G RolDorsia? Nobody goes there anymore...Nell'sRegistered Userregular
edited January 2012
I really enjoyed first game (aside from the seemingly unending traversal from place to place using the subway). The demo for the sequel has me completely sold. The combat is rock solid, the leveling system seems to offer a TON of options, and the over the top violence is goofy fun.
I personally love the change in art style, and Mike Patton's "Darkness voice" remains beautifully demented.
Also, if you ever wanted to hear what The Darkness would sound like if it sang; this is a pretty solid example of Mike Patton using that voice to get down:
Pretty awesome game. One thing that's missing from the first game is a small detail that I loved.
With pistols, Jackie's trigger fingers were pressure sensitive. You could slowly pull the trigger on a gun and see the hammer moving. Made a bit at the end really cool. Of course, this doesn't hurt The Darkness 2 at all, was just a little sad to see it gone.
Everyone has a price. Throw enough gold around and someone will risk disintegration.
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Johnny ChopsockyScootaloo! We have to cook!Grillin' HaysenburgersRegistered Userregular
Wow, that was a pretty damn robust demo. Got several quality gameplay sections in with a great intro to the bad guys.
I just got around to trying the demo, and HOT DAMN am I impressed with this. I'm guessing it won't have as good a story, but it's a much better game this time around - everything's tighter and more fluid, especially the gunplay. Really digging the look too; it fits with the comic book's motif much better.
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KadokenGiving Ends to my Friends and it Feels StupendousRegistered Userregular
I hope they have an inverted mouse setting. Or I could just switch the keys.
So yeah, while I liked the idea of the original Darkness, it was the same as all Starbreeze games are to me - really atmospheric, but not much fun to actually play. I never completed The Darkness. The WWI sections were awful and confusing enough to get me to stop entirely. Just ugly, horribly designed levels.
The demo for The Darkness II, however? Outstanding. I love the constant points you're getting for killing enemies, I love how snappy and responsive everything feels, it's just a seriously great demo.
Amalur and SSX will soon be taking up my time, so I'll have to wait for the price drop on The Darkness II. But I'm looking forward to it a lot more now.
Early reviews for this are mostly positive, though apparently the campaign is short and there's not enough Mike Patton*. I'm hesitant about this. On the one hand, it's one of only two games that interest me in February. On the other hand, it's taken everything I loved about the Darkness and replaced it with Borderlands.
I'll wait this one out, see how the story plays out, and then make my decision.
So, I finally got around to playing the demo for this.
The combat is without a doubt better, but that's really the only compliment I can give it.
I find the art style far too cartoony, and as a result, the story and the violence have lost their weight for me. The art style of the original was very realistic, and its realism made the violence and supernatural elements more powerful to me. Whenever something extremely violent, or otherworldly happened, it was shocking. But with this art style, the violent and the supernatural are expected.
And it's not just the art that has lessened the impact of the violence, but the actual mechanics as well. In the original, when you ripped someone's heart out, it really felt like you were tearing through muscle and bone, but in the Darkness 2, you're slicing through guys like butter.
I'm also terribly disappointed at the lack of Kirk Acevedo.
I guess I'm making a lot of judgements based solely on a demo, but these were the impressions it left me with.
I find the art style far too cartoony, and as a result, the story and the violence have lost their weight for me. The art style of the original was very realistic, and its realism made the violence and supernatural elements more powerful to me. Whenever something extremely violent, or otherworldly happened, it was shocking. But with this art style, the violent and the supernatural are expected.
To be fair, that puts it significantly more in line with the comic than the original game was...
After looking at more reviews, my excitement is starting to grow. I think I'll pick this up. Hopefully, the rumor I heard about a certain someone being in this is true.
Okay so, campaign is not super-duper long. Actually sat down to play this around 2:30 and minus about an hour, finished around 11:30. That said, I personally am of the mindset that a long game doesn't automatically equate to a good one; I can definitely understand the concern about value for money, especially in the era of 60 bucks a pop. But there have been plenty of times when I've gotten bored with 'great' 60+ hour titles and have loved far shorter ones. I've never finished any of the Dragon Age games, but finished Bioshock in a one-night marathon and played through it at least six times to date.
