Much more than just an FPS
In many respects The Darkness is typical of many horror titles and contains the type of locations and stereotypical features that are guaranteed to send a chill up and down your spine. There's an underground station full of creepy characters, who you can interact with and provide clues to the story in addition to issuing you with side objectives; deserted streets which fill you with apprehension whenever you dare to head down a dark alleyway or turn a corner; an abandoned orphanage filled with the distant cries and the laughing of ghostly children; an abattoir (there's something about walking through a place that has meat hanging up that really gives me the creeps); and the sewers, where the constant drip....drip....drip of condensation falling at yout feet and the network of tunnels creates a sense of paranoia that keeps you on edge.
Throw into this supernatural melting pot ghostly figures, that appear when you're least expecting it, flashbacks, providing you with an insight into the grisly goings on, and finally, the fact that an evil manifestation has possessed your character allowing him to unleash evil attacks on your enemies and then letting you devour their hearts! (okay, so the last part isn't so common in this particlar game type). In short you've got an intensely creepy action adventure. The Darkness doesn't make you jump out of your seat with fright, but it drags you (willingly) into its eerie supernatural underbelly and leaves you craving to uncover more of its dark secrets.
Click for larger image
Click for larger imageI can see the influence of a number of games in The Darkness. There's a hint of Max Payne - duel wielded pistols, motion blur effects and bullet trails, a touch of F.E.A.R, a heavy hint of Silent Hill - with macabre and spine-chilling locations, a bit of Half Life 2 thrown in - with cut scenes (in which you can move) and character interaction, and of course there are also elements of The Chronicles of Riddick - seen in the game's fast past shooting sections. The Darkness does go a step further than any of these games in creating and building atmosphere as well as incorporating numerous gameplay elements that aren't typical of the first person shooter genre. On one level, The Darkness is a first person shooter: You'll pick up shotguns, machine guns, pistols and other standard weapons and fight against other humans, and occasionally the un-dead. The lead character, Jackie Estacacado learns that he can also manifest The Darkness, a mysterious evil which has possessed him and now allows him to summon Darklings and use special powers against enemies. On another level, it's a slow paced adventure with side objectives which you'd never see in an FPS, and a slowly unfolding storyline that keeps you hooked throughout.
The story revolves around Jackie Estacado, an unflappable character who spent his childhood being brought up in an orphanage, where he met his sweetheart Jenny, who also plays a pivotal role in the storyline. His troubled life led him to becoming a hit-man for the notorious Franchetti crime family, but on his 21st birthday Jackie began to hear the voice of The Darkness. **SPOILER** We find out later in the story, when Jackie meets his great, great grandfather (hang on he'd be dead wouldn't he? – yep, it gets really weird) that the Darkness is an evil creature which has passed down generations of his family and is now using Jackie as his puppet for evil deeds. There has been a few problems in the Franchetti crime family, caused by a nasty character called Uncle Paulie who currently rules the family, and it's Jackie's goal to take back control of the Franchetti's, whilst attempting to find out more about The Darkness and learning how to harness its powers.
