The Darkness II Xbox 360

Released on 10-Feb-2012

• The Darkness II slips back into the shadows until next year

  Ghoulish FPS sequel The Darkness II won't be popping out and saying oountil next February, publisher 2K Games has announced.

  The game, based on the Top Cow comic book about a mobster who gets cosy with a demon, was originally planned for an October release. That would have put it in the same shop window as Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Uncharted 3, Gears of War 3 and Saints Row The Third. Probably wise to move out of the way then.

  Darkness II is being developed by Digital Extremes, who have prior form for sequelising popular hits. The Canadian studio previously gave us Bioshock 2 and co-developed the original Unreal with Epic Games way back in 1998.

  Growly Faith No More singer Mike Patton has confirmed he'll be returning to snarl and whisper in your ear as the voice of the Darkness itself.

• Syndicate franchise to be revived in 2012

  The classic 1990s gaming franchise Syndicate is to receive an all-new instalment early next year.

  EA has announced that Starbreeze Studios - the developer behind The Darkness and The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena - has created a new team to work on a reinvented version of Syndicate for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

  The first Syndicate game was released by the legendary Bullfrog Productions back in 1993 and was an isometric strategic action game, set in a bleak future where mysterious syndicates vie for control of the world.

  Starbreeze's take on the series will be a first-person shooter, putting players in control of a technologically-augmented syndicate agent who can use his powers to slow time and hack the digital world around them.

  Long-time fans will recognise many familiar weapons and locations, while the separate four-player cooperative mode will recreate missions from the original classic.

  Mikael Nermark, boss of Starbreeze Studios, said: "It's been... an amazing opportunity for us to use our expertise in the first-person shooter and action genres to bring back and reignite the signature action/espionage gameplay of Syndicate."

  Published: 13/09/2011

• Syndicate first-person shooter confirmed for 2012

  One of the worst kept secrets in gaming has finally been revealed. After months of rumours, EA has at last 'fessed up that it's working on a reboot of the classic 1993 real-time strategy game, Syndicate.

  A cyberpunk tale in which players controlled a four-man squad of augmented spies on a mission to bring down rival corporations, the original game was a critical smash and remains a cult favourite even today. It was created by Bullfrog, the UK studio set up by Peter Molyneux.

  For the 2011 model, the old isometric 3D strategy viewpoint is out, and first-person action is in. It's being developed by an all-new development team at Swedish studio Starbreeze, which previously brought us The Chronicles of Riddick and The Darkness. Players will be able to enhance their character with bio-implants, while the story comes from sci-fi novelist Richard Morgan.

  "We are excited to finally reveal what we've been working on the past couple years," said Starbreeze big cheese Mikael Nermark. "It's been a great experience working with EA, and an amazing opportunity for us to use our expertise in the first-person shooter and action genres to bring back, and reignite, the signature action/espionage gameplay of Syndicate."

  Having spent so long shrouded in almost-secrecy, the game is already well into production and will be arriving sooner rather than later. Look for it on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in early 2012.

• The Darkness II multiplayer demo arrives

  The Darkness II multiplayer demo arrives

  Xbox Live Gold subscribers can be the first to get their hands on the new playable demo of The Darkness II this week.

  The trial version of 2K Games' comic book shooter is available now for premium Xbox Live users and will be available to all Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC owners next week.

  In the demo, players will be able to sample a chapter of the single-player campaign, which sees the supernaturally-empowered crime boss Jackie Estacado facing off against an ancient order known as the Brotherhood.

  Using the demonic power of the titular Darkness, Jackie can unleash devastating attacks and sprout additional Demon Arms, which can be used to wield four weapons at once.

  The full game will be released in February 2012 and will also include a standalone cooperative campaign known as Vendettas, which features four different characters each with their own Darkness powers and a storyline that links with the solo mode.