ANYWAY. The point I'm trying awkwardly to get to is that while I loved the first "Darkness" game alot for its story and sadistic gameplay, it always felt... somewhat padded to me. On some level, it also felt like a well-made shooter but with a supernatural element stapled onto it. The game made a big deal about the Darkness and such and your light weakness, but it was ultimately more an environmental quirk than a relevant, integrated part of the universe. No one seemed to know/care about the fact that you had scary monster arms coming out of you, and very rarely did your enemies try to take advantage of your weakness (because, again, no one seems to know about it). Also yeah, the hard noir aesthetic did FIT, but it worked somewhat against the gameplay by making the blacks and grays so deep and dense that it had to be 'tinted' lighter in order to see what you were doing (a somewhat corrected version of "Killzone 2 Syndrome").
"Darkness 2" basically takes every issue i had with the game and fixes it. In terms of gameplay, I think anyone who actually played Resistance 3 and enjoyed the well-made, modern-shooter-but-with-old-school-elements of that title will find alot to like here. Granted, "D2" doesn't have a particularly exciting arsenal but what it lacks in that regard it more than makes up for in sheer brutality and the 'quad-wielding' setup. It's a little bit of a mindfuck at first, but once you get the hang of it, it adds just enough multitasking to keep the moment-to-moment combat intense and satisfying. Executions in particular, even after Mortal Kombat 2011's gorier fatalities, somehow STILL manage to be wince-inducingly painful to watch, and that different button presses trigger different kills which ALSO result in benefits like more ammo/health/a free shield adds a nice bit of strategy as well.
In particular, I like that The Darkness itself is really front-and-center here, not just in terms of the story but the combat too. Any concerns I had with going the 'secret all powerful illuminati-style society' angle vanished when I realized it opens up the doors for enemies that are uniquely designed to actively challenge Jackie and his particular skillset (something I loved about a game like, say, "Infamous" was that it felt like the universe was really thoughtfully designed to highlight the characterstics/abilities of Cole The Electric Man-- it makes the world 'work' a little better, and it's nice for me to see something like that going on here too). It starts off with basic guys with guns but very quickly introduces guys with UV lanterns and flash bangs to take advantage of your light sensitivity, while brutes rush your position and lay on the hurt. The enemies are active and agressive and the battles are all the more satisfying for it.
I feel like it's also worth noting that, compared to CERTAIN OTHER titles in which the single-player campaign is a tacked-on, halfhearted appeasement than anything else, "Darkness 2's" campaign is as long as it is because that's exactly how long it needed to be. Digital Extremes actually WANTED to tell a story here, not just ride on the coattails of the first game's cult popularity and hope for the best, and it's done with excellent pacing and good, solid writing that actually makes an effort to step away from the (glorious) violence once in a while and allow a genuine bit of emotion and some truly EXCELLENT mindfuckery to take center stage. There's no real 'twist' here or some stupid gimmick to carry the weight of the narrative; it's straightforward and pulpy but DAMNIT, it works.
(That said, be sure to stay through the credits. Just sayin.)
I know that not alot of people are crazy about the cel-shading, but I feel like it's a good decision to make it 'pop' out against the backdrop of photorealistic, muted-palatte games out there, and it's actually very well-done. It evokes a slick comic-book appearance and some impressive detail without going full-on "Borderlands" cartoonish. Honestly, I think it might be the best implementation of this style I've seen since 2008's "Prince of Persia."
Also, early entry for Best Moment of 2012, involving a car and a well-timed gesture. You'll know it when you see it
Simply put-- if you liked Darkness 1, this is worth your time, and if you want something other than Oscar Mike: The Military Shooter #2343902903493, this is also worth your time. Whether it's worth your hard-earned 60$ is ultimately up to you; at the very least it deserves a rental. For a sequel that no one wanted to a cult-FPS from 5 years ago, and in the hands of a different dev team no less, this is way, WAY better than it has any right to be.
