The Darkness, a video game that was based on a comic book, was well worth the effort of the creators when it was launched in 2007. The game was created by Starbreeze Studios and published by 2K Games for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Witchblade introduced the Darkness, a character that is more akin to an amorphous force of chaos, in 1996. Its host gains unrestricted Demonic power and has access to a dimension outside of our own. This enigmatic character and an intriguing mafia-based plot were presented in the game.
Although quite an exciting first-person shooter video game, The Darkness was undoubtedly not for everyone. Some gameplay elements, like killing individuals in the most horrific ways or tearing them to pieces with tentacles, were not to everyone’s taste. Due to the excessive violence and expletives that were disrespectful to certain religions, it was outlawed in places like Singapore.
The game was nevertheless quite intriguing, and it had some creative ideas like the ability to make black holes and experiment with features that were not often found in video games at the time. The action in this game was loved by bloodhounds, but over time the franchise met an unhappy end. In this video, we will examine the two games in the series, discussing both their strengths and weaknesses. We will also discuss the numerous factors that led to the demise of a game with such great potential for success.
The Darkness
You play this game as Jackie Estacado, and the storyline is revealed through his narration. It all starts off on his 21st birthday, when an assassination attempt on him fails. The man behind the sinister plan is his uncle Paulie, an underworld boss who is simply paranoid that his nephew would take over his position. The Darkness, an ancient demonic force, has inhabited Jackie’s bloodline for several generations, and as night falls, it manifests into him. The attackers are slaughtered, and Jackie now has to deal with his new powers.
He ruins his uncle’s drug business and money laundering operations using his special powers, but Paulie is not the one to sit quietly. He bombs the orphanage where Jackie grew up, and a corrupt Police Captain named Eddie helps Paulie kidnap Jackie’s girlfriend Jenny. They keep her imprisoned in the orphanage to draw Jackie in, and when Jackie reaches there in search of his girlfriend, the Darkness torments him with painful memories.
He is forced to watch as his girlfriend is killed by Paulie, and he helplessly watches them flee after the crime. After the trauma, Jackie commits suicide, but he wakes up in the Otherworld. This is a hellish world controlled by the Darkness, and it looks like the trenches used in World War I. In this hellish place he meets his great-great-grandfather, who explains how he brought the Darkness into the family. The only way Jackie can get rid of the curse is by invading the innermost castle in the Otherworld, and facing the Darkness. Jackie plans meticulously to get his revenge and kills Eddie and his men in an explosion.
At this time, he goes back to the Otherworld and with the help of his great-great-grandfather attacks the castle. Before the latter can tell Jackie how to free himself from the Darkness, his spirit is pulled away. However, Jackie allows himself to be consumed by the powers of the Darkness. With every murder the Darkness has more control over him, and he finally kills Paulie in his hideout. By now, the body-count has gone so high that the Darkness revels in this murderous spree!
The game ends on an emotional note as Jackie is in a dream where he lies in Jenny’s arms. They have been allowed a few minutes to be together for the final time, and when Jackie wakes up the screen fades to black!
What we felt about this game
This is easily one of the best comic based games that you will come across. One of the first things that you will notice about this game is the incredibly stylized visual aspect of the gameplay. The narrative starts off in New York City, and they portray a gloomy and dark landscape with mysterious alleys and dimly lit streets. The use of light and shadow is simply brilliant, and the dark visuals also sync with the story perfectly.
The character of Jackie is an interesting guy, who is a wise fellow from a crime family. His deals with the Darkness are also full of dilemmas because there is a heavy price to pay in return for all the powers that he will gain. The beautifully crafted story will make you feel like you are watching a well-written horror flick, and the dialogues and cut-scenes add to this ambiance. The game wouldn’t have been the same without the terrific voice-acting, and there are some emotionally powerful sequences that will leave you with a heavy heart.
The action scenes are well-balanced, and the game moves ahead quite smoothly. It does get somewhat gory, but you would know that the game is not about the gimmicks. The levels are enormous in size, and you have to do everything from finding collectible items, performing small quests, and even speaking to certain characters. The strategic importance is paramount, mainly because the powers of the Darkness work in the dark. Thus, you must black out an area by shooting at the street lamps before you even go into battle.
One of our favorite moments in the game was when demons could be summoned and they would suck people up through a black hole or impale the bad guys. At times you might feel a bit too powerful with all the tentacles sticking out of your back, but the supremacy is short-lived if you are not too careful. Before you know it you will be gunned down! The game interacts with you quite a bit, and this dark and action packed game is a must try if you want a beautiful story with top-notch graphics in a neat package.