  Published: 20/01/2012

• "This is where our expertise lies" - Starbreeze explains Syndicate's shooter makeover

  Swedish developer Starbreeze, famous for the Chronicles of Riddick games as well as The Darkness, has spoken out about its decision to reboot the popular 16-bit strategy game Syndicate as a first-person shooter.

  "We'd been asked by EA - they came to us, and this is what we know; this is where our expertise lies. So that's why we made it an FPS," said CEO Mikael Nermark in an interview with Gamasutra. Nermark went on to explain that while the game involves shooting from a first-person perspective, that doesn't necessarily mean they're copying the big beefy military shooters that dominate the genre today.

  "When we look at any project, when we look at any games, we don't look at genre," he said. "If we put shooting in our game, it has to be top-notch shooting, and it has to be competing there, and it has to be right for the game. If it's driving, it has to be right for the game. I'm not saying that, if we do a shooting game, we have to go and compete with the Battlefields or Call of Dutys, but we have to have the right kind of shooting for the game we're making."

  Syndicate will be released in February for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.
  

• The Darkness 2 - Preview

  Evil breaks loose

  The Darkness 2 is a first person shooter that has the unenviable task of following on from one of the most original games in the genre to be released this console generation, but new series caretaker Digital Extremes doesn't appear to be buckling under the pressure. The gruesome FPS sequel once again sees players take control Jackie Estacado, an Italian American mobster possessed by an evil demon which grants him incredible supernatural powers but threatens to consume him.

  It has been two years since Jackie used The Darkness to kill the men responsible for his girlfriend Jenny's murder in the original game. He subsequently managed to bottle up his powers and has now ascended to the role of Don of the Franchetti crime family, but a sudden, unprovoked attempt on his life kicks off a full-scale mob war and acts as the catalyst for the demons inside him to re-emerge.

  Quad-wielding chaos

  With Jackie's otherworldly parasite once again rearing its menacing head, players are introduced to a combat system and range of powers that wouldn't feel amiss in a superhero adventure, and ones that would most likely be wielded by the villain of the piece. He's capable of shooting dual guns while simultaneously controlling two tentacle-like appendages called Demon Arms, the left of which is for grabbing and the razor sharp right for slashing.

  These enable Jackie to pick up heavy objects like cars and toss them around with ease, and to skewer enemies or split them down the middle by yanking their legs apart. He can even encase himself in protective armour and create a sentient life form called the Darkling, a mischievous demon who follow his orders. But to do so Jackie must stalk his prey in the dark, as his vicious powers only manifest themselves in the shadows, meaning players need to destroy light sources in the environment to gain a strategic advantage.

  The art of murder

  The Darkness 2 looks set to be a brutally violent shooter, but not one without class and substance. Featuring a distinctive visual style that combines graphic novel shading and colour with the dramatic lighting of film noir, it's striking to behold and a fitting tribute to the comic series the game is based on. And while we don't know how the story will play out, if acclaimed comic book writer Paul Jenkins - whose credits include The Incredible Hulk, Wolverine and Hellblazer - can live up to the gripping, emotional tale of the original game, then players are in for a treat.

  The likes of Modern Warfare, BioShock, Crysis and Uncharted ensured that 2007's The Darkness was somewhat overlooked by the gaming masses, but with the sequel's upcoming February 2012 release window ensuring more visibility, and developer Digital Extremes not just relying upon the original's cool combat features and rich, dark atmosphere, but adding to it with its own new ideas and visual identity, The Darkness 2 has a good chance of making a big impact.
  

  

  Published: 25/01/2012

• No online pass for Syndicate

  EA has confirmed that its upcoming first-person reboot of classic 16-bit strategy game, Syndicate, will be launched without an online pass system. Both new and second-hand buyers will have access to the full game, without needing to enter or purchase a code.

  The decision was taken because the game's strong emphasis on co-op squad play meant that locking off online functions would harm the gameplay experience. "We want as little resistance or barriers to entry as possible. The co-op is equal billing in this," EA man Jeff Gamon told Eurogamer. "We wanted everyone who owns a copy of the game to have access to the entire product."

