The former Darkness designer looks to make an Indy project

Game developer Jens Andersson, who's worked on projects like The Darkness and Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, is taking up a new role at MachineGames. Andersson is joining the team to work on its upcoming Indiana Jones game.

In a statement shared on Twitter and spotted by VGC, Andersson confirms he's joining the project as the Design Director on Indiana Jones. Andersson says that in 2009 he accepted an offer to lead design on an Indiana Jones project, but t??he game was cancelled before he got there.

"Now, I get a chance to do what I [originally] hoped to, but this time I get to do it with some of my oldest and best friends," said Andersson. "Joining MarchineGames is like coming home—amazing people I worked with during Riddick and Darkness, b??ut also teeming with new ones, ?whose talent daily [blows] me away."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfVYgWYaHmE

Alongside Riddick and The Darkness, Andersson has also worked on Colors Live and the surprisingly fun Metroid-meets-pinball game Yoku's Island Express.

"I'm so excited about what we are building, and the way [we] get to do it—featuring one of the most iconic characters ever, i??n coll??aboration with my friends at Lucasfilm, published by one of the biggest publishers in the world, and doing it at an amazing studio like MachineGames," said Andersson. "This will be something special."

A new adventure for Indiana Jones

The new Indiana Jones project was revealed to the public in 2021, and it's been fairly quiet since. MachineGames, of Wolfenstein fame, is developing the new take on Indy. Presumably, there are top men working on it. Top. ??Men.

It does seem like the new Indiana Jones is a ways off though. With a new design director on board, we'll hopefully start to see more of what MachineGames is putting toge??ther.

The post Ri??ddick and The Darkness designer joins MachineGames to work on Indiana Jones appeared first on Destructoid.

One of these things is not like the others

Good news, everyone! The Darkness can now be played on Xbox One! The game joins the ever-growing catalog of backward compatible titles that are playable on Microsoft's newer box. The bad news? Duke Nukem Forever and The Bureau: XCOM Declassified are also available. What a way to sour some good ne?ws.

I mean that in jest, but those other two shooters are some huge disappointments. Duke Nukem Forever was never going to live up to the 13 years of hype it had, but it thoroughly missed the point of what made Duke Nukem 3D so wonderful. XCOM Declassified is also another game that failed to understand what made its original series so popular and stuck to making a boring, drab and pointless shooter in an era dominated by many?? of the same things.

If you want to relive those bad memories, you'll have the chance to do so without pulling out the old Xbox 360. At least The Darkness has a chance to shine?? because that game is ser??iously good.

Major Nelson [Twitter]

The post The Dark??ness joins Xbox One backward compatibili?ty alongside two other shooters appeared first on Destructoid.

Another pick-me-up from the Humble Store

I know a bunch of us have a soft spot for The Darkness and wouldn't mind seeing the property continue in one form or another, but for the time being, all we can do is reminisce. And if you want to join the conversation, today's a good day to start -- The Darkness II is free for PC and Mac right now.

The Humble Store is giving out free Steam keys during a 48-hour promotion. Swell thing to do!

It's been long enough since The Darkness II originally came out that I think a supernatural shooter could really hit the?? spot about now and feel fresh again. I miss having demonic arms.

The Darkness II [Humble Store]

The post Nab a free copy of The Darkness II for Steam appeared first on Destructoid.

P.B. Winterbottom too

Three good but very different Xbox 360 games are newly playable on X??box One today.

Spec Ops: The Line, The Darkness II and The Misadventures of PB Winterbottom are coming to Xbox One Backward Compatibility today //t.co/qPMRNrLoTQ pic.twitter.com/XBgGdpBe6i

— 🌊 Larry Hryb 🌊 ⚓ (@majornelson) January 30, 2018

There was no shortage of cover-based shooters during the last console generation, but Spec Ops: The Line cut through the noise with its poignant story. The Darkness II was another chance to tear people apart with demonic tendrils, an opportunity that should always be cherished. And The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom, a puzzle game about paradoxes and pie, was just plain fantas??tic.

T?here's work to be done, sure, but the Xbox One backward compatibility list continues to? impress.

Also, let us never forget that Faith No More's Mike Patton voiced The Darkness.

Major Nelson [Twitter]

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Still think love conquers all?

Valentine&rsqu??o;s Day inspires a variety of emotions. While love is in the air for many, cupid has more sinister plans for a select few. A poor Valentine's Day for an average person might include seeing a movie alone or a solitude induced weep-fest. F?or the videogame characters below, the luxury of loneliness is miniature in comparison.

