The Darkness Reviews

• Embrace the Darkness

  
  By A1XWQ13VJDOQ7C on 2007-07-02
  Don't believe the negative hype surrounding this title, it is a spectacular Xbox 360 Next Generation release.
  I'm not sure how close the game resembles the comic created by Top Cow, but there are many treats to be experienced both visually and game play wise in The Darkness.
  Lets start with some of the positive aspects of this game:
  
  Graphically, this game is absolutely stunning in its graphical beauty.
  The dark gritty New York City streets really give off that "real-city" vibe.
  Garbage litters the streets and the subway systems, graffiti covers practically every wall (and this graffiti looks like actually graffiti that you would see in real life).
  So much detail has been put into the floors, ceilings, walls and in you general surroundings that it is very easy to get deeply immersed in The Darkness.
  Following in true Next Gen graphic style, all the wood surfaces in the game look like real wood, metal resembles real metal, concrete looks amazingly realistic. You can see chips in paint, cracks and chips in the concrete - its literally stunning.
  The Darkness relies on the use of shadows, and the lighting engine is superb. Light shines off of virtually every surface that would reflect light (including leather!). Every object casts a proper shadow.
  Since you are in a city, there are lights everywhere and in order for your Darkness power to work or re-charge you need to be in the shadows.
  Basically this mean taking out every light you come into contact with.
  
  Character models look really good. Not as good as Gears of War models, but the characters look believable, most of the time body parts move like they should, clothes look somewhat realistic. Cloth looks amazing. The bodies still look a little clunky, but nothing major.
  Face models are wonderfully detailed, you can see wrinkles and imperfections in the characters faces. Sometimes you can see facial expressions however not too often. The faces are probably the most detailed aspect on each character. The eyes in this game look full of life.
  
  The darkness powers look awesome. Your character acquires two demonic serpent heads on either shoulder and they look amazing. Each darkness power is represented very well graphically.
  Weapons look realistic, some of the most realistic depictions I have ever seen in a game.
  On a side note, you get to learn where the darkness comes from.
  
  The physics are downright cool. Everything seems to move as it should. With one of your darkness powers you can pick up objects and people and fling them around. This looks very cool and makes you feel like a real "force-to-be-reckoned-with".
  
  Some claim that the story line in The Darkness is clichéd and boring, but I beg to differ. While it is true that the storyline is steeped in New York Mob Scene and carries along with it the good ol' revenge angle and other Mafia generic-ness, the story is told really well and keeps you nevertheless engaged throughout. There are also some twists to the sotry line, and lets just say that New York City is not the only place you will visit in The Darkness. There is some twisted stuff here!
  
  Another great aspect is how the some of the main characters history is told. Instead of loading scenes, you are treated to monologues given by the main character. In these monologues he is either telling a story from his childhood, re-telling or elucidating on current plot elements, or just sitting there gazing at his guns.
  This adds much more to the whole "cinematic" element of The Darkness and gives you something to look at while the game is loading. Much better than staring at a flashing loading screen.
  More unique things include televisions that you can interact with. These TV's show five or six channels of real material. Some have Cartoons, others music videos and there are two movie channels. They show real movies and I believe you can watch them all the way through.
  
  The musical score fits each scene perfectly and ranges from Death metal(fight scenes), to orchestrated music(during talking scenes and in the subway). Also there are other areas where music being either played or listened to by NPC's can be heard (there are people who play the harmonica and Break dancers who will dance for you).
  
  Character development has been well done, you actually do care about the characters close to you and you grow to hate your arch enemy. You will grow especially close to your girlfriend Jenny. I grew really attached to her over the course of the game. By the way her face model is one of the best I have ever seen in a video game.
  
  Okay, lets talk about unique aspects:
  
  Summoning Darklings: In The Darkness you gain the ability to summon Darklings (look like little goblins) to do your bidding. Each Darkling has its own special ability and funtion.
  The darkling models look really cool, and they each have an attitude that could only be attributed to a darkling. They urinate on dead corpses and make rude comments.
  
  Control is done really well, despite what some reviewers may say. I find the controls easy to use. From summoning darkness powers to calling up darklings to using the regular weapons and moving: I found this all easy to understand and control.
  
  This is a FPS but with some role playing elements.
  Your darkness powers level up after a certain amount of hearts have been eaten (that's right, your darkness serpents eat the hearts of fallen corpses, only the evil characters though). With each level up you will gain a new darkness power.
  The powers really make you feel super-human.
  They range from being able to open up a black hole portal to suck everything in and kill all enemies around it, gaining control of an arm that can grab objects and impale enemies, to duel wielding guns that harness the darkness power into bullet projectiles.
  Each power has its use and is very fun to use, never getting stale or boring.
  
  Another RPG aspect is the side missions and some somewhat free roaming nature of this game. The game is basically broken down into streets and certain landmarks, with the subway system acting as a central hub. In the subway system you cannot use your weapons (this area acts as the "safe-village" that can commonly be found in most RPG's). The subway is where you get all of the side missions from NPC's.
  They range from simple to time consuming, but nevertheless add to the overall fun.
  The game is free roaming to an extent. You can roam the streets but they are visibly cut off at a certain point. You cannot walk into just any building either. But these constraints don't mean much, since The Darkness is meant to be more of a story rather than an open ended experience.
  Overall, the areas to explore of decent. There are even collectible items to collect throughout. You have to do some searching to find them, but its worth it. If your into that sort of thing.
  
  The developers incorporated a neat system for unlocking these collectibles too (which I think unlocks game videos and comic books, I think).
  The collectibles you pick up are actually phone numbers which you can call at any pay phone in the subway system (most of the pay phones out on the street are broken. Go figure!) When you call them you usually reach someones answering machine. And most of the time the message is a funny one.
  
  There are also secret numbers scrawled on walls and such, and when called will prompt another side mission involving you finding about 16 secret phone numbers to unlock a secret achievement.
  Speaking of achievements, there are plenty to be had. And they are fun ones too. I won't tell you what they are, but I will say that you can track your achievements via a pause menu.
  
  There is so much scripted dialog in The Darkness, the cinematic and realistic qualities of this game are further enhanced. Passer-by NPC (non-playable characters) that are not key to the plot or side missions don't really say much. But those that ask you to do side missions, key plot characters and enemies during battle all have plenty to say.
  I love it when the enemies that I am fighting talk trash to me or cower in fear when I am fighting them. It really adds to the game play.
  
