Thoughts on The Darkness

[Gamerforlife]

Was looking around in Blockbuster's used game section and saw this for fifteen bucks. I have heard good things about it and I've seen some youtube videos of it that looked fun. Have any of you played it? No spoilers please

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Its ok if you like the idea of minions and love first person shooters.

[NotBlaine]

I think it's a good pick up in the $20 and under range. Story is good, gameplay is good, lots of nice little touches.

Personally, I think it's bad ass that you can watch one of my favorite kung fu movies, The Street Fighter, staring Sonny Chiba on the tv.

[dsheinem]

I just picked it up - should arrive this week. I'll share my thoughts when it gets here.

[Gamerforlife]

Seems pretty cool so far. The tv thing is cool. I mean the stuff you can watch on it is simply awesome. I'm told there are FULL movies you can watch on tv within the game. That's just plain cool. Plus, music videos and there seems to be stuff from Tool in there. Also, the way they use the tv in the first stage to immerse you into the game is very cool as well.

Oh, and Darklings are pretty damn funny

[Gamerforlife]

I think it's a good pick up in the $20 and under range. Story is good, gameplay is good, lots of nice little touches.

Personally, I think it's bad ass that you can watch one of my favorite kung fu movies, The Street Fighter, staring Sonny Chiba on the tv.

I'm pretty engrossed in the story now. Almost makes me want to check out the comic it's based on. The characters are all great. Voice acting is superb. There's some pretty clever methods the game uses to tell its story and immerse the player. Everything from Game Overs to loading screens are meshed into the story which I find VERY impressive.

In some minor ways, this game reminds me of Max Payne. A dark story in a crime-filled world focused on a violent man who actually is a decent guy at heart. Game oozes style too, which also makes me think of Max Payne. And the humorous dialogue of the thugs is Max Paynish. The story and gameplay are very, very different from Payne in a lot of ways though, but I just noticed Payne popping into my head a few times as I played The Darkness

Gameplaywise, it's not one of the better shooters I've played, but it is fun. The darkness powers are all pretty cool. Story seems paramount in this game, but the gameplay is decent.

I think this is one of the 360's hidden gems and an excellent licensed game, even though I'm not actually familiar with the comic. This game certainly makes it seem awesome though

EDIT:Also love the game's awesome execution kills

[Gamerforlife]

Just finished. My highest recommendation. The game's story is EXCELLENT, though the ending leaves things somwhat unresolved. There will be a sequel though. The story is dark, twisted, disturbing and surprising. It's really some of the best storytelling I've ever seen in a game and as I said in an earlier post, I love how EVERY part of the game flows into the story, including loading screens and Game Overs. The whole thing is so damn cinematic too. I really feel like I just played through a fantastic movie.

There are some gameplay flaws. Darklings can be stupid sometimes, demon arm power doesn't seem that useful, auto-targeting can be finicky and there are rare instances of the game not making it clear what to do next or where to go next, but this is still a fantastic game. The gameplay is a lot of fun despite lacking some polish and being a bit simple and repetitive. Everything else in the game is polished to a shine though.

I loved the FEELING of being this frightening, monstrous thing in the darkness and terrorizes my enemies, with adrenaline pumping or epic music playing in the background(depending on the situation). Creeping dark is one of the coolest powers in ANY game. I used it to take out a huge boat full of enemies without ever even stepping foot inside. Brings a whole new meaning to stealth attacks

Also, the enemy dialogue is EXCELLENT. They will say things appropriate to the situation at hand, which is rare in video games. Some of the insults they throw at you too are PERSONAL. This game is detail oriented and full of wonderful surprises for players who take their time through the game, observing things and doing some of the optional stuff.

I WANT to give this game a 9 out of 10, but it does have its flaws as I mentioned. Some criticize it for being too short and not having much replay, but I honestly don't care when a game is this good. Oh yeah, the multi-player sucks but who gives a crap? This was clearly designed to be a quality single player experience. I'd give it an 8, not that this is a review or anything

EDIT:Also LOVE the in-game achievement menu, which KEEPS TRACK of your achievement progress, making you well aware of how many more times you need to do a certain thing, or what unlockables you're still missing. EXCELLENT.

[RackGaki]

Voice acting is superb.

Mike Patton (of Faith no More) is The Darkness, among other notables. Voice acting was most definitely a highlight of the game...

[Gamerforlife]

Voice acting is superb.

Mike Patton (of Faith no More) is The Darkness, among other notables. Voice acting was most definitely a highlight of the game...

Oh yeah, the voice acting was fantastic and the scripting and dialogue. The only voice that seemed slightly off was Jenny, but I think it's just because they wanted her to sound like a normal girl, not an "actress". It works.

[dsheinem]

My copy (PS3) arrived today so I'll try it out soon - looking forward to it even more now after your non-review review.