A game with an amazing atmosphere, marred by unfortunate issues

User Rating: 8.5 | The Darkness II PC
By antipunt1 | Review Date:
I came into Darkness 2 with less than high expectations. The game was bashed by many reviewers for being flawed and uninspired. Little did I know, I would actually be pleasantly surprised by something that few other shooters could pull off nearly as well: atmosphere.

It's true that the game/gameplay is relatively marred. Enemy AI isn't great, and shoot outs can feel arcade-ish. You'll definitely want to turn up the difficulty, I honestly didn't find it too easy when you cranked it up to max. The demon arms are by far the most attractive addition; it actually 'changes' the way you play an FPS, because now you have 4 appendages to worry about (opens many new avenues for micromanagement). People have said that all you have to do is rambo-in without any strategy whatsoever; I found this to be quite false.. If you do that you'll get pummeled by shields or flashlights. You have to decide; use the car-door for protection first or a slice-throw? Which demon-arm execution to perform. Should you save that heart for now or later. It can get pretty intense!

Problems of course rear their ugly head. And yes, this is not the most polished title. The enemies are predictable, and after a while, you feel like you've 'seen it all' (in terms of gunplay). Also, the game is very short, which really makes you wonder if it's worth getting before it hits the sale-bin ...

But by far, what impressed me most about the Darkness 2, was its atmosphere/story. It was completely unexpected, and thus, hit me twice as hard. From the beginning to end, the game keeps you guessing, and draws you in, desperately wanting to know what happens next. Voice acting is terrific, art style is pretty, characters are interesting, and emotions are heartfelt. This is probably one of the most involved-stories I've experienced in gaming for quite a long time (especially within FPSs), which is why I felt it was a step up from many other generic shooters.

If only it wasn't so short; if only the gunplay was a tad better. And if only the ending wasn't....meh. Don't get me wrong, I really liked the ending, but it really wouldn't be my first choice. Without spoiling too much, let's just say I have mixed feelings about it (more bad than good).

All in all, Darkness 2 has its ups and downs, which is why I find it hard to rate. Ultimately, it's relevant to note I've never played the Darkness 1. Perhaps, that'd affect your opinion somewhat, so keep that in mind

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