  The game, developed by Riddick and The Darkness developer Starbreeze casts players as cybernetically enhanced agents, stealing corporate secrets in a dystopian future. But given that EA was the first publisher to roll out an online pass system, and has used it for most games since, how did Syndicate slip out?

  "Under normal circumstances it would have had an online pass," Gamon admits, "But because it didn't have competitive multiplayer and because we wanted as many people as possible to be playing co-op, we got away with it."

  Syndicate is out later this month on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

• Final Fantasy XIII-2 soars to top of UK charts

  Role-playing epic Final Fantasy XIII-2 has become the first new release of the year to top the UK all-formats chart.

  The latest instalment in Square Enix's legendary series toppled the long-reigning FIFA 12 from the summit of the GfK-ChartTrack rankings, emulating the chart-topping debut of its direct predecessor Final Fantasy XIII.

  It was one of a number of new releases to make a big splash this week, with second place going to Konami's compilation title Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, which features three of the most popular entries in the classic stealth series.

  Third and fourth place went to chart stalwarts Battlefield 3 and FIFA 12, while another new entry - Namco Bandai's fighting sequel SoulCalibur V - debuted in fifth.

  Other top ten titles included long-term favourites such as Assassin's Creed Revelations, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

  Next week should see another batch of new releases making their chart debuts, including fantasy blockbuster Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, comic book shooter The Darkness II and quirky relationship drama Catherine.

  Published: 06/02/2012

• The Darkness II - Review

  Hello Darkness, my old friend...

  It's been five years since we last encountered The Darkness, but in The Darkness II, out now on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, only two years have passed since the events of the first game. Gangster Jackie Estacado is still playing host to a malevolent demonic entity, but he's managed to keep it under control, despite still mourning the murder of his girlfriend in one of the first game's most dramatic moments. Something as powerful as The Darkness can't be contained forever, though, and when a mysterious organisation known only as The Brotherhood declares war on Jackie, he's forced to release the beast in order to survive.

  

  Straight shooting

  If you didn't play the original game (and if not, why not?) then the first thing you need to understand is that this is a first-person shooter with a difference. Yes, you're able to wield pistols, SMGs, shotguns and assault rifles, picking off enemy enforcers and hapless thugs with the crisp, smooth efficiency you'd expect from a thoroughbred action game.

  Movement is slick, aiming is instinctive, and enemies prove agreeably vulnerable to a bullet in the mush. Not for The Darkness the artificial challenge of foes with impenetrable heads and torsos that soak up damage. This is a game that wants you to feel bad-ass, and mowing down bad guys by the dozen is just one of the ways in which it achieves this goal.

  Embrace the Dark Side

  Guns are only half your arsenal, however, and are quickly reduced to backup fire-power once you master Jackie's other combat option: The Darkness. Manifesting as a pair of snarling toothy tentacles, you can lash out into the environment and wreak extraordinary havoc with these puppies.

  With simple context-sensitive controls, you can smash through obstacles and slice enemies up. You can grab objects and throw them, pinning foes to the wall with a pool cue or lopping their head off with a car door. They're the lucky ones. Spare a thought for any villain who gets close enough to be grabbed himself. An unlockable array of execution moves put these poor souls at your mercy, allowing you to butcher them in grisly style, topping up health and ammo into the bargain.

  The Darkness bestows other gifts as well, as every kill awards Dark Essence. The nastier the slaughter, the more points you'll gain towards upgrading Jackie's four skill trees. Upgrades include a swarm of Darkness that harms and distracts enemies, the ability to channel The Darkness through your guns for unlimited ammo and increased damage, and the chance to grab black holes from defeated bad guys. Once thrown, these slurp up anyone in their radius, churning them into a sort of gruesome sticky red butter. There's also the Darkling, a scampering obnoxious little sidekick who can be controlled at fixed points in the story, stirring in a little stealth action as he goes.

