Three years ago, a previously little-known Swedish developer called Starbreeze brought to the world an astounding example of how movie-based games should be created: The Chronicles of Riddick Escape from Butcher Bay. The game, quite simply, was a fantastic romp through the the Riddick universe with a great mix of outstanding visuals and gameplay. Cut to today, when Starbreeze has released their first next-generation title The Darkness, an exploration of a legendary anti-hero comic of the same name.
But is the game good enough for you (and your wallet) to embrace the darkness? Read on and find out.
Starbreeze delivered in the last gen, stifling all mockery they had for their association with Vin Diesel, and now, they have delivered once again. The singleplayer story follows Jackie Estacado as he seeks revenge against his demented mob boss uncle Paulie while fighting off the Darkness, a parasitic demon that has bonded itself to Jackie. Jackie, as an anti-hero, is anything but a badass throughout the game and the comic, and Starbreeze captures the character with exceptional detail. The story is quite compelling and drives you on, with plot twists and event unfolding in real time, making you not want to put down the controller. The gameplay is very different from the standard shooter via several distinct elements: your demonic powers and the dynamic character-driven story. As you lead Jackie on his quest, you can explore a variety of sections of New York and initiate a surprisingly nice amount of sub-missions and tasks offered up by the various NPCs. The gunplay is interesting, but exploiting your powers is one of the biggest thrills of the game, and while the controls can be a bit akward at times, such as when controlling the Creeping Dark, the result is nothing short of fun.
The multiplayer however, seems to be the proverbial omega to the singleplayer’s alpha. While having a nice amount of levels and originality, the overall presentation is that of a disappointing afterthought. Instead of being able to use various Darkness powers that Jackie uses, you are stuck as playing as either a miscelaneous mob thug or a Darkling. The standard thoroughfare of game modes are there, but it simply isn’t a satisfying experience and does not draw you in anywhere near as well as the singleplayer does.
The singleplayer is definately the reason to come; try to avoid the multiplayer if you can. This score would have been far higher without the multiplayer at all.
- Rating: 4 out of 5
The Darkness, for all intents and purposes, is one of the best looking shooters of this new generation of games to date. The production values clearly reflect the commitment of Starbreeze to the original comic series, with some of the best audio and visuals to grace a next-gen system. The performance of the characters is outstanding, everything from facial gestures to proper presentations of the characters. Because of this, it is very easy to become attached to Jackie and the other characters you meet throughout the game. Though you will see the same environments many times, you can’t help but not mind it because of the graphical and audio design; the levels really do give a very gritty look at New York. When Jackie goes to the Otherworld, a dark alternate realm where World War I never ends and soldiers fight eachother throughout eternity and can’t die, its amazing to see the stark contrast yet beautiful spectacle it is between it and the real world.
One of the most outstanding little additions to the game is the in-game television content, which contains a huge library of things to watch, everything from classic cartoons, to music videos, and even full-length versions of To Kill a Mockingbird and Nosferatu. There are not really even loading screens in the game, as we are instead shown a scene of Jackie acting out various monologues while the next section loads. Heck, this has some of the best collision detection work I’ve ever seen in a shooter.
For all the content thrown into the game, Starbreeze shows they can deliver in every aspect of the presentation.
- Rating: 5 out of 5
While the game’s singleplayer portion will only last you roughly ten hours (not counting side missions), you couldn’t be expected to play any longer an amount of time in the multiplayer. A variety of collectible content can be unlocked via finding pieces and dialing them in over payphones in the game, but other than another playthough, there’s not much that will compell you to continue playing it.
The Darkness is a prime example of how a developer can take a lesser-known IP and turn it into a masterful product. Shooter and story enthusiasts alike, prepare for your game of the Summer of 2007.
- Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Single and Multiplayer: 4
Technical Specs: 5
Overall and Replay Value: 4.5
Developer: Starbreeze Studios
Publisher: 2k Games
Genre: First Person Shooter
Players: 1-16
Powered By: Wordpress
Hosted By: MediaTemple
