Blue Omega’s Damnation is an ambitious title; one that blends acrobatics, verticality, massive environments and shooting mechanics in an alternate history where Steampunk merges with the Old West. Damnation aims high with an objective to change the landscape of the shooter genre forever. It has been the target of a fairly negative reception overall, but has Damnation been unjustly gunned down by the gaming world?
In Damnation, America is presented as a place of utter melancholy and a society left in shambles from war. As Hamilton Rourke, you are part of a resistance known as the Peacekeepers, who are in the midst of a chaotic struggle against Prescott Standard Industries, a corporation lead by a militant industrialist attempting to assert complete control over the war-torn nation. Adding to the gloomy premise of battling in the wastelands known as Damnation is Rourke’s quest to locate his missing fiancé.
Like many games today, Damnation is powered by the Unreal Engine. Its overall appearance can be described as “hit and miss,” though. Distant landscapes are striking, and gazing into the horizon of the massive environments can often reveal picturesque vistas. However, when certain textures are inspected closer, they appear somewhat distorted. The character models look presentable, and their garments are unique – though we’ve seen much better character designs in other games. Damnation’s visuals can be pleasant at times, especially when you’re admiring remote scenery. For the most part though, the graphics are fairly bland.
The music of Damnation is relatively enjoyable, as an appropriate score consistently accompanies the action. It has a bit of a Gears-y vibe in general, though it’s not quite as inspiring. Sound effects, however, are rather subpar. In particular, the weapons sound dismal and do not convey a sense that you’re using anything powerful or threatening. The sniper rifle, for example, sounds more like an out of tune timpani being struck, rather than the deafening crack that would be emitted from such a high caliber instrument of death. Regarding the voiceovers, I have certainly heard worse, though the acting quality is more on par with what you’d expect to find at a local theatre production, instead of a Hollywood blockbuster.
Damnation’s key gameplay components consist of platforming, acrobatics, and shooting. There is essentially only one way to go in Damnation, and that’s up. Most of your time will be spent traveling vertically to reach a point of interest. It’s not overly difficult to figure out what course you’ll need to take, as traversable objects, such as ledges and ladders, appear more vibrant than decorative items that aren’t interactive. Occasionally, you can simply follow your partners to determine the proper course – which incidentally, is the only assistance you should expect from them, since they are utterly useless in firefights, and the AI in general is atrocious.
The basic platforming and acrobatic elements are vaguely reminiscent of what’s been seen in the Tomb Raider games, though Rourke isn’t quite as nimble as Lara Croft. To my surprise, I found the techniques remarkably simple to learn and use. I expected to struggle with these fundamentals, though I was able to pull off the basic maneuvers with ease. Leaping to another ledge after climbing can take a little bit of practice, and sometimes the camera serves as a hindrance – but for the most part, the system is fairly accessible and it can be fun to navigate through the vast environments, despite the erratic animations that accompany a few of the moves.
Where I struggled with Damnation, was with the fundamentals of combat. In order to keep your weapon drawn, you need to constantly hold down the Left Trigger. This essentially prevents you from running at full speed with guns blazing. Instead, you need to cower behind objects and occasionally expose yourself to fire a few precise shots at your foes. That may not sound entirely different from other popular shooters of today – however, a “sticky” cover system is not available in Damnation, and it would have been extremely useful.
During the heat of a gunfight, you’ll need to either stand behind a pillar, or crouch near an obstacle to create an improvised cover point to prevent your character from being pierced by a few hundred bullets. It would have been tremendously helpful to be able to utilize a system that would allow for safely latching on to a cover position that you’ll automatically stay glued to while you occasionally pop up to fire a few rounds.
This kind of combat system has practically become standard fare in modern third person shooters, and Damnation’s lack of proper cover mechanisms make it feel rather archaic. The enemies, as a result, only pose a threat because they’re extremely accurate when you’re exposed, and not because of the deployment of sophisticated tactics against you. As such, firefights can be an exercise in frustration at times and prevent Damnation from offering consistent gratification.
To aid you in battle, Rourke has an ability known as “Spirit Vision,” which can be activated by holding down the LB button. This mystical power causes the world to become enveloped by a bluish tinge and you can then see through walls to locate the position of your enemies and anticipate what dangers await. You can also heal injured teammates while using Spirit Vision by tapping RB. It’s a fairly snazzy visual effect, but really doesn’t serve much use beyond giving you a preview of how many enemies you’ll be facing when you turn a corner.
Gameplay is intermittently shaken up by the inclusion of sections where you’re required to drive a motorcycle. These interludes provide a welcomed break from the standard sections and convey a decent sense of speed. Following suit with Damnation’s theme of verticality, the bikes are able to drive on walls and the sides of cliffs. Sometimes this can be a bit disorienting, especially in tunnels where it can be difficult to distinguish the walls from the ground when the camera’s axis has shifted. For the most part, the vehicle sections can be fun, but ultimately come across as being filler – you’ll get the sense that Damnation has suddenly turned into a racer, except that there aren’t any opponents.
On the multiplayer side of things, if trekking through Damnation’s fairly lengthy campaign becomes a lonesome ordeal, the cooperative mode may serve as a remedy. An eight player online mode is also available. There is a familiar adage these days that the multiplayer modes of low profile games don’t compare to the experiences offered by the esteemed properties – this holds true for Damnation; though finding someone to play with may be bigger issue for the few fans of this game.
By and large, I had more fun with Damnation than I expected to based on the negative reception it has been dealt. The Steampunk and industrial themes create an interesting atmosphere, while the platforming aspects have some appeal. Damnation is not exactly the most heinous piece of software to ever desecrate the gaming industry as some have suggested. However, the game’s flawed AI, sloppy combat mechanisms and lack of an intuitive cover system ultimately prevent it from being on par with today’s fashionable shooters.