The Darkness II

 PlayStation 3
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 152 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 101 out of 152
  2. Mixed: 40 out of 152
  3. Negative: 11 out of 152
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  1. dmonee
    Feb 7, 2012
    7
    Every time I pre-order a game, don't pay attention to any critic reviews, bring a game home on launch day, the game ends up either stinking or being blah. That's what I am feeling with The Darkness II. It starts off good, but after an hour it becomes just another shooter. Only this game has a gimmick. The darkness powers are cool, the story so far is pretty good. But, I just can't seem toEvery time I pre-order a game, don't pay attention to any critic reviews, bring a game home on launch day, the game ends up either stinking or being blah. That's what I am feeling with The Darkness II. It starts off good, but after an hour it becomes just another shooter. Only this game has a gimmick. The darkness powers are cool, the story so far is pretty good. But, I just can't seem to feel as though this game is missing something. Maybe, i'm used to playing games like Skyrim, or Batman. Those games constantly dangle a carrot in front of your face the whole ride. They provide unbelievable replability. I just don't understand how developers nowadays continue to pump out these 8 - 10 hour games, charge you $60 and complain when people get their games off the second hand market. It's because,(and i'm comfortable stating this), your not giving the gamer any incentive to return to your world. I want hiddens, unlockables, and level ups, and multiple playthroughs. Guess what, I don't get rid of games like that. This is an argument for another day. Bottom line is, i'm a few hours in and am not sure if I even feel like putting a few hours more in. I wish I bought reckoning today, at least that game lets me level up and loot treasure. For their efforts, I will give The Darkness II a respectable 7… Expand
  2. mikeja008
    Feb 9, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game has one of the best stories of any game iv'e ever played. The gameplay is incredible and the story touches all the right notes. just if u buy it watch after the credits, btw don't get deceived by the darkness or if you do play the game again. watch after the credits.… Expand
  3. Sceptic
    Feb 9, 2012
    7
    The Darkness 2 is a fairly stock-standard FPS.Wielding 'The Darkness' does make the game far more interesting and without it this game would be barely worth playing.The demon arms are great,but their limited actions get repetitive after a few hours.Fairly standard mechanics,mostly dull upgrades( one or two are excellent),a short linear campaign with a sometimes interesting story does not aThe Darkness 2 is a fairly stock-standard FPS.Wielding 'The Darkness' does make the game far more interesting and without it this game would be barely worth playing.The demon arms are great,but their limited actions get repetitive after a few hours.Fairly standard mechanics,mostly dull upgrades( one or two are excellent),a short linear campaign with a sometimes interesting story does not a great FPS make.The Mafioso stereotype soon begins to grate on the nerves as every gangster cliche is used here from ravioli jokes to nicknames like Johnny four-fingers and Frankie 'pepperoni pizza' Donatello etc.
    Moments where 'The Darkness' itself speaks or scenes with the bad guy are way too few and far between I'm afraid and as with the first game,I can't help but feel it could have been so much better...    … Expand
  4. Robbie111222
    May 11, 2012
    8
    Really enjoyed this game, so it's not Patch on the original, yet not quite what I expected it to be either. Not a huge fan of cel shaded graphics, however it worked well here, the story is decent, yet a little on the short side, but moved onto the extra missions for awhile, allowing for some extra characters to be played.
  5. DemonArcuied
    Mar 9, 2012
    9
    The Darkness II, i have waited for a long time for a sequel after i played the first one, and boy the wait was really worth it and i can't wait for another sequel too.
    The game shines in excellent Voice Acting, Unique Style of Graphics giving it a comic book feel, High Replay Value, the Vendetta campaign option gives a back story to the main storyline.
    The issues this game has, is    The Darkness II, i have waited for a long time for a sequel after i played the first one, and boy the wait was really worth it and i can't wait for another sequel too.
    The game shines in excellent Voice Acting, Unique Style of Graphics giving it a comic book feel, High Replay Value, the Vendetta campaign option gives a back story to the main storyline.
    The issues this game has, is sometimes i feel that there is something wrong with the controls as if there was a few seconds delay, it happened rarely and i wish that the storyline was longer    … Expand
  6. raidenj
    Feb 11, 2012
    10
    THIS ISA GREAT GAME, NOT LIKE ANYTHING I'VE SEEN OR PLAYED FOR A WHILE, IT'S SO ENTERTAINING AND, THE STORYBOARD WAS SIMPLE BUT THE TWISTS THEY PUT IN IT MADE IT OUTSTANDING.It's not long as the first one but it's also not short as they say,all i can say is that it's a great game,not a 7,but 8.5.story in the game is awesome and i enjoyed every minute of it.
  7. coelo
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    This game, imho, sucks.
    The mechanics are not fun, it doesn't feel right. The graphics are ugly, and the story is so boring I can't stand to watch it. It is sort of a little bit like that kianu movie where he's an angel, constantine, except this character isn't kianu and whoever made that movie had a lot more talent than these devs.

