Dark Rift

For the feature in the Milky Way galaxy, see Great Rift (astronomy).

Dark Rift
Developer(s)	Kronos Digital Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Vic Tokai
Distributor(s)	Vic Tokai
Designer(s)	Stan Liu (Executive Producer) Albert Co (Art Director) Matt Arrington (Lead Programmer) Andy Koo (Animation Technical Director) Ted Wornock (Animation Director) John Paik (Production Design)
Platform(s)	Nintendo 64, Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)	NA July 10, 1997 (N64) NA October 22, 1997 (PC) JP March 27, 1998 (N64)
Genre(s)	Fighting
Mode(s)	1 - 2 player(s) competitively
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T) OFLC: M USK: 12+
Media/distribution	Cartridge (N64), CD-ROM (PC)

Dark Rift (Space Dynamites in Japan) is a 3D fighting game for the N64, notable for being the first N64 game to use 60frame/s,^[1] as well as being N64's first native fighting game.^[2] It is also unusual among fighting games in that fights go for a default three-out-of-five rounds, as opposed to the more conventional two-out-of-three.^[2]

It was originally conceived as Criticom II^[3], and is the second of three fighting games developed by Kronos Digital, falling between Criticom and Cardinal Syn. These three games have been referred to as the "Trilogy of Terror",^[4] due to their rather uniform low-standing with critics.

Story

Title screen

Setting

Dark Rift takes place far in the future, sometime after the events of Criticom. Gameplay spans three dimensions: the Neutral Dimension (where Earth is located), the Dark Dimension (home to demons), and the Light Dimension (home to energy beings). Although the creatures of the Dark Dimension are demonic, there is no indication that the inhabitants of the Light Dimension have any angelic qualities.

Plot

The crystal (the acquisition of which is the main motivation of the characters of Criticom) turns out to be the Core Prime Element of a Master Key, one which holds the power to all the secrets in the universe. The Master Key was found eons ago lodged in a spatial tear. When it was retrieved it burst into three pieces, sending two pieces into alternate dimensions, and widening the tear into the game's namesake Dark Rift.

Acording to legend,when the universe was created,a Maser Key was forged to lock away all ancient secrets and the infinite power of cosmos.The key was divided and cast into diferent circles of reality. When the Hyperions accidentally acquired a piece of the Master Key,then called Core Prime Element,they abuse its power and proclaimed themselves the Chosen Ones.After many years of tyrannical rule,their society became morally destitute and internally corrupted.In the midst of political and social chaos,Sonork Nezom arose as the Chosen Ones´s demented Emperor.With the help of his sordid followers,Sonork enslaved the mass populace,murdered any possible oppositor,and claimed the Core Prime Element as his own. For many years,only one entity sought the prize with vigilant fervor,Demitron,The Lord Demon of the Dark Dimension.When Nezom came into the power,Demitron knew his chance had come.To retrieve the Core Prime Element and murder Sonork,Demitron sent his most hideous servant,Demonica Gkroux.When the arch demon Demonica failed,she exchanged secret information for her life.She told Sonork that,aside from his Core Prime Element,there were at least two more pieces of the Mster Key.Demonica also reaveled that while the Light Prime Element´s location had never been discovered,the Dark Prime Element was imbedded in her lord master´s head. Then Sonork convoked a tournament to force the Light Prime Element´s owner to show himself.With the Core and Light Prime Elements,Sonork has no problem to challenge the dangerous Demitron,cut off his head to obtain the Dark Prime Element and proclaim himself the Emperor of the Universe...

Fighters

• Aaron Maverick:from the planet Earth,Aaron is a weapons and explosives expert and use a MFG-16 rifle.Aaron is a master in karate,too.

• Demitron:from the Doom Island of the Dark Dimension,the Lord Demon Demitron uses a Rift Blade in his arm and his gigant build to defeat his enemies.

• Demonica Gkroux: from Hades Mountain on the Dark Dimension,Demonica has a flaming breath and an animalistic fighting style with her claws

• Eve: from the Garden of Eden,Eve is a human mind in a cybernetic female body.Her style is fencing and use a light saber.

• Gore: from the Highlands of Dorlon comes Gore,with his skull crushing axe.Is a savage fighter golem alike with no mercy for his rivals.

• Morphix: the Light Dimension is the home of Morphix,a pure energy entity.Nobody knows his past.He transforms his bodyparts into blades.

• Niiki Kat´Har: princess of the Jungle City of Faralon,Niiki uses the discipline of Inverse Kinematics and uses also dual rings of Faralon.

• Scarlet of Hyperia: she comes from the Shores of Hyperia,and,like her ancestors,uses the Dragon Slayer discipline and a Dragon Sword with Shield.

• Sonork Nezom: he come from the War Zone of Hyperia,his sociopathic tendencies make him enjoys killing with his bionic rifle-bladed arm.Hail Emperor Nezom.

• Zenmuron: he use his Phoenix Katana and Kenjutsu.Nobody knows any other information from him.

Reception

Reviewer	Score
The Electric Playground	8/10 [5]
Allgame	1.5/5 (N64)[6] 3/5 (PC)[7]
Video Gamers First	4.0/10 [8]
IGN	5.4/10 [1]
Gamecenter.com	2/5 [5]
Nintendo Power	3.73 out of 5 [5]
Hot Games	1/5 [5]
AntKids.com	60/100 [5]
Gaming Age	73/100 [9]
GameSpot	5/10 [2]
GamePro	4/5 [10]
TotalGames.net	79/100 [5]

Doug Perry at IGN.com gave Dark Rift an overall score of 5.4 - Mediocre (with its graphics scoring the highest points at 7.0), referring to the game as "a visually attractive game with very little in the way of gameplay."^[1] IGN's Peer Schneider said "Dark Rift suffers from a horrible lack of personality and is virtually devoid of any innovation."^[1]

Jeff Gerstmann of Gamespot gave the game 5.0 - mediocre (with graphics again scoring highest at 8.0), saying it "feels like a Virtua Fighter-inspired mishmash of monsters, demons, and guys with guns. The graphic effects are the only things that save Dark Rift from falling below average."^[2]

SCARYLARRY at GamePro gave Dark Rift a short but positive review, stating simply "Although Dark Rift may not be in the elite class of fighters, Nintendo 64 owners starving for a slaying may find themselves satiated by a weekend with Dark Rift." He gave the game a score 4/5.^[10]

In reference to the "Trilogy of Terror" title used for Kronos's fighting games, Stan Liu (head and founder of Kronos) said "we got stuck doing fighting games for a while simply because we were one of the very few U.S. game developers that actually made a fighting game. Hence, Dark Rift and Cardinal Syn." ^[11]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d} IGN: Dark Rift Review
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Dark Rift for Nintendo 64 Review - Nintendo 64 Dark Rift Review
3. ^ GameSpot:Video Games PC Xbox 360 PS3 Wii PSP DS PS2 PlayStation 2 GameCube GBA PlayStation 3
4. ^ Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix Review - GameCritics.com
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Dark Rift Reviews
6. ^ allgame ((( Dark Rift > Overview )))
7. ^ allgame ((( Dark Rift > Overview )))
8. ^ NGF: Dark Rift Review
9. ^ Gaming Age N64 Review - Dark Rift
10. ^ ^{a b} Review: Dark Rift for N64 on Gamepro.com
11. ^ Interview with Stan Liu – Part 1 | GameCritics.com

References

Farkas, B & Kiang, D: "Dark Rift: Official Secrets & Solutions", Prima Publishing, 1997