In 2007, gamers got their chance to step into the shoes of Jackie Estacado in the gritty FPS based on a comic book, The Darkness. Although it wasn’t a huge success at launch, it did sell well over time, and those that did play it, experienced a rather compelling story, with a very unique take on the standard FPS genre. Finally, after years of silence, fans of the game will get the chance to continue Jackie’s story.
Launching in Fall 2011, The Darkness II will reunite gamers with Jackie Estacado two years after the events of the first game. Jackie is now the Don of the Franchetti crime family, but is still having issues getting over the murder of his girlfriend. After an attempted assassination, the Darkness, which Jackie has kept bottled inside, has emerged once again. Now, Jackie must find out who was behind the attempted murder, and what exactly the Darkness wants.
Founder and CEO of Top Cow Productions and co-creator of The Darkness comics, Marc Silvestri, had this to say about The Darkness II:
So often disappointed when a favorite character gives birth to a lame movie or video game….But not with The Darkness II….this second installment of Jackie Estacado’s epic saga is – in my humble opinion – one of the most brutally cool games I’ve ever played.
Sure the man may be a little biased, but judging by the first game, I’m willing to take his word on the sequel.
Although there is one reason gamers should keep their excitement to a minimum, because Starbreeze Studios, the team behind the original Darkness, won’t be developing the sequel. Instead Digital Extremes, who developed Dark Sector, and helped with the port of Bioshock to the PS3, are taking full control of The Darkness II. This is a little troubling since Digital Extreme is a rather unproven team over the past few years.
Either way, with it supposedly being released later this year, there is sure to be a lot of new information coming out over the next few months.