??Take a look at te?n relationships gone awry in the worst ways possible.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – Big Boss and Eva

Love can blossom anywhere. If the Metal Gear series has taught us anything (besides the usefulness o?f a cardboard box) it is that romance is especially prominent on the battlefield. Why would bullets, explosions,? and a team of evil super soldiers deter one from indulging in a little affection?

While Big Boss fought off Eva’s motive-driven advances, he was unable to resist her overt feminine charm indefinitely. After a romantic encounter complete with wine, a fireplace, and a bear skin rug, Eva skipped town, leaving the battle-hardened veteran ??heart-broken and empty handed. I guess Snake would've been better off sticking with his M1911A1.

Final Fantasy 10 – Tidus and Yuna

Ah, there’s nothing?? sweeter than teenage love??. Combining raging hormones with the responsibility of saving a world tormented by perpetual death is certainly a unique formula for passion. During their pilgrimage to defeat the ever-returning nightmare Sin, Tidus and Yuna found romance as a convenient way to ignore the foreboding reality of their quest: Yuna’s death.

Throughout a series of plot ?twists and extensive ba??ttles, players save Yuna from her sinister fate. Too bad the protagonist Tidus turns out to be from a dream world and disappears into a poof of nothingness.

Dead Space – Isaac and Nicole

The horror genre isn't ideal for heartfelt connections. The closest that scary games often get to featuring physicality is through a zombie bite to the neck. Too bad no one sent the memo to Isaac Clark. What started as a standard repair job on ??the intergalactic mining vessel the USG Ishimura, quickly turned into a terrifying test of survival among reanimated corpses and alien monsters.

Did I mention that his girlfriend Nicole was stationed aboard the ship? I’m sure you know where this is going. Not only does the poor systems engineer discover that his girlfriend has been dead since before his arrival, he develops mental instability causing him to see visions of h??er, courtesy of an alien artifact. Thanks, Nicole, insanity is a perfect parting gift.

Infamous - Cole and Trish

The??re are very few actions in life that cannot be forgiven. Being held responsible for an explosion that wiped out a chunk of a city, killing thousands, would definitely be one of those unforgivable moments. Ever since The Blast, Cole's relationship with his girlfriend Tris?h took a turn for the worst. Blaming him for the death of her sister, Cole became a monster in her eyes.

In an effort to win back her trust, the now super-powered? hero went above and beyond to assist Trish and the citizens of Empire City. Just as affections were beginning to turn around, Trish was kidnapped, forcing Cole to make a difficult choice. Save the love of his life, or save a team of doctors; serve his personal desires or act on behalf of the greater good. Either way, Cole is pretty much screwed. Choose Trish and she spends her last dying breath describing how much she despises what Cole has become. Rescue the doctors and Trish praises his decision yet still dies from her injuries. Lose-lose situation is an understatement.

Final Fantasy VII – Cloud and Aerith

What does a spiky-haired soldier, an innocent flower girl , and a well-endowed bartender have in common? In the boring arena of reality, absolutely nothing. Within the fiction of videogames however, the trio arguably represent the most notable love triangle in the gaming world. Regardle??ss of who the player chooses to pursue as a romantic interest, Aerith or Tifa, fate intervenes in the cruelest way possible.

A scene of tranquility is instantly transformed into the epitome of shock, alarm, and terror. While praying at an alter, the silver-haired villain Sephiroth seemingly appears from the heavens and impales Aerith with his eight-foot-long Masamune. In an instant she is gone, collapsed in Cloud's arms. To hit the point home, Aerith's theme song begins to play in the background, and the reality that Final Fantasy VII actually had the audacity to kill off a mai??n character halfway through the game, is fully realized.

Mass Effect 3 – Commander Shepard and Romantic Partner

Saving the galaxy from sentient machines may seem like a tall order, but after three installments of the Mass Effect series, it's pretty safe to say that Commander Shepard always finds a solution. Whether through diplomacy or a firefight, humanity's savior has proven to go above and beyond the call of duty. This applies both on and off the battlefield. Seducing a slew of men, women, and alien crew ma??tes is all fine and good, but the end of the world has a wa??y of offering a sobering reminder as to what is at stake. There will be no civilian life for Shepard and her partner; no white picket fence and no blue children. Ensuring the survival of the entire galaxy is not a job that one simply comes back from. All that can be said between the larger-than-life figure and her significant other is a somber goodbye before the true suicide mission commences.

