The Darkness

Written by Tom Clare in PS3 Game Reviews, Friday 20 March, 2009

Released: 2007
Developer: Starbreeze Studios
Publisher: 2K Games
Genre: FPS
Platform: PS3
Version: 1.00

Whilst Resistance: Fall of Man was undoubtedly the pace-setter in terms of the PS3’s early FPS output, in many respects it was The Darkness that first hinted at the gameplay advancements gamers could look forward to from the burgeoning technology.

Based on an obscure comic of the same name, The Darkness is as much driven by its story as it is its shooting elements, as you take control of 21 (going on 35) year-old mafia hitman Jackie Estacado, who begins his tale with a police pursuit that culminates in a violent car crash. He is then set up, betrayed and nearly blown to bits by his mad Uncle Paulie and to cap it off, he finds that he has inherited the malevolent, soul-destroying power of the Darkness. All in all, major bummer.

It’s a game that affords the player a little bit more freedom than similar titles, as the various streets and locations you’ll visit are linked by a couple of subways, which in turn house a number of people who will at varying times request Jackie’s aid for a variety of quests, both secondary and primary to the main storyline.

There’s no denying the games unique selling point was always going to centre on the Darkness powers, and here it doesn’t disappoint. Frequently a crux of so-called ‘superhero’ games, superhuman skills are often used to gloss over a lack of imagination, with developers tending to play it safe by assigning humdrum tasks to remarkable abilities. However, in The Darkness many of the action sequences and puzzles are directly tailored to get the maximum out of Jackie’s abilities. His curse has a range of perks, including the ‘creeping dark’ ability that allows you (as a darkling-tentacle thing) to slither up and over walls, through vents and otherwise-difficult to traverse areas, and is mighty useful for taking out enemies obscured by cover. The pick of the rest is the black hole; a devastating move you’ll acquire late on that sucks up all nearby enemies and objects and sends them spinning through a violent vortex before dumping them back down to earth in suitably satisfying style.

In many ways though, it’s actually the frailties of the powers that make for the most interesting gameplay elements. The equation is simple enough; you absorb and retain power in the shade, whilst it drains away if you linger in the light. Thus lights in the environment need to be switched off, shot or smashed. Some well-constructed locations help intensify your awareness of the surroundings, as you seek to limit potential dangers in the event of an ambush. The mix of claustrophobic tunnels and wide open streets offers a potent and disarming contrast as you chop and change between the two, each harbouring their own dangers and therefore challenge you to adapt your playing style. There’s the odd memorable scene, such as a Church shootout whereby your assailants use floodlights in an attempt to gain the upper hand. Thanks to fantastic attention to detail, the noir-like streets and alleyways retain a creepy allure throughout. The only notable letdown in terms of environment design are the World War One trench sections; given that the setting is highly unoriginal in a game of this sort, it feels tacked-on and totally out of place, with the dreary landscapes looking noticeably less impressive than their modern day equivalents. Nevertheless, the Darkness powers prove a cool addition that builds greatly on the decent but largely unremarkable shoot ‘em up elements.

Whilst the blasting is handled well enough, it isn’t quite as satisfying as it could ultimately have been. It’s difficult to point the finger at one specific factor, more a culmination of several smaller ones; the faint but noticeable aim-assist, the increasingly huge powers and therefore superiority you are afforded over your mortal enemies; Jackie’s quick rejuvenation from bullet wounds and the slightly underwhelming selection of firearms are all contributing factors.

However, that points a rather poor picture of a game that is anything but. It’s a thinking-mans FPS at heart with some great locations and superb, cinematic touches. The streets and subways are some of the most impressive yet seen in a PS3 game; not only do the several-dozen characters you’ll meet look fantastic, each and every one of them looks different – there are no duplicates. It’s also notable that Starbreeze are one of a very select bunch of developers to have taken advantage of 1080i/p HD screen resolutions so it all looks mega sharp and crisp.

Some of the smartest presentation touches are among the smallest. At one stage, Jackie gets to spend time with his girlfriend Jenny at her apartment, whilst To Kill A Mockingbird is playing on her TV set – not just a trailer, but the whole film!  Elsewhere in the game TVs are put to good use as you can catch bulletins directly relating to Jackie and the games narrative path, and the sets are even used on the odd occasion as a tension-building red herring, as you hear rock music steadily cranking up to an ever-more frantic level, only to discover a TV set to the music channel.

You’ll get a little under a weeks worth of gameplay before the credits roll, though the lacklustre multiplayer is unlikely to coax FPS fans into playing much beyond this time-scale. It does at least deliver a large horde of extras, unearthed chiefly by finding phone numbers and then calling them on one of the games pay phones. Admittedly, the laughs they deliver quickly wear thin with the messages usually consisting of nonsensical rants in a variety of highly unconvincing mock-accents, though the game was never going to live and die on something so trivial. The trove of comics and concept art are, provided you’re armed with a HDTV, not bad at all.

The Darkness is a very good FPS with an interesting story, a decent cast of protagonists and smart enough use of special powers (and weaknesses) to keep things interesting right to the end. It isn’t the game to buy if you’re after a strong multiplayer, but if you’re after a distinguished representative of the increasingly saturated ‘troubled superhero’ niche, then this is right up there with the best of ‘em.

 

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