The Darkness 2 takes most of what you loved about the original and cranks things up a few notches. The meticulous pace of the original is thrown into a black hole in favor of a breakneck pace akin to modern releases, for better and for worse.
(+) - The story does a nice job of continuing on where the original left off, while also keeping the stakes high. As over-the-top as it gets, you will be invested in Jackie's plight all the way through. - The smoother gameplay, while a tad bit chaotic, is still something that needs to be experienced. The tentacles are utilized in a much more fluid, active way this time around, as you will rely on them to get the job done. A myriad of new moves and some old favorites are back as well, giving us a wild experience that may go down in history as the best presentation and utilization of superpowers brought to a game yet; you will not miss your darkling friends much as you hurl a pole into a mans sternum in a horror movie-esque manner. - The art style, while a far cry from the grittiness of the original, is still fun and looks fantastic. - The voice acting is still great; Brian Bloom does a good job at giving us a Jackie that's more jaded yet driven than ever before. - The fast pace is nice in that the game never wears out its welcome.
(-) - Most, maybe even all, of the new characters are pretty darn annoying, from the obnoxious antagonist, to the inexplicably British, somewhat lovable Darkling sidekick that accompanies you on your quest. These guys pale in comparison to the nervous expository human sidekick that plagues the game right from the get go. You will want to enact vengeance on this skittish mess before all is said and done. - Most of the moves are mapped to one button in ways that will screw you over. - The gameplay overdoes Jackie's weakness to light, in a way that makes even the annoying parts of the first one seem tame at times. You will be blinded easily many times, something that works on paper but is extremely annoying in action. - The ending makes you feel like you are only halfway through the game, setting up a sequel that may never happen unfortunately.
The Darkness 2 possesses the same kind of unabashed, fun spirit I have not seen since the Timesplitters series. Never a slave to the original, this romp will leave you wanting more once the credits roll. -
(+) - The story does a nice job of continuing on where the original left off, while also keeping the stakes high. As over-the-top as it gets, you will be invested in Jackie's plight all the way through. - The smoother gameplay, while a tad bit chaotic, is still something that needs to be experienced. The tentacles are utilized in a much more fluid, active way this time around, as you will rely on them to get the job done. A myriad of new moves and some old favorites are back as well, giving us a wild experience that may go down in history as the best presentation and utilization of superpowers brought to a game yet; you will not miss your darkling friends much as you hurl a pole into a mans sternum in a horror movie-esque manner. - The art style, while a far cry from the grittiness of the original, is still fun and looks fantastic. - The voice acting is still great; Brian Bloom does a good job at giving us a Jackie that's more jaded yet driven than ever before. - The fast pace is nice in that the game never wears out its welcome.
(-) - Most, maybe even all, of the new characters are pretty darn annoying, from the obnoxious antagonist, to the inexplicably British, somewhat lovable Darkling sidekick that accompanies you on your quest. These guys pale in comparison to the nervous expository human sidekick that plagues the game right from the get go. You will want to enact vengeance on this skittish mess before all is said and done. - Most of the moves are mapped to one button in ways that will screw you over. - The gameplay overdoes Jackie's weakness to light, in a way that makes even the annoying parts of the first one seem tame at times. You will be blinded easily many times, something that works on paper but is extremely annoying in action. - The ending makes you feel like you are only halfway through the game, setting up a sequel that may never happen unfortunately.
The Darkness 2 possesses the same kind of unabashed, fun spirit I have not seen since the Timesplitters series. Never a slave to the original, this romp will leave you wanting more once the credits roll. -