LW Mag LW Magazine
If you want to feel unstopped, indestructible like a true monster in every sense of the word, The Darkness II gives that type of power to you. You play as Jackie Estacado (continuing from the first game) where Jackie is in a constant fight with the darkness and trying to supress it. Jackie has been able to keep it right for the last few years but something new is threatening his mob empire and attempting to kill him. This does not give him much choice and the Darkness is let out again to feed.
In the first game Jackie was only learning his powers, where now he has them to create blood orgies in the dark when he meets his enemies. The game does lack polish and needed a few more months to clean up some bugs. This is only a small issue as the rest of the game covers this up with enough blood and pain to keep players going. The Borderlands-like art style is well chosen because the comic effect tones down the serious nature of ripping heads off and having blood everywhere. The game does have some beautiful moments with effects and lighting. There are repetitive enemies with an obvious copy-paste most of the time but the experience system helps keep this interesting. Jackie can just shoot his enemies for a small amount of XP. More interesting killings reward Jackie with great points, health and/or bullets. More points equal more upgrades and once you get to the end of the game it’s nice to feel as big and powerful as everyone says you are.
The story did not grip me at first because it needs some time before you feel Jackie’s struggle with keeping his lost love and undesired gift from his father. The cut scenes are good to the story; they eventually dig their claws into you and have a necessary skip button for playing your second way through on more difficult level. Working your way through the short campaign opens up the multiplayer and cooperative playing. There are even extra side missions on the original story to take a friend through. When you finish the game make sure that you wait for all the credits,; it’s worth it!
Summary:
It might not have a better story than the first one but the combat system is stages ahead. Looking over the small bugs and few repetitive enemies, the rest just leaves an epic butchering of people that like to think they have a chance of stopping Jackie. Once the darkness has you it will never let you go…or will it?
