The Darkness II

 PC
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 596 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 375 out of 596
  2. Mixed: 179 out of 596
  3. Negative: 42 out of 596
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. OHIC
    Jul 18, 2014
    7
    Definitely worth your time. It's a great-looking game if you love graphic novels, and they absolutely nailed the painted comic style. As comic-esque games go, only Dishonored and The Wolf Among Us achieved this kind of look successfully (although TWAU emulates an inked style rather than a painted one). The arm movements can seem a little wooden at times, but that's only in sharp contrastDefinitely worth your time. It's a great-looking game if you love graphic novels, and they absolutely nailed the painted comic style. As comic-esque games go, only Dishonored and The Wolf Among Us achieved this kind of look successfully (although TWAU emulates an inked style rather than a painted one). The arm movements can seem a little wooden at times, but that's only in sharp contrast because the animation of microexpressions is so good. While a lot of the NPCs' character springs from the voice acting, the animation is no small part of the overall effect. Environments and clothing are lovingly constructed. While the backstreets and warehouses can feel pretty lacklustre, other locations such as Jackie's mansion are a pleasure to behold.

    The game can feel a little cramped with such a tight field of view. It's hard to ever feel like combat is going really smoothly, and I found it to be a mostly clumsy affair. There's a reward for headshots, in that time slows down for a couple of seconds after a direct hit so you can chain headshot after headshot and remain in slo-mo the whole time.

