The Darkness

 PlayStation 3
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 150 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 97 out of 150
  2. Mixed: 39 out of 150
  3. Negative: 14 out of 150
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  1. Guardian
    Jul 18, 2008
    7
    Well contrary to other peoples views, i really enjoyed this game alot. I guess its the fact im a bit of a fan also. The storyline is great and its good to see old jackie in a game busting a few ppl off some. Im not sure why so many people dont like it but each to their own. There are elements of comic humour and yeah the graphics are a little outdated but as mentioned it may not be forWell contrary to other peoples views, i really enjoyed this game alot. I guess its the fact im a bit of a fan also. The storyline is great and its good to see old jackie in a game busting a few ppl off some. Im not sure why so many people dont like it but each to their own. There are elements of comic humour and yeah the graphics are a little outdated but as mentioned it may not be for everyone---so rent it b4 you buy it and c what u think. A dark atmosphere, and a comic book come to life...im a fan. :)… Expand
  2. DTucker
    Feb 26, 2008
    7
    a fairly decent effort in making a 'different' FPS. The darkness powers are great fun, making up for the relativley boring peashooters this game displays. Another downfall for this game is ridiculously stupid AI. New York looks dirty and gritty as well it should and holds its own next to any other current gen game. This is not for everybody though as the slow pace and need toa fairly decent effort in making a 'different' FPS. The darkness powers are great fun, making up for the relativley boring peashooters this game displays. Another downfall for this game is ridiculously stupid AI. New York looks dirty and gritty as well it should and holds its own next to any other current gen game. This is not for everybody though as the slow pace and need to travel to differing locals may put some people off, as may the in-you0face language and over the top comic book violence. For me though, it one of the reasons to rate up, not down.… Expand
  3. Trip_Kiddo
    May 29, 2017
    5
    *This is a retrospective review of an old game and thus probably won't help anyone or really be necessary, but it gives me a creative outlet to write for. In the case that someone reads this and it helps them make a decision on the game, glad I could help.*

    Although I didn't score this game highly, I do hold a special place for it. I find it important however to admit that this game is    *This is a retrospective review of an old game and thus probably won't help anyone or really be necessary, but it gives me a creative outlet to write for. In the case that someone reads this and it helps them make a decision on the game, glad I could help.*

    Although I didn't score this game highly, I do hold a special place for it. I find it important however to admit that this game is barely above average if at all. Like other Starbreeze developed games it's extremely "rough" for lack of a better term.

    There are parts of this game that I enjoy, and concepts that I do like. Just in general, The Darkness (the character/entity) is extremely interesting and the voice acting done by Mike Patton is **** phenomenal. I thought the "open world" structure of the game was very fun, and I enjoyed taking the subway acting as separate hubs for multiple areas. However, I do wish there was at least one more subways station despite the fact that it can be surprisingly easy to get lost or turned around. Another issue with the structure is that there's little loading scenes that repeat to a grind and will absolutely piss you off after a while. Besides that, the atmosphere is intriguing but it will sometimes come off as cringe level edgy.

    The biggest issues with this game come off from it's sluggish and slow movements that in no way help the godawful shooting/aiming. Sometimes your powers will not work the way you're trying to get them to (or how the should), and the AI is just dumb. The story is pretty standard , but there's a moment early on when you first get your powers that completely baffled me: Jackie (the main character) doesn't say anything about it. Not even a quick "What the **** just happened?", the game just keeps going on as if nothing happened until the Darkness gets mentioned as a character about half way through the story.

    Some other minor faults from this game are that I really don't think Kirk Acevedo was a good fit for the voice actor of Jackie. The graphics, because they went for this realistic looking aesthetic that just didn't look great in the first place anyways, have aged very poorly. And the multiplayer, which I remember playing back in the day, was pretty **** and a complete waste of resources.

