2006 review by me of The Dark Mod on GameSpy's PlanetDoom

The writing contained here is years old and GameSpy no longer exists but they are a reflection of the work I used to do then. Some of the links found in these posts will no longer work however they will remain as part of the original work. These posts are under the label: Outdated articles and works.

Unto thou I presenteth a mod in development, the builder be proud. Ok so I am feeling a little Thief'ish today. There is no mod to download yet but definitely screenshots and video. This one, however, is worthy of attention as it is under development. This mod is called "The Dark" mod. It is based on the Thief series game that was made by Looking Glass Studios, and later Edios. This is a total conversion mod of the Doom 3 Engine and judging by the screenshots and high res video (yes high res video), this mod is going to be quite spectacular once it is released. Note however, that on their website, the authors state that this is a tool set mod; Meaning once it is constructed, it will allow level development. Therefore once the toolset is made, expect to see fan made Thief levels using the Doom 3 Engine. It is also important to note that this is not Thief but Thief-like.

The mod looks to have the stealth capability of the original thief series, complete with the rope arrows, gas arrows, black jack, water arrows and most likely others. According to the FAQ on their site, it will also include weather effects. The character models they have so far displayed look’s fantastic.

Since the mod and any of the levels is not out yet, it’s not possible to review how the game plays, however the video does yield some clues. Looks like the game may be either the same speed or slightly faster than the original Thief series. There appears to be the detection indicator like the original and the ability to make good use of dark and shadows. Swimming is included, but what Thief-like game would be complete without it?

Being a fan of the Thief series, this is a mod I am definatly waiting for in anticipation. Reading through their site, it seems this is still 2 years away but what they have already achieved is incredible.

For more information and the HIGH RES VIDEO, check out their website at: http://www.mindplaces.com/darkmod/index.php

--reviewed by Shadow Master