  If you have ever Played Condemned : Criminal Origins, you will really like this game. The Darkness seems to be closely related to Condemned in spirit. However, The Darkness is much more fast paced in terms of action and fighting.
  
  I have yet to try the multiplayer Xbox Live deathmatch gaming.
  
  Overall, I recommend The Darkness. It is a true experience of Next-Gen gaming, you will not be disappointed. There are so many little nuances thrown into this game that just give it a realistic feel and liven up the game in so many ways. This is a real treat to wat
  
  

• Bravo! The Darkness is a truly fun and engrossing game!

  
  By A21XG7UVD2ABKS on 2007-07-17
  I was so very pleasantly surprised by The Darkness.
  
  It seems that games that rise to the level of being engrossing and compelling are few and far between. In fact, not since Deus Ex have I played a game that really drew me in, and had me playing around WITH the game, like it was a toy. On the XBOX 360, there are really only a couple of must-own games at this point. Gears of War is one of them, sure, and, in my opinion, so is Oblivion.
  
  Now you can add The Darkness to that list.
  
  I had a lot of fun playing The Darkness, and, at times, it came close to the kind of experience I had with Deus Ex (which, for better or worse, I hold up as the gold standard in this genre). Besides being fun to play with, this game continually wows you with its attention to detail and the level of thought that went into its design.
  
  Here are just a few of the elements and details that make this game so impressive:
  
  -The VOICE ACTING in The Darkness is simply the best I have seen in a video game, bar none. So good is the voice acting, that you find your self marveling at it. Everyone from the hero Jackie to Jimmy the Grape (oh man I loved Jimmy the Grape) is superbly performed.
  
  -One of the first things you notice is the little vignettes you watch during the LEVEL LOADING. The designers utilize what would otherwise be "dead time" to actually add to the atmosphere of the game.
  
  -LEVEL DESIGN is fantastic. You spend a good deal of time in NYC subways in this game, and they really look like the real deal (admittedly simplified). I found myself more than once admiring the rendering of the stairs and signs down in the subways. Just one of many great touches is the subway information kiosks (not authentic!) which are a clever way of quickly orienting to where you need to go. The NYC street levels are equally great, and very detailed. You will find yourself just walking around and looking. Then when you get the Demon Arm, and discover you can move cars and dumpsters...
  
  -NO ARTIFICIAL HUDs. Information in this game is, for the most part, presented in a "realistic" manner. One example already given is the info kiosks in the subways (you get an authentic NYC voice giving you directions). Another example is the level of your Darkness Powers, which are indicated by visual cues in the power manifestation.
  
  -COLLECTIBLES AND BONUS MATERIAL. Adding the collectibles to this game was a great move. Basically, this is analogous to the Cog Tags in Gears of War, giving you an incentive to completely explore all the environment spaces. The new twist here is that such collecting not only scores achievements, but also unlocks bonus materials such as comics, videos, and production art. Very slick. One of the two types of collectible items is phone numbers, and you unlock the bonus materials by finding a telephone and calling the number. When you do, you get a unique and superbly acted answering machine message, many of which are comical or disturbing. I loved every one.
  
  -DARKNESS POWERS. The Darkness Powers are the main game play "gimmick" of The Darkness, sort of like Bullet Time in Max Payne. You quickly figure out that the powers are pretty much what you use all the time, instead of, say, guns. There are a good number of conventional weapons available, but you end up not caring about them much. The two coolest Darkness Powers are 1) Creeping Dark and 2) Demon Arm. The Creeping Dark allows you to "remotely" explore your surroundings with a great deal of freedom, including climbing walls and getting into small spaces. This expanded freedom almost compels you to see what you can do with it, and you find yourself experimenting to see exactly where you can go. You can, of course, attack with the Creeping Dark, and in the beginning you do that a lot. The Demon Arm is great because you can pick up almost anything and throw it. Pretty far if you want. So, you realize that you can stack cars up on top of each other, or throw dumpsters at people, so you spend a great deal of time just screwing around like that. Oh yeah, you can also attack people and knock out lights with The Demon Arm. (But it's really for making a really big pile of cars.)
  
  There are a number of surprises in the game, which I will not go into for obvious reasons. Suffice it to say that there is even more to recommend this game that what has been mentioned, and, like the rest, it is very well done.
  
  Complaints? Quibbles? Only a few, really. NO game is perfect. Maybe my biggest gripe is that the final level & ending was very unsatisfying. In fact, I was sure that there was a better ending I could achieve. It turns out that's just how it ends. On the upside, the ending makes it clear that this is just a first chapter in what should be a truly great series of games. Other than that, the quibbles become truly minor. I thought the Darklings didn't really contribute much to game play, but maybe that was just me. Even so, they do add some entertainment.
  
  All in all, The Darkness is GREAT. If you own a 360, you should own this game.
  
  
  
  

• Yawn

  
  By A1NJ2GWURL2ONB on 2007-08-27
  The Darkness is one of those hyped up games that fails to deliver. It's (yet another) first person shooter (FPS) set in New York and the alternate reality of the Darkness - a demon which posses your character at the start of the story.
  
  There's a lot that this game does have going for it - the facial graphics are really outstanding. The levels designed in the hellish alternate reality of the demon are really nightmarish. They're a tad cliche, but well executed and I never was bored looking around in those levels. Some of the kills (using your "demon arm") are strangly satisfying; although the standard "executions" are very poorly animated and just look plain silly.
  
  The gameplay is very standard for a FPS. As many reviewers have noted, there are a variety of weapons; but there's rarely any reason to use any weapon other than your dual pistols. The AI is nothing special and will generally let you hide and recoup your health and simply stand its position and let you pick them off one at a time. Since your powers depend on darkness; much of the game is spent shooting out lights. Annoyingly, there are very few light switches to simply turn off the lights.
  
  The multiplayer on Xbox live lags something awful. If you manage to spend more than a few minutes online, your patience is greater than mine. This feature was probably tacked on last minute and adds nothing to the game's value.
  