The Darkness 2
This game begins with the premise that Jackie now leads the Franchetti family, and he has learned to control the Darkness. However, he is often haunted by the memories of his dead girlfriend Jenny. He and his crew are attacked by a rival gang in a restaurant, and this causes him to restore his powers using the Darkness. He is helped by a Darkling and goes after his attackers into the subway. Suddenly, he gets hit by a train after being shocked by a vision of Jenny. When he reawakens with his men, he straightaway goes after the gang that attacked him. After some investigation they trace the attack to a crime boss named Swifty. Although he is subdued, he reveals that the attack was actually planned by a shady group that simply paid him to do the job.
Jackie soon learns about the secret society that ordered the hit. They are a group of armed cultists, who want to use the power of the Darkness for themselves. The Darkness was known to have one small weakness – bright light! They use blinding lights to ambush Jackie and catch him unaware. He is knocked out, and when he wakes up he finds out that he has been crucified.
A device is attached to him, and it is draining him of his dark powers. A man named Victor offers him a fair deal and promises to spare the lives of his family if he willingly parts with his powers. When he refuses he loses consciousness yet again, and later, he wakes up in Hell where the Darkness keeps Jenny’s soul. Jackie breaks free, but his aunt Sarah is murdered by one of the members from the brotherhood.
After a mirage of complex events, Jackie’s powers are drained from him by Victor, but he retains a small portion of it. He goes after Victor, and manages to kill him. He then regains the Darkness and kills himself to join Jenny in Hell. However, he simply wakes up in a psychiatric ward and everyone tries to convince him that it is all an illusion. The Darkling sacrifices himself to help him escape.
At this point you can choose which storyline to follow. You can stay with Jenny in the ward, or you can reject the asylum try to reach hell. In the latter choice, Jackie rescues Jenny from her bindings in hell, but he himself remains trapped there!
Our Reviews for this game
Paul Jenkins, the man who wrote the script for the first game returns for the sequel. However, Starbreeze Studios, the earlier developer is now replaced by Digital Extremes. This game was released for PS 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows, and the reviews for the game were mostly positive! We must spare a special word for the story that keeps getting better. It is a compact tale of how Jackie’s life changes with the powers of the Darkness, and the endings are just how they should have been! Besides the usual gameplay, there is now a new Vendetta mode, which is kind of like a side campaign. Here, you get to play as one of the new characters, and they all have their personal weaponry and power sets.
This game is so much more than mindless shooting and action sequences, and there are some major changes made to the narrative. This game does not rely as much on stealth as the first game did, and it is more about taking down the baddies in the most gruesome ways. The darklings are not used as much as before, but you have a constant darkling, who is quite a fun character.
The graphics continue to impress and we loved the unabashed fun spirit of the game. We just have one major complaint with the game. Just as things start going from good to excellent, it is all over! It barely has five to six hours of gameplay, and that is certainly way too short for the gaming fans. If only it was longer, the popularity of the game could have been a whole different story. Nevertheless, we believe that this game performed way worse than its potential. It is quite an exciting follow-up and deserves a chance from those who loved the first Darkness game.
Fall of the Franchise
The Darkness 2 ends in a way that promises more to come in the future. Jackie is essentially left with the Darkness in hell, and the story begged continuation! So you would think a third game should have been here by now. Well, tough luck, because things did not go as planned. The Darkness 2 did not exactly please the developers with the sales figures. In fact, 2K revealed that there was no funding for The Darkness 2 DLC.
The startling fall in the commercial success meant that the future plans were kept on hold. 2K is focused and dedicated to making Borderlands 2 a success, and they probably wouldn’t have all that time to spare for this franchise at present. You can say it is quite unfair that one slow seller makes it curtains for the franchise! After all, we have seen several others that went along despite a small hiccup here and there. But it has been almost nine years since the second game was released, and there is still no good news about a third!
Future of the Darkness Franchise
As of now, nothing promising is heard from the franchise developers. Both the previous developers for the series are currently caught up in various projects. Digital Extremes is exploring various new games and Starbreeze is working on Payday 3, which is set to release in 2023. If 2K has any plans of bringing back this gem of a franchise, it would have to be a new developer this time around. But do they still own the rights of the franchise? Even if they don’t, Top Cow Productions, the comic series company, might be quite willing to offer them the same so that shouldn’t be a problem. The comic series is set to make a comeback, and a video game might be a step in the right direction for them in terms of the popularity.
If you look at the track record of 2K, it becomes pretty obvious that they would first re-master the previous games before bringing a third one into the picture. It has been the same with Borderlands or Mafia, and we don’t see how it can be any different with The Darkness!
It is a tried and tested policy because it tells the company about the craze for the franchise in the market. So it is nothing in the immediate future, and the fans might have to wait for a lot longer to get their desired The Darkness 3. However, it is not a lost cause because the comic book is returning and now is a good time to cash in on the nostalgia that the fans might have for the series.