The Darkness II’s story isn’t quite as heavy-handed as the previous game’s, offering up a surprisingly nuanced narrative that plays with the perception of reality itself. Naturally, things don’t go as planned, and it isn’t long before Jackie is fighting for his life again, using both his Darkness powers and good old fashioned guns to decimate hundreds of enemies. As The Darkness II opens, Jackie explains that he’s bottled up his power for nearly two years, amid worries that it would come to control him completely. In the first game, Jackie embraced his newfound abilities to avenge the murder of his true love, Jenny, and take over New York’s Italian mob. This curse has existed since the beginning of time and is passed down from generation to generation, granting those who possess it various otherworldly powers. Both versions tell the tale of one Jackie Estacado, a mafia hitman who learns on his 21st birthday that he harbors a nasty little family secret: a demonic power called the Darkness. ? The Darkness began life as a comic book series in 1996 before Starbreeze Studios first adapted it for video games in 2007. ![]() * = platform reviewed From comic to video game The Darkness II manages to strike the right balance between the two extremes, not only making it a better game than the ones mentioned above, but also making it superior to its predecessor in many ways. Last year’s Bulletstorm, on the other hand, was so over-the-top and silly that the blood and guts really didn’t make any impact at all. Games like Rogue Warrior and Soldier of Fortune were just as brutally violent, yet their uber-serious undercurrents simply made them feel like exercises in virtual sadism. Given that, it surprisingly never makes the player feel like they’re in need of a shower when the bloodshed is over. Bodies are regularly torn in half (both crosswise and lengthwise), skulls and spinal columns are torn out through mouths, bodies are impaled with thrown objects, and entire digestive tracts are forcibly removed through enemies' nether regions. While bullets, exploding heads, and tearing through flesh aren’t anything new in the video game world, the brutal Darkness executions take the virtual carnage to a whole new level. The Darkness II is one of the most unabashedly and gleefully gory games of this generation, reveling in its own torrents of blood and shredded viscera. The special edition also grants players two in-game ability upgrades - "Gourmet Hearts" and "Relic Hunter" - as well as an alternate darkling outfit called "Crazy Abdul.Image courtesy of 2K Games reader comments 41 with The Limited Edition of The Darkness II comes with artwork by Top Cow artist and CEO Marc Silvestri and access to digital versions of volumes one and two of his The Darkness Origins comics. Graphics are more stylized than in the original, using a cel-shading technique for an illustrated look that is closer to the graphic novel source material. Unreal co-creator Digital Extremes takes on development duties for the sequel, which is again based on the Top Cow Productions comic. His only true enemy is the Darkness itself, which corrupts so much of his humanity in exchange for the power it gives. Two years after the events of the original adventure, Jackie has taken revenge on Paulie, and then risen to take his place as mafia don. He can also use his four demon arms for auxiliary attacks, and to perform hideous finishing moves. ![]() In addition to a selection of dual pistols and other deadly firearms, Jackie can wield weapons and other objects found throughout the adventure. ![]() Jackie is stronger in the shadows, as his powers feed on actual darkness, and bright light causes blurred vision and an uncomfortable ringing in the ears.īy mutilating defeated enemies and defiling their corpses, players can build up Jackie's "Dark Essence," which is used to unlock new powers and abilities. The game follows the unholy misfortunes of Jackie Estacado, a fearless crime-family enforcer who inherited gruesome supernatural powers, personified as a spirit called "the Darkness." The game plays along with the strengths and weaknesses the spirit bestows, while emphasizing its vile and hateful compellations. The Darkness II is a grim and violent first-person shooter with a modern-day horror setting.
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