Haven't touched the co-op at all yet, so might have some thoughts on that when I get the chance to play around with it.
Gamertag: DrinksYurMlkshk
PSN ID: suzukaGongen
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Triple BBastard of the NorthMARegistered Userregular
I couldn't understand why more people didn't play The Darkness, and the same holds true for the sequel.
Nobody on my Steam friends list even fucking owns it.
This is a travesty, my lords. I consider Darkness 2 to be one of my top AAA-tier games of 2012 and it seems it's been completely overshadowed by Amalur. Which is also a great game, but I find it insane that a studio's first game ever got more advertising and attention than a sequel to one of my favorite current-gen games.
Never touched the first one, but the demo sold me, and I picked it up last night. So far it's a blast, although the protagonist has got to be the only emo mob hitman in history. More The Cure, less The Godfather, but whatever.
Anyway, is anyone doing this in co-op? I'd like to go through the co-op campaign at some point but no one I know has picked this up...
Because it isn't ON the PC. Speaking a PC player, I'm quite interested in the original. I do not own a console, though, so I can't play it.
Darkness 2 looks excellent, though. The quick look really sold me. Those Giant Bomb quick looks, at least with AAA/bigger titles can always be relied on to see if something appeals.
We don't even care... whether we care or not...
0
Triple BBastard of the NorthMARegistered Userregular
Because it isn't ON the PC. Speaking a PC player, I'm quite interested in the original. I do not own a console, though, so I can't play it.
Darkness 2 looks excellent, though. The quick look really sold me. Those Giant Bomb quick looks, at least with AAA/bigger titles can always be relied on to see if something appeals.
Yes, this thread is about Darkness 2 is it not? Which is very much on PC. I'm sorry for not making it clear enough that my entire post (aside from the first half of the first sentence) was about Darkness 2. :P
Yes, this thread is about Darkness 2 is it not? Which is very much on PC. I'm sorry for not making it clear enough that my entire post (aside from the first half of the first sentence) was about Darkness 2. :P
Misunderstanding on my part. Followed the first line into the second instead of parsing them.
I'm glad I stumbled into this thread, though. It didn't even occur to me to check for a demo on PC, until I came in here and saw the demo talked about. Can't wait to jump into it!
Klash on
We don't even care... whether we care or not...
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KadokenGiving Ends to my Friends and it Feels StupendousRegistered Userregular
Aww, I wanted to play Darkness 1 on PC. When I played it, the gunplay was solid and stylish, and there were "oodles" of blood. It had Retroitis however, in that it doesn't give you a clear inclination of where to go.
With me, I feel people need to be more specific what to do and where to go. Someone tells me "Look in the cabinet" okay, there's 6 cabinets in this room man. Same usually goes with videogames.
Wow. The demo controls great. At first I was iffy, expecting it have some truly awkward mechanisms, because it looked like a lot of stuff to control. Then, when I thought it was telling me to scroll the mouse wheel to control the demon arms, I thought I was right.
Then I realized I was an idiot, and you could control the direction just by looking around (and you can map the side-mouse buttons, thank you!). It works so fluidly. I hope there's a new game + mode, because I can't imagine filling that entire upgrade system in one go. Loved watching low level thugs freaking out, something I love in my FPS games (one of the reasons I love the F.E.A.R. series). Dual-wielding and going between weapons was smooth as can be, and everything felt very intuitive.
Really looking forward to this.
Klash on
We don't even care... whether we care or not...
0
Johnny ChopsockyScootaloo! We have to cook!Grillin' HaysenburgersRegistered Userregular
edited February 2012
Okay, the little on-rails section in this game? Awesome.
This game does a lot right, atmosphere and gameplay being chief among them.
Since it's out now, and people have already finished it, maybe some one could enlighten me. Playing the demo, I was awestruck by the amount of available upgrades, so I'm wondering:
Is there a new game +? That is, is there a chapter select, in which my upgrades are consistent, and I can select any difficulty. Like how FEAR 2 let you find all the Reflex Boosters, then go to any level with a maxed out slow-mo and have fun. I love upgrade-systems, but I love taking my upgrades into previous levels more than anything.
