The gory comic book adaptation returns, with plenty of bad guys but not a single hero. But was ditching the open word of the original a good idea?
The term comic book violence is not one you tend to hear a lot nowadays. It used to refer to the Tom & Jerry style antics of most superheroes, which while they might be extremely violent in theory were portrayed in such a way that they seemed more silly than sadistic. Today though comics are as violent as you like, often more so than even the movies based on them.We bring up this subject not only because of the tone of the violence in The Darkness II, but because it is itself based upon a comic book. Not one we suspect a lot of people will have heard of, but if youâre wondering âwho comes up with this stuffâ, while learning of demonically-powered Mafia hitman Jackie Estacado, donât blame the developer.However, this sequel is not by Starbreeze Studios, makers of the first game. As interesting as the original was Starbreeze never seemed fully invested in the world of The Darkness, and appeared far more interested in expanding some of the same free-roaming and storytelling concepts from their similarly experimental The Chronicles Of Riddick.This more straightforward sequel is by Digital Extremes, who worked on Dark Sector and the early Unreal Tournament games. It eschews the semi-open world approach of the first game in favour of a more focused, linear game â but in context that seems to fit the licence better and there are still some interesting storytelling tricks.The details of the plot involve an evil cult trying to steal Jackieâs demonic powers, the titular Darkness, and although it takes itself relatively seriously there are still some moments of dark humour. Most of them are provided by a Woody Allen lookalike and monsters that think peeing on dead bad guys is funny. The game is too fundamentally silly to be offensive though, and even comes close to be touching as Jackie is taunted by the ghost of his dead girlfriend.Although still a first person shooter most of the time youâll be using your guns to shoot out lightbulbs and electric generators rather than bad guys. As long as heâs not in direct light Jackieâs Darkness powers manifest as two elongated âsnake headsâ â demonic tentacles that can snatch up enemies and fold them up like a piece of origami, or rip out their hearts for extra energy.They can also snatch up objects laying nearby, allowing you to throw steel pipes like javelins or grab a car door and use it as a shield. As a result your tactical options in combat are greatly increased from the first game, with the ability to use both guns and tentacles at once (which the game calls quad-wielding) and a range of unlockable extra abilities.Some of these are passive health or armour increases, but others include a satanic black hole to suck up enemies or a swarm of BioShock style insects. The âdarklingâ gremlins from the first game are back but work in a quite different way, with multiple sequences where you take control of them directly â usually to crawly up a ventilation shaft, or similar, to open a door or take out a light generator.Together with some fun on-the-rails sections, these arenât much more than palette cleansers from the main action – which despite the range of options does get a bit samey. Weâd suggest that part of the problem is the general lack of demonic enemies on a par with Jackie, especially given the bland boss battles. Apart from some dream sequences the level design and backdrops also lack imagination.The cel-shaded, comic book style, visuals work well though and many are likely to find the biggest problem is simply the short running time, of barely six hours. This brevity is not out of laziness though, with the game also sporting a very substantial on and offline co-op campaign. It has its own storyline and four new playable characters, although theyâre both less powerful than Jackie and, incredibly, even less sympathetic.They all have their own signature weapon and upgrade tree though, and even if some of the novelty of the single-player combat is lost itâs still a very welcome extra.The Darkness II is a good game, but whether you consider it a good sequel will depend entirely on what you liked best about the original. If it was the storytelling and exploration then you may find this disappointing, if it was the OTT violence and bizarre Darkness powers then this is still a hell of a lot of fun.In Short:Itâs more direct approach wonât please everyone but this is a worthy follow-up to the original game, that isnât so much dumbed-down as actioned-up.Pros:Expanded Darkness powers work very well, with a never-ending series of ways to dismember bad guys. Distinctive graphics and extensive co-op campaign.Cons:Despite all the options combat can still seem flat and repetitive, with some fairly unimaginative level design. Short (and silly) story.Score:7/10Formats: PlayStation 3 (reviewed), Xbox 360 and PCPrice: £49.99Publisher: 2K GamesDeveloper: Digital ExtremesRelease Date: 10th February 2012Age Rating: 18Video:Check out The Darkness II trailer
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