The Darkness review

Comic book recreations never fare too well when debuting as a video game. History tells us that it takes a developer a few years, or at least a few attempts to build something that will satisfy the genre fans. And so while optimistic about The Darkness from a technical standpoint, whether Starbreeze Studios could do the source material justice, was another matter.You take the role of Jackie Escatado, a mafia hitman who has packed a great deal of killing into his first 20 years. His 21st birthday brings a whole new scenario, with his family crime lord boss blaming him for a botched job, and of course The Darkness. So begins a tale of revenge, genealogy and of course love, as despite Jackies occupation he has the support of a good woman.The most enjoyable aspect of The Darkness is following Jackies journey; learning about his past and what the future may hold for someone with the family curse. The main characters act as storytellers, whereas most passers-by will be oblivious to your presence. This feature can be disappointing, and somewhat shatters the illusion of a real interactive, living environment. Some citizens will offer the option of a task or side mission that will bring its own rewards, but as these mainly involve treking across the same two subway environments, youll tire of such activities rather quickly.The initial pacing of the game is excellent and really allows you to come to grips with the options The Darkness brings to combat. If the game did not offer such powers it would be a fairly tame, bog standard first person shooter as very few environments are memorable and the AI is pedestrian. Yet these demonic powers are not totally unlocked until you have made substantial inroads into the game. So instead of adopting the BioShock approach of allowing the player to experiment and tactically overcome obstacles, it is extremely obvious when a particular power is required. The final upgrade, which unleashes a black hole that sucks in everything nearby, is too powerful and unbalances the latter stages.Soon the game does become bogged down, especially with a change of scenery that feels badly judged and poorly conceived. While developments come thick and fast initially, Jackie plods through each level in first gear- if any game needed a quick burst or run function, then this is it. Gamestyle cannot really recall a slower first person release, and even then the PlayStation 3 version suffers from moments of choppy frame rate. The linear routes and gritty environments at times restrain the drama and storyline, as you march through another outpost or run down corner of New York.Technically The Darkness is very strong, with atmospheric visuals, detailed characters and excellent voice acting. The importance of lighting throughout the adventure is key to maintaining your unnatural advantage. However at times the formula of sticking to the shadows or taking out street lamps becomes tiresome. If it werent for the storyline, then you would really struggle to establish any desire to continue. As sticking to the formula will see you safely through most action set pieces unscathed.Hidden across every level are items, which unlock special features, in what soon turns out to be a detailed synopsis of the comic book series and the development of this title. Yet for other modes thats really it, as the multiplayer is best left alone. It is fairly limited and lacks the pace and the inspired level designs that a decent online option should have as standard.While Starbreeze have brought their customary expertise graphically, so many other aspects of The Darkness are sadly lacking. What could have been an extremely enjoyable first person adventure turns out in reality to be a missed opportunity, while still offering enough to get by. Fans of The Darkness and first person shooters were probably hoping for something a little more substantial and engaging.