, forcing players to rely on their trusty irons.
While Darkwatch was initially intended to be the start of a new multimedia franchise, that plan fell through. It’s too late to revive those designs; however, it isn’t too late to bring Darkwatch back for a new generation with a port. If Castlevania has taught me anything, it’s that all good vampires eventually come back. And evil ones as well. Although, Capcom might have to duke it out with Ubisoft since Capcom published the title in the US while Ubisoft held publishing duties in Europe and Australia. But if they can come to an agreement, they should exhume this hidden beauty ASAP.
