The Darkness 2 (PC Xbox PS3)

Temptamperu

The Darkness 2 is the upcoming sequel to 2007's hit game from 2K, The Demo hit Xbox Live for gold subscribers (im not sure about Ps3 or steam) and it is loads of fun, I really like ripping peoples heads and hearts off and then throwing them against walls/their friends.
There seems to be RPG elements involved as in you get points for stylish kills which you spend building your charecter in four different directions, In the demo I went with a kind gun upgrade route so I got bullets for eating hearts. Its a really nice addition and it makes you want to play as well as possible and as demonicly as possible.
The graphics have gotten an upgrade too now it kinda looks like cell shading but then the background is more realistic an ofcourse you can shoot out lights and use the geomatry to make your kills and heal.
I was'nt really looking forward to this as I kinda got bored with the first one but everything has gotten such a good upgrade im willing to put 60 quid in on day one.

Zero-Cool

Jaysus better root out my PS2 again :P

ShadowHearth

that ps2 is a real technological gem! its a shame i am stuck with crapy ps3

Temptamperu

Sorry typo

Retr0gamer

I changed it for you

Grumpypants

I played a good bit of it while visiting with 2K last year. The art style threw me initially as it is very different but i settled into it quite quickly. I really liked the first one but replayed it recently and its pretty dated now. Fingers crossed this is good as i like Jackie.

ShadowHearth

Grumpypants wrote: »

I played a good bit of it while visiting with 2K last year. The art style threw me initially as it is very different but i settled into it quite quickly. I really liked the first one but replayed it recently and its pretty dated now. Fingers crossed this is good as i like Jackie.

Ending was good I heard in first one.

It does look cool, one of the rare cases when comic book games are good.

Zero-Cool

I only played the demo if the 1st one and didn't like it. Saw a vid of the new one and the cel shading looks very strange but the action looked mental. He was gunning his way through a sex club, was hilarious the stuff going on!

folan

i was and still am a fan of the first game, had some nice elements. i dont know, it was just something that i really got into

this looks better, hopefully that will continue inthe game play too. But this is not a release day game. it will be bought down the line when its dropped about 20 quid in price. because while i liked the game, and have played it through 3-4 times, its not in my classsics pile.

dan hibiki

demo is up on PSN. feels good to eat some hearts again!!!! :cool:

Chairman Meow

The original is a classic. Its mostly down to the story that i rate it so highly. The combat can be pretty clunky, but as far as narrative in games goes, i think its possibly the best example this gen. The bad guys are human, which makes them scarier and more believable, (at no point do they go super saiyan form a la Atlas in Bioshock), theyre jsut bad, evil people, and theres just so many 'woah' moments in the narrative.
Ive never played a game where i personally wanted to get revenge on the baddie quite as much as i did with Uncle Paulie in the darkness.

The sequel seems to have vastly improved the gameplay flaws from the first but probably will wind up with a weaker story

Retr0gamer

Thought the narrative was pretty crap to be honest in the first game. Good acting, and some clever set piece ideas but the dialogue was clunky and cliche and the was like a really bad 'ooh look isn't it so dark and gritty' graphic novel that was trying too hard. Anyway this is by a different team so hopefully it will be better although the property is a bit crap in all honesty.

dan hibiki

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Thought the narrative was pretty crap to be honest in the first game. Good acting, and some clever set piece ideas but the dialogue was clunky and cliche and the was like a really bad 'ooh look isn't it so dark and gritty' graphic novel that was trying too hard. Anyway this is by a different team so hopefully it will be better although the property is a bit crap in all honesty.

the voice acting was truly superb in the first game. mike patton is back but it sounds like somebody else is voicing Jackie which is a bit of a let-down.

Retr0gamer

dan hibiki wrote: »

the voice acting was truly superb in the first game. mike patton is back but it sounds like somebody else is voicing Jackie which is a bit of a let-down.

Yeah can't fault the voice work at all, top notch stuff.

LighterGuy

I played the demo and I can say this seems very good. The first was really good too

Hopefully the second one wont change the formula too much. There was much more than just going around shooting all the time in the first. Hopefully that element is present too.

LH Pathe

This didn't strike me as good as the first but that may be because that was a launch title so seemed a better game. But alas, only a demo..

There's no doubting jackie's cockney cohort in the union flag is insufferable though

Phoenix Park

This due out on Friday in Ireland?. Google says its out tomorrow in the US and then Europe 10th February . What i've seen so far on you tube looks good.

Retr0gamer

Is there a review embargo? Usually that isn't a good thing.

calex71

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Is there a review embargo? Usually that isn't a good thing.

Was thinking same when I went looking earlier, hate that BS but that's another thread.

I liked the demo but didn't love it, I'll wait for a reliable review and/or a price drop I think.

Helix

review up: http://www.clickonline.com/games/review--the-darkness-ii/6476/

It's really bloody good

ShadowHearth

Well helix, you newer steered me wrong direction with your reviews, though I will give it a skip.

