Darkstar: The Interactive Movie

Lore & Background

Darkstar was created over nearly a decade by J. Allen Williams, who handled writing, production, animation, editing, and direction. Additional animations were contributed by comic book artist Richard Corben, known for his work in Heavy Metal. The game features a cast of nearly fifty actors, mostly from Springfield, Missouri, and includes several cast members from Mystery Science Theater 3000: Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, J. Elvis Weinstein, Frank Conniff, and Mary Jo Pehl, as well as Beth McKeever. Actor Peter Graves served as narrator in his final role.

Reader's Guide

Darkstar received a mixed response from critics, with a Metacritic weighted average of 36% indicating generally unfavorable reviews. Adventure game reviewers were more positive: Adventure Gamers gave it 3 out of 5 stars, praising its cinematic storytelling, while Die Hard Game Fan rated it 'Very Good Game!' and called it one of the best indie games of 2010. However, other outlets were harsh: GamesTM gave it 1/10, stating 'It's not a game,' and PC PowerPlay gave it 2/10. The game is significant as a late-era full motion video title that pushed the boundaries of live-action integration, featuring over four hours of cinema when combining in-game footage and unlockable backstory chapters. Its soundtrack, composed by Jimmy Pitts, Bill Bruce, and J. Allen Williams under the moniker Progressive Sound And MetalWorx, was praised as 'Unparalleled' by Die Hard Game Fan.

Did You Know?

• Darkstar contains over thirteen hours of live-action cinema, more than any previous full motion video game.
• The game was the final work of actor Peter Graves, who served as narrator.
• The soundtrack was originally intended to feature over an hour of music by the rock band Rush, but negotiations with Universal Music dissolved.
• The game's backstory is nearly an hour long, broken into ten chapters plus a prologue, unlocked by finding 'bioloks' in the game.