The game received the score of 7.9 ("Good") from both Bob Colayco of GameSpot ("If you're looking for an intense shooter experience, "Darkwatch" will not disappoint") and Jeremy Dunham of IGN ("Cowboys, vampires, and sexy dead girls are fun in parties, but not so much alone"). According to the review by Cheat Code Central, "just about every aspect of "Darkwatch" is cool. The environments are cool, the weapons are cool, the characters are cool and while the gameplay is not unique it's definitely one of the best first-person shooters on the Xbox and PS2. The controls alone are worth the price of admission." John Scalzo of Gaming Target wrote that "for anyone looking for something a little different out of their FPS experience, "Darkwatch" is that game." The reviewer in "GamePro" wrote that "Darkwatch" "mixes its Western Roots with gothic horror and steampunk aesthetics, and the results are uniquely engaging," adding that if some the game's "cooler" concepts "had been explored further, lengthening the game in the process, "Darkwatch" could've rivaled the best of the genre." "Official Xbox Magazine" called it "a solid and robust blaster that's tons of fun. Helped no end by the excellent Blood Powers and top multiplayer."