Recent reviews by Kapitein Iglo

It's strange how sometimes you can like a game the first 10 minutes, see yourself hate it thoroughly after playing 30 minutes, almost giving the entire game up, and in the end love it so much it's end up on your favorites games list... The Darkness II is NOT that type of game. The first game however, is definitely that type of game. After a slow start and what seems to be a big nuisance -the maze of connected levels through the New York subway- it starts to grow on you, it feels like you are right there with Jackie Estacado, a betrayed hitman for the mafia, helping him travel from the one rotten place to the next forsaken hell (literally) all the while thinking about your sins and the losses you had to suffer. And all of this because a evil force is helping you fulfill your vengeance but by every heart taken from the bodies of fallen enemies it takes you one step closer to the darkness and its goal to ultimately take complete control of your mind, will and body. There develops and plays out a story that’s gruesome and poetic at times, you will remember it, it will haunt you.

Let's spill the beans right now for those not interested in reading a lengthy piece. It's not easy to follow up Starbreeze's gem but Digital Extremes (DE) did a good job for a sequel. While it does not satisfy as much and does not answer all the burning questions you have after playing the first one (how did Jackie return?) they at least took over most important aspects and characters from the first one that made it memorable and continue on those. That also has it's flip side, when a sequel focuses on the most memorable aspects it forgets the subtle details that made the first great. The new york subway as a game hub is no more and therefore the unique pacing of the first game is also gone. This game capitalizes on the action and creates a big deja vu of the first story and works towards a way too obvious end. As such you will feel for the characters only because you went on the dark journey with them in the first, not from what you experience in the Darkness II.

But the action, that it does good. While I personally enjoyed the more realistic style of the first, the cell shaded look of the second game will not throw you off that much. It's still gory and it still has many themes that could be deemed controversial for a game and I guess because the game did not became that much of a hit that these moments have gone unnoticed. The gun game play is improved and you get more darkness powers to play with (damn you stupid skill trees, choices, choices...). DE was also smart enough to leave out some overpowered skills out of the game or downgrade them a little bit to make the playing field more fair. The enemies are also much aware of the Darkness and it's powers and flaws and are much tougher then the unknowing mobsters from the first game. Flash grenades and portable lights will certainly give you a fight to find a spot of darkness and to unleash your dark powers.

In the end I enjoyed the darkness II very much for its game play and rehearses of the first games story. However, I play a game for it's story and hoped for a different direction, a story arc the same as the first is a bit of a let down. If you have your heart set on playing this then play the first game first and then decide if you want to play the Darkness II. If you do you will at least play this game with more passion for the characters and you will already have developed a love/hate relationship with one of the coolest voices featured in a game and the gravely twisted mind that is the Darkness.

Came looking for a generic shoot m up, walked away with one of the most thought provoking games of the last time. Controls may be just a bit cluncky but the story is way up there. And it just so happens that I like a game with a story even more then my generic mindless shoot m up.

Remake of one of the best games ever. Plays and looks nice and serves as a nice substitute for the first game but will never be as special as the first one.

I am glad they only started recording playing hours in steam games when i started working full time. I've spent so many hours in this game... Only multiplayer game that I played and still play from time to time.

This is a must have game that gave birth to the word 'Epic'.