    The game is an egg.
  8. JDConspirator
    Dec 13, 2012
    8
    The Darkness II makes you feel like the most destructable anti-hero in gaming. The Darkness tentacles are gateways for the most bloody, grusome, violent, gory and sick executions in an FPS game let alone any shooter. It's great to have the feeling that you have ample empowerment over your rank and file foes. Even the guns pack a mean and devastating punch which sits very well alongside theThe Darkness II makes you feel like the most destructable anti-hero in gaming. The Darkness tentacles are gateways for the most bloody, grusome, violent, gory and sick executions in an FPS game let alone any shooter. It's great to have the feeling that you have ample empowerment over your rank and file foes. Even the guns pack a mean and devastating punch which sits very well alongside the grotesque decapitations. The story also become very interesting. Jackie constantly struggles to cope with what is real and what is imaginary. The ending serves the intensity of this dichotomy very well. The only sticking points are that it does what loads of FPS games do, and pulls you from checkpoint to checkpoint without any interesting diversions save for relics. Not that Jackie should be wasting time when he's after the Brotherhood, but something more engaging than the typical. Also, whilst the chances of walking around freely are good, there should be more distractions to further sink you into this gloomy world. The asylum in particular needs much more interaction. Never the less, this is still a great sequel and Digital Extremes should be commended.… Expand
  9. NoktemAeternus
    Feb 9, 2012
    8
    This game definately doesnt reinvent the shooter genre for gaming but what it does bring is a lot of fun and a half way decent story line for a first person shooter. I enjoyed using the darkness powers and leveling them up to unleash more carnage. the story managed to keep my attention through it and i wanted to find out what happens even if it was a little far fetched. The game is aThis game definately doesnt reinvent the shooter genre for gaming but what it does bring is a lot of fun and a half way decent story line for a first person shooter. I enjoyed using the darkness powers and leveling them up to unleash more carnage. the story managed to keep my attention through it and i wanted to find out what happens even if it was a little far fetched. The game is a little short, i think i beat it in like 6-7 hours or something like that, and besides the coop there's no multiplayer or anything to keep you once your done… Expand
  10. the_blueprint
    Dec 17, 2013
    9
    Amazing game, great storytelling, great pacing. Yes, it was short but all the better for it. If it would have been longer the story would have felt stretched. I like it better this way. It improved the first one on every account in my opinion. I was sceptical about the graphic style but even that worked.
  11. vixvicco
    Aug 28, 2012
    6
    I have a strange opinion. I hated the first game, I liked this game, but I preferred the first one somehow or at least thought it as better. I suppose the first had a better story. I am not sure how helpful that is, but I would recommend playing the first before the second to really appreciated the sequel. Decent graphics, though I wish they had not gone the "3D cartoon" route. Story isI have a strange opinion. I hated the first game, I liked this game, but I preferred the first one somehow or at least thought it as better. I suppose the first had a better story. I am not sure how helpful that is, but I would recommend playing the first before the second to really appreciated the sequel. Decent graphics, though I wish they had not gone the "3D cartoon" route. Story is rather bland, but enough to keep you interested. Nice twist at the ending, though you can foresee it (depending on whether or not you make the right choice at the end).… Expand
  12. XBOXWRM
    Feb 21, 2012
    8
    A solid 8
    The gameplay is great and very fun, and the demon arms are very bad ass. But, lacks some fine tuning. Everything else is great, from graphics to lasting appeal. However, it doesn't take the leap to Amazing.
  13. Zenzaburo
    Feb 21, 2012
    7
    With gory, vicious gameplay that grows more complex as you buy talents and abilities, The Darkness II would be an excellent game if it were longer, or if its story at all lived up to the high standard of its predecessor. Those seeking more of Jackie's dramatic struggle against the hateful, seductive monster living inside him may be disappointed in this sequel's flat characters, butWith gory, vicious gameplay that grows more complex as you buy talents and abilities, The Darkness II would be an excellent game if it were longer, or if its story at all lived up to the high standard of its predecessor. Those seeking more of Jackie's dramatic struggle against the hateful, seductive monster living inside him may be disappointed in this sequel's flat characters, but they'll likely be appeased by the devilishly fun shooting experience... while it lasts.… Expand
  14. Sushin
    Mar 21, 2012
    6
    Eh...I loved the first Darkness game, but it didn't need a sequel. The gameplay for the first one was a little shoddy, but it made up for it in several ways. This game, the gameplay is much better, but what the developers didn't realize was that it wasn't good enough to envelope the entire game. All you will be doing in the game is shooting people and using the darkness powers, withEh...I loved the first Darkness game, but it didn't need a sequel. The gameplay for the first one was a little shoddy, but it made up for it in several ways. This game, the gameplay is much better, but what the developers didn't realize was that it wasn't good enough to envelope the entire game. All you will be doing in the game is shooting people and using the darkness powers, with occasional stops to Jackies mansion and a mental hospital. You aren't as involved as you were in the first one, and by the end of the game the combat just felt like a chore that I had to do to finish the story. If you enjoyed the Darkness, you might just want to let that game be a good memory. The story doesn't get any better than the first one.… Expand
  15. hollowfication
    Jul 20, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. this game is alright but the only thing i dont like bout this game they dont use the same graphics as original game which was Superior in so many ways this had funny demon's like the little british demon which made me laugh. i find that bit childish but comical in my books. But if they got chance re do this game all over again, go back to first game designs from first game and remake it from there at least we see if it would be as better then as it not as now. But the game to short the no real big monster battle in end i thought u be duking it out with darkness nothing which is kinda let down but u save jenny soul in end which touching… Expand
  16. psychdoctor
    Feb 20, 2012
    9
    Campaign was awesome and challenging on hitman level. There are many things to do like finding relics, leveling your talent tree, coming up with different gruesome ways to kill people. But the best part was the ending. Great stroy line. A little slow at times like RPG but tolerable. Just listen to Johnny and examine all the relics in the office. Graphics are cartoonish, not the bestCampaign was awesome and challenging on hitman level. There are many things to do like finding relics, leveling your talent tree, coming up with different gruesome ways to kill people. But the best part was the ending. Great stroy line. A little slow at times like RPG but tolerable. Just listen to Johnny and examine all the relics in the office. Graphics are cartoonish, not the best and the campaign is short but very good. Coop multiplayer was a little cheesy. Play with people you know and it is fun. The Jimmy character is hilarious.… Expand
  17. dominionator
    Feb 9, 2012
    9
    The gameplay is awesome for sure. I dont think I ever played a FPS that used all bumper buttons for different attacks. The different methods of annihilation are numerous and make you think on the fly of the best way to slaughter in the gory most bad a$$ way possible and for that I commend digital extremes. I think this four button shooter is the future for gamers. The way they did theThe gameplay is awesome for sure. I dont think I ever played a FPS that used all bumper buttons for different attacks. The different methods of annihilation are numerous and make you think on the fly of the best way to slaughter in the gory most bad a$$ way possible and for that I commend digital extremes. I think this four button shooter is the future for gamers. The way they did the graphics like a borderland type cartoony look, looks good in environment details but the character models and believe me for a mobster story its all about characters so there is alot, they look no good to me. Better off using graphics like battlefield or call of duty not borderland type but it all works out for a solid 8.5.… Expand
  18. conboydude
    Feb 15, 2012
    10
    I found this game to be surprisingly better than the last I loved the shell shaded graphics basically resembling that it is off of a comic book the hardcore executions leave a grim smile on my face.
  19. sedoi
    Feb 29, 2012
    7
    not as good as first one, but still very decent game. It's so full of action , that it's length never bothered me. Multiplayer introduced some good ideas, that made it almost in sub-plot of the main game. Overall I never was disappointed in my pre-order
  20. smokesouljah420
    Jun 15, 2012
    10
    this game was awesome, great graphics, gunplay is superb, headshots, demon arms, total action, big boss battle, co op, for some missions, very violent, fatality like gratification killing enemies, ripped a guys spine out their ass, alll different type of executions, all fast and quickly executed, i'd say this might be my fav of the year, def will never trade this in,
    10 out of 10 i can't    this game was awesome, great graphics, gunplay is superb, headshots, demon arms, total action, big boss battle, co op, for some missions, very violent, fatality like gratification killing enemies, ripped a guys spine out their ass, alll different type of executions, all fast and quickly executed, i'd say this might be my fav of the year, def will never trade this in,
    10 out of 10 i can't say how awesome this game was    … Expand
  21. MrRPG
    Jul 14, 2013
    7
    Short & Sweet would be my best way of describing darkness II, Although the game play was short it was good, The story was what shined though, lengthy dialogue but not cutscene heavy so your given a choice to just play a game and ignore the story..
    The game play mechanics are good, although far from perfect, and not a single glitch was seen over 2 play throughs..
  22. nerrstyBthirsty
    Feb 18, 2014
    7
    LONG REVIEW, SINGLE PLAYER CAMPAIGN ONLY

    The Darkness II is, simply put, a balls-out action game. A good balls-out action game, mind you, yet if not for its finely crafted narrative, it would be a mindless one. The only reason I bring this up is because this facet of the game appears in stark contrast to the deliberately slow moving, intelligent prequel. The first game had you    LONG REVIEW, SINGLE PLAYER CAMPAIGN ONLY

    The Darkness II is, simply put, a balls-out action game. A good balls-out action game, mind you, yet if not for its finely crafted narrative, it would be a mindless one. The only reason I bring this up is because this facet of the game appears in stark contrast to the deliberately slow moving, intelligent prequel.

    The first game had you exploring a quasi-open world in attempt to exact revenge on those who wronged you. You could simply meander around grim feeling subway stations, converse with the interesting cast of characters, or just watch entire movies on television if you felt like it. Along with this open world came intelligently designed puzzles, that if left unsolved, would hinder your progress through the game's narrative. None of this is in The Darness II.

    This is a striking change to this franchise, and one I don't particularly care for. That being said, I do believe The Darkness II, in context of itself, works perfectly fine for what it's trying to achieve. It's just not the groundbreaking, artistically sound game the original is.

    As you take the role of Jackie Estacado, throughout the game you'll pass through surprisingly linear levels, shooting your enemies with weapons that handle beautifully, and using your Darkness tendrils to eviscerate your enemies. In between these linear, set-piece stages are down moments, where you spend time at Jackie's mansion, talking to the one note, often stereotypical characters. The shooting mechanics and Darkness powers are sound, but it won't be long into the game before you realize that's all the game has to offer.

    That isn't to say there isn't depth, however. There is a surprisingly large skill tree that Jackie can use to level his powers up. Through gaining "Dark Essence" (the game's version of experience points), Jackie can invest perks into gun handling, Darkness execution moves, or throwing your Darkling sidekick around to pounce on enemies, which will inevitably lead to the Darkling pissing on their corpses. The small moments like this, such as impaling your enemies with parking meters, are what makes the game's combat fun and interesting. It also doesn't hurt that you can dual-wield most weapons, and the gunplay here is extremely solid, if a tad too auto-aimey and sticky. Thankfully, you can turn the aim assist off in the options menu.

    Without spoiling anything, the narrative The Darkness II presents is a strong one. It's just a shame it wasn't implemented into the actual gameplay in a more efficient manner. You'll hear characters endlessly spout exposition on your post-level trips to your mansion, and while the voice acting presented is certainly top-notch, particularly Mike Patton reprising his role as the titular Darkness, most of the characters are all way too one-dimensional. They won't have much of anything to say aside from critical narrative points or stereotypical mob chatter. It's a shame, as the characters in the original were all well fleshed out, interesting, and didn't come off as parodies of themselves. Though the narrative is strong, and will ultimately be the driving force of what sees you through this action-fest, the characters can sometimes do their best to make sure you won't want to care. Luckily the story here is as enjoyable as it is, presentation gripes aside, and is absolutely worth seeing through to the end.

    Graphically, the game opts for a cel-shaded style, and most of the time, it looks gorgeous. Framerate drops are minimal, and the textures (when they decide to pop-in after an occasional hiccup) are sharp and artistically beautiful. Light and shadows are used to great extent, which is a good thing, as a gameplay mechanic revolves around shooting lights out to make sure Jackie can regenerate health when he's actually in the shadows. The screen effects used for when Jackie is exposed to light are aptly disorienting and do their job wonderfully. All in all, it's a great looking game, but it's missing the dreary tone the first game was praised for. It's still a great looking game, it's just not atmospheric, and the linear levels and stereotypical mob guy characters really enforce this notion.

    All this being said, I would still recommend The Darkness II. If you're into modern FPS games. The game does play smoothly, and The Darkness powers implemented are interesting enough as a gameplay mechanic to keep you playing. Ultimately, though, the strong story here is what will keep you invested, even if it doesn't quite reach the level of greatness as the original. It's a good game, but its shockingly short length clocking in at a measly 6 hours, and overall shortcomings when compared to the original hold it back from being great.    … Expand
  23. adrenilinmatt
    Feb 4, 2021
    10
    It's perfect for what it is. Brutal, bloody, edgy, fun, short, linear.

    You will have A LOT of fun in the 6 hours this game lasts. Highly recommend playing on harder difficulty, adds some challenge and pads out the game time by a few hours. Don difficulty took my almost 10 hours which is more than enough. For me, this game supersedes the first game, and does so while being a better    It's perfect for what it is. Brutal, bloody, edgy, fun, short, linear.

    You will have A LOT of fun in the 6 hours this game lasts. Highly recommend playing on harder difficulty, adds some challenge and pads out the game time by a few hours. Don difficulty took my almost 10 hours which is more than enough.

    For me, this game supersedes the first game, and does so while being a better game on almost every single level. Graphics are stylish and still hold up to this day, gun play is super fun, darkness powers NEVER get old. I will NEVER get sick of wish boning people or just lopping them in half with a single satisfying swipe from your allies.

    The gore is amazing in this game, balls to the wall in a way that we don't really see as much in video games nowadays. The shooting is perfectly good, with some nice feedback and punch, going hand in hand with the stylized violence and art style nicely. This all feeds in nicely to the surprisingly competent story which you will find yourself being satisfied with way more than you might expect. "Expect" is a really good word to use when describing The Darkness II, mainly because nobody had any expectations for it. The first game is extremely mediocre save for it's amazing premise and creative introduction to the "villains" of the series. If you can call them "villains". They're more like heroes of evil.

    I could go on and on about how much i love this game, but i'll finish with this: if you are in the mood right now to just play a good old balls to the wall gore fest with solid mechanics and heaps of fun, this is probably something you're going to enjoy. If you're also SICK of the alternative options, the military shooter, or the zombie shooter, y'know, pretty much EVERY shooter these days. If you're sick and tired of those, but you still want to play a violent shooter, just without those banal cliche over done themes, then The Darkness II is DEFINITELY going to be something you enjoy, You might even love it. I know i do.

    If that hasn't sold you, nothing will. To really finish up, i'm now going to list the only thing i "dislike" about the game. It's short. I would have loved for even 2 more hours of game here. It would've been the perfect 10/10 (It's still a 10 anyway, but it couldve been the 10.1/10 lol) and sure, a lot of people might find the length disappointing, but looking at it from another perspective, the game is short, sweet, doesnt ever drag to the point you're sick of it, leaves you wanting more. Those don't sound like negative things to me. So, the rest is up to you.

    (JUST BUY IT)    … Expand
  24. Ultach
    Jan 16, 2013
    7
    In my personal opinion, it's a step down from the first game, but not as much as you might think. The new cel-shaded art style completely ruins the atmosphere, and honestly it makes the game kind of hard to take seriously at times, which is a crying shame because the story is phenomenal. In terms of gameplay it's incredibly fluid and versatile where the first game was very stiff, but someIn my personal opinion, it's a step down from the first game, but not as much as you might think. The new cel-shaded art style completely ruins the atmosphere, and honestly it makes the game kind of hard to take seriously at times, which is a crying shame because the story is phenomenal. In terms of gameplay it's incredibly fluid and versatile where the first game was very stiff, but some of the mechanics held over from the first game don't make the jump very well. For example, taking out lights in the first game just required you to tap a button whenever one was nearby, which I thought was pretty nifty. It required a little strategising on your part, but you could still fix it if you messed up. In 2 you actually need to either shoot the light or precisely target it with your Darkness powers, which makes things a little harder. Another complaint I have, with both games (which I played on the hardest difficulty) is that you don't really -feel- like a superpowerful demon thing. The second game definitely does a better job of it, but you still go down in a couple of gunshots from regular thugs.

    Despite all my complaints it's a solid game with lots of replayability, great mechanics and a very interesting story. You could definitely do worse.    … Expand
  25. chrisjones914
    May 4, 2013
    8
    Good game if you're lookin for some good bloody combat, a good comic book style look and lots of sick upgrades for even more blood and guts! and its got a pretty good story to top it all off
  26. iamTylerDurden
    Jun 9, 2013
    10
    A TRULY FUN ATMOSPHERIC GAME OOZING WITH 90's NOSTALGIA AND NYC STYLE. This game carves out its own interesting mythology that is very fascinating with the darkness and the angelus. The atmosphere is engrossing and dark and anyone who experienced the 90's for real will love the what 90's nyc has to offer from dialogue to Jane's addiction playing on the radio in the backround. More so thanA TRULY FUN ATMOSPHERIC GAME OOZING WITH 90's NOSTALGIA AND NYC STYLE. This game carves out its own interesting mythology that is very fascinating with the darkness and the angelus. The atmosphere is engrossing and dark and anyone who experienced the 90's for real will love the what 90's nyc has to offer from dialogue to Jane's addiction playing on the radio in the backround. More so than that this game tells a great story that will have you questioning your (Jackie Estacado)'s sanity more than once. It has great plot twists and leaves room for a sequel (fingers crossed) though i doubt it as it under sold due to people playing truly unique story driven shooters instead like Call of Doody (because the difference from modern warfare2 to modernwarfare 3 is so immense that admittedly they use the same exact game engine year to year hence the graphics neeever improving, where as look at how beautifully battlefield's graphics improve,frostbite1-gorgeous frostbite2 )so anyway back to FPS's that are actually fun, the Darkness 2 has the most fun and unique combat i have ever played in a FPS more so than bioshock. To what turns out to be a kind of quad wielding with regular satisfying dual wielding guns and two beautifully hideous snake like demon arms with demon heads on them growing out of your back in the dark (which is most of the game). The demon arms can flatout destroy and they steal the show with a multitude of capabilities from slashing a man in two to lacerating to eating a man's head to pick up objects like barrels and men and throwing them to grabbing car doors and using them as a shield they are simply amazing. They have a variety of finishing moves and they can even be used to throw your monkey like(even though he calls you monkey) demon pet at enemies and watch him rip them apart. Granted it is linear and it is rather short, it should be played on hard otherwise it is too easy. Jackie has multiple skill trees as well with unique upgradable powers and new abilities. The short single player campaign is more than tolerable considering there is a plethora of story advancing play to be had after the regular campaign. They have a vendetta campaign with 4 other playable characters which you can play alone or in coop. Either way it is very enjoyable playing and advancing other unique darkness empowered characters and further advancing the story. These are fully fleshed out characters with large skill trees, unique weapons, and distinct personalities. This mode extends the main story and is about half the length of the main story but with 4 different characters to try out. If that wasn't enough the game has a hitlist mode where you are placed in large semi levels tasked with ultimately taking out a boss like target after dispatching his henchmen. They have many of these hitlist missions and they can be played with friends as well and as any of the 4 new characters. All together there is MORE than enough content and Vendetta campaign and hitlists are not tacked on they are fully fleshed out and fun. Overall this is a very enjoyable FPS and it deserved more in sales and more from the reviewers i.e. game informer giving it a 7. something this game deserves better and it is Not a seven. I played the 360 version and experience ZERO bugs, stylish cell shaded graphics (after all it is a comic book) (see top cow) and an overall great time. 9.25/10 the Darkness 2… Expand
  27. bird_b85
    Jun 20, 2013
    9
    A great game. Very fun and a joy to play. It builds off the 1st game witch is very nice to those who know the story line. A few let downs from the 1st Darkness gives it a 9 not a 10. No Side missions, hidden notes, or pay phones to play with.
  28. SJ-ULTI-Reiews
    Sep 28, 2013
    9
    When i played The Darkness i thought it was a descent game. Going into the second one i didint really know what to expect. The Darkness II has amazing voice acting and a killer soundtrack. The graphics in this game make you feel like your in a really violent comic book and its awesome. The Quad-Wielding in this game is addicting and satisfying, the upgrading system helps make your powersWhen i played The Darkness i thought it was a descent game. Going into the second one i didint really know what to expect. The Darkness II has amazing voice acting and a killer soundtrack. The graphics in this game make you feel like your in a really violent comic book and its awesome. The Quad-Wielding in this game is addicting and satisfying, the upgrading system helps make your powers and weapons more powerful and make you feel like a total badass. The story is unique and one of the best out their, Jackie Estacado and Jenny are two of my favorite videogame characters of all time. This game also has a co-op campaign, its really good but it would have been better if it let you play two players through split screen but you can only play with people online. Ths is one hell of a sequel, and diserves a sequel of its own.… Expand
  29. cmainthuging12
    Jun 11, 2014
    7
    It's an ok game, was expecting it be as great as the first, kind of let me down though. the graphics are to cartoonish, the story could have been a lot better, they could have added tvs to make it more interesting like in the first, i had high expectations, alot of players did to, some like it and some were disappointed.
  30. Allyptic
    Dec 21, 2020
    9
    Really enjoyed this game, so it's not Patch on the original, yet not quite what I expected it to be either. Not a huge fan of cel shaded graphics, however it worked well here, the story is decent, yet a little on the short side, but moved onto the extra missions for awhile, allowing for some extra characters to be played.
  31. Downcore
    Oct 24, 2017
    10
    The first Darkness is amazing and I was thought the first one is the best but I was wrong! The Darkness II is one of the best, the graphics and faces are realistic, game-play is very action and story is Insanely good.
    Excellent masterpiece.
  32. Alvokun
    Apr 11, 2020
    9
    A great first-person-shooter, in my opinion. It is probably not particularly interesting in terms of story, but gameplay and atmosphere are great. I would say it is also way better than the first The Darkness.
  33. ChrisKirigaya
    Apr 29, 2020
    8
    This game is preatty dope. The graphic style is a bit ugly but overall not bad. The gameplay is hella fun and you really feel empowered while you play this game.
  34. SaadAnime
    Sep 22, 2020
    9
    THE DARKNESS II is an amazing game, with interesting protagonist , story, gameplay, and envorimet, this game has the most amazing early grosme sastfying kills that you feel like a totally badass, fun game overall a must have for anyone who is interested on first person shooter advunture game.

Awards & Rankings

54
#54 Best PS3 Game of 2012
51
#51 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2012
55
#55 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. Thunderbolt
    Nov 9, 2012
    70
    The Darkness II is the ideal rental game. It's a fun shooter with a decent amount of combat variety and has a fast pace that guarantees players won't be bored any time soon, but it lacks lasting appeal and can be beaten within a weekend easily.
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  2. TotalPlayStation
    Mar 12, 2012
    70
    It doesn't quite capture the pathos of the first game, but it DOES tighten up the gameplay and keep the action moving all the way through. It won't go down as a cult classic like the first, but there is plenty of fun this time around.
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  3. Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
    Mar 5, 2012
    80
    The sequel bests the original in just about every way while maintaining the same story-focus that helped the first game rise above the average shooter. [Apr 2012, p.76]
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