    Again, I do like this game and if you can find it for cheap or rent it give it a try. But objectively, this is an average game, probably not even that to be honest.    … Expand
  4. JasonH.
    Jul 8, 2007
    6
    THIS GAME IS NOT REALLY A SHOOTER. Bottom line, if you like games that give you a NEW STORYTELLING EXPERIENCE like Oblivion and you LIKE GAMES WITHOUT FUN GAMEPLAY, then buy The Darkness and Regret your decision, or Rent it and just be disappointed. Yes, The Darkness is in a first person perspective, but Jackie dies way too fast (ie it is trying to be realistic with its damage a la THIS GAME IS NOT REALLY A SHOOTER. Bottom line, if you like games that give you a NEW STORYTELLING EXPERIENCE like Oblivion and you LIKE GAMES WITHOUT FUN GAMEPLAY, then buy The Darkness and Regret your decision, or Rent it and just be disappointed. Yes, The Darkness is in a first person perspective, but Jackie dies way too fast (ie it is trying to be realistic with its damage a la Rainbow Six Vegas). I thought that having the Darkness meant that I could run up to enemies and use my awesome demon/ execution powers on them, but the majority of this game has to be played in the shadows and at a distance because if you are wide open to the enemy, you will be slaughtered and forced to watch a million death/re-birth video sequences that disguise the long loading times. I have to say that I like Shooters that are fun and arcady like Resistance, but I can tolerate and have fun with games that are tactical and slow like Rainbow Six Vegas; However I cannot tolerate games that appear to be arcady and fun like The Darkness, but then are hampered by the crappy tactical slow gameplay. This game is just not what I expected in a shooter, all the other people seem to love this game, but it really just isn't fun. Plus right in the middle of the storyline, the game really drops off because the story missions, which are the best part of the game because the story is so engaging and good, aren't there. Instead you have to do tons and tons of boring side quests that require lots of back tracking. The open ended environment sucks, because nothing is happening, there are a few hobos here and there, but you just end up walking around at a horribly slow pace around a still and dead New York City that is nice to look at, but then you realize it would be much better if you could run. The game would be only be half as long if you could run and didn't waste your time going back and forth between subway stations and sections of the city at a snail's pace. Plus the Playstation Online won't even work if you have NAT Type 3 because you have to go in and do port forwarding on your router to get it to work. I beat the game in about 3 nights, and I really was just forcing myself to beat it and see if the game ever got any better or more fun, but it didn't really until the last level which is only 30 minutes out of 10 hours of gameplay. Very low replay value as well. You unlock 2 videos, which are good but there could be way more, and comic books to read, but the zoom function on the comic books doesn't work and you can't even read the text. And to all game companies and future games, CONCEPT ART IS NOT A REWARD OR BONUS FOR PLAYING THE GAME. It is just a waste of space and no one cares. At all. Seriously I played the game and experienced all of the environments myself. I don't need to see what the concept art for those environments and the characters looked like before the game was made.… Expand
  5. DafyddE.
    Sep 10, 2007
    6
    This game has its moments but can be rather frustrating. I think I just dont like checkpoints. It is yet another game with absolutely no antialiasing, almost every surface with jagged edges. If it weren't for this lack of AA it would look very nice. Is a little antialiasing too much to ask (this is supposed to be next-gen don't forget)? The controls are clunky. It was expensive This game has its moments but can be rather frustrating. I think I just dont like checkpoints. It is yet another game with absolutely no antialiasing, almost every surface with jagged edges. If it weren't for this lack of AA it would look very nice. Is a little antialiasing too much to ask (this is supposed to be next-gen don't forget)? The controls are clunky. It was expensive too, so I would expect better for the price.… Expand
  6. GameDoc
    Jul 11, 2007
    7
    Online play is bad. Too many cut scenes take away from the game play. However, it is an enjoyable game with flaws.
  7. vixvicco
    Jul 11, 2012
    6
    I also agree with JasonH. If it were not for that gameplay-because the story is quite interesting, this could have gotten a higher rating from me. Only played it to play sequel, now not sure anymore.
  8. Inryoku
    Jan 8, 2014
    6
    I have no idea what to think about this game; the story and the characters are the only things that will make you go on. Both are pretty nice and immersing, you`re going to find yourself keep going on only to find out how everything will play out. And that would be all the pros I can think of: the gameplay is slow as hell, the level design is confusing and stretched at times and the usageI have no idea what to think about this game; the story and the characters are the only things that will make you go on. Both are pretty nice and immersing, you`re going to find yourself keep going on only to find out how everything will play out. And that would be all the pros I can think of: the gameplay is slow as hell, the level design is confusing and stretched at times and the usage of the Darkness is very limited and disappointing. The graphics aged terribly and are on par with Killzone 1 at best. Even though I enjoyed the experience overall I wouldn't recommend this game to anyone who can't appreciate a good story and is unable to ignore the terrible gameplay.… Expand
  9. Vamp
    Sep 17, 2008
    7
    Ang F. it sounds to me like you just suck at gaming...The controls, while slightly clunky weren't "That" awful. Granted i did play this before CoD4 came out, and when i tried to go back to the darkness for a 2nd play through the controls seemed too slow-paced. But still. the game has an interesting story, a very sad and lonely feeling about the city, which is very fitting imo. TheAng F. it sounds to me like you just suck at gaming...The controls, while slightly clunky weren't "That" awful. Granted i did play this before CoD4 came out, and when i tried to go back to the darkness for a 2nd play through the controls seemed too slow-paced. But still. the game has an interesting story, a very sad and lonely feeling about the city, which is very fitting imo. The game has personality and isn't bad.… Expand
  10. BhaS
    Jul 4, 2007
    5
    The similarity of the three previous user reviews (Gabriel, Davis, Jeff, all rating this a 10) leads me to wonder if perhaps these gentlemen are under the employ of Starbreeze.
    Gabriel: "Starbreeze studios has done it again"
    Davis: "Starbreeze has done it again, The Darkness is a masterpice, so get ready to embrace the darkness!" Jeff: "Embrace the darkness" Either that or    The similarity of the three previous user reviews (Gabriel, Davis, Jeff, all rating this a 10) leads me to wonder if perhaps these gentlemen are under the employ of Starbreeze.
    Gabriel: "Starbreeze studios has done it again"
    Davis: "Starbreeze has done it again, The Darkness is a masterpice, so get ready to embrace the darkness!"
    Jeff: "Embrace the darkness"

