"Most professional snipers learn theire trade from hunting. I learned mine from this game."

This is one of the very, very few arcade games that was not designed to be an addictive rip off. It gives you that marvelous feeling of being hidden and dangerous. You will love zooming in on unsuspecting terrorist, carefully positioning the cross hairs on his head, then pulling the trigger to see him fall at your pleasure. The game is all around perfect. On to the review.

GRAPHICS: 8
The graphics in the game could have been acheived by an N64 equipped with an expansion pack. Even though the graphics are not incredible like those of most other up to date arcade games, they are still good and they get the job done just fine. The framerate remains sturdy at all times and I've never seen any slowdown during even the most intense moments of gameplay. The areas that you snipe in are quite large and are made very well for sniping. Explosions were very well done and will throw off your concentration, just like in real life! The scope on your rifle is strong and easy to use. Let's shoot ourselves over to sound, shall we?

SOUND: 9
Also very well done, Dark Silhouette delivers some of the best of the best sound found in early 3-D arcade games. There are 2 kinds of sniper rifle shots to be heard. The sound of a PSG-1 and the silenced sound of an AW Covert. There is also lots of voice action in this lovely but deadly game. It is always cool to have voice action in a game, as it increases the realism of it and it does not make you feel like a lonely player. You frequently keep in contact with your team leader and he'll say things like, 'Watch out! The enemy is going to shoot!'. Let's use our scope and zoom in on Play Control.

PLAY CONTROL: 10
Could it be any better? Your rifle is mounted on a rotating platform which makes it very easy to keep a steady hand while sniping. The gun is also lightweight and comfortably compact. The only button that you must press is the trigger on your sniper rifle.

STORY: 6
Well, what can I say? It's very.... Japanese. As usual, there are overly macho men and wimpy, skimpy women. It's sexist and I don't like it, but I try to ignore it by focusing on my zoom lens, not the people. The story isn't exactly realistic, but it gets the job done as far I'm concerned. It involves diabolical terrorists who want to blow up the world. Okay, Doctor Evil!

CLOSING STATEMENT:
The next time you go to you're local arcade, look for this game! It's definetely worth the tokens in your pocket or the credit on your card. Bye! If you have further questions or comments, e-mail me at, DrDoak2001@aol.com!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/25/01, Updated 03/25/01