Being a long time reader of The Darkness, I’ve been looking forward to this game since it was first announced. Having played Starbreeze Studio’s Chronicles of Riddick game I knew it was going to be something great too. They put in such a great effort into detail and gameplay that their titles are solid hits. In the game you play Jackie Estacado, a 21 year old contract killer for the Franchetti Crime family. Only problem is that the crime family you were whacking people for now want you whacked.
One thing you’ll notice right off the bat is how beautiful the game looks. This is a game that strives for reality, the lighting and and gritty realism with dirty bathrooms and flickering lights. The attention to detail is fantastic and it makes the game all the more enjoyable. Instead of loading screens you have running commentaries by Jackie that give you insight into his world. Right from the start a visual style is established that lets you know this is a big production, the credits that come and go for the first section and the smoke that rises from some of the guns, and of course the mass amount of blood.
The game controls are easy to get a hold of and don’t impede on the gameplay. You control everything from firing both guns to your Darklings with a simple press of the button. The easiness of controlling the game doesn’t have you worrying whether you’re going to mess up something along the way, further adding to the games allure.
Having just tried out the multi-player, I must admit that I’m not all that familiar but I did delve into a few different modes. You can play in a six different game types and some allow you to choose to play as a darkling. As with most other 360 games, there are a large number of achievements that are only attainable through multi-player. The multi-player is definitely a fun change of pace and can be even more fun with a group of friends.
The Darkness isn’t just another fps, it’s a lot more and it’s well worth the investment. Starbreeze and Take Two have a hit that that’s sure to stand out in the crowd. Great story, great visuals,and fantastic characters make for a great game.