    Either that or they're not very original...    … Expand
  11. wesker2012
    Oct 20, 2012
    5
    Decent game.
  12. LewisDanny
    Jul 2, 2018
    6
    A game with a lot of potential, and that pulls off world-building properly. However, this doesn't make up for the clunky, punishing combat (Jackie isn't exactly a bullet-sponge, and sitting through a lengthy respawn animation - for the xth amount of time - is frustrating when you've only taken a couple of bullets). The voice acting is solid, but so much of the game is backtracking and itA game with a lot of potential, and that pulls off world-building properly. However, this doesn't make up for the clunky, punishing combat (Jackie isn't exactly a bullet-sponge, and sitting through a lengthy respawn animation - for the xth amount of time - is frustrating when you've only taken a couple of bullets). The voice acting is solid, but so much of the game is backtracking and it is far too easy to get lost in the streets. The AI is fairly daft.… Expand
  13. Vzhik
    Aug 16, 2018
    5
    Да игра стильная, да очень отлично сделана (разные ролики при загрузке и все такое), да, персонажи проработаны отлично и история нетривиальная. НО! сюжет и геймплей просто невероятно скучен. Я год проходил эту игры с мыслью "ну когда же она кончиться". Некоторая безысходность в связи с особенностями ГГ, но как-то вторым слоем, фоново и могли бы сделать это как-то ярче что-ли..
    Рассуждения    Да игра стильная, да очень отлично сделана (разные ролики при загрузке и все такое), да, персонажи проработаны отлично и история нетривиальная. НО! сюжет и геймплей просто невероятно скучен. Я год проходил эту игры с мыслью "ну когда же она кончиться". Некоторая безысходность в связи с особенностями ГГ, но как-то вторым слоем, фоново и могли бы сделать это как-то ярче что-ли..
    Рассуждения ГГ о жизни в заставках это конечно они классно сделали. Как там было? Кажется так:
    "Когда кто-то говорит мне о страхе.. Вы просто никогда не ездили по встречной полосе по туннелю со скорость 80 миль в час на заднем сиденье такси, когда за рулем мой друг Гари"

