Darkwatch

Developer: High Moon Studios
Publisher: Capcom/Ubisoft
Systems: PlayStation 2, Xbox
Year of release: 2005
Genre: FPS (first person shooter)

Time period: Past
Location: American West
Tribe: Unnamed
Character Types: Indigenous Enemy NPCs, Indigenous Friendly NPC, Indigenous Villain

“Don’t let her seductive grace hypnotize you. Tala is a fearless and powerful fighter who goes out of her way to engage the undead.”

– Darkwatch game manual

Darkwatch presents a dark horror fantasy version of the old west where gunslingers and railway robberies exist alongside ghouls, vampires, and banshees. Midway through the game Tala, a “Native American shaman” joins the player as an NPC companion and guide. She both fights alongside the player and serves as a primary quest-giver for large sections of the game.

The player takes on the role of Jericho Cross, a former outlaw turned vampire after a robbery attempt inadvertently unleashes Lazarus Malkoth, a vampire lord. The player eventually joins the Darkwatch, an order devoted to stopping the spread of supernatural creatures. The player’s quest throughout the game is to stop Lazarus, whom they have unwittingly unleashed, and prevent their full transformation into a vampire lord themselves. The player initially meets Tala as a member of the Darkwatch organization who briefly becomes a mentor. Toward the end of the game, in a cutscene, Tala tricks the player character into turning her into a vampire. From this point on she is an enemy. At the end of the game players can decide to fight Tala as the final boss fight (and team up with Cassidy, the “good side”) or to fight Cassidy as the final boss fight (and team up with Tala, the “evil side”).

Fairly few details are given about Tala’s background are provide in game, and most of the worldbuilding revolves around the supernatural elements and the fictional Darkwatch organization. Tala (and her counterpart, Cassidy) are overtly sexualized (more about this is discussed in the reception section).  In addition to Tala’s role as both NPC companion and later antagonist, there is a generic enemy called “Braves” who are undead Native Americans.

In a mission titled “Invasion”, players are sent to the village of an unnamed Native American tribe being attacked by their own dead who have been raised to unlife by Lazarus. Throughout the mission the player encounters a single non-enemy Indigenous NPC, a Native women who has been infected by the undead. The player is given the choice to “purge the poor soul of infection” or “murder the foolish mortal”. All other Indigenous NPCs are “Braves”.