The Darkness II

The PC Version of The Darkness II is in no way inferior to its console siblings.

The only aspect of The Darkness 2 which doesn't carry a balancing good/bad caveat are the graphics, which are irrefutably extraordinary.

The Darkness 2 introduces stunning new comic-book-graphics and some subtle, yet reasonable gameplay-changes. Further strong points are superb English (and solid German) voice-acting, an entertaining four-player-coop-mode and the bleak atmosphere throughout the game. The story is interesting, but not as gripping as in the prequel, and most of the boss-battles are pretty lame. Furthermore, the USK-version is heavily cut.

The Darkness II is a decent shooter, but there is nothing in it that is amazing; it's respectable but mostly predictable.

A great game that is compensating for some of its flaws for a good story, brutal and addictive gameplay and last but not least for its distinctive charm. If you are bored to death by modern shooters with their constant flood of soldiers, tanks and other army-like stuff, and if you are tempted to get intoxicated with an effective obscure power of the Darkness, you should not miss The Darkness 2.

Second half of the game becomes a bit tedious and does not offer any surprises – only momentum keeps you going. But the atmosphere is still great. [March 2012, p.50]

Jenny's death in the first part of The Darkness is in my mind one of the most emotional moments of the shooter genre. All the better to think that this great story continues now – even though without a satisfactory conclusion...Apart from this, levelheadedly observed, there is not so much within The Darkness 2. The gameplay is repetitive, and there's not much of it. And yet the game entertained me in the short time very well.

Speaking of tacked on, the way the brief (roughly an hour) four-player co-op campaign mode is wedged into the story cheapens the entire thing a bit, even if it is pretty entertaining to play.

It may not end up being the best shooter of 2012, but it could very well be the one that makes you feel the most powerful.

A dark, violent comic book given light and heart. a ripping yarn that tears along as fast as you can tear through bodies.

It's a smaller package than the original Darkness and it does have a few black marks, but that doesn't stop The Darkness II from showing that there's plenty of life in this franchise. Digital Extremes has backed itself to give a different take on the source material, yet held true to the core of what made the original game such a memorable experience. Sink your teeth into it.

The Darkness II is indeed short, but it does achieve part of its goals: a few fun hours for a rainy spring afternoon, with some interesting characters, a dark story and, most of all, two demonic arms always hungry for beating hearts.

Mafia and dark forces: check. Guns, violence and gore: check. Overwhelming lust and unfulfilled romance: check. The recent sequel manages to maintain satisfactory production values while paying homage to the cult status of the original game; however, it still falls victim to the inevitable design faults of recent first-person shooters and goes no further. [April 2012]