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Dark Sector
Dark Sector is a third-person shooter developed by Digital Extremes and published by D3 Publisher, released for XBox 360 and PS3 in 2008 and later ported to PC in 2009. It has the odd distinction of being the first game of its console generation ever announced; it was originally announced as a first-person massively multiplayer online game and a direct sequel to the Unreal series in February 2000. Resurfacing in 2004 as a third-person game set in space and starring a protagonist in a strange suit of futuristic armour, it may well have inspired Dead Space. It was ultimately re-worked again into a game placed in a more modern setting, with the player infiltrating a former Soviet nation called "Lasria" to assassinate a maniac named Mezner before he can spread a deadly plague. The weapons have a strange tendency to be depicted as one gun but named after a completely different one.
Digital Extremes would later resurrect many of their ideas for the original incarnation of Dark Sector in their 2012 free-to-play online shooter Warframe.
The following weapons appear in the video game Dark Sector:
Overview
The in-game system allows the player character, Hayden Tenno (played by Michael Rosenbaum, Smallville's Lex Luthor), to carry up to three weapons at any given time; a one-handed weapon in his thigh holster, a two-handed weapon on his back, and, occasionally, a second two-handed weapon in his hands which is automatically discarded if he tries to draw either of his other weapons. In addition, he can carry up to four grenades. Central to the combat system is a bladed throwing weapon called the "Glaive" based on the weapon of the same name from the movie Krull; when Hayden is infected with a techno-organic virus after the first level, he gains the ability to form this from his right hand, and switches to using his one-handed weapons in his left hand.
One of the more useful abilities of the Glaive is that Hayden can use it to pick up enemy weapons by throwing it at them after locking on; these are fitted with a side-mounted sensor and self-destruct charge called a "Magnetic Governor" which causes them to self-destruct after a short time in contact with an infected human (known as a "Technocyte"); however, they have their own ammunition supply rather than using Hayden's own stock. These weapons occupy the third slot while in use.
Actually getting weapons permanently requires that Hayden find "Black Market" store locations which offer ungoverned weapons in return for cash; the list of weapons is gradually expanded as the game goes on, from basic hardware to more powerful weaponry. In addition, an upgrade system allows Hayden to improve various aspects of the weapon such as damage, reload speed and magazine size.
One-handed weapons
Heckler & Koch Mark 23
The Heckler & Koch Mark 23 appears in two versions; the first is Hayden's default pistol, the "Tekna 9mm," while the second is a fictional burst-firing version with an extended magazine called the "Tekna Burst." "Tekna" most likely refers to the Russian SR-1 Vector pistol. In both cases, "Mark 24" is engraved on the slide; the Tekna Burst also has "Cal .45 Auto," and the Tekna 9mm appears to have this too. Both have a non-functional laser module mounted under the barrel.
Klin PP-9
The Klin PP-9 submachine gun is featured as the "Vekesk Micro," minus the folding stock and fitted with a strange underbarrel device, the function of which is never particularly clear. The gun is specifically mentioned in pre-release information as being difficult to control when fired in long bursts due to using a powerful round; this means it is likely to be a Klin rather than the outwardly identical Kedr, which uses the weaker 9x18mm Makarov round. It is named after the Russian SR-2 Veresk submachine gun. One of the more useful one-handed weapons, it has a 30-round magazine and is reasonably powerful and accurate. Bizarrely, it shares the same ammunition type as the two assault rifles.
"Spectre"
The "Spectre" is an old-fashioned break-open 12 Gauge Double Barreled Shotgun, a "rabbit ear" design with external hammers, with both the barrels and stock sawed off. Possibly named after the Russian-manufactured Remington Spartan. The Spectre is at its most bizarre when the misnamed "clip extender" mod is used on it; since mods do not alter the weapon visually, using three of these mods on the Spectre will result in a double-barrel weapon that can fire five shots between reloads.
Webley Mk. VI
The Webley Mk VI is referred to as the "Hammer 1895" with a description stating it was used by the old Tsarist army of Lasria, making it obvious the name is referencing the Nagant M1895 Revolver; the "Hammer" part of the name is likely a reference to the old adage that anything wrong with a Nagant M1895 can be fixed with a hammer. The ammunition used also seems to reference this; it shares its ammunition type with the SOCOM 16, the 7.62x38mm Nagant and 7.62x51mm NATO cartridges apparently interchangeable. Being a revolver in a videogame, it's no surprise it's referred to as a Magnum.
It is also used by Hayden's contact in Lasria, Yargo Menshik (Jürgen Prochnow).
Two-handed weapons
AKS-74U
The AKS-74U, called the "AKS-74" in game, is one of the only weapons with a name resembling the correct one (though it still refers to a different weapon). The standard rifle among Lasrian soldiers, this fictional variant has the front sight removed and replaced with a forearm-mounted reflex sight. The AKS-74U comes with two 30-round magazines clipped together, a suppressor and a metal skeleton stock; this appears to be based on the underfolding stocks common on AK-74 clones, but is mounted as if it is collapsible. Further into the game, Lasrian soldiers appear to be using modified AKS-74Us which are more powerful and have a higher rate of fire; they still act like the standard version in Hayden's hands if he picks one up, however.
Hayden reloads the AKS-74U by flipping the magazines around; this is the only animation used, meaning the magazine not currently inserted somehow magically refills itself.
Mossberg 590 "Compact Cruiser"
The weaker of the game's two two-handed shotguns but also by far the less expensive, the Mossberg 590 "Compact Cruiser" is called the "Striker" in game, named after the Armsel Striker. Never used by enemies, it's something of a pointless weapon, with only low cost to recommend it; it has a rather strange capacity of 6 rounds.
Oddly, though, the FABARM actually has stats resembling the Compact Cruiser when it is used by enemies, with broader spread than usual and a 6-round tube magazine.
Heckler & Koch FABARM FP6
The second two-handed shotgun is a Heckler & Koch FABARM FP6 called the "Protecta," after the Armsel Protecta. Oddly, the FABARM comes in two variants; if taken from a Lasrian soldier it will have stats similar to the Compact Cruiser, with a 6-round tube magazine and moderate spread. If the player actually purchases one, the spread is tighter and the default capacity is an impossible 12 rounds, which can be increased even further with upgrades.
For some reason, while enemy AKS-74Us come with fairly limited ammunition, the shotgun has a reserve of 100 rounds; utterly impossible to use before the Magnetic Governor kicks in, and most likely a programming error.
Springfield Armory M1A SOCOM 16
The Springfield Armory M1A SOCOM 16 is the only portable weapon with a scope. Called the "VX Carbine" in game, it's most likely named after the AS Val or VSS Vintorez. Oddly, it shares ammunition with the revolver, and is also one of the least accurate weapons in the game without an accuracy upgrade, since it is the only one that uses simulated scope shake rather than randomising shots within a circle aiming reticle. Only one is ever seen in enemy hands; a Lasrian sniper is armed with an unmodified SOCOM 16 at the start of the chapter set on a container ship.
Heckler & Koch G36C
The Heckler & Koch G36C is the last weapon to be made available at the Black Market, and the most expensive. Called the "Korbov TK6," most likely a reference to the Korobov TKB series of experimental weapons, it is by far the most powerful two-handed weapon in the game, and has no downside other than price; everything the AKS-74U does, the G36C does better. Towards the end of the game, an American retrieval team is seen equipped with these weapons, but Lasrian soldiers never use them.
FN FNC
A weapon based on the FN FNC can be seen in pre-release materials; at one point, this was planned to be the weapon called "Korbov TK6." While the weapon was fully modelled and textured, it seems that ultimately it was scrapped at some point during development and the name instead given to the G36C. The FNC model never appears in the finished game.
