Several reviews praised the game's setting. GameSpy's David Chapman called it "a truly remarkable experience. And, while the game itself may not have broken any new ground, the world it introduces more than makes up for that. It will leave gamers hungry for more." According to "Game Informer", "in terms of gameplay quality, this may be another middle-of-the-road shooter, but the unique premise sets it aside from everything else out there." Greg Bemis of G4TV wrote that the biggest draw in "Darkwatch" is the "different enough" setting that "does fall back on tired video game clichés from time to time like big-breasted, leather-clad babes who speak in aggressive sexually suggestive double entendres, but it’s nice to see something--anything--that’s a little off the beaten path." GameShark's Will Jayson Hill wrote that "about the sharpest criticism that can be leveled at "Darkwatch" is that it really adds nothing original in the gameplay department. Aside from its extremely well executed western/horror environment, "Darkwatch" is a pretty generic FPS game with a weaker multiplayer mode." On the other hand, some reviews thought that the gameplay was actually the strongest part of the game. "Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine" stated "Darkwatch" "has a few neat ideas but wins us over by doing solid shooting well. Fast-paced with cool guns, what's not to like?" GameZone's Mike David wrote that only a "weak plot pacing and that feeling that something is missing" kept it from being given a score of 9/10.