Virtual Programming’s new Darkest of Days is a first person shooter game with a twist. Players are plucked from General Custer’s army during the Battle of Little Big Horn and travel through history to relive famous events while protecting those whose survival is vital to history. The game costs $39.95.

[ad#Google Adsense 300×250 in story]Darkest of Days utilizes a new 3D graphics engine developed by 8monkey Labs called Marmoset. The engine is capable of rendering hundreds of non-player characters (NPCs) on the screen simultaneously with wide open spaces, without graphical slowdown.

Events seen in Darkest of Days include the American Civil War’s Battle of Antietam, the Battle of Tannenberg in World War I, a World War II POW camp and the last day of Pompeii prior to Mount Vesuvius’ eruption. Combat changes depending on the historical context, of course, requiring players to adapt their play strategy depending on where and when they are.

System requirements call for Mac OS X 10.6.5 or later, 2.16GHz or faster Intel processor, 1GB RAM, GeForce 8600, Radeon x1600 or newer 3D graphics with at least 128MB VRAM, 5GB hard disk, Internet access to register.