Special weapons
RPG-7
This bizarre fictional RPG-7 variant features an unused PGO-7 optic sight and an exceptionally long tube, resembling a real RPG-7 with the front grip placed where the rear one should be and with most of an RPG-2 joined upside-down onto the front; this appears to have been done so that the same arm poses used for holding rifles could be used for the RPG. It fires heat-seeking guided missiles, though these can only lock on to certain vehicles; enemy Ka-52 "Alligator" attack helicopters (distinguished from the similar Ka-50 by the two-seat cockpit) and the Jackal when Hayden is using it, but oddly enough not when he is fighting it. The RPG-7 is never fitted with a Magnetic Governor at any point in the game.
"Trooper Gun"
The "Trooper Gun" or "Elite Trooper Gun" is used only by the space-suited Lasrian Elites, and is described as a pneumatically driven weapon; essentially, it is a combination of the RPG-7 and mounted machine gun in portable form, firing from a common barrel. Given the gun's firing sound includes an obvious spin-up sound effect, the gun seems to be rotary, housed somewhere inside the weapon; it is more accurate than the mounted gun, and has infinite ammunition, though the supply of rockets is limited. Like the RPG-7, it has no Magnetic Governor. It is too heavy for him to pick up until he acquires a suit of "Prototype Armour" near the end of the game, and is the only hand-held weapon in the game that Hayden's Glaive is unable to pick up. Hayden also can't climb ladders or run while holding it, and moves extremely slowly. The way it is held is an obvious homage to the hand-held minigun in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Mounted Machine Gun
The heavy mounted machine guns used to protect Lasrian checkpoints appear to be a hybrid of the DShK heavy machine gun and the NSV heavy machine gun. They have infinite ammunition and are hilariously inaccurate, though they are significantly more accurate when Lasrian soldiers are firing them than when Hayden is. Using one switches to a first-person view looking over the gun, with a white crosshair showing an area where the bullets might theoretically end up but probably won't. Like the other heavy weapons, it is not fitted with a Magnetic Governor, allowing Hayden to throw shots into the walls near his enemies for as long as he likes.
SPG-9 Recoilless Rifle
A hybrid of the SPG-9 recoilless rifle and the game's RPG-7 is used by Lasrian soldiers when Hayden operates a Lasrian "Jackal" armoured vehicle during Chapters 5 and 9. It is rather strangely shown as being able to fire homing missiles, and is fitted with an odd muzzle device, the same as the one mounted on the "Elite Trooper Gun." These weapons can be used by Hayden in Chapter 9, though there is nothing to actually fire them at; they are fitted with optical scopes and fire ordinary rockets when Hayden is using them.
RGD-33 Grenade
Hayden and the Lasrian troops use what appear to be RGD-33 stick grenades minus their fragmentation sleeves; these are thrown using a button, but since they are the only thing other than currency and upgrades that the player can sell, most players will find themselves holding on to grenades rather than using them. They have a beeping countdown and a flashing light when armed, lest anyone actually be injured by one. Lasrian Hazmat troopers have a special version filled with "Enferon," a brown-coloured gas which is highly effective against the infected. If Hayden is hit, the screen becomes warped and discoloured; he takes constant damage while in the gas cloud, and doesn't regenerate health until the effect wears off.
Unusable weapons
Fictional repeating rocket launcher
Near the end of the third level, Hayden encounters a drone weapon; the "futuristic" forend resembles that of the XM307 & XM312 weapon systems without an actual barrel inserted, while the magazine resembles that of a Russian AGS-type grenade launcher turned upside-down. The launcher is attached to a motorised stand which tracks the weapon back and forth along a fixed arc at regular intervals. It sounds an audible alarm and shoots a rocket (?) whenever the beam is broken. The first such device is basically only used to introduce the "shield" power by reflecting a fired rocket at a nearby door; later examples can be disabled using an electrified Glaive.
Bofors 40mm
The submarine wreck raised by a Lasrian salvage team during the introduction mounts a Bofors 40mm gun on its front deck.
GSh-6-30
In the same sequence, Lasrian patrol boats are seen armed with Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-30 30mm gatling guns in AK-630 CIWS installations.