    I strongly recommend a Xbox-style controller for this game. The whole control system is built around dual-wielded guns via the triggers and Jackie's demonic appendages via the shoulder buttons, and it couldn't feel as good with kb/m.    … Expand
  2. Kamidutten
    Feb 18, 2012
    6
    A game that has its moments, love the art style and graphics in the game and the story is for the most part quite good and is very well narrated. The love story is convincing and i actually did feel part of the pain he must have been going thru. But the irritating weapons system, where it was way to easy to accidentally pic up and replace new weapons combined with the last few chapters ofA game that has its moments, love the art style and graphics in the game and the story is for the most part quite good and is very well narrated. The love story is convincing and i actually did feel part of the pain he must have been going thru. But the irritating weapons system, where it was way to easy to accidentally pic up and replace new weapons combined with the last few chapters of the game where the story telling took a huge downturn makes this game subpar. Its like the first "The Crow" movie just with tentacles and without a good and satisfying ending.… Expand
  3. whitespider999
    Feb 13, 2012
    7
    The darkness 2 is about as good as the darkness 1. Which is to say the darkness 2 is fantastic. While on the pc, the controls get a bit cluttered and it's pc-feature light. The core game is great. From some interesting storytelling, to frantic and diverse action - the game is a delight to play. It's painfully short however. Running about 5 hours or slightly less. Visually it's better andThe darkness 2 is about as good as the darkness 1. Which is to say the darkness 2 is fantastic. While on the pc, the controls get a bit cluttered and it's pc-feature light. The core game is great. From some interesting storytelling, to frantic and diverse action - the game is a delight to play. It's painfully short however. Running about 5 hours or slightly less. Visually it's better and worse than the original, the comic book look suits it better - however you lose some of the grit and bleakness as a result. If this was about twice the length with the same pacing - it would be a 9/10. As it stands. 7/10. HIGHLY Reccomended on a sale.… Expand
  4. Andy2T
    Feb 10, 2012
    7
    This game is one of the most unique games out there that you can find. Yes, It's not only unique for an FPS but unique as a game. The FOV problem that we've heard so much about never bothered me, but it can still be a hindrance for others. Although the game is very solid playing on the PC, It still feels a bit more like a port from a console than a full PC game. The Vendettas Co-OpThis game is one of the most unique games out there that you can find. Yes, It's not only unique for an FPS but unique as a game. The FOV problem that we've heard so much about never bothered me, but it can still be a hindrance for others. Although the game is very solid playing on the PC, It still feels a bit more like a port from a console than a full PC game. The Vendettas Co-Op mode seems like a last minute decision in order to cover the lost for the short main campaign, but it is still is a fun experience. Hopefully, Digital Extreme will make a patch and fix the problems.… Expand
  5. Dragonof
    Mar 16, 2012
    5
    It's a common gameplay that got me bored in the Demo, since it's predictable. Sounds like a good story, but like a lot of games (Deus EX, Assassin's Creed), it's just a repetition of the basics you learn in the beginning. When you learn the fastest way to earn most points, you will always do it.
  6. six30two
    Mar 30, 2012
    6
    I loved The Darkness for Xbox. Amazing game. In this sequel, the story is preserved, the pacing is great, the graphics are fun, the game play is fun. The whole concept of quad-wielding I laughed at initially, but it was put into play amazingly well. The story progressed well enough, if not being a little short. The characters were reasonable, but a little flat compared to the last game. II loved The Darkness for Xbox. Amazing game. In this sequel, the story is preserved, the pacing is great, the graphics are fun, the game play is fun. The whole concept of quad-wielding I laughed at initially, but it was put into play amazingly well. The story progressed well enough, if not being a little short. The characters were reasonable, but a little flat compared to the last game. I really just had fun with the engine and cutting people in two with my tentacle slash. The ending is an obvious tie-in for a sequel, though, rather than tying up the game nicely. Story could've used some depth.… Expand
  7. frast
    Nov 6, 2012
    7
    An interesting idea for a game. Tanks For That really bloody, so many players will feel joy, to do so in a way, addictive gameplay, and a great atmosphere. What do you expect more? I wish 2K had not used until the end of the title, the graphics really hurts sometimes, after a long time the game starts to get bored, this is the coop, just a pity that it is so hard to play with someone andAn interesting idea for a game. Tanks For That really bloody, so many players will feel joy, to do so in a way, addictive gameplay, and a great atmosphere. What do you expect more? I wish 2K had not used until the end of the title, the graphics really hurts sometimes, after a long time the game starts to get bored, this is the coop, just a pity that it is so hard to play with someone and he also gets bored after a long time. The game is still really fun, and you may like it. My Rating - 7.5 / 10… Expand
  8. JimCorbett
    Jan 11, 2013
    6
    One of the shortest AAA games I have ever played. The animations and effects (especially blood spatter) are extremely poor and the cartoon style graphics just look bad. Fortunately the voice acting is actually quite well done but other sounds are pretty bad. Yet, despite all these shortcomings, it was still kinda fun to take out your enemies in insanely gruesome ways. I did enjoy it someOne of the shortest AAA games I have ever played. The animations and effects (especially blood spatter) are extremely poor and the cartoon style graphics just look bad. Fortunately the voice acting is actually quite well done but other sounds are pretty bad. Yet, despite all these shortcomings, it was still kinda fun to take out your enemies in insanely gruesome ways. I did enjoy it some of the time, but yes it is repetitive.… Expand
  9. daveyy12
    Feb 16, 2012
    7
    This is a fairly entertaining game with lots of action and pretty good graphics. The story, even though violent and gloomy, was somewhat unique. The cut scenes, however, were too frequent and occasionally annoying. Overall, Darkness II wasn't quite as good as the other games recently released at this price level. I suggest waiting until the price drops a bit before buying this game.
  10. metalmat
    Feb 23, 2012
    7
    An overall upgrade to the 5 year old franchise, the darkness 2 provides a fun fps experience albeit the rather short playing time.

    The core and best part of the game involve using your darkness abilities to decimate your enemies. From picking up objects and tossing them at your foes to performing executions, every battle is up for grabs. Sure you can just gun your way through the game but    An overall upgrade to the 5 year old franchise, the darkness 2 provides a fun fps experience albeit the rather short playing time.

    The core and best part of the game involve using your darkness abilities to decimate your enemies. From picking up objects and tossing them at your foes to performing executions, every battle is up for grabs. Sure you can just gun your way through the game but what would be the fun in that? Upgrading your powers with experience will want you to get the most from your kills, as the more unique the kill the more you get.

    The story is not as good as the first, leaving you with a rather cliffhanger ending that pretty much needs either DLC or a Darkness 3 (hopefully in less that 5 years).

    Some stumbling blocks that the Darkness 2 encounters are the lack of variety in enemies and length, you could easily finish the game in less that 5 hours. The odd use of cell-shaded graphics leaves a mixed bag, it is not overly "cartooned" but some scenes seem less brutal using this.

    The co-op is a fresh step, get a group of friends and the experience in the side campaign is a blast though on the short side.