    В итоге отличное исполнение но назвать её шедевром хорошей как-то язык не поворачивается. Добротная, средняя.    … Expand
  14. Za_Uvek
    Oct 18, 2021
    6
    It was nice to revisit The Darkness as it comes from an age of FPS that were experimenting with the formula. But geez, the cracks sure do show and not because of it's age.

    The visuals are pretty standard, but still well below what the PS3 is capable of. In saying that, there were no frame rate issues and ran pretty smooth. As for the sound, from the music and ambient noise to the guns    It was nice to revisit The Darkness as it comes from an age of FPS that were experimenting with the formula. But geez, the cracks sure do show and not because of it's age.

    The visuals are pretty standard, but still well below what the PS3 is capable of. In saying that, there were no frame rate issues and ran pretty smooth. As for the sound, from the music and ambient noise to the guns and voice acting, all of it comes together nicely.

    In regards to the game-play, it's what you would expect from this era of shooters. There are some nice little gimmicks centred around The Darkness abilities, but ultimately don't add too much. The semi-open world is a nice touch though, along with intractable characters and environment.

    Lastly, the story. Yes, this title sure stands out for it's original concept drawn straight from the comic books. Unfortunately, it is told in a very disjointed way in which a lot of the critical events happen so abruptly. Because of this, I found it hard to get immersed in the world as the flow of the narrative didn't really make sense.

