The Darkness

"It's "Rip your face off with a giant black snake tentacle" good."

Presentation
There's one thing I just gotta say point blank. This game has the best intro in any game ever created- hands down. I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't experienced it, but it's just jaw dropping in everyway. A fantastic taste of what the whole game is about.
The menu's are really slick, too. They got a Chronicles of Riddick feel with the flavor of Darkness. AND, I'm really happy you can adjust the aiming sensitivity.

The game plays a lot like Riddick, too. As in the flow of it. There's no stages, the game is pretty much one seamless environment. Maybe not as much as Riddick, as every so often the game cuts to Jackie who gives some very engaging monologue. But, other than that, very little loading. You also get a journal which doubles as a tutorial. I see a lot of "I'm stuck topics", and all I gotta say is read your journal- other than automatically transporting you to your destination, it can't really give you any better advice. Everything from gunplay to Darkness powers is explained simply and easily. Never got confused. There's also little collectibles to find (as in Riddick and Condemed), I assume these unlock artwork and comics, but I haven't checked to see what I got.

Graphics
The only way to describe them is simply stunning. And that's an understatement. Easily the best looking game currently released. I honestly haven't seen better graphics outside of Crysis or maybe Bio Shock. It easily blows Gears, R6 Vegas, Oblivion etc. out of the water. No contest. The ammount of detail is so distracting. Talk about photo-realistic. The opening scene itself is honestly unbelievable. I particularly love the graphics of the guns and the way they animate- just amazing.

There's a lot of little details that you'd expect from Starbreeze. If Jackie get's close to a wall or a crate or what have you, he'll lift his hands/guns out of the way so that they aint sticking through the wall or something. Like, if you peak around a corner, your left hand will be holding your gun away from the wall while you still shoot with your right gun. It doesn't sound like much on paper, but in the game it really does add a whole dimension of immersion.

I really don't understand the "poor animations" I've read about in a few places. Every enemy reacts to everything you do to them. Every gunshot looks like it counts, and they all fall believably and move so too. I've seen people jump down from balconies, hide behind cover, jump over smaller obstacles etc. Wounds and bullet holes are done in true Starbreeze fashion. Ripping off faces is as badass as it sounds, and those hearts look so juicy. No wonder the snakes fight over them. One example *SLIGHT SPOLIERS* In the beginning, one of your gangster pals gets his leg broken from a car crash. You don't really notice it until you pull him from the wreckage and notice the huge bone jutting from his skin. It's so detailed and nasty I honestly got shivers from it. And I'm not a squeamish person like that. I decided to take his mind off the pain by putting a nice hole in his face (couldn't resist). I'm a nice guy.

Fantastic motion blur and excellent shadowing. The textures are out of this world (especially on the Darklings and the snakes). Physics are tight and entertaining, making killing people a unique experience everytime you unload in someones head. Executions are true works of art. I've only done 2 so far, one was when I snuck up behind someone and used both pistols to shoot out his knees, and another was when I shoved both pistols into a guys mouth and made confetti out of his brain. Gruesome and completely amazing. Its the detail. Cloth moves realistically, and hair actually behaves like hair (except for Jackies, I think he needs a shower and some conditioner). AND, I think that's all I gotta say about it. You honestly have to see it to believe it.

Sound
Just as good as the graphics. I ****ing love the main theme song, the opening title is just so bad ass. Fighting music is appropriately "edge of your seat prepare to be shot to death" type stuff and voice acting is a league of its own. Simply perfect. Jackie's voice fits the character perfectly and I always look foward to his monologues. All the goombas sound appropriately gangster. Its the details, again. Run around shooting wildly, and they'll say something a long the lines of, "Can't shoot straight, Jackie?". They'll communicate to their pals, scream in pain, curse at you etc. etc. The Darklings steal the show though. The things they say will have you making a double take, "Did it really just say that?' and have you laughing your ass off afterwards. The voice of the Darkness itself is fantastic and what you'd expect from something called "The Darkness". Gunshots are completely satisfying.

Gameplay
I'd like to say, that contrary to what people have reported, this game is hard if you don't use your head. Maybe I just suck, but I died a few times in the Graveyard area. Unlike other main FPS stars, Jackie ain't made of kevlar. If you get yourself surrounded, you're dead meat. Gunshots actually kill in this game. The Darkness incorporated an automatic healing system (like the Getaway, R6 Vegas etc.). But, like I said, getting shot really counts for something. It's literally kill or be killed.

Like Riddick, the aiming is done with a little red dot (which I actually like), but there's an option for a very subtle soft lock if you want it. But, putting gaping wounds in someone's mouth becomes quite easily accomplished once you get used to it (Especially with two pistols). Guns are tight and realistic, and very fun to use. I'm just a few hours in, so I haven't got to use any of the big boomsticks yet, though.

I haven't got to use a lot of the Darkness powers, but what I have is what makes the game. Creeping Darkness lets you take control of one of the snakes for traveling through tight spots or sneak attack face bites. Again, contrary to popular belief, the controls are NOT wonky. It's just that climbing on walls and ceilings naturally aint the easiest or most orienting of things. God forbid. But, sneaking up on an unsuspecting mafioso and ripping his pretty little face off then eating his heart is quite nice.

The Darklings? Fughetabouit. Even though I can only use the Beserker, I can already say wow. Every so often you'll happen upon a little "Dark rift" in the ground from which you can summon 4 different types of Darklings. Beserker's like to treat gangsters like hunks of meat (staby staby, slicy slicy, you get the picture), Light Killers get rid of light sources (which aren't in your best interest), Kamikazes are rather partial to dynamite back packs and large crowds of people, and Gunners have big ass gattling guns. As I said before, I only have access to the Bezerkers who are just bundles of cuteness and joy. See, you can collect throughout the game these cute little outfits to put on them. I only have one so far, the Potato Sack, which comes with a great burlap sack number and accesorized with a rather posh medieval dagger. I've seen some other wicked outfits too. Including a mesmerizing carpenter's number complimented with a hack saw, the popular fireman coat sporting a fire axe, and the new rage this season, construction flak jacket accompanied by a splendid jack hammer. In the words of our dear friend Paris, "That's Hot". The darkness snakes also like to nibble at peoples nuts if you leave them idle for a bit and Darklings also like to take a quick pee on dead things. Lively critters. They remind me of my cat Rocky.

I've encountered a few quests along the way too, in one of the free roam zones. The first one is a subway station which really does feel like a living breathing part of New York. People wander around, watch T.V., smoke cigarettes, drink 40's, and the bums bum. This one particular bum complained about how some **** wouldn't let him blow his harmonica in his corner unless he paid a fee. I was given the option to help him out, but I chose to tell him to **** off, as I was dieing to see what was a head. Hopefully I can come back to do those quests. Dialogue is a lot like Riddick, with multiple options and ways of dealing with situations- brute force, persuasion, intimidation. It seems like some quests will span the length of the game, as one guy had some kind of attitude problem which Jackie said he'll "Deal with later". Hopefully it involves a pair of darkness fangs and the guys face.

Overall, it is definitely worth my $60 and I'm sure I'll get tons of replay value out of it (Despite whatever the play time may be). Starbeeze outdid themselves this time around, for the best game of 2007 yet released.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/28/07