The Darkness II

🎮 Steam ⏳ 6 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Stylish Supernatural Shooter #

The second The Darkness is a fast-paced first-person shooter that blends traditional gunplay with supernatural powers in a stylish, comic-book inspired world. The MC is called Jackie Estacado, who wields both firearms and demonic “Demon Arms” that allow for brutal executions and creative combat. The cel-shaded art direction stands out, giving the game a unique visual identity that complements its graphic novel roots. This is not the most unique and original art-style and story-telling, but it is masterfully executed, which is not an easy task.

Short Intense Campaign #

The story moves quickly, with a campaign that can be finished in under seven hours, offering a tightly scripted but intense ride. While the narrative has some emotional weight, it leans more into action and spectacle than the moody atmosphere of the first game. A cooperative “Vendetta” mode adds some replayability, though it lacks the depth and polish of the main story. It’ll be a much more enjoyable experience if you are familiar with the original media this story was told, which unfortunately for me, this was not the case, but I could perfectly enjoy the game, regardless of this fact.

Memorable Yet Limited #

On the downside, enemy AI can feel simplistic, and the linear level design leaves little room for exploration, this was a common trait of shooters at the time, so keep this in mind. Though, it still has a memorable story solely because of the main character, it is the one that carries the whole plot, not to mention (a little SPOILER here now) the game’s ending leaves you with a cliff-hanger, which is still unsolved up until this day since we still never got a sequel to this one. Some fans also felt that the shift from the original’s darker tone to a more arcade-like style was a step back in atmosphere. Still, the combat is thrilling, the presentation bold, and the experience memorable despite its brevity, one of the most unique shooters that I’ve ever played.