  The worst part of this game is the way you have to travel from level to level. You travel between parts of town (most often) via subway. In the subway, you cannot kill or be killed; and it's mostly there to get you from one point to another and occasionaly move the plot. The problem is that, often, you'll complete a mission, then go back to the subway, then have to travel to another subway station, and then go to a new level - and god help you if you take the wrong subway or get off on the wrong platform. Each time you move from level to level there's about a minute or two loading. The point is, after you complete a mission, it can be five or ten minutes before you're back shooting stuff up. The pacing is maddening.
  
  This game wasn't bad for renting. The story is mildly interesting and some of the gameplay was OK. But this game will soon be eclipsed by other games and I seriously doubt anyone will be playing this game in six months.
  
  

• Great game but with 1 BIG BUG preventing it from being flawless

  
  By AMXE382DCAMQO on 2007-08-31
  I loved this game. I was unhappy with the 8s it was getting in the press, especially from those reviewers that didn't seem to understand "why ya gotta knock out all the lights all the time" in The Darkness. Gee I don't know...I wonder why in a game called The Darkness that you have to be in the darkness to do stuff. Huh. Go figure...
  
  Good
  - voice acting (professional actors, plus Mike Patton)
  - good story
  - animation (especially the darkness tentacles). Tearing peoples hearts out is simply cool.
  - competent shooter
  - the hands in the FPS aspect of the game move differently that other FPS...it has it's own FPS style.
  - no HUD means enjoy the beauty
  - Strarbreeze is a good engine; it's good to have something else out there besides Unreal Engine.
  - unexpected Hell levels. Very very cool.
  - interactive TVs you can watch in the game (it's a little known fact that the blu-ray has 10gb more of non-exclusive content here than the xbox DVD9 - which offends me as an xbox owner).
  
  Mediocre
  - Friendly AI doesn't necessarily always shoot straight
  
  Bad
  - As with Starbreeze's last excellent title (Butcher Bay), it has a VERY BAD BUG THAT NEEDS TO BE PATCHED. At the time I played it, I got half-way through the game, and HAD TO RESTART FROM THE BEGINNING because of a glitch. This happened to all kinds of people in the xbox forum. It is inexcusable for a title that has so few side missions which are small and uncomplicated for this to happen! Bad game testing!!! This is my only criticism of the game. Similar thing happened in Butcher Bay - it let's you get significantly far into the game without forcing you to obtain a weapon that you WILL NEED in further levels forcing you to restart. BAD BAD BAD! I must say that NONE OF THE PROFESSIONAL REVIEWERS MENTION THIS BUG!!! They criticize it for really stupid things, like the fact that you have to knock out the lights! Hilary Goldstein (a guy with a girl's name) from IGN should be FIRED! He didn't understand the story. What's not to understand???
  
  

• Tripping at the finish line...

  
  By A2RC0F0D2IM43B on 2007-07-22
  I was very excited about this game, it was on my short list of titles for this year (HALO 3, Bioshock, Mass Effect, etc) and I couldn't wait to pick it up.
  
  There are certainly some outstanding features in this game. If you want 500 easy gamerpoints, pick this up and give yourself 4 hours. The 'executions' while violent, are pretty neat! Let's not kid ourselves, if you are offended by violence and you picked this game up, then you should probably have a coloring book, a bike helmet, and a chaperone.
  
  There are three really major points that destroy this game. One- it is really short. Pretty self explanatory. Two- the controls are very jerky, and that lack of smooth, well-refined interaction makes you conscious that you are piloting a video game character. I don't like that. Three- this may be the worst multiplayer since we were all on 28.8 modems. Seriously, it is 2007 and that is the best they could do? Three or four modes that are simplistic at best, and a few maps that are boring to say the least. And the LAG!! If you aren't the host, forget it. Everytime someone joins/quits, you freeze up for 15-20 seconds!! Unacceptable.
  
  Okay, i thought of a fourth problem. Load times. You frequently have to go back and forth between sections of the map, and the load times between each are so long that they have little animations (10-15 seconds each) that are there to distract you from the fact that you are growing older while the game loads. It really breaks up the flow of the game.
  
  The graphics of this game are great, and the violence is stunning, but overall, this game had 100x more promise than it really delivers. Don't believe me? Look how many are already available at your local game shop, available used here on Amazon, etc. I know my copy is available...
  
  Rent it and save yourself the $60 for Mass Effect, Bioshock, or one of the other really promising games coming out in the next few months.
  
  
• An Interesting Concept
  By A3P8WMWF5TN8KL on 2007-06-27
  The best thing that this game has going for itself is the concept. You play as Jackie Estacado, a young mob guy. Out doing a job for his Uncle Paulie who has taken Jackie under his wing, Jackie discovers that his Uncle Paulie is out to get him and gives him a a birthday surprise (a real blast... =D) This failed attempt to kill Jackie brings out The Darkness a malevolent force that was deep within Jackie.
  
  Again, the best thing this game has is the concept. The Darkness is intriguing and in the very beginning makes you want to discover all of its secret. Some parts of the game are a little monotonous, but you can always change that by playing around with different strategies of using The Darkness.
  
  The graphics are decent and the environment is very interactive. Because The Darkness likes it to be dark, almost every light can be shot out, which I enjoy because it gives a more realistic feel. The loading screens are not loading screens really. They are most like brief confessionals from Jackie. I may not have been paying attention but I don't remember one repeating. But if you stress the system it probably will. (going back and forth)
  
  When I play games, I am all about the graphics. This game doesn't bring amazing graphics, but the gameplay and the awesome subtleties make me forget about the graphics. Two instances are:
  1. In the very beginning of the game, the opening credits and tutorial are put into an interactive cut scene that resembles the cutscenes used in Resident Evil 4. You are in the back seat of a car with two other mob guys. While the scene does on you can look around to see the driver shoving cars out of the way and to see cop cars chasing the car.
  2. When you meet up with Jackie's girlfriend, you get the opportunity to sit next to her on the couch. Because you are Jackie's eyes, you get the full perspective when you go to kiss her. Also, the TV is playing the movie To Kill A Mockingbird. While I did not sit to see how much of the movie it has, I sat long enough to get about 7 minutes into the movie. I was impressed for some reason. =D
  
  Overall the game amazing for its innovative approach and the graphics are just something that you will have to get over to enjoy the otherwise amazing qualities of the game.
  
