Darkstar: It's Still Alive!

[Gapporin]

I'm not the kind of person usually to get hyped up about a new video game, but I've been wildly anticipating the release of Darkstar for awhile now. Now in development for about eight years, I always thought it was canned or stuck in indefinite development hell. But according to the game's offical website, it will come out Christmas 2008...I can't wait!

Oh...what is Darkstar, you ask?

Welcome To The Adventure That Is Darkstar

A new, interactive story-telling device that combines the action and suspense of a motion picture with the sensibilities of a lavishly animated gaming experience.

The Movie

Darkstar features over four hours of cinematics that rival the quality of most sci-fi motion pictures. Over forty live-action actors are in the diverse cast, among them Clive Robertson (Sunset Beach/Star Hunter), most of the cast of the legendary, Emmy nominated & Peabody award winning Sci-Fi Channel series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (including creator Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, Mary Jo Pehl, Josh Weinstein, Beez McKeever and Frank Conniff), and last but not least, Peter Graves (Billy Wilder's Stalag-13, Fury, Mission: Impossible, Airplane, Men In Black 2 and A&E's Biography host).

The Game

Darkstar is an exploration game in which you find yourself thrust into the middle of a tale of murder and deceit with post apocalyptic earth as the dark backdrop. With hundreds of panoramic 360 degree views, countless places to explore, puzzles to solve, and characters to meet.

The Music

Music for Darkstar has been provided by legendary Canadian rockers, Rush. With over 20 songs from their 30-plus-year career represented in Darkstar, Sci-Fi has not seen this mixture of rock music and Sci-Fi animation since the 80's cult classic Heavy Metal.

Seriously. MST3K and Rush in the same project...what else do you need?

www.darkstar.gs

[Blanka789]

Wow, I hope it comes out. I'd definitely give it a shot.

[Steve W]

I've pretty much given up on this one. It looked pretty antiquated when it was first announced, like they were attempting to do something along the lines of the generic FMV type games that proliferated when CD-ROM technology was in it's infancy. The ship designs and everything looked like early '90s CG, and it didn't look too impressive. The cast is what drew my interest, and I hope they will update the technology to make it look better than a Sega CD game.

[Cryomancer]

Oh good, it is still possible? Been waiting on this. SOMEONE needs to try making a modern FMV game damnit. The genre can work, it just has a bad rep due to Sega CD / 3D0 trying to do it a bit too early.

[FrakAttack]

If there's a driving sequence in a Red Barchetta, I'm in.

[Sniderman]

You mean the sci-fi comedy directed by John Carpenter?

[Gapporin]

Quick update: Darkstar has been pushed back yet again, this time to late 2009/early 2010. They also have some blurbs from the cast and crew about how optimistic they are about the project. The last news item was from March 2009.

Is this our new Duke Nukem Forever? Darkstar has been in production since 2000.

[Steve W]

I expect it to be really outdated when it comes out. The graphics from the older builds looked like they were designed and rendered in the early '90s CD-ROM craze era. I'd like for this thing to come out, but I stopped caring years ago. Sure, I'll pick it up if and when it comes out, but I won't get my hopes up for its release.