When I first heard of Dark Void, which is being developed by Airtight Games with Capcom serving as the publisher, I wasn’t overly interested in it. The idea of the “vertical cover system” and flying around courtesy of a jetpack didn’t seem very appealing to me, at first. But as I’ve learned more about the game, I have to admit that my tune has changed and I’m beginning to get curious.

Ground combat is supposedly taking a few cues from the Gears of War cover system… of course. So initially, I dismissed the game as yet another Gears clone that would feature some frustrating aerial elements via a jetpack. I changed my tune when it was revealed that you will have the option to remain in the air infinitely. In other words, the jetpack won’t run out of fuel or energy. This is not overly realistic of course, but I say, who the hell cares? There’s nothing worse than constantly dying in a game like this because you’ve run out of fuel just before landing on a platform or if you’re not quite sure what direction you’re supposed to be going in.

I’m not sure how it’s explained that the jetpack won’t require recharging… maybe it’s making use of a fictional energy source, or perhaps because the Bermuda Triangle is involved in the plot, basic laws of science are thrown out the window. Whatever the case, the jetpack won’t run out of energy, and this makes me a happy camper. Your focus will be where it should be: Enjoying the gameplay elements, instead of constantly monitoring a jetpack’s energy meter.

Once you’re in the air, a whole new array of options open up, and this is where the touted “vertical cover system” comes into effect. You’ll be able to approach a ledge and utilize it as a cover point. While in cover, you’ll have the options to navigate to different ledges above and beside you, in a manner that’s similar to the “swat turn” in Gears of War. You will also be able to fire shots at foes above you while hanging on a ledge, or you can grab unsuspecting enemies and pull them over the ledge to their impeding doom. Sounds fun!

Graphically, Dark Void looks fairly impressive based on the screenshots I’ve seen. There is a lot of gray and purple going on, and while I think this gives the game a fairly unique appearance, hopefully it doesn’t mean that most of the areas found within the game will look too similar.

Dark Void will be available for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC this year. I think it has the potential to deliver a fairly unique, fun experience… assuming the aerial and vertical cover elements are implemented well with solid controls.