  If you have ever played Indigo Prophecy for the Xbox, you will know the feeling. Not so great graphics, but a game you HAVE to experience.
  
  
• Step into the Darkness.
  By AQD9U2U5SZORX on 2007-06-28
  Star Breeze studios has created a good game. Using the acclaimed chronicles of Riddick engine they took a swing at the Top Cow comics Anti-hero the Darkness. I'm happy to report that they nailed it, as a fan of the comics I can tell you the mood and atmosphere is perfect and gritty. The Darkness its self is awesome, and fits well with the games action. Which is fast and furious the gunplay has some nice features like the execution moves which are scripted gun-kata beat downs that add to the over the top comic book style action. The MAJOR drawback is the games total playing time 10 to 12 hours with most side quest included. I can only hope that Top Cow will work with Star Breeze and produce some more level content for the single player.
  
  Ok I know you want to know about the powers. The First you get is the darkness it's self which acts as a shield to keep you a live in combat. As you continue you gain the hilarious and morbidly chatty Darklings each with tools and useful attacks. You can also explore and perform stealth kills with the tendrils that sprout out your back. You gain a demonic arm/spike, guns that use the darkness as ammo, and finally the ability to create a black hole.
  
  The story is a retelling the resurrection story line that brought the character back from the dead. Some reviews are saying the game is too easy because once you get all your powers there are not a lot of people who can stand against the power of the darkness. Well I for one like this because in every other comic action game there is a point were you feel that the character is not strong as they should be but darkness lets you have a long run with the power as apposed to just saving it for the end of the game. Overall it is a good game and has an interesting take on the shooter formula. If you like a violent shooters this is a great choice.
  
  Also the multiplayer as a great throw back to Alien VS Preditor.
  
  If you ever wanted to play the monster for the game instead of being the chased victim, give the Darkness a shot. I was swept into the game and disipointed by how short it was, if you just want to pick up a new shooter I would say rent it.
  
  
  
• Falls way short of the hype
  By A3QV7ZO5QK9E3V on 2007-12-23
  In a year completely saturated with incredible first person shooters, The Darkness falls short as a very bland title with little to offer. The mechanics and graphics are good, but nothing revolutionary or even unique. Basically, the gimmick of this game is that you are a man exiled by the mafia who can control demons. A novel concept, but it is more burdensome than useful. You will constantly be shooting out light bulbs to use these abilities which is not very entertaining. The A.I. is sub-par as is the convoluted story line. Level design and enemies are very mundane: a clear sign that more money was spent advertising on this game than making it. The box shots may look great, but do not buy this game for somebody unless you hate them. Games like BioShock, Call of Duty 4, and Halo are far greater values for the money.
  
  
• Great game, but get the PS3 version for better graphics and more content
  By A5624OIOTISU7 on 2007-06-27
  Without a doubt this is a great game. But, you should get it on the PS3 for more content and better graphics.
  
  
• Fun and fun but don't expect good replayability.
  By A20YTSYB64D24I on 2007-07-03
  This game is very fun and violent. The first time through was a thrill. The second time through i was able to pay attention to small details and enjoyed it again. Now it's going on my shelf and will probably never be played again.
  
  
• Tedium defined.
  By A21KNRUAA5RK5E on 2007-12-24
  Clunky controls, bad interface, boring story, one dimensional stereotypical characters. Nothing about this game is compelling or original. Is this the best the gaming industry has to offer?
  
  
• Very, very dark
  By A21RW6HYZTUIYH on 2008-09-05
  First off, this is a game for adults only.
  And I mean that in no uncertain terms. (This is a game that visits the worst human tragedy in known history - World War I) Violence, language and general depravity considered, even an adult might want to rethink her/his steps when purchasing this item. Some of the actions and environments were so intense, they literally made me feel weird and bad. I truly felt anger at the end and actually cried during the final sequence.
  
  If you can shrug off these warnings, you are in for arguably the most substantial experience on the 360 so far.
  
  Even in its earlier releases, Starbreeze prided itself in challenging the player to think outside the bounds of what was possible within a game, and The Darkness continues that legacy. From a first person perspective, the player inhabits young hitman Jackie's persona as he unravels the mystery of his (unexpectedly granted) powers. The plot thickens as Jackie's battle with his own (Mike Patton voiced) demons escalates as does his confrontation with a previously patriarchal uncle-turned-nemesis. With just enough twists and unexpected surreal moments, the ride is a perfect, if taxing one. For a superb shooting mechanic, sick & constant sense of humor, and moments of shock that truly shock, you can't do better than the Darkness.
  
  On the minus side, there are long wait times between Entrance/Exit points and the map is virtually useless. Glitchy controls with regards to the (Primarily most useful tool of) Creeping Dark slow down the otherwise frenetic pace of confrontations. Achievement Hounds should also be warned: some of the achievements in this game are ambivalent, to say the least. I'm a fan, and have yet to unlock many of them.
  
  Such qualms aside, this is the game people who loved "Riddick" should be ready to expect: A rock solid shooter that feels more like an RPG or sandbox game.
  Insane attention to detail, impeccable visuals, and a nasty sense of reality.
  The most profound and simultaneously profane experience the 360 can offer.
  You have been warned.
  
  
  
  
  
• Great game
  By A3JEVZ5S1QB2ED on 2007-07-05
  This is a great game which has fantastic graphics. BTW, the PS3 version does NOT have better graphics, don't let some sony fanboy tell you different. If you are looking for a great storyline and a well-executed game overall, don't look any further. The only downside is that you are not able to save whenever you want, the game has predetermined save points. You will not regret purchasing this game.
  
  
• This Game is Wicked Fun (offline, story-mode review)
  By A3UPVY1BJR9U3L on 2007-07-17
  I purchased this game soley on the advice of a friend. I had not viewed any trailers, nor had I played a demo version when I purchased it for full release price. That's how highly recommended it came to me. I'm here to tell you that the game definately lives up to the hype.
  
  The story is based on an older comic partially created by Garth Ennis. Anyone who knows anything about comics knows that anything touched by Garth Ennis is pretty much worth its weight in gold when it comes to quality and entertainment value. The game based on his creation does not disappoint.
  