  

  Letting rip

  Although bullets can bring Jackie down, your biggest threat is light. Stray into anything too bright and The Darkness retreats, leaving you blinded and without your best powers. Shooting out overhead lights, destroying generators and taking down enemies with shoulder-mounted spotlights is a priority if you want to maintain the upper hand.

  This brings an element of strategy to the game, but not so much that it detracts from what is a ruthless action experience. With so many rival shooters taking a more measured pace, and forcing you to hunker down behind cover and pick off enemies methodically, it's incredibly refreshing to play a game where storming around, blasting away and causing massive carnage is the preferred approach. With its full-blooded comic book mayhem and breathless pace, The Darkness II is as thrilling a shooter as we've seen in years. The price you pay for this pulse-pounding tempo is a game that offers few chances to explore, and it's one that openly funnels you down corridors towards the next big fight.

  Mission: Possible

  Also differentiating The Darkness II from the current shooter crop is the deep and involved storyline, which often requires you to talk to characters and actually listen to what they say. There are sections where you're purely moving the story forwards without blasting or mangling, and it's a testament to the solid script that these moments feel worthwhile and entertaining, rather than intrusive.

  For those looking for long-term thrills, the game doesn't have any competitive multiplayer modes, so there's no chance to pit Darkness against Darkness in a tentacled wrestling match of doom. What it does have however is a secondary story campaign, playable in co-op with four players, in which you control a quartet of colourful Darkness-powered mercenaries, following Jackie's orders. This campaign overlaps with the main story, and is a lot of fun.

  It won't take you long to finish off the main story mode of The Darkness II, but the option to start over with your powers intact should entice you back for a while as you take advantage of your upgraded abilities to really pulverise those early stages. Muscular, violent but propelled by well-rounded characters and clever plotting, as story-driven action-horror gaming goes there's no reason to be afraid of this darkness.

  Our rating: 8.0

  The Good

  • Thrillingly gruesome action
    
  • Excellent controls
    
  • A story that actually matters

  The Bad

  • Short campaign
    
  • No competitive multiplayer
    
  • Not much replay value
    
• Star Trek beaming onto consoles early 2013

  The crew of the USS Enterprise will be making a long overdue return to consoles in early 2013. The new game will fill in the blanks between the 2009 reboot movie and its upcoming sequel, currently being filmed by JJ Abrams.

  The game, teased to a select few websites at E3 last year, is a co-op adventure, casting players as Kirk and Spock. Each will have their own approach to the game's action, with Kirk favouring direct engagement and bold decisions, while Spock tends towards more considered, tactical options as well as using his iconic Vulcan neck pinch as a stealthy takedown. Characters will be able to fight back using phasers, but will also gather information by scanning the environment with tricorders.

  Developer Digital Extremes also brought us the excellent Darkness II, released last week, while the script will come from God of War's Marianne Krawczyk, working in conjunction with Hollywood scriptwriters Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci. Actors Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto have been asked to provide the voice work.

  Star Trek will be published by Namco Bandai early next year, on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

• Kingdoms of Amalur reigns supreme in UK charts

  EA's new role-playing game Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning has ascended to the top of the UK all-formats chart in its first week of release.

  The much-anticipated title from 38 Studios and Big Huge Games dethroned Final Fantasy XIII-2 at the summit of the GfK-ChartTrack rankings, becoming the first brand new series to top the charts since last year's Dead Island.

  It was not the only debutant to excel this week, as comic book-inspired shooter The Darkness II came in third, behind the latest Final Fantasy game.

  Last week's runner-up Metal Gear Solid HD Collection came fourth, while the ever-popular FIFA 12 rounded out the top five.

  Other new titles to debut in the top 40 included Deep Silver's quirky relationship drama Catherine and EA's sports sequel Grand Slam Tennis 2.

