Now Playing: The Darkness and it’s brilliant
Can you name another game that lets you play a heart-devouring comic book antihero? I bet you can’t because there’s nothing quite like The Darkness, an FPS developed by Starbreeze Studios.
Sure, games that let you shoot people in the face may be a bit too common these days, but the concept of generating power from the dark and walking around with a couple of nasty tentacles is pretty new. I haven’t even mentioned what kind of guy the protagonist is.
I’ve heard of space marines, Special Forces members, intergalactic fugitives, special-armor-wearing characters, SWAT teams, World War II soldiers and the like, but mobsters with superpowers that talk with a New Yorker accent isn’t something you encounter every day.
You play Jackie Estacado, a hatchet man for the mob. He just turned 21. Aside from the obvious mafia connections, Jackie is set apart from the average twentysomething with a sinister inheritance called the Darkness (with a capital D), which manifests itself as a couple gruesome tentacles. Jackie can fire a shotgun just like the next hitman, but the tentacles provide abilities like a shield that protects the host from harm and the creation of a massive, black hole to suck the life out of enemies.
Oh, and you gain more powers when the tentacles devour enough hearts from dead foes.
Things have been great so far. I’m playing through a level that’s said to be “hell” and fight against undead German soldiers from World War I.
Just a couple of nitpicks: the tentacles take up too much space on the screen, making peripheral vision limited. This becomes an even bigger concern when the tentacles gain higher levels and grow in size. But hey, I can’t think of a better way to depict a couple of demonic tentacles wrapped around a human host so screw peripheral vision and gameplay.
I also find Jackie a bit of a sissy when it comes to damage tolerance. Let’s just say I expect a little bit more from superheroes. Sure, Jackie may be a normal guy without the Darkness and the shield it provides, but a couple of shots are enough to send this guy keeling even when the tentacles are protecting him.
Image of The Darkness is courtesy of Starbreeze Studios and 2K Games.
Tags: darkness, jackie_estacado, starbreeze_studios, superhero_games, the_darknessRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Now Playing, Raves
2 opinions for Now Playing: The Darkness and it’s brilliant
Klopzi
Apr 18, 2008 at 7:47 am
I definitely enjoyed my time with the Darkness. Some of the side-missions can be a little buggy but overall, the game is solid.
What I found most surprising was how well the relationship between Jackie and Jenny comes across in the game. It’s strange to have an FPS that has “touching” moments.
Mike
Apr 18, 2008 at 8:00 am
Touching is right. I find it strange to find “touching” and “FPS” in one sentence. Don’t you? :P
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