  Let's start at the beginning. As the game opens you find yourself (Jackie Estacado) in the back seat of a convertable. Two of your fellow mafioso-types occupy the car with you. Within moments you're on a high-speed chase through a tunnel with police shooting at you while you frantically try to load your shotgun. One of your partners dies (in a satisfyingly gruesome way) before you even reach the end of the tunnel sequence. When you do reach the end, the game begins in earnest, with your other partner laid up with about 3 inches of bone sticking out of his leg. Fan-freakin'-tastic. Then the game actually begins.
  
  As first person shooters go, this one is fairly unique, though not so much in design as in concept and ability. The perspective is good (though the excessive head-bob does occasionally grate on the nerves...) and the movement relatively fluid. To me the controls seem a little loose or sluggish (but that may be influenced by how much I play Rainbow Six : Vegas, which has impeccable control) but don't really hinder your progress through or enjoyment of the game itself.
  
  Visually the game is stunning. The darks are dark...very dark, but still textured and vivid, and the lights a very bright. (It may be my imagination but they seem to get brighter the longer Jackie is possessed with the Darkness) Blood spatters, bullets ricochet, and your Darklings are amusingly disgusting. They (the Darklings) also provide some of the more amusing sound bites in the game, as well. For instance, upon summoning a Lightkiller Darkling, he might say "Got a light?" and then chuckle in a thoroughly pleasing demonic little voice. (It's especially entertaining when one of your Darklings chooses to relieve his bladder upon a fallen enemy!)
  
  The story is engrossing. Once you start playing through the game you won't want to put it down. It has a linear story line, and updating objectives that must be completed to advance the story, but there doesn't seem to be any time limit on accomplishing said objectives, as far as I can tell. This is nice because there are a number of side-objectives that are not crucial to the completion of the game but give you more Collectables (of which in the game there are 100) which unlock extra content from the main menu. Some of this content includes digital reproductions of original The Darkness comics, concept art, add covers, and more.
  
  If you're thinking of buying this game, follow these simple steps:
  1) Quit thinking about it
  2) Buy the freakin' game.
  If you're not thinking of buying this game, Start thinking of buying the game and then go to step one. If you like dark-toned, gory first person shooters with an interesting story line, fun abilities, and lots of blood, this game is definately for you.
  
  
• Darkness rocks. Being possessed is blessed.
  By A3CZL728S68VPX on 2007-09-17
  Well i am here to say that i just finished The Darkness and i am impressed beyond words....... Never have i played a game where i could'nt put down the controller until now. I for one feel this game is ground breaking in its gameplay, presentation, and originality. 2K has out did them selves, once again. There also seems to be a lot of dissent between gamers that liked this title versus gamers that thought it was less than stellar. If you have been looking for a game that has something untried/new before now then you owe it to yourself to buy or at least rent this game, go ahead give it a try. If you follow the advise of the nay-sayers and follow the huge herd of sheep playing the same old tried and true cookie cutter games that have been rehashed a 100 dozen times with a 100 dozen different titles with the same generic hack and slash/wham bam thank you mam type game play then steer clear of this game, it's groundbreaking visuals and indepth game play will overwhelm you. And sadly my friends you will not know what you have missed.
  The most excellent part, this is my opinion, was after witnessing the murder of your girl Genny. You turn around, look in a mirror, pull out your weapon and do your self...NOT!. You wake up in a hellish world still alive with the darkness telling you that you do not belong here, "here" is a W.W.1 battle field replete with trenches, Huns (Germans) and you. The world is dark with a blood color sky, when viewable through the clouds, you are behind enemy lines trying to complete a series of mini missions which will lead you to no mans land and eventually to the British, Canadians, Australians, and whom ever else make up this world of disbelief lines. Once your at the village take your time, look around, read the posters on the bombed out ruins of buildings, likewise in the beginning of the game, read the tomb stones, very beleiveable and chilling to say the least. The ambient mood of the game, the dark humor, the possession of your will and soul as well as the original score completes the overall package, but don't take my word for it, check it out yourself, you will be glad you did. I am a 49 year old gamer, i have played video games all my life back when mechanical pin-ball was the rage. Then we got Pong for Christmas, next Nintendo, and its been game on ever since and will be until i die. So with that being said i wouldn't steer you wrong, money is to hard to come by these days to foolishly waste it, so take my advise and rent it first, if it aint the best thing since sliced bread then take it back, no foul no harm. Remember, this is the same publisher (2K) that put out the critically acclaimed Bio Shock and we all know how freakin great that ride was. So .........GAME ON. Thanks.
  
  
• Great idea - poor execution (The Darkness - XBOX 360)
  By AH1DI4BUEU15F on 2007-09-25
  I have a feeling that The Darkness needed about 6 more months of play-testing and bug fixing. This game comes from the development studio that made the excellent Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay so I know they have the potential to do much better. The gameplay idea, graphics and storyline are really good but everything else was poorly or not fully executed. You spend the first part of the game starving for ammo, yet you are required to shoot out the many, many light sources in the game. Early on you can control an eel-like dark tentacle to perform stealth-kills and solve simple environmental puzzles yet too often the darn eel drives like a bus, refuses to bite an enemy and disorients you by climbing up walls. The main reason to destroy light sources in the game is because the light drains your Darkness power, yet you have no way of knowing how much Darkness power you have at any given time (same for your regenerating health) and you will often have your powers drained unexpectedly at the worst times. Another major fault lies with the targeting system and poor hit detection. There are plenty of glitches where you are clearly hitting an enemy or light source yet the game does not accurate detect the hit. There is also a problem with your aiming snapping to light sources - there are many in the game and this makes it even harder to register a hit on an enemy when your reticule keeps moving to a nearby light. Later, you gain a power that helps you snuff out lights but it is also a hit or miss affair. It's hard to feel like a dangerous, possessed hit man when you can't even knock out a light with your flailing tentacle. Also, there are many situations in the game where you will be unexpectedly killed with no feedback given to let you know what you did wrong, tell you if you are damaging an enemy, or to provide you with any clue as to what you should be doing. Overall, this is a game with an enjoyable story and graphics if you can get past the frustration and lack of fun in the gameplay. I give this game credit, at least, that I was motivated to suffer through the glitches in order to finish the story. One thing that strikes me as strange, though, is that the main character never shows any surprise or shock about being possessed? He hardly acknowledges this major development.
  