There is a mention of New Game + in the achievements.
This is a shockingly good game. The combat fells really good and tight. The voice acting is wonderful. And the story is not half bad. Comicy, but not in a bad way. Really grim. I got both this and Amalur from Gamefly at the same time and, while it is a litte apples and oranges, I find it disappointing that the story and characters and world in a comic, violent, mobster, magic FPS is way better and more interesting than this 60+ hour RPG.
Since it's out now, and people have already finished it, maybe some one could enlighten me. Playing the demo, I was awestruck by the amount of available upgrades, so I'm wondering:
Is there a new game +? That is, is there a chapter select, in which my upgrades are consistent, and I can select any difficulty. Like how FEAR 2 let you find all the Reflex Boosters, then go to any level with a maxed out slow-mo and have fun. I love upgrade-systems, but I love taking my upgrades into previous levels more than anything.
Yeah, there's a NG+, you need it to get all the upgrades.
I beat this last night and loved it. It's leaner and meaner then the first game, but it still has the heart.
Yeah, there's a NG+, you need it to get all the upgrades.
I beat this last night and loved it. It's leaner and meaner then the first game, but it still has the heart.
That sounds... delicious.
I'm glad to here there is NG+. Does this also include a chapter/level select menu?
Oddly enough, unless I'm being a silly goose of epic proportions, the only level select is from the New Game+ Menu. Also, be sure to pick up relics. Not only are the worth a shit ton of XP, but they also all have really, really cool backstories about the Darkness and the Angelus.
Yeah, there's a NG+, you need it to get all the upgrades.
I beat this last night and loved it. It's leaner and meaner then the first game, but it still has the heart.
That sounds... delicious.
I'm glad to here there is NG+. Does this also include a chapter/level select menu?
Oddly enough, unless I'm being a silly goose of epic proportions, the only level select is from the New Game+ Menu. Also, be sure to pick up relics. Not only are the worth a shit ton of XP, but they also all have really, really cool backstories about the Darkness and the Angelus.
Man, THIS. I love that they put so much thought into making the collectibles themselves interesting, rather than just an arbitrary Cheevo Requirement.
I always love when games use Christian Mythology in cool ways.
When you do it right, its so good and better than your tupical JRPG shitting on organized western religeon. Man, now I wanna watch Raiders of the Lost Ark. No that's not the best example.
Posts
I personally love the change in art style, and Mike Patton's "Darkness voice" remains beautifully demented.
Also, if you ever wanted to hear what The Darkness would sound like if it sang; this is a pretty solid example of Mike Patton using that voice to get down:
With pistols, Jackie's trigger fingers were pressure sensitive. You could slowly pull the trigger on a gun and see the hammer moving. Made a bit at the end really cool. Of course, this doesn't hurt The Darkness 2 at all, was just a little sad to see it gone.
I'm paying attention to this one now.
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
The demo for The Darkness II, however? Outstanding. I love the constant points you're getting for killing enemies, I love how snappy and responsive everything feels, it's just a seriously great demo.
Amalur and SSX will soon be taking up my time, so I'll have to wait for the price drop on The Darkness II. But I'm looking forward to it a lot more now.
I'll wait this one out, see how the story plays out, and then make my decision.
Shitty Tumblr:lighthouse1138.tumblr.com
The combat is without a doubt better, but that's really the only compliment I can give it.
I find the art style far too cartoony, and as a result, the story and the violence have lost their weight for me. The art style of the original was very realistic, and its realism made the violence and supernatural elements more powerful to me. Whenever something extremely violent, or otherworldly happened, it was shocking. But with this art style, the violent and the supernatural are expected.
And it's not just the art that has lessened the impact of the violence, but the actual mechanics as well. In the original, when you ripped someone's heart out, it really felt like you were tearing through muscle and bone, but in the Darkness 2, you're slicing through guys like butter.
I'm also terribly disappointed at the lack of Kirk Acevedo.
I guess I'm making a lot of judgements based solely on a demo, but these were the impressions it left me with.