    If you are looking for a fresh unique fps then this should get you your fill but don't expect fireworks. Can't say I would recommend this game at full price though because of the length.    … Expand
  11. MrMan68
    Sep 4, 2012
    6
    Pros: Very fun game to play...single player took about 6 hours roughly. Cons: CO OP was over in 2 hours!!!!!!! I bought this game strictly to play co op....thinking I was going to get something to have fun with for at least a few hours...I was sadly mistaken....Whatever you do DO NOT pay full price for this game - wait until its real cheap on Steam or you will be kicking yourself after youPros: Very fun game to play...single player took about 6 hours roughly. Cons: CO OP was over in 2 hours!!!!!!! I bought this game strictly to play co op....thinking I was going to get something to have fun with for at least a few hours...I was sadly mistaken....Whatever you do DO NOT pay full price for this game - wait until its real cheap on Steam or you will be kicking yourself after you see how short it is....this game could have been a AAA title had they put more effort into longer campaign - and the co op almost feels like a demo due to being over so short.… Expand
  12. royksoppist
    Aug 28, 2012
    7
    Pretty great game there are some minor port issues like no graphics options, but it's still one of the best games to be released in the last year. Get it, you won't be disappoint.
  13. ave
    Nov 6, 2015
    7
    I didn't know the Darkness comic book before playing this game, but I think the developers did a good job transposing the universe.

    The "shooting" part of the gameplay is decent-to-good (weapons are pretty classic) and the real meat of the game / twist of the genre comes from the supernatural powers granted by the Darkness, in shape of two "snakes" on both side of the screen. During the    I didn't know the Darkness comic book before playing this game, but I think the developers did a good job transposing the universe.

    The "shooting" part of the gameplay is decent-to-good (weapons are pretty classic) and the real meat of the game / twist of the genre comes from the supernatural powers granted by the Darkness, in shape of two "snakes" on both side of the screen. During the shooting, you can do things with the snakes like grabbing, throwing, destroying, slashing, etc. The controls are a little bit complex to manage at first, but you'll eventually get used to it and it's really fun.

    An interesting game mechanic is tied to light : the Darkness hates the light, so when you're exposed to it, you temporarily lose your powers - this leads to interesting level layout (otherwise pretty linear), light deactivation puzzles and even enemy types carrying light to weaken you. Now we're talking challenge.

    The game follows a single storyline, that has many twists and turns that will deepen it, and eventually question you up to the ending where you take the final decision, depending on your perception of the events. Even if the cinematics / dialogs are a little bit long, I found this final part rewarding.    … Expand
  14. Klewer
    Sep 2, 2014
    6
    While the story is quite strong and action of the game is different and fun, I could never quite get in to this game due to the slightly repetitive fighting and poor check points.
  15. FruitCakeHD
    Apr 3, 2013
    7
    Still a pretty good game afterall, even if it was released in 2011. A good shooter, nice graphics. But lack of support makes me think that the series should be discontinued soon..
    Came together with a retail pre-order of BioShock Infinite. Without the DLC makes me feel sad for the game in overall. It could really have been better. All thanks to 2K.
    The ending was really bad and not to my    Still a pretty good game afterall, even if it was released in 2011. A good shooter, nice graphics. But lack of support makes me think that the series should be discontinued soon..
    Came together with a retail pre-order of BioShock Infinite. Without the DLC makes me feel sad for the game in overall. It could really have been better. All thanks to 2K.
    The ending was really bad and not to my liking, instead some of the characters shouldn't have died in the plot.
    If the next sequel would to come out, it would definitely be on my list.    … Expand
  16. Llaerrick
    Sep 12, 2014
    6
    it's a decent game played the right way. playing it as a run and gun fps is not the way to go. the use of the demon-arm powers is innovative and makes for interesting game play. the graphic and art style is very film noir (think Max Payne/LA Noire crossed with borderlands). however, the levels are pretty linear and once the novelty of the various demon-arm combat moves wears off, theit's a decent game played the right way. playing it as a run and gun fps is not the way to go. the use of the demon-arm powers is innovative and makes for interesting game play. the graphic and art style is very film noir (think Max Payne/LA Noire crossed with borderlands). however, the levels are pretty linear and once the novelty of the various demon-arm combat moves wears off, the fighting isn't spectacular. the story-line is ok and the voice-acting decent. main gripe is that the game play is really way too short (completed on hitman difficulty in slightly less than 10 hours). not worth the full release/retail price but can be considered if on sale.… Expand
  17. Tomle1202
    May 22, 2017
    7
    Despite the painfully short length, The Darkness II gives light to itself with a welcoming new graphical style, an intriguing story and enjoyable gunplay, yet it lacks the essential depth that makes a game great.
  18. Vikn01776
    May 15, 2020
    5
    Major downgrade from the original. Advice to developers...if the first game has a somewhat realistic style and feel, don't pander to children or anime fans. Don't make a dark series ike this cartoony. Its just lame.
  19. dandalis
    Oct 27, 2016
    7
    Didnt know anything bout Darkness franchise before going into this and was a bit skeptical, but got decently suprised how good this game is. Not the biggest fan of the cell shaded graphics, but they work fine in this game and most importantly game runs smooth from start to finish. Gameplay was also suprisingly solid with enough satisfying gunplay. The idea of being a mob boss with evilDidnt know anything bout Darkness franchise before going into this and was a bit skeptical, but got decently suprised how good this game is. Not the biggest fan of the cell shaded graphics, but they work fine in this game and most importantly game runs smooth from start to finish. Gameplay was also suprisingly solid with enough satisfying gunplay. The idea of being a mob boss with evil dark powers who has lost his true love and is being tormented by it was something original in game for me. Story also goes goes into a area where you must question what is reality and whats fiction. Jackie himself and his side kick Darkling are very likeable characters. Voice acting was also very nicely done for most of the characters. Using your evil powers efectively in combat took a bit of time to get used to, but once you do its a blast to play.