  
• good game play.......
  By A2LY7GPTXH2A9B on 2007-12-17
  I liked the game; especially the darkness powers and the creatures you could summon (especially urinating on corpses and the jestures) but it was lacking in the story department, I really didn't care about the mafia parts but I have to say the game is fairly original and worth checking out.
  
  
• "I Attack the Darkness!"
  By A3PPXVR5J6U2JD on 2008-05-26
  I've never read The Darkness comic. I couldn't get past the fact that the character looks like a bad Spawn rip-off and the quote from Brunching Shuttlecocks about the truth behind Dungeons & Dragons: "I attack the darkness!"
  
  The Darkness is essentially every Mafia movie cliché mixed with the brooding atmosphere of The Crow. In fact, the protagonist, Jackie Estacado (Kirk Acevedo), looks and sounds at lot like Michael Wincott, who played Top Dollar in that film. If you've seen The Crow, you know that Wincott's got a very distinctive appearance, with his long black hair, leather overcoat, and hawkish features. In The Darkness, Jackie is affectionately nicknamed Ratface by his girlfriend Jenny Romano (Lauren Ambrose). As you can imagine, having personal connections in a dark game like this is inevitably a liability, but I digress.
  
  The Darkness owes a lot to films like Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, with random narrative from our hero, outrageous characters, and an uneven mix of action and drama. The first cut scene (created with all in-game graphics) gives a perfect sense of what's to come: lots of cursing, lots of gore, absolutely no respect for authority, and plenty of violence, all taking place in New York. It's the New York of the seventies, when crime and graffiti were rampant and sane people didn't wander out alone by themselves. And you're one of the reasons.
  
  The Darkness is a two-headed demonic symbiont that lives within Jackie and, we discover later, the entire Estacado bloodline. In that respect the game is a lot like Spawn or Venom; the Darkness is a personality as much as it is a thing that augments Jackie's considerable gun-fu skills with the ability to create black holes that suck everything into them, whiplash barbed tentacles, magical guns, and snake-like mouths. In the dark, Jackie can summon other demons to do his bidding, which range from kamikaze critters loaded with explosives to gatling-gun wielding warriors.
  
  Jackie's opponents have no such superpowers, and it's a credit to the game's creators that any supernatural monsters you encounter all fit the plot. There's no inevitable escalation of the villain gaining superpowers to do battle; indeed, the villain behind most of Jackie's woes, Uncle Paulie Franchetti (Dwight Schultz) is as much a moral foil as he is an arch-foe. Killing him isn't the point.
  
  The game revolves around the issue of Jackie's soul. Mob life is a violent one, and The Darkness contrasts the mythical honor of the "old ways" with the mad-dog frenzy of Franchetti. When Franchetti starts blowing up orphanages, the older mobsters use Jackie as their form of vengeance.
  
  The Darkness uses the New York subway system as its primary means of shuttling Jackie from place to place. This makes a lot of sense and provides a sense of realism to an otherwise route form of travel that bedevils so many first-person shooters. The streets are filled with entertaining characters who all have missions of their own to complete. Two of the most memorable characters include Butcher Joyce (Mike Starr) and Aunt Sarah (Norma Michaels), but there are many more and the voice actors are all superb. Between screens, and there are a lot of load screens, Jackie narrates his life and death to Jenny, which provides a humorous series of quotable anecdotes. These are the first load screens that actually distracted me from the load time.
  
  Despite the age-old Mafia tropes, The Darkness takes the themes explored in The Crow and Spawn and amps them up to eleven, without ever losing focus on sacrifice, violence, and even love. I wasn't entirely convinced that saving Jackie's soul was feasible (I earned the anti-hero rating from the game), but the very notion of redemption being possible is a breath of fresh air to the first-person shooter genre.
  
  
• its fun, it keeps you on your feet, and it looks good
  By A3FSKV8W3PO908 on 2007-06-27
  overall i think this is a pretty good game, i have always liked games like this. probably the closest comparison i could make is if you took the suffering, and chronicles of riddick game and put them together. its a lot of fun, its a little creepy and extreemly violent, so overall i think its really good.
  
  
• Game play like no other!
  By A1A89LQ8C1AYV1 on 2007-07-10
  First off, this game is very good and very interesting. You would do well to buy it. With that said, I must convey that when I first started playing it I was a little disappointed as it seemed to be pretty standard fare. Jackie basically walked around NYC and shot stuff. There were lots of cussing, cops, and cut scenes. The darkness powers were, however, pretty interesting. They were like nothing I have ever seen in an FPS. The game didn't really start to get good until I began accumulating more and more darkness powers. Then all of a sudden, I'm transported to a kind of WWI hell and I finally get this large dark tendril that I can use to impale people with. Wow! Talk about your 180. Now this is what I was expecting. At this point I'm very engrossed and basically don't want to put the controller down. Graphics are good, but they're not as good as Gears of War. The TV's in the game are a novel concept, but they don't really add much to the story. Making phone calls also doesn't mean much to the story, but as long as it helps unlock extra content I'll put up with it. I do like the fact that it is a mature story and not just a bunch of gore to satisfy the kids (who shouldn't be playing this anyway). The RPG elements in the game certainly add to the story and add depth to the characters. Summoning Darklings can be a little frustrating in that they don't always go where you want them to. However, they are nice to have around during intense fire fights, since they take out enemies that would otherwise be distracting and troublesome. The ending reminded me of Halflife 2. It seemed a little ambiguous, but it certainly leaves the door open for The Darkness 2. This is a solid title that is very innovative. I would have liked to be able to use both darkness serpents (creeping dark) rather than just the right one. I'd like to see a better array of guns with more ammo available. Who knows. Maybe The Darkness 2 will incorporate some of these suggestions. At any rate, it's a good game that is like nothing else on the market right now. Embrace the Darkness!
  
  
• Mafia/Sci-Fi ... what?!
  By A3MU1BGS570AG0 on 2007-08-07
  Interesting description of Mafia/Sci-fi, but its so true! This game is so awesome! Use your weapons to kill people, one of your four darkness powers to kill people, or summon one of your four darklings to do the dirty work for you! And eating the dead guy's heart to gain a higher darkness level is the best! You have your main mission plus other side missions that you can complete in the meantime.
  Only negative is that the online play is very glitchy which can ruin your planned execution moves!
  But bottom line:
  Great graphics, great storyline, a must play period.
  
