The Darkness 2 is intoxicated with its cartoonish, well, darkness. It revels in its demonic imagery and showers of bloody gibs in the way that the first-person shooter (FPS) did back in the adolescence of the Quake years. Don’t be deceived by the nods it makes towards the conventions of the modern cinematic FPS. Its heart pumps the blood of a traditional corridor crawler.

The game, based on the Top Cow comic, reacquaints you with Jackie Estacado a couple of years after the events of the first game. Now leading the quiet life of a mafia don, Estacado has managed to bury “the darkness” that took root in his body in the first game in the series. But when he is badly injured in an attack by a rival gang, he is forced to unleash the sinister entity that lives inside him to survive.

darkess2-1 — The Darkness 2: what could be darker?

So begins the single-player campaign, which follows Jackie’s path of vengeance as he tries to hunt down his attackers and uncover their motivations. It’s stylish and enjoyable journey that punctuates its blazing guns action with quieter interludes where Jackie seeks truths psychological and otherwise in conversation with other characters.

The biggest way that The Darkness 2 sets itself apart from most shooters is that Jackie effectively has four arms rather than the two with which most human beings make do. His human hands wield firearms, while the two darkness tentacles sprouting from his back are handy for beating enemies to a pulp, throwing objects at them or tearing them limb from limb. The slavering jaw at the end of each tentacle has a taste for human hearts — rip one out of a dead enemy’s chest for a health boost.

drakness2-2 — Combat in The Darkness 2: two arms good, four arms better

The darkness also gifts Jackie a few other handy abilities, such as the ability to shoot darkness energy rather than bullets as well as the power of unleashing a swarm that disorients enemies and drains them of life. Most of Jackie’s powers can be upgraded by earning essence from enemy kills and completing other goals. These powers and abilities give Jackie a buffet of killing options, including some gory execution moves.

Jackie’s power isn’t without its limits. The darkness shrivels in the light, which makes it essential to shoot out lights carried by enemies and in the environment or to stay out of bright areas as much as possible. This brings an element of risk and reward to the gameplay as you calculate when to rush enemies for close-up kills and when hang back on rely on your guns.

The Darkness 2 trailer (via YouTube):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6WKYAZXlCA

Every now and then, you get to take control of a darkling, an imp-like creature that accompanies Jackie, for some stealthier gameplay. The darkling also helps Jackie in combat and serves as a way for the game to subtly help you find your way to your next objective. There are a few boss fights in the mix as well, though they are disappointingly straightforward. That’s as simple and deliriously joyful as the game is: a power fantasy built on a ludicrous, lurid and darkly humorous story.

HOW IT SCORES

Graphics 8/10
The appealing cell-shaded graphics make The Darkness 2 feel like a graphic novel come to life, though the game could use more variety in enemies and environments.

Sound 7/10
Not much to fault in the audio, which features a brooding score and deliciously over-the-top voice acting. Faith No More’s Mike Patton is back as The Darkness.

Gameplay 7/10
The pleasures of The Darkness 2 are simple and visceral — lots of people to kill in lots of gory ways.

Value 6/10
Experienced FPS players will breeze through the main campaign in an evening or two. Secondary missions that can be played cooperatively or alone give the package a little more meat.

Overall 7/10
A solid shooter with old-fashioned sensibilities, The Darkness 2 is daft, pacey and enormous gobs of fun. The Darkness 2 isn’t the best game you’ll play this year, but it is likely to be one of the most entertaining.

Jackie’s story is short and most gamers will reach its conclusion within six hours. Though the game allows you to replay missions or start afresh with all your upgrades in place, you’ll have seen most of what The Darkness 2 has to offer in a single play through.

In addition to Jackie’s story, there is also a “Vendettas” single-player and cooperative mode. Vendettas traces four other characters with unique weapons and darkness powers in missions that run alongside the events of the main game. Most of these missions are fun, but they’re brief and also offer few reasons to replay them once you have completed them for the first time. — Lance Harris, TechCentral