![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/the_darkness_2_screen_004_113281615.jpg\" "\\"the_darkness_2_screen_004_113281615.jpg\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nDon Estacado<\/h3>\n
A random attack on a restaurant sees Jackie’s leg torn to shreds, and the Darkness tells Jackie to use its power or die. The first kill is glorious, gory and hugely satisfying.<\/p>\n
It is eventually determined that the attack on the restaurant was by a group of individuals known as The Brotherhood, who are adamant on getting the Darkness out of Jackie, no matter the cost. They’re certainly not a friendly bunch.<\/p>\n
The Darkness 2 features an incredibly rich narrative that draws players in to Jackie’s world and his motivations. The memory of Jenny haunts him, a fact made clear by a shrine he keeps of her in his panic room; a candle he lights for her each night.<\/p>\n
The narrative makes extensive use of soliloquy, where Jackie sits on a chair in a dark room, holding his pistols and reminiscing about the past, his childhood, and the impact Jenny had on his life.<\/p>\n
Gameplay is fast, visceral, gory and bloody. Using the Darkness, players can grab objects and throw them to stun, slice or impale enemies. Stunned enemies can be picked up and killed in different ways to gain health, ammo, a shield or to recharge powers such as gun-channeling and swarm.<\/p>\n Shields can be doors ripped from cars; ballistic shields taken from enemies or placards and can be used to either protect Jackie from damage or thrown to slice enemies in twain.<\/p>\n Gun-channeling is an ability that, while in the dark, allows Jackie to fire high-damage bullets at enemies without costing any ammo. Swarm is a wonderful power that sends of thousands of swarming insects that disorient mobs and allow Jackie to pick them up or pick them off more easily.<\/p>\n As with the first game in the series, light plays a very important role in gameplay. Where there is light, the Darkness can’t exist. Jackie’s vision becomes distorted, powers cannot be used, and the Darkness recedes into him so that even tentacle-slashes are impossible.<\/p>\n Higher-level enemies take advantage of this – one or two enemies will have high-intensity beams on their shoulders making for tricky combat when enemies swarm.<\/p>\n Controls on PC are pretty much what you would expect from a shooter. There is auto-aim in the settings, but it can easily be disabled.<\/p>\n Level design is fairly simplistic and closed-off. It’s essentially like following a linear tunnel to your destination, which will sometimes end in a boss fight.<\/p>\n Boss fights, however, aren’t bad. The first involves staying alive while your darkling, a kind of extension of your imagination and conscience, finds propane tanks for you to throw at a heavily-armoured bulldozer, chipping away at its health. They are often tricky but good fun.<\/p>\n Personally, cell-shaded graphics have always been something I’ve seen as a poor man’s antialiasing – a technique to hide jaggies on a console. It has never been something I’ve seen artistically executed, and has always been a lurid eyesore. However, The Darkness 2 uses it flawlessly and it genuinely brings that comic book feel to life.<\/p>\n Well, \u201clife.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether popping an enemy’s head off, ripping their spine out or simply watching cutscenes play out, the graphics are beautiful; the artistic direction is simply flawless and it’s difficult to imagine this game done any differently.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nUnleashing the Darkness<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nDon’t lose control<\/h3>\n