Shitty Tumblr:lighthouse1138.tumblr.com
Shitty Tumblr:lighthouse1138.tumblr.com
Okay, the Quick Look sold me. Hopefully I'll be able to snag this on Friday.
Shitty Tumblr:lighthouse1138.tumblr.com
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
(No spoilers, but behind a cut for length)
ANYWAY. The point I'm trying awkwardly to get to is that while I loved the first "Darkness" game alot for its story and sadistic gameplay, it always felt... somewhat padded to me. On some level, it also felt like a well-made shooter but with a supernatural element stapled onto it. The game made a big deal about the Darkness and such and your light weakness, but it was ultimately more an environmental quirk than a relevant, integrated part of the universe. No one seemed to know/care about the fact that you had scary monster arms coming out of you, and very rarely did your enemies try to take advantage of your weakness (because, again, no one seems to know about it). Also yeah, the hard noir aesthetic did FIT, but it worked somewhat against the gameplay by making the blacks and grays so deep and dense that it had to be 'tinted' lighter in order to see what you were doing (a somewhat corrected version of "Killzone 2 Syndrome").
"Darkness 2" basically takes every issue i had with the game and fixes it. In terms of gameplay, I think anyone who actually played Resistance 3 and enjoyed the well-made, modern-shooter-but-with-old-school-elements of that title will find alot to like here. Granted, "D2" doesn't have a particularly exciting arsenal but what it lacks in that regard it more than makes up for in sheer brutality and the 'quad-wielding' setup. It's a little bit of a mindfuck at first, but once you get the hang of it, it adds just enough multitasking to keep the moment-to-moment combat intense and satisfying. Executions in particular, even after Mortal Kombat 2011's gorier fatalities, somehow STILL manage to be wince-inducingly painful to watch, and that different button presses trigger different kills which ALSO result in benefits like more ammo/health/a free shield adds a nice bit of strategy as well.
In particular, I like that The Darkness itself is really front-and-center here, not just in terms of the story but the combat too. Any concerns I had with going the 'secret all powerful illuminati-style society' angle vanished when I realized it opens up the doors for enemies that are uniquely designed to actively challenge Jackie and his particular skillset (something I loved about a game like, say, "Infamous" was that it felt like the universe was really thoughtfully designed to highlight the characterstics/abilities of Cole The Electric Man-- it makes the world 'work' a little better, and it's nice for me to see something like that going on here too). It starts off with basic guys with guns but very quickly introduces guys with UV lanterns and flash bangs to take advantage of your light sensitivity, while brutes rush your position and lay on the hurt. The enemies are active and agressive and the battles are all the more satisfying for it.
I feel like it's also worth noting that, compared to CERTAIN OTHER titles in which the single-player campaign is a tacked-on, halfhearted appeasement than anything else, "Darkness 2's" campaign is as long as it is because that's exactly how long it needed to be. Digital Extremes actually WANTED to tell a story here, not just ride on the coattails of the first game's cult popularity and hope for the best, and it's done with excellent pacing and good, solid writing that actually makes an effort to step away from the (glorious) violence once in a while and allow a genuine bit of emotion and some truly EXCELLENT mindfuckery to take center stage. There's no real 'twist' here or some stupid gimmick to carry the weight of the narrative; it's straightforward and pulpy but DAMNIT, it works.
(That said, be sure to stay through the credits. Just sayin.)
I know that not alot of people are crazy about the cel-shading, but I feel like it's a good decision to make it 'pop' out against the backdrop of photorealistic, muted-palatte games out there, and it's actually very well-done. It evokes a slick comic-book appearance and some impressive detail without going full-on "Borderlands" cartoonish. Honestly, I think it might be the best implementation of this style I've seen since 2008's "Prince of Persia."
Also, early entry for Best Moment of 2012, involving a car and a well-timed gesture. You'll know it when you see it
Simply put-- if you liked Darkness 1, this is worth your time, and if you want something other than Oscar Mike: The Military Shooter #2343902903493, this is also worth your time. Whether it's worth your hard-earned 60$ is ultimately up to you; at the very least it deserves a rental. For a sequel that no one wanted to a cult-FPS from 5 years ago, and in the hands of a different dev team no less, this is way, WAY better than it has any right to be.
