Darkside is a no nonsense shootemup, there are no characters or dialogue and not much of a story – just pure action. Each level consists of a large 3D asteroid, which the player's ship permanently orbits. The player controls the ship using the standard WASD to move and mouse to aim. Anyone familiar with the PS3 network game Stardust HD may cry foul and indeed both games have a similar feel, but Darkside began development before Stardust was announced so this is just coincidence. As you move, the asteroid turns beneath you and the enemies/rocks move into view over the horizon. This is still 2D asteroids game play at heart, but playing on a rotating sphere adds a neat twist.

I used to like shootemups in days gone by, but then the genre seemed to split into bullet crazy J-shooters and hardcore versions of traditional scrolling shooters. I was left behind with my aging copies of Raptor, Space Tripper and Demonstar. For me a shootemup should be good looking, have plenty of high scoring bonuses and quickly let me slip into the "zone". Playing in the zone is sometimes called "flow", that state of mind where you and the game are one and hours pass like minutes. Keeping the player in the zone is extremely difficult, too easy, too hard or too dull and it's all over. Darkside does a good job of keeping me in the zone, but sadly that means my lunch hour disappears in the blink of an eye.

In arcade mode there is the usual limited number of lives, ability to earn more and the game progresses with each level getting harder until you cannot carry on. Fairly standard design for those interested in posturing on the high score table after epic play sessions. I played a single game for about one and a half hours straight to temporarily claim the number one spot on the website's high score table.

What takes the game from good to fantastic is the addition of a mission mode where progress is saved after each level. This allows you to play the game in single mission chunks over ~15 minutes during lunch. With a hundred missions to work through that's a lot of game play for the money. I'd recommend playing this mode first as you can get familiar with the controls and enemy behaviour in small bites. I rarely play the other modes, getting that number one slot on the high score table just once was enough for me, but I keep coming back to the missions again and again (I'm up to 71 so far).

Unusually for a shooter the weapon pickups-ups all use ammo and they are quickly exhausted and disappear. This is significant as it forces you to think carefully about what you're firing at and where you need to be heading. On some levels the quantity of rocks and enemies is so thick you'll need to use smart bombs just to clear a path to the pick-ups and then focus on the horizon so you can wade through to the next weapon or health restore.

Like any good shooter there are a few boss enemies to deal with. Some take the form of giant spiders crawling over the surface of the asteroid. One particularly impressive level had an unusually small asteroid with not one, but two massive spider bosses crawling over it. It's slightly disappointing that the explosions and points award from these types of bosses are no different from the other enemies.

As minor quibbles go, I only have a few others. As the name implies, the asteroids have a dangerous darker side, which is sometimes perhaps too dark. Some of the more difficult levels have so many rocks that you don't get a clear starting position and can get thrown around and killed quite quickly. However, you soon learn to save your smart bombs for just that occasion. In fact sometimes you're so panicked you'll accidentally release all your smart bombs at once. Then there's the wonderfully powerful twin laser weapon, which can make a mockery of the toughest boss. The weapon is quite rare, but bigger enemies would benefit from some resistance to it.

Graphics:
Looks great full screen and works well on even low spec 3D accelerators. Arcade mode pushes such large numbers of rocks the screen can fill with explosions and debris making a very impressive display.

Sound:
Perfectly adequate, but I did turn off the music after a few minutes. I found some of the sound effects had an unusual organic quality.

Game play:
Same old asteroids game play in a lovely new 3D package. Mission mode introduces new enemy types and differing win conditions that keep the game fresh for a very long time.

Value:
Mission mode could take perhaps 15hours or more to complete on normal, then you have arcade mode and survival. This is a respectable amount of game to work through, but no sign of an editor or downloadable extras just yet.

Concept:
Initially I thought this was a clone of StardustHD, but it appears like great minds think alike and this is just coincidence. Both games play quite differently and I'd say Darkside is the better game. The spinning asteroid platform is a clever way to revive an old game idea.

Fun:
One of my favourite games of the year, I can't stop playing. It's simple, feels right and doesn't punish the player (at least on normal mode anyway).

Overall:
If you are, or used to be, a fan of shootemups then go and get it immediately. Darkside is pure blasting fun with no need of cut scenes, dialogue and fluff. Get in the zone!