  Next week will see the return of THQ's acclaimed UFC Undisputed mixed martial arts series, with UFC Undisputed 3 coming to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

  Published: 13/02/2012

• The Darkness II - Review

  
  

  

  Unleash Your Inner Demon

  The original Darkness was a violent, comic book-inspired Mafia tale with a love story at its core, which saw players step into the shoes of Jackie Estacado, a mobster betrayed by his boss and then saw his childhood sweetheart murdered in front of him. Filled with rage and possessed by a demonic force called The Darkness, his desire to avenge her murder saw Jackie give himself over to the evil inside him in return for a range of deadly supernatural abilities.

  In the years since, Jackie has risen from hitman to crime boss while managing to keep a lid on the unholy powers that once aided but also threatened to consume him. Nothing good ever lasts forever though. The Darkness II, out now on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, kicks off with a brutal encounter with a shadowy organisation known as The Brotherhood, which sets in motion a full-scale mob war and reawakens The Darkness, leaving Jackie in way over his head once again.

  

  Gruesome Action

  The Darkness II's single player campaign offers around eight to ten hours of gruesomely satisfying action as players simultaneously wield a range of traditional guns and otherworldly powers in a bid to fend off enemies intent on acquiring The Darkness for their own evil purposes. Assault rifles and SMGs are best for ranged combat, while The Darkness is great for getting up close and personal. It's unleashed with two tentacle-like 'Demon Arms' capable of grabbing or slashing objects and foes, but can only be used when in shadow, meaning players need to destroy power-sapping light sources such as streetlights and generators in the world around them, and torches, flashbangs and vehicle headlights used by enemies against them.

  With the left arm players can yank off a car door and use it as a bullet shield before throwing it at enemies, for example, or pick up stray pipes to use as javelins, or hurl explosive propane tanks. With the right arm, enemies and obstacles can be violently executed by being cut in half, decapitated, or worse. All of this works in tandem with a neat upgrade system which sees players gain 'Darkness Essence' for each kill, a currency that can be spent on extra powers such as the ability to shoot through walls, stun enemies with locust swarms, or even summon miniature black holes.

  

  Vendettas

  The Darkness II may be a violent shooter but, like its predecessor, it features a compelling character-driven tale. A love story that reaches beyond the grave, Jackie's solely motivated by a desire to see his dead girlfriend rest in peace so that he can too. Their relationship is a central theme in what's part mob drama, part supernatural revenge romance, and the game features multiple endings, one of which is genuinely fascinating. This is no simple blastathon, then, but a game with some depth.

  The Darkness II also features a narrative co-operative game mode that runs parallel to the single player story and supports up to four players. Called Vendettas and designed as a team-focused, mission based experience, it focuses on a group of mercenaries who do dirty work for Jackie, and explores the role they play in his bid to defeat the Brotherhood. Each of the characters has a unique combat style based on Darkness-powered weapons, and while the story largely consists of slaying armies of thugs, it takes players to new environments and culminates in a boss battle that's more impressive than any other in the single player campaign.

  Like the original Darkness, the sequel is a stylish, brutal shooter wrapped in a great story. It's not perfect, but it offers highly polished and satisfying action, over-the-top gore, cool graphic novel-style visuals and clever storytelling that comfortably elevate it beyond the average first person shooter.

  GAME's Verdict

  The Good

  • Darkness powers are great fun.
    
  • Touching plot and believable characters.
    
  • Eye-popping graphic novel art style.

  The Bad

  • Boss design could be stronger.
    
  • Guns are satisfying, but the selection is limited.
    
  • Too gory for the faint hearted.

  Published: 15/02/2012

• The Darkness 2 Review

  
  

  

  Hello Darkness, my old friend...

  It's been five years since we last encountered The Darkness, but in The Darkness II, out now on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, only two years have passed since the events of the first game. Gangster Jackie Estacado is still playing host to a malevolent demonic entity, but he's managed to keep it under control, despite still mourning the murder of his girlfriend in one of the first game's most dramatic moments. Something as powerful as The Darkness can't be contained forever, though, and when a mysterious organisation known only as The Brotherhood declares war on Jackie, he's forced to release the beast in order to survive.