Haven't touched the co-op at all yet, so might have some thoughts on that when I get the chance to play around with it.
PSN ID: suzukaGongen
Nobody on my Steam friends list even fucking owns it.
This is a travesty, my lords. I consider Darkness 2 to be one of my top AAA-tier games of 2012 and it seems it's been completely overshadowed by Amalur. Which is also a great game, but I find it insane that a studio's first game ever got more advertising and attention than a sequel to one of my favorite current-gen games.
Anyway, is anyone doing this in co-op? I'd like to go through the co-op campaign at some point but no one I know has picked this up...
Because it isn't ON the PC. Speaking a PC player, I'm quite interested in the original. I do not own a console, though, so I can't play it.
Darkness 2 looks excellent, though. The quick look really sold me. Those Giant Bomb quick looks, at least with AAA/bigger titles can always be relied on to see if something appeals.
Yes, this thread is about Darkness 2 is it not? Which is very much on PC. I'm sorry for not making it clear enough that my entire post (aside from the first half of the first sentence) was about Darkness 2. :P
Misunderstanding on my part. Followed the first line into the second instead of parsing them.
I'm glad I stumbled into this thread, though. It didn't even occur to me to check for a demo on PC, until I came in here and saw the demo talked about. Can't wait to jump into it!
With me, I feel people need to be more specific what to do and where to go. Someone tells me "Look in the cabinet" okay, there's 6 cabinets in this room man. Same usually goes with videogames.
Shitty Tumblr:lighthouse1138.tumblr.com
Then I realized I was an idiot, and you could control the direction just by looking around (and you can map the side-mouse buttons, thank you!). It works so fluidly. I hope there's a new game + mode, because I can't imagine filling that entire upgrade system in one go. Loved watching low level thugs freaking out, something I love in my FPS games (one of the reasons I love the F.E.A.R. series). Dual-wielding and going between weapons was smooth as can be, and everything felt very intuitive.
Really looking forward to this.
This game does a lot right, atmosphere and gameplay being chief among them.
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
Is there a new game +? That is, is there a chapter select, in which my upgrades are consistent, and I can select any difficulty. Like how FEAR 2 let you find all the Reflex Boosters, then go to any level with a maxed out slow-mo and have fun. I love upgrade-systems, but I love taking my upgrades into previous levels more than anything.
This is a shockingly good game. The combat fells really good and tight. The voice acting is wonderful. And the story is not half bad. Comicy, but not in a bad way. Really grim. I got both this and Amalur from Gamefly at the same time and, while it is a litte apples and oranges, I find it disappointing that the story and characters and world in a comic, violent, mobster, magic FPS is way better and more interesting than this 60+ hour RPG.
Yeah, there's a NG+, you need it to get all the upgrades.
I beat this last night and loved it. It's leaner and meaner then the first game, but it still has the heart.
Shitty Tumblr:lighthouse1138.tumblr.com
That sounds... delicious.
I'm glad to here there is NG+. Does this also include a chapter/level select menu?
Oddly enough, unless I'm being a silly goose of epic proportions, the only level select is from the New Game+ Menu. Also, be sure to pick up relics. Not only are the worth a shit ton of XP, but they also all have really, really cool backstories about the Darkness and the Angelus.
Shitty Tumblr:lighthouse1138.tumblr.com
Man, THIS. I love that they put so much thought into making the collectibles themselves interesting, rather than just an arbitrary Cheevo Requirement.
PSN ID: suzukaGongen
Shitty Tumblr:lighthouse1138.tumblr.com
It's a shame that this game will be overshadowed so much, because it really is damn fantastic.
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
Shitty Tumblr:lighthouse1138.tumblr.com
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
When you do it right, its so good and better than your tupical JRPG shitting on organized western religeon. Man, now I wanna watch Raiders of the Lost Ark. No that's not the best example.