I want to get twisted metal or ps vita this month, so don't want to spend any extra money!

johnny_ultimate

I quite liked the first - the game I played certainly bears only the most minor of resemblances to the game war crime retr0 describes.

What is turning me off is all those previews saying how they've toned up the 'mature' (read: immature) content. If there's one thing gaming doesn't need, it's more violence / sexism / childish obscenities.

Still: quad wielding FTW!

Helix

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Well helix, you newer steered me wrong direction with your reviews, though I will give it a skip.

I want to get twisted metal or ps vita this month, so don't want to spend any extra money!

twisted metal was delayed til march 7th over there

Helix

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

I quite liked the first - the game I played certainly bears only the most minor of resemblances to the game war crime retr0 describes.

What is turning me off is all those previews saying how they've toned up the 'mature' (read: immature) content

it's gory, but it is a genuinely mature take on the genre in terms of the narrative

Phoenix Park

Just played the demo there and thought it was greatfun, a bit different from the traditional shooter. I never played the first one. I'm tempted by this.

calex71

Helix wrote: »

review up: http://www.clickonline.com/games/review--the-darkness-ii/6476/

It's really bloody good

Nice review and it sold me, well it did for it not for the length of the campaign. When I read that I said you have to be sh***ing me ???? and re-read it :eek:

Helix

calex71 wrote: »

Nice review and it sold me, well it did for it not for the length of the campaign. When I read that I said you have to be sh***ing me ???? and re-read it :eek:

i got through it in about 6h 25 i think (i never time these things properly, when i really, really should), but im pretty sure it can be done faster if you simply leg it through the levels. conversely, if you're not faced with having to get your review written by a certain time so you can go to the shop to get stuff for dinner, then you'll probably just as easily make it last longer

Helix

jesus i just noticed i typed 5-6 hours instead of 5-7 hours haha

calex71

Helix wrote: »

jesus i just noticed i typed 5-6 hours instead of 5-7 hours haha

Not much difference at the end of the day when it comes to parting with 50 euro and kingdoms of amalur out the same day

ShadowHearth

Helix wrote: »

twisted metal was delayed til march 7th over there

Aaaaaa ****.... I guess, because of all that " too gory and scary for 18 year old kids" ****? Is it delayed in US too? Might aswell import it with no cut outs.

Well I guess ps vita it is then.

Ross_Mahon

This better be good, really enjoyed the first game, i liked the way the heavy music kicked in while you were in combat, the characters also immersed me into the game and i couldn't wait to get revenge on uncle Paulie.

Temptamperu

A five to six hour linear shooter with about 2 hours of multiplayer... really? I am totally waiting for this to be pre-owned in about a year if I even bother with it at all.

I am so ashamed I made this thread.

Helix

Temptamperu wrote: »

A five to six hour linear shooter with about 2 hours of multiplayer... really? I am totally waiting for this to be pre-owned in about a year if I even bother with it at all.

I am so ashamed I made this thread.

tbh it's better than 99% of shooters out there

of course if youre an online deathmatch whore you probably won't like it. personally im sick of that crap at this stage

Helix

Helix wrote: »

i got through it in about 6h 25 i think (i never time these things properly, when i really, really should), but im pretty sure it can be done faster if you simply leg it through the levels. conversely, if you're not faced with having to get your review written by a certain time so you can go to the shop to get stuff for dinner, then you'll probably just as easily make it last longer

Do you mind me asking on what difficulty did you complete this on? And is it quality over quantity? Length should not always be an issue :P

Helix

M!Ck^ wrote: »

Do you mind me asking on what difficulty did you complete this on? And is it quality over quantity? Length should not always be an issue :P

on the default settings, and yeah it is quality over quantity, absolutely

Temptamperu

Helix wrote: »

tbh it's better than 99% of shooters out there

of course if youre an online deathmatch whore you probably won't like it. personally im sick of that crap at this stage

I dont play multiplayer co-op or competitive so paying 60 euro for 5-6 hours no matter how good the game is just is not worth it. I will wait until its second hand and the company that makes it loses a customer and money. More people need to make a stand against this 6 hour malarkey. These companies are crying because we buy or sell pre-owned yet they do nothing to to make me want to buy a new game and keep it.

Helix

Temptamperu wrote: »

I dont play multiplayer co-op or competitive so paying 60 euro for 5-6 hours no matter how good the game is just is not worth it. I will wait until its second hand and the company that makes it loses a customer and money. More people need to make a stand against this 6 hour malarkey. These companies are crying because we buy or sell pre-owned yet they do nothing to to make me want to buy a new game and keep it.

see, the 6 hour thing doesnt really bother me if it's actually a really good game

ever played an 8-10 hour game where you're wondering when the hell it's ever going to end so you can put it to bed? i have. and it's becoming all too frequent an event

give me this over it any day

Temptamperu

If you are getting tired of games after 6 hours, what does that say about the game?