  Straight shooting

  If you didn't play the original game (and if not, why not?) then the first thing you need to understand is that this is a first-person shooter with a difference. Yes, you're able to wield pistols, SMGs, shotguns and assault rifles, picking off enemy enforcers and hapless thugs with the crisp, smooth efficiency you'd expect from a thoroughbred action game.

  Movement is slick, aiming is instinctive, and enemies prove agreeably vulnerable to a bullet in the mush. Not for The Darkness the artificial challenge of foes with impenetrable heads and torsos that soak up damage. This is a game that wants you to feel bad-ass, and mowing down bad guys by the dozen is just one of the ways in which it achieves this goal.

  

  Embrace the Dark Side

  Guns are only half your arsenal, however, and are quickly reduced to backup fire-power once you master Jackie's other combat option: The Darkness. Manifesting as a pair of snarling toothy tentacles, you can lash out into the environment and wreak extraordinary havoc with these puppies.

  With simple context-sensitive controls, you can smash through obstacles and slice enemies up. You can grab objects and throw them, pinning foes to the wall with a pool cue or lopping their head off with a car door. They're the lucky ones. Spare a thought for any villain who gets close enough to be grabbed himself. An unlockable array of execution moves put these poor souls at your mercy, allowing you to butcher them in grisly style, topping up health and ammo into the bargain.

  The Darkness bestows other gifts as well, as every kill awards Dark Essence. The nastier the slaughter, the more points you'll gain towards upgrading Jackie's four skill trees. Upgrades include a swarm of Darkness that harms and distracts enemies, the ability to channel The Darkness through your guns for unlimited ammo and increased damage, and the chance to grab black holes from defeated bad guys. Once thrown, these slurp up anyone in their radius, churning them into a sort of gruesome sticky red butter. There's also the Darkling, a scampering obnoxious little sidekick who can be controlled at fixed points in the story, stirring in a little stealth action as he goes.

  Letting rip

  Although bullets can bring Jackie down, your biggest threat is light. Stray into anything too bright and The Darkness retreats, leaving you blinded and without your best powers. Shooting out overhead lights, destroying generators and taking down enemies with shoulder-mounted spotlights is a priority if you want to maintain the upper hand.

  

  This brings an element of strategy to the game, but not so much that it detracts from what is a ruthless action experience. With so many rival shooters taking a more measured pace, and forcing you to hunker down behind cover and pick off enemies methodically, it's incredibly refreshing to play a game where storming around, blasting away and causing massive carnage is the preferred approach. With its full-blooded comic book mayhem and breathless pace, The Darkness II is as thrilling a shooter as we've seen in years. The price you pay for this pulse-pounding tempo is a game that offers few chances to explore, and it's one that openly funnels you down corridors towards the next big fight.

  Mission: Possible

  Also differentiating The Darkness II from the current shooter crop is the deep and involved storyline, which often requires you to talk to characters and actually listen to what they say. There are sections where you're purely moving the story forwards without blasting or mangling, and it's a testament to the solid script that these moments feel worthwhile and entertaining, rather than intrusive.

  For those looking for long-term thrills, the game doesn't have any competitive multiplayer modes, so there's no chance to pit Darkness against Darkness in a tentacled wrestling match of doom. What it does have however is a secondary story campaign, playable in co-op with four players, in which you control a quartet of colourful Darkness-powered mercenaries, following Jackie's orders. This campaign overlaps with the main story, and is a lot of fun.

  It won't take you long to finish off the main story mode of The Darkness II, but the option to start over with your powers intact should entice you back for a while as you take advantage of your upgraded abilities to really pulverise those early stages. Muscular, violent but propelled by well-rounded characters and clever plotting, as story-driven action-horror gaming goes there's no reason to be afraid of this darkness.

  GAME's Verdict

  The Good:

  • Thrillingly gruesome action
  • Excellent controls
  • A story that actually matters

  The Bad:

  • Short campaign
  • No competitive multiplayer
  • Not much replay value

  Published: 08/02/2012

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