    I do love what the developers where trying to achieve here. A supernatural FPS that contains adventure game elements that encourages the player to explore and experiment. It's hard to recommend though. Unless you are a fan of the source material, you can skip this one as there are many games released around this era that do it better.    … Expand
  15. SewAwOw
    Feb 8, 2022
    7
    Неплохой шутер с мрачном и по-хорошему дурном сеттинге, где сплетены реальность и вымысел, мафия и ад, тьма и свет. Интересно выглядит концепция использования тьмы в комбинации с обычным огнестрелом, а также вызов прислужников. Стрелять понравилось, стволы ощущается по-разному, способности полезны, но только в темноте, постоянно приходилось разбивать лампочки, да и скиллов всего четыреНеплохой шутер с мрачном и по-хорошему дурном сеттинге, где сплетены реальность и вымысел, мафия и ад, тьма и свет. Интересно выглядит концепция использования тьмы в комбинации с обычным огнестрелом, а также вызов прислужников. Стрелять понравилось, стволы ощущается по-разному, способности полезны, но только в темноте, постоянно приходилось разбивать лампочки, да и скиллов всего четыре штуки, не то чтобы много, самая имбовая это черная дыра, юзал её чаще всего. Сам мир поделен на зоны, хабом выступает подземка, где мы получаем квесты, в т.ч. и побочные, а также встречаем разных интересных и не очень персонажей. Локации не слишком большие, быстро запоминаются, в них можно шариться и находить секреты, но, к сожалению, совершенно пустые за рамками миссий. Наградами за выполнения квестов являются бонусы в виде материалов к игре, их интересно рассматривать. Сюжет странный, поначалу малопонятный, особенно в аду, но в целом сойдет, хорошая идея показывать монологи гг в загрузках, так мы узнаем постепенно детали лора и мысли Джеки, правда, вскоре заставки начинают повторяться. И в целом-то, игра была бы еще лучше если бы не три дико раздражающие, а временами прямо выводящие из себя вещи:
    1. Производительность на пс3. Она плохая, по ощущениям, 80% времени фпс держится на уровне 23-25, в некоторых сценах опускается ниже 20, вкупе с несколько желейным управлением это прям бесит. Враги шустрые, неглупые, постоянно прячутся, перебегают, и порой за ними просто трудно поспеть именно изза низкого фпс.
    2. Чекпоинты злесь расставлены в хрен пойми каким местах, их мало.
    3. Индикатор попаданий, он дезориентирует. Вот в тебя попали, экран стал на миг красным, потому отпустило, попали еще раз, тоже самое, затем попаадют еще раз и экран становится красным на секунд десять, извещая о предсмертном состоянии. Проблема в том, что переход от нормального состояния в критическое внезапный и ты просто порой не успеваешь среагировать и найти укрытие. В других играх степень состояния персонажа показывается гораздо понятнее. Крч, неуд.
    В целом же, игра норм, но косяки есть, и критичные (лично для меня).    … Expand
  16. Richard_dias
    Aug 15, 2023
    6
    I played the second game before this one and I thought it was so good that I thought I should make an effort to play the first one, even though it's a first person game that I would have to play with a controller (I usually only play FPS with a mouse and keyboard). The game is kind of clunky and I don't think it does enough to make me want to play it again. The strong point, definitely, isI played the second game before this one and I thought it was so good that I thought I should make an effort to play the first one, even though it's a first person game that I would have to play with a controller (I usually only play FPS with a mouse and keyboard). The game is kind of clunky and I don't think it does enough to make me want to play it again. The strong point, definitely, is the narrative.… Expand
  17. TeaFan556
    Aug 1, 2022
    6
    [RU]
    Это одна из игр, которую я хотел забросить, но благодаря небольшой продолжительность все же решил ее допройти. Понравилось ли мне? Да, было неплохо. Мне понравился стиль игры. Сюжет здесь не очень, ибо он начинается с рандомной ситуации, которая не заставляет сказать: "ВОТ ЭТО Я ПОНИМАЮ НАЧАЛО", а скорее приводит в недоумение. Ну, ничего. Зато геймплей какой! По правде говоря сначала    [RU]
    Это одна из игр, которую я хотел забросить, но благодаря небольшой продолжительность все же решил ее допройти. Понравилось ли мне? Да, было неплохо. Мне понравился стиль игры. Сюжет здесь не очень, ибо он начинается с рандомной ситуации, которая не заставляет сказать: "ВОТ ЭТО Я ПОНИМАЮ НАЧАЛО", а скорее приводит в недоумение. Ну, ничего. Зато геймплей какой! По правде говоря сначала он мне не понравился, но как только я приобрел ТеМнЫЕ способности, то игра расцвела. Могу ли я ее посоветовать? Скорее нет, только если вам нечем заняться. А я пойду покупать вторую часть, чтобы оценить развитие серии.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

30
#30 Best PS3 Game of 2007
14
#14 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2007
26
#26 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 35
  3. Negative: 1 out of 35
  1. Play UK
    91
    The Darkness combines the best bits of mafia and war films, producing one complete, intriguing experience...Few licensed games go beyond the realms of their source material, but The Darkness does it in a fun, gritty and engaging way. [Issue#154, p.62]
  2. 1UP
    90
    It also feels like a more polished game, and the base mechanics work extremely well by the time you reach the end of the single-player campaign. It doesn't quite have "Riddick's" pacing, due to the open city that asks you to find your own way through, but it presents a better feeling of accomplishment and familiarity by the end.
    Read full review
  3. Game Informer
    88
    Interactive storytelling is rarely this good, and there are few game endings that make you sit back and think, “Man, what if I did this instead?” like this one does. For its amazing narrative and believability of characters, and the twisted joys that come from being a slave of a demon, The Darkness will keep you enthralled, even when the gameplay lags a little behind.
    Read full review
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