Helix

Temptamperu wrote: »

If you are getting tired of games after 6 hours, what does that say about the game?

that's pretty much my point, and the reason why the darkness, despite being shorter, is actually better than the vast majority of shooters on the market

gizmo

Look at it like this, the original Max Payne games lasted between five and seven hours. If they had dragged on for ten or more hours they would have gotten monotonous. Does that mean they were inferior or weren't worth the money? Of course not, they're two of the greatest action games of all time.

On a side note, the game is available up the road from you in Smyths for €50, rather than the €60 you were quoting earlier, should you change your mind.

LH Pathe

Slightly perturbed by the sequel described as linear. Straighforward, blinkered type approach. I liked to get lost in the first - is it true the new jackie cries himself asleep to dream theater?! this is dropping in priority behind Catherine and Grand Slam tennis 2

Phoenix Park

Fairly mediocre review up now on Gametrailers. I have played the demo a couple of times, still not sure about this one. Was gonna pick either this up or Gears of War 3 over the weekend, might go with the latter.

A-Trak

This out early anywhere today?

LH Pathe

seems to pick up after the demo section. surprised they're not into the 4th instalment or thereabouts of an ideal comic-to-game franchise tbh as jackie is perfectly equipped.. nearly 5yr is a while for a sequel

SirLemonhead

I loved the first game and i'm enjoying this a lot, though not quite to the same extent as the first. I'm not finding it boring in the slightest

The field of view is awful though..everything feels way too close. I've started playing it with my 360 pad and sitting a fair bit back from the monitor to compensate.

Chairman Meow

Helix wrote: »

tbh it's better than 99% of shooters out there

of course if youre an online deathmatch whore you probably won't like it. personally im sick of that crap at this stage

The shootign really is top notch. Really reminds me of bulletstorm. Just so many options available to you and makes you think about every single kill and how to pull it off. The story is quality too, not up to the standard of the first but so far its really, really good. Better than most other shooters stories for sure.

Also really loving the art style, i wasnt sold on it after the demo, but looking at the sketch lines on the textures, the colorful skyboxes, at times it honestly looks like yore palying a panel from a comic book, which is pretty appropriate.

I know its short, but ive put in a couple of hours each night since friday and loved it. Still not finished too as im taking my time. And put it this way, people raved about Halo and the recent remake, **** me, i got 6 hours into that and was praying for it to end because of all the reuse of areas. And assassins creed revelations, which i traded for the darkness 2, man i put maybe 5 or 6 hours into that adn was pure sick of it. Couldnt even bring myself to finish it. But this is just leaving me wanting more. If thats the worst complaint i can level at it, its doign something really right.

The only thing that would stop me really recommending it is maybe if you havent played the original, the impact of soem of the scenes with Jenny would be lost on you. But overall, this is excellent, and even if the story passed you by, the action is bloody brilliant.

LH Pathe

Jackie's tough guy mobster persona / voice doesn't sit with his foppish image he'd get tore a new one for stepping out like that. it's not that he's overstyle as a mafia man just if ever a character looked like dorian gray unfortunate byproduct maybe. not a comic I'd buy but it must be a better representation all round due to better art and no audio for starters. Comics can be hard to do justice to when translating to game but not about to enter the stupid long code to d/l the free editions just now

Chairman Meow

LH Pathe wrote: »

Jackie's tough guy mobster persona / voice doesn't sit with his foppish image he'd get tore a new one for stepping out like that. it's not that he's overstyle as a mafia man just if ever a character looked like dorian gray unfortunate byproduct maybe. not a comic I'd buy but it must be a better representation all round due to better art and no audio for starters. Comics can be hard to do justice to when translating to game but not about to enter the stupid long code to d/l the free editions just now

I dont think the mafia would be too quick to tear him a new one for having long hair when he happens to command an army of satanic minions, tbh.

calex71

Hooray xtravision had rental copies

Anyway for anyone else how has the same issue I had with installing the game on xbox, it would just sit there when you hit install and not prompt you to pick an install location, simply sign out and install the game. Then sign back in.

LH Pathe

Chairman Meow wrote: »

dont think the mafia would be too quick to tear him a new one for having long hair when he happens to command an army of satanic minions, tbh.

Not so much the hair but combined with the waistcoat in particular.. always struggled with seperating fiction from reality anyhow. but the dorian gray thing only really hit home when I caught a sight of my himself in a bathroom mirror in-game last night. appeared the very definition I thought no time for such vanities cant keep the mob waiting.. n thus the juxtaposition took hold

bestest brothel I've encountered in a game the chicks r all hot!! and be sure to catch the

chick taking it bareback, doggy style

calex71

I really can't wait for this game to be over now after playing it all evening I'm glad it's so short and even more glad it was a rental.

Not a patch on the original, I would say it's just another generic corridor shooter but that would be doing it a disservice as it plays very well, just I could care less about the story and the use of abilities seems to have been reigned in from the the first game.

It looks really nice though.