  
• Join "The Darkness"
  By A2TUCS8O6AJXKJ on 2007-08-08
  "The Darkness," from the studio that brought Xbox fans "The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay," is a first-person shooter based on the dark comic book series of the same name. And like the aforementioned "Riddick," it further proves that these guys know what makes a cool video game adaptation.
  
  You assume the role of Jackie Estacado, adopted nephew of Mafia boss Paulie Franchetti, as he reaches his 21st birthday and stumbles blindly into the dark destiny of his family line. The opening sequence is a knockout, and thrusts you headlong into the gritty world of organized crime in this fictional version of New York City. The ensuing police chase, car crash, and demise of your companions, a couple of Mafia thugs, is by itself worth the price of admission.
  
  Jackie soon finds himself on the receiving end of his Uncle Paulie's wrath, which brings him into contact with an evil entity known as The Darkness. This demonic parasite latches itself to Jackie, and simultaneously aids and defies him in his quest for revenge -- a quest with many shocking twists and turns that I dare not spoil in this review.
  
  The first-person gunplay of "The Darkness" is itself quite extraordinary. Shooting people is rarely this satisfying, thanks to copious amounts of gore, better-than-average rag doll physics, and a satisfying real world arsenal that never grows stale. But Jackie's Darkness powers certainly add the icing to this already tasty cake, allowing him to sprout serpentine tentacles that devour the hearts of his foes (for the purpose of leveling up Darkness powers)... and that's just the beginning. Other Darkness abilities allow you to impale your foes and swing them wildly around at the end of a glistening appendage, creep across the floor as a serpent and put a hole through an unsuspecting victim, and open up black holes that devour several enemies at once. It's all extremely gratifying, and provides ample means to destroy the opposition.
  
  Some Darkness abilities are less compelling than others, however. The Darkness Guns, for instance, rarely serve a useful purpose, while the aforementioned black holes act as overpowered grenades, and can sometimes shift the balance too far in the player's favor. Nonetheless, in a game where just shooting guys would be great, these alternatives do their part in further distinguishing the gameplay and making you feel like a real, bona fide bad@$$ with a sick, sadistic evil streak.
  
  Of course, the game isn't complete without the ability to summon Darklings -- funny gremlin-like beasties that will back you up in a pinch. With multiple varities, such as Gunners (equipped with massive chain guns), Berserkers (who ambush opponents and cut them down to size), and Kamikazes (they go BOOM!), things don't ever seem to get old.
  
  Production values are great across the board, from the near-flawless sound effects to the strength of the visuals, which depict a grimy New York City connected by subway tunnels and desolate streets under a sky of seemingly endless night. Maybe the streets are too desolate, point of fact, given that the City That Never Sleeps seems to be very asleep indeed, but it all adds to chilling atmosphere.
  
  The game takes a stab at the slightly open-ended nature of "Butcher Bay," but doesn't quite nail it. This also results in lots and lots of walking between key action setpieces, and backtracking is never all that fun in any game. This game's attempts at non-linearity come across as tacked on, if anything, and will only do it for those who desperately want to drag out the experience.
  
  Despite a strong, compelling storyline, the Mafia element of "The Darkness" never met a cliche it didn't like. The Godfather meets Goodfellas dialog can be groan-inducing at times, especially all references to "respect." There was a better way to handle this material, but this is a mere nitpick at worst.
  
  "The Darkness" is one of the best games available on the Xbox 360, bottom line. Do yourselves a favor and join the dark side.
  
  
• The Darkness is FRESH!
  By A2WV2TUCFMPP69 on 2007-08-08
  I just wanted to say that the Darkness is an extremely well produced, well written, and fun to play game. The pacing and story keep you at the edge of your seat.
  
  Violent, Bloody, and all the stuff I love. It reminded me of a First Person Max Payne, and thats a good thing.
  
  I was not familiar with the Darkness comic, but I must say this game is one of my favorite games of the year so far. Hats off to the team that made it.
  
  
  
  
• The Darkness - a near perfect game?
  By A1C355S2OY9FVJ on 2007-08-09
  This game was fantastically eerie, dark and totally captivating both in content and visual impact. Try playing it with the lights off! And just as much fun with others in the same room watching you go through the game. Everybody seems to get completely absorbed by it.
  
  You find yourself walking around and becoming pretty taken by the graphics, scenery and the virtual reality people as much as the mission itself. Extremely realistic and at times disturbing in its hellish and dark representation! Highly impressive.
  
  I found the game so close to being perfect, that I can hardly think of a criticism other than the fact the game ended! Imagine dark roads, streets/alleys with the glow of lamp lights, subways, trains stations, rooms and hallways, chuch yards/abandoned buildings. So much to investigate and the seedy and eerie atmosphere to go with it.
  
  To me, this game is a MUST as any addition to your collection.
  
  
• The Darkness has you...
  By AY3Y9ROK6LRPI on 2007-08-20
  The Darkness - Circa 2007
  
  
  GOOD:
  - Unique "Darkness" powers and give you the abilities like sending out a tentacle creature that can stealth kill your enemies, Stab people/objects with another type of Shadow Tentacle, create black hole vortex that sucks up everything in its path and spits it back out, use demonic looking guns that shoot Lighting & Thunder (which are also fueled by the shadows around you) and even summon four different types Minions to do your bidding.
  - Watch TV, the TVs in the game play real movies, cartoons, and music videos and you can even change the channel too.
  - It's not all shooting, in this game you come to claim points where you can interact with non combat characters in a open ended (go almost to any part of the game at any time) version of New York City. In these parts of the game you can meet and talk (but mostly do favors) for the citizens of NYC or just be a jerk and kill them.
  - Great voice acting.
  - Graphics look good (for 2007) and animations are fairly smooth as well.
  
  BAD:
  - Shooting/knocking out lights while unique in the first hour of gameplay or becomes more of a choir and distraction as the game progress.
  - Some people might find the story of the game disjointed and cliché.
  - Some times the Darkness powers don't seem to work the way you want or need in a situation, example The Darkling (your minions) have very simple A.I. and seem almost useless in some situations by not attacking enemies or running head long into bright areas (where they die instantly), and the Darkness Guns which act like traditional guns have no real value next your standard guns, outside of the fact that they have unlimited ammo and no reloading in the dark (also note they have no ammo in the light).
  - The online gameplay feels tacked on and is glitchly, unless a patch comes out for it I would say stay away from the multiplayer option of this title.
  
