The Darkness II

The game was pretty awesome. It would be nice to have a third. the best that can be said about it is that it is, unlike most forms of torture, mercifully short. The story is contrived, illogical, and inconsistent. The characters are melodramatic stereotypes without depth, sympathy, or reason. Gameplay itself is clumsy and repetitive; the darkness is but a half-hearted chest burster ripoff and every boss is identical to the last, boasting the same special powers and tired dialogue.

I really enjoyed this game for the most part. I had heard mainly negative things upon its initial release that made me stay away from it until I could snag it for a low price so I got this game for a very small sum. As I was playing through it, I did not understand why there was so much negativity for this one as I was having a blast and really getting into the story. Then it ended and I was a bit stunned as I was thinking there would be more for sure. However, the game simply ended and then I get some credits and a scene that implies there will be a sequel. Though looking at amazon I saw no trace of a The Darkness III game so if I do have a complaint it is the fact that this game did end abruptly and it ended in a fashion that if a sequel is never made there will be no closure on the story. The first one ended in a way that was satisfactory. One where a sequel could be introduced, but did not have to materialize. This one leaves the gamer hanging and from what I have seen no sequel to bring a close to a grand story this game was setting up.

The story picks up a couple of years after Jackie's epic assault on Paulie. He is now head of the family and things are going about as well as can be expected considering he has lost the love of his life. He has also managed to keep the Darkness at bay and repressed it. Unfortunately, he becomes the target of a hit at a restaurant and the only thing that can save him is that dark voice that pleads with him to unleash its powers. Soon Jackie is off trying to find the identity of his attackers as he must go into a rival's territory, a brothel and other places as a strange cult tied to the Darkness is found to want to reclaim its powers. Jackie, though, still thinks about the love of his life constantly and there are times he begins to question his own sanity.

The game play is pretty standard first person with the addition of Jackie's dark powers. This one does not rely on stealth as much as the first game did as it is mainly go through a level and take out the bad guys in the most gruesome ways possible. So no snake sneaks and kills, but lots of tentacle kills and gun play. The darklings are not used as much this time, instead, you only have one darkling that seems to have a bit more personality of his own. This part worked as I enjoyed this little fella's commentary as we went from area to area killing all those who came in our path.

So, I would probably say I enjoyed this one about the same as the first game. Make it a bit longer and give me a more complete story and I would have probably said it was better than its predecessor. Still, while it may not have encompassed a lot of time, it was still a nice thrill ride while it lasted. I do hope a sequel does materialize though as I would hate to never find out how the writers were planning on continuing this particular story.

During yet another period of my life where my finances were tight, I'd skimp together enough cash to rent this for 2 bucks every Saturday. This is a fairly short game and that made it ideal for a rental. I even got into the comics after loving the story so much. Definitely a fantastic game; great gameplay, story, graphics, everything. Even the little multiplayer mode was fun!

The Darkness 2 made some major changes, some good some bad. Among these, Brian Bloom replacing Kirk Acevedo for Jackie, a new shading for the visuals which made it more sharp and with a comic-book vibe that its predecessor lacked, alterations to the demon powers which were more smooth but felt downgraded and a villain that sadly didn't live up to the rest of the game. The most interesting feature was the collectibles, which act as occult artifacts you can collect and display, each having its own unique history, encouraging you to explore every nook and cranny for these interesting objects. The side quests are done away with and everything feels more linear, which is a bit disappointing. Jackie's mansion which also serve as the hub of the game is a nice touch and shows how much has changed though. Oddly, Darkness 2 feels shorter in length than the first game and is less imaginative, but it remains a solid sequel worth a look, despite its shortcomings.

First person is a genre that I grew up with but I believe it's gotten stale. They all seem to be carbon copies, near re skins of one another. They have a gimmick but some are better than others. Sadly for these reasons first person doesn't do much for me anymore.

The Darkness (2007) didn't impress me, it had it's gimmick but the whole thing felt flat. With the sequel I expected more of the same but walked away not only pleasantly surprised but really quite impressed.

It follows Jackie the mobster once again and his bond with the entity known as the Darkness. Not only do you have access to your usual array of guns and weaponry but you also have the dark powers at your disposal which is where the fun really comes into play.

Alongside this the game also has the new Vendetta mode which is a side campaign where you can play as one of a host of new characters, each with their own personal weaponry and power sets.

The story is considerably better than I'd expected which offers great relief from the mindless shooting and action sequences. It's safe to say that I was fairly engrossed and fascinated where the story was going to go next.

So the game plays well, it looks okay, the voice acting is top notch and it was interesting enough to keep my attention despite being part of a genre that I'm more than a little bored of.

The finale was fantastic but alas there was never going to be a part 3 to finish the story and the game very much finishes on a cliffhanger.

A great and final addition to the franchise.

The Good:

Lots of content

Some really fun mechanics

Strong story

The Bad:

Cliff hanger ending with no sequel

Graphics could be a bit tidier

Multiplayer is a bit pants