The Darkness was quite an interesting game. It had a few things wrong with the combat and a few other flaws, however one thing it did amazingly well, was tell a story. Centred around Jackie Estacado and the turmoil around his 21st birthday, it made for a fine experience. If you haven't already, then do yourself a favour and pick it up.
The Darkness II takes place two years after the end of the first game and despite having suppressed the Darkness, Jackie is still struggling to come to terms with the death of his girlfriend Jenny. Jackie actually finds himself in a situation where the Darkness finds a way to get out and start to take over his life all over again. Which is lucky for us, as it wouldn't be much of a game without it.
As with the first game, the storytelling is a stand out feature. Pacing is utterly fantastic and cut scenes are kept to a minimum to allow the story to progress in a natural way. It has a lot in common with Half Life in how drives the story forward. The area it sets itself apart is the use of loading screens, with each one being a mini monologue that tells a mixture of back story and vital points of the current story. It's not often you'll get a bit disappointed at a loading screen ending, however Brian Bloom's (who took over voice duties from Kirk Acevedo) voice is one that has you hanging from his every word.
The original Darkness was developed by Starbreeze Studios, however with them currently focused on Syndicate, it fell to Digital Extremes to take the reigns and produce a sequel the original deserved. That is exactly what they did too, combat is a joy from the very start and vastly improved over the first game. The stealthy use of the Darkness has been replaced by a more action orientated feel, using the demon arms in all manner of ways.
Aside from being able to eat hearts and attack enemies direct, the arms can rip items from your surroundings and use them as weapons. Impale enemies with metal poles, slice them in half with car doors, or fan blades and even throw objects at them to stun. Various executions can be performed on stunned enemies too, which are incredibly brutal, yet so, so satisfying to pull off.
Various other powers are also at Jackie's disposal. He can channel the darkness through his weapons, or create a swarm that will engulf enemies and stunning them, allowing you to have your way with them. The Darklings also return and are a vital component of your attacking arsenal. Not only will it go and attack enemies of its own free will, the Darkling can also be grabbed with the demon arm and launched at enemies.
Everything that Jackie can do can be levelled up through a tree style system, similar to that of Borderlands. This allows you to choose whether to focus Jackie's powers on weapons or the various powers of the Darkness. Essence (the games version of XP) isn't hard to come by, as you can earn it in the different ways you kill enemies, thus encouraging you to experiment. The powers that can be purchased or upgraded aren't overly expensive either, so it won't be long before you are getting to the good stuff.
What all this does it make you feel like you are an all powerful God. Picking off the bad guys in any number of ways never gets dull and in turn, makes every level a joy to play. Essentially seeing each level take place in mini arenas, this allows combat to be frequent and exciting, utilising the use of the environments. It never feels like an arena battler though, such is the clever use of smoke and mirrors. Any concerns there were with Starbreeze not being developers can easily be laid to rest.
A compellingly told story, fantastic gameplay are not enough alone, so it is great to see that The Darkness II is also a delightful game to look at. Hell, the original engine hasn't exactly aged badly, however the new stylised direction takes things to a whole new level. Whilst the game retains a dark and moody feel, the graphics have a lot more in common with Borderlands. A cell shaded style has been added to the game, but it also keeps a realistic feel to environments and characters at the same time. It is remarkable just how well this works. The character models are really well done, Jackie especially has undergone a bit of a transformation, he looks older (as he should) and now looks like someone with the confidence of running a crime family and all the benefits that come with that.
It is the attention to detail across all the characters that really helps sell the game, not just the visual aspect, but also in the voice acting. It feels just so natural, like the actors are performing off a script for a movie, rather than a video game. It loses a lot of that cheese that many games seem to have (with few exceptions) and the NPCs don't have that wooden dialogue that the likes of Fallout and Skyrim seem to have. You feel connected to the characters and for a game that is as story driven as The Darkness II, then that is vital and it has been pulled of perfectly.
Aside from the main game, there is the usual 'New Game +' mode, which you will want to play as the game is short, yet not short in a bad way, it is almost the perfect length, leaving you wanting to jump back in, but not leaving you feel short changed, it doesn't outstay it's welcome. There is also the Vendetta mode.
This is a co-op mode that allows up to four players to take part in a series of specially designed narratives. Jackie is now joined by new characters, each with there own special abilities. Where as the main story is a serious affair, the Vendettas are more of a dark comedy, which actually fits the mode really well. After all you are playing with friends, you really don't want to be too tied up in a deep meaningful story. Rather than using the tried and tested method of throwing waves of enemies at you and your party, it is narrative driven and moved along various scenarios and objectives. It is a fine addition to the game and despite there being a danger of multiplayer for the sake of multiplayer, it really works and add great value.
2012 is only a few weeks old, but already we as gamers are being treated to something a bit special. The Darkness II easily has one of the best narratives you'll find in a game, from how it is told, to how it looks. Along with some excellent gameplay, you would be an utter fool not to add this to your collection.