    In the end very good game with a bit of a sequel bait in the ending which i hope we'll see someday.    … Expand
  20. AbueLaKoO
    Aug 9, 2018
    7
    El juego es bueno, pero me parecio muy corto, ademas te anima poco a que lo rejueges pese a que siempre es un placer utilizar a la oscuridad y matar a unos cuantos mafiosos
  21. Kotofon
    Jun 6, 2020
    5
    The Darkness 2 продолжает историю Джеки Эстакадо, избранного Тьмой в качестве своего носителя. Со времён первой игры прошло 2 года, Джеки стал доном семьи Франчетте и всё ещё горюет по своей погибшей возлюбленной. От Тьмы он отказался, но развернувшаяся на него и его подручных охота, ведомая неизвестным калекой, заставляет Джеки снова призвать на помощь силы Тьмы.The Darkness 2 продолжает историю Джеки Эстакадо, избранного Тьмой в качестве своего носителя. Со времён первой игры прошло 2 года, Джеки стал доном семьи Франчетте и всё ещё горюет по своей погибшей возлюбленной. От Тьмы он отказался, но развернувшаяся на него и его подручных охота, ведомая неизвестным калекой, заставляет Джеки снова призвать на помощь силы Тьмы.
  22. NightGeisha
    Jan 2, 2019
    7
    The Darkness II it's a fantastic game. A fast-paced narrative that tells the story of a mob boss who has demon inside him.

    The game is story driven and linear which is by no means a problem to me. I was taken by it story and savored every bloody moment. The game has also a multiplayer of 4 players that tells a little side story. Fortunately this mode can be played on solo since I did    The Darkness II it's a fantastic game. A fast-paced narrative that tells the story of a mob boss who has demon inside him.

    The game is story driven and linear which is by no means a problem to me. I was taken by it story and savored every bloody moment.
    The game has also a multiplayer of 4 players that tells a little side story. Fortunately this mode can be played on solo since I did not find any player to join my match. It's a 2012 game and it's already 2019, totally understandable the lack of player base.

    Graphically is not impressive, but as an interesting art style that makes it last.

