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. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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..
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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.

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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