  IF IT FITS YOUR TASTE:
  - A decent range and Varity of your standard issue First Person Shoot type of guns, with Shotgun, Duel pistols/SMG's and M16 types.
  - The aiming sight in the game is just a simple red dot, which while it frees up space on your screen a few people might find it difficult to aim with.
  - The lack of a true or traditional HUD (Heads up Display for health/power meter and such) can make the game confusing and difficult to some.
  - Being in the light makes your Darkness powers very weak or even not available (in bright light), so you're going to spend lots of time seeking out shadows in order to use your powers and get the most out of this game.
  - It's not all in the streets of NYC; some parts of the game take place in a dream world that looks like a hell version of World War 1.
  - This game is for adults or mature gamers as most of the dialog is full of foul words and the content of this game can be pretty gory, for example your dark tentacles eat human hearts (they show them ripping the hearts out of your slain enemies chests and chewing them up, not joking) to gain new power, and also getting close to any enemy with your guns drawn and shooting them up close will make the game go into an animation where you (pretty violently) execute the your enemy (examples are shots fired into an enemies leg followed by a shots to the head).
  
  GAME ITS MOST ASSOCIATED TOO:
  - The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butchers Bay (Xbox & PC)
  - F.E.A.R. (PC, 360, PS3)
  - Prey (360)
  
  ADDITIONAL NOTES:
  - A demo of this game is available on Xbox Live Marketplace.
  - This game is based on the comic book of the same name (the comic and story is similar to Witch Blade comics).
  - This game was made by Star Breeze Studios, which also made The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butchers Bay.
  - This game is banned in Singapore and heavily modified in Germany
  - It is possible to watch the entire film of To Kill a Mocking Bird in this game by watching the in-game television.
  - Mike Patton of the Rock Band Faith No More did the voice for the Darkness (with little to no help with voice editing).
  - This game is also on Sony's PS3
  
  
• Fan of the Series
  By A1KXJ1ELZIU05C on 2007-08-31
  While I am a fan of both The Darkness and FPSes, but this game does neither very well. For an X360 game it isn't very polished. It feels more like an XBox original game, and while the story is decent, there are glitches. For example, while your walking across the dead area, you keep getting caught on nothing, over and over you get stuck on nothing and the goblins, don't get me started on how stupid the goblin AI is.
  
  One of my main disappointments is the goblins. The goblin's AI isn't even as smart as the goblin AI in the game Overlord, although are sometimes useful when they have to be, but often the storyline seems to come up with excuses to use them. Most of the time they are used as cannon fodder or a distraction, but rarely do they ever do something that you shouldn't be able to do with your powers, or better yet, with your hands.
  
  As the game progresses you get powers, but the game limits how and when you can use them, which is VERY frustrating. For example, you can use the dark arms to pick up cars, but you can't use them to smash down a flimsy wooden door.
  
  I WAS really excited to play this game...emphasis on the was...=/
  
  
• Surprisingly Good
  By A1ND665IEW2X5B on 2007-10-24
  I bought this game recently, used, for a bare bones price because I saw that it was a 2K Games release and I recently played through 2K Games' Bioshock (Which I also recommend). The storyline, characters, and overall gameplay for this title amazed me. Why didn't this get more media attention when it was released?
  
  However, definitely not a title you'd want to buy for your 12 year old kid. If any game requires a Mature rating, it's this one. Not to say that it's so entirely vulgar that it's too much to play. It provides an awesome storyline, presenting tragedy in the form of Jackie Estacado's girlfriend Jenny. You won't regret making this buy.
  
  
• The Darkness is cheap thrills
  By A323S14ACCPGYZ on 2007-12-17
  I played this game and it can be very aggravating waiting for all the cut scenes when loading a new area of the game. This occur hundreds of times. Other than that, the game has a nice mobster vibe to it and is definitely a nice shooter. Very similar to Bullet Witch due to the extra abilities.
  
  
• Pretty, a good story, but incredibly linear for the genre
  By A113H89BOVIKWQ on 2008-04-01
  The Xbox 360 has brought in a new era of roleplaying/shooter crossovers, which offer the deeper story and flexible character development of RPGs with more first or third person action to spice up the combats. Most of these games offer a "casual" or "easy" difficulty setting so RPG players can enjoy them too.
  
  The best of these products, like Mass Effect really deliver on this promise. The stories are engaging and compelling; the player has real choice in how to develop the character(s), and the combat gains the adrenaline rush of a shooter without necessarily requiring the reflexes of a long-time shooter player or a teenager on Jolt to play.
  
  Sadly, The Darkness may look like one of these games but it is not. The gameplay is entirely linear, without even a nod to real choices. On a typical map you face a sequence of combats and single-solution puzzles and don't even have much choice in the order you encounter them; on some of the maps attempting to deviate from the preplanned course will just get you "killed" in punishment, forcing you to restart from the last programmed point you successfully satisfied.
  
  Compared even to story-driven shooters like BioShock, this is terribly disappointing, and the game has zero replay value. Compared to early efforts like Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition or polished modern games like Mass Effect, this is not a game - it's a movie where you are forced to use the controller and earn progress.
  
  Yet for all of that, this game is not a total loss. The visuals are good, and combine with the sounds to be evocative and visceral. The body animations are reasonably rendered even if the characters' mouths rarely move when they talk. The overstereotypical New York mobster dialog and voice acting is amusing, and delivered with a sense of humor to make it fun rather than trite.
  
  While I doubt this game will ever be remembered as seminal, or even remembered in a few years, it is not a total waste. Given that it can be found used, played, and then resold it's probably worth your time to play.
  
  
  
• OK - Kind of Predictable
  By A16H0MIIIBI7VN on 2008-06-05
  This is an OK game if you can get it for under $20. It's not very challenging and pretty much tells you what to do every step of the way.
  The graphics are cool.
  
  

• The Darkness Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)) (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames))
• The Official Xbox Magazine [1-year]
• Electronic Gaming Monthly
• Play

• BioShock
• Assassin's Creed
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Limited Edition
• Mass Effect