    But honestly it's a game to enjoy. Overall its very good and guaranteed 7 to 8 hours of play and if you wanna go to all the achievements even more then that.    … Expand
  23. SewAwOw
    Feb 12, 2022
    7
    Игра оставила смешанные чувства. С одной стороны, в оригинале мне больше понравилась атмосфера мрачного реализма, нелинейность и интересные побочки, с другой, в сиквеле намного зрелищнее и разнообразней боевка, динамика выше, а общая короткая продолжительность игры игра ей на руку, не давая заскучать. Поначалу даже хотел дропнуть игру, когда увидел стилистику аля бордерлендс, но потомИгра оставила смешанные чувства. С одной стороны, в оригинале мне больше понравилась атмосфера мрачного реализма, нелинейность и интересные побочки, с другой, в сиквеле намного зрелищнее и разнообразней боевка, динамика выше, а общая короткая продолжительность игры игра ей на руку, не давая заскучать. Поначалу даже хотел дропнуть игру, когда увидел стилистику аля бордерлендс, но потом втянулся и даже как-то начала нравиться, очень стильная однако. Прокачка простая, но добавляет вариативности в убиении врагов попутно облегчая встречи с боссами, коих тут аж 4 штуки, но не сказать, что они интересные и запоминающиеся, просто неплохие. Сюжет продолжает события первой части плюс появляются провалы в другую реальность, что выглядит занятно. Игра понравилась, крепкий такой середнячок.… Expand
  24. nexus151196
    May 28, 2021
    7
    Достойная ,колоритная приключенческая игра, правда слишком пёстрая. Концовка как обычно - с намёком на продолжение, которого увы не случилось.
  25. Gervant228
    May 25, 2022
    7
    Идеальная игрушка на вечер,но концовка,увы,слишком разочаровывает. От меня 7.5 баллов из 10.
  26. Topoide
    Feb 18, 2022
    7
    Buen fps con una historia interesante a pesar de ser un juego corto y no contar con mucho desafio.
  27. IdleSpace
    Dec 24, 2021
    7
    Гангейм в этой игре заслуживает 6, а то и вовсе 5, но любопытный сюжет дает лишь плюс к конечно оценке)
  28. Nick7000
    May 4, 2023
    7
    Стильненько, забавно, весьма весело. Очень нравится такая рисовка.
  29. LT_Gruber
    Dec 12, 2022
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Decent game, but not as good as the first one.

    I enjoyed The Darkness II as a standalone game.

    Its story follows the first game quite good, and many references are made throughout in the beginning of the game. I thought I was going to be in for a treat and at first, it looked that way.

    But when continuing this new story, our new villain and his buddies (The Dark Brotherhood) appeared and they felt very disappointing. It is just so cliché, unnecessary and lame that it broke some of the fun I had with the game. A Dark Brotherhood, hunting you to claim the Darkness powers, I mean come on. I really missed the personal feeling from the first game in which you hunt a person who did you wrong or taking revenge on mobsters, that kind of stuff. Not some old boomer which you have never met in your life who controls magical powers and tries to steal it from you and who can only blag about taking over the world and other arcane cryptic bull crap. I hated it.

    The combat mechanics have at least improved over the first game. The new kill moves, and the better use of your Darkness skills is a big plus from the stiffer combat in the first game. Hitting your enemies with the demon arm can now be done with the melee button, instead of selecting this skill from your darkness powers, like in the first game. Overall, the combat is more fluent and faster paced. The increased gore, in which you can slice your enemies in half is a nice bonus.

    But a big downside is that the fight system feels like Modern Warfare: The Darkness II Edition. You cannot pass an area without murdering everyone.

    Secondly, it has the "weak enemies", "stronger enemies", "strongest enemies", "mix of strongest enemies", "boss", mechanics. Gone is the open world from the first game in which you could go everywhere. Everything is blocked by invisible walls, until you killed all the bullet sponges and their mothers in the area.

    It is a shame that they changed the graphics from the dark, realistic, and grim style to cell shading, which makes everything much lighter and less atmospheric. You can still shoot the lights but no matter how low your brightness is, the graphics will always make it feel brighter. You do not feel "dark" when you step in the shadows. Also, all the levels and environments are very bright and the sky alone lights everything in your path. Compare this to the first game, where it was always night, and you see what I mean.

    The music is also a little disappointing. Gone are the brutal metal orchestra soundtracks from the first one and replaced with generic “spooky Scooby-Doo” tracks.

    Although one cannot expect this game to be a continued clone of the first game, it has things I found less entertaining and I enjoyed it as a standalone game, like I mentioned, instead of a sequel.

    It sure as hell is no worthy successor for The Darkness and hopefully, they learned from their mistakes if there is ever a The Darkness 3.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

76
#76 Best PC Game of 2012
49
#49 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
32
#32 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. CPUGamer
    Apr 22, 2012
    80
    The Darkness II is a decent shooter, but there is nothing in it that is amazing; it's respectable but mostly predictable.
    Read full review
  2. Computer Games Online RO
    Apr 12, 2012
    75
    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.
    Read full review
  3. Absolute Games
    Mar 13, 2012
    60
    Exhilarating in its opening sequence, The Darkness 2 quickly loses steam and turns into a 5-hour run through a long corridor.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »