The Darkness II review

Although this game did come out a couple of weeks ago, I finally have been able to get my hands on it and concoct a review. The sequel will please fans of the first as it is more gruesome than it's predecessor.

First things first, the combat in the Darkness II is a lot more fun and polished than it was in the first. Though there was no problem with the combat in the first installment, there just wasn't much to it. All you could really do was point and shoot, and use the darkness to snap at your foes. In the Darkness II, there still is a lot of shooting, but it is accompanied by more darkness powers, and even a little minion that does your bidding for you. The demon arms can now pull off different maneuvers that can rip and tear Jackie's enemies in half in a few swift motions. As for Darkling, the little minion at your disposal, you can send him off to do his special attacks on enemies which include urinating acid on them and eating their flesh. The ability for Jackie to quad wield the demon arms with a pair of guns also makes for innovative and fun combat. The game encourages you to kill your opponents in various ways by rewarding you with points, similar to Bulletstorm. This includes using your environment, and any tools that you have at your disposal. The points matter because they allow Jackie to unlock new powers and moves. Jackie also has the power to grab objects in his environment and use them as weapons i.e using a street sign as a spear and impaling his enemies.

The multiplayer is a nice addition to the game, giving it more depth and a higher replay value. In the multiplayer, you and your friends take over the roles of Jackie's henchmen that are called upon to do jobs that Jackie doesn't have time for. All of the henchmen have darkness powers like Jackie, and are able to perform the same attacks. The multiplayer ties into the actual campaign of the game, so it's not some forced in, gimmicky multiplayer, but a thought out and well crafted addition to the game. 

The story is absolutely lackluster and brings this game down a bit. The premise is that an unknown person is after Jackie and wants Jackie to give up his powers so he can harvest them himself. Sounds decent enough, but the game doesn't do a good job of making you care. Though it's kind of cheesy, the excessive mourning over his girlfriends death give Jackie some depth and help us realize that he has weaknesses like any every human being. Though the story lacks, it really comes together at the end to make an exciting conclusion. You'll just be wondering why the first few hours of the game couldn't have been executed as well as the end.

The graphics in the Darkness II are impressive. The developers at Digital Extremes took a different approach after taking over the series, using a cel-shading technique similar to the one used in games like Sly Cooper. The music goes well with the overall atmosphere of the game, making it feel gritty and dark. The dialogue of the characters is fantastic as well, and almost gives this dull story some life.

Though it is successful with it's graphics and sound, the game falls short of excellence because of it's bugs and errors. Many enemies look the same which takes away from the experience and they also tend to fall through the ground or through walls. In some instances, the frame rate tanks, leading to frustrating moments such as dying because of the extreme lag. There will be glitches and bugs that will force you to go back to your last checkpoint,  so be weary of that before you buy the game.



If you can get past all of the bugs in this game, then you have a game that is solid. It's not incredible, but it's worth playing. I personally wouldn't drop $60 on it, but I would rent it, or even wait for a price drop and buy it used.