At the end of Mass Effect 3, the hero alone ventures into the depths of the Reaper operated Citadel. The first human Spectre is given a ch?oice that will forever alter the course of the galaxy, to end the cycl??e of destruction that has continued in secret for millennia. Ultimately, Shepard's decision opens a new chapter for the galaxy, while putting an end to her own. Whether truly dead or not, Commander Shepard's closest squadmate is forced to hang her name on the Normandy SR2's memorial wall. In an act of remembrance signifying Shepard the soldier, the legend, and the human being. 

Shadow of the Colossus – Wander and Mono

Love has t??he power to transform a young man into a hero; a vigilant civilian into a seasoned warrior. In the case of Wander, the desire to revive his romantic interest Mono, inspires him to commit a laundry list of questionable choices. Stealing an ancient sword is risky yet understandable. Entering a forbidden land is yet another precarious decision. But following the instructions of an ominous, obviously evil, being is a step in the wrong direction. Whether due to naivety or injudiciousness, Wander proceeds to slay 16 enormous colossi in the hope that his new "ally" will reawaken the beloved maiden.

Instead, the sinister lord Dormin possesses his body, transforming Wander in??to darkness incarnate. In the end, Mono successfully opens her eyes and returns to the land of the living. Wander, however, regresses to the age of an infant, marked with horns upon his head to signify a curse. ?As the only bridge connecting the forbidden land from the rest of the world falls, only Mono, altered Wander, and his trusty steed Agro remain. The two are together again, yet they are worlds apart. Alive but isolated in a land of danger and mystery.

The Darkness - Jackie and Jenny

Hit man with a heart of gold may seem like an oxymoron, but in the case of Jackie Estacado, the seemingly opposing identities are more than true. After the death of his parents at a young age, Jackie was sent off to an orphanage where he ?met the love of his life, Jenny Romano. Their childhood friendship blossomed into an adult romance; a relationship seemingly too good to be true. Unfortunately, Jackie's profession would be the factor to catalyze the sudden change from conjugal bliss to?? marital tragedy.

On the eve of his 21st birthday, Jackie was targeted in an assassination attempt by his own organization due to fears that he was attempting to take over the Franchetti Family. In an effort to shake Jackie at his core, Don Uncle Paulie kidnaps Jenny and travels to the orphanage from their youth. Jackie arrives in a homecoming of sort??s to witness his enemies berating Jenny. In a scene of absolute helplessness,  the Darkness seizes Jackie's body, preventing him from intervening as the Don raises his gun to Jenny's face. Boom. Jenny crumples to the floor and the antagonists escape. Even through suicide, Jackie is unable to find peace. The Darkness cannot live without its host, and thus he returns to the land of the living, forced to continue his existence as a pawn of the malevolen??t being.

Gears of War 2 – Dom and Maria

Battling for humanity’s survival against a horde of reptilian humanoids may seem like a challenging feat, but the steroid-pumped, macho men of Gears of War claim otherwise. Corporal Dominic “Dom” Santiago, one of the elite soldiers chosen to fight against the Locust, is forced to not only deal with the hardships of war, but also with an internal struggle fueled by the death of his ch?ildren and disappearance of his wife Maria.

When news is received about her whereabouts, Dom trudges through hordes of alien forces to her rescue??. The good news is Dom finds his wife alive. The ba??d news is she is malnourished, scarred, and mentally broken from the torment of slave labor. In the ultimate display of love, Dom ends her suffering with a single bullet to the head. Damn.

God of War – Kratos and Lysandra

Kratos may be Sparta’s most prominent ladies man, boasting encounters with countless women and even the Goddess of Love, but he wasn’t always the king of promiscuity. Before the demigod was known to partake in threesomes with advanced button-pressing sequences, he was a devoted husband and father. In a desperate move during a lo?sing battle, the Spartan devoted his allegiance? to the god of war Ares in return for victory against enemy Barbarian tribes.

Through a twist of fate fueled by Kratos’s thirst for power, he was tricked by Ares to raid a nearby village. Blinded by Ares' power,  Kratos slaughtered every man, woman, and child in the village, including his own wife Lysandra and child Calliope. If that wasn’t enough, Kratos was cursed by a village oracle, forcing him to forever wear the ashes of his dead family on his skin. From that day forward, Kratos became known as The Ghost of Sparta; and ever since then, God of War has represented one of the most depres?sing love stories in videogames.

--------??------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is ??your favo??rite videogame romance? Have you ever felt moved or saddened by gaming love affairs gone wrong?

The post Roses and tears: 10 depressing videogame romances appeared first on Destructoid.

I know what you're thinking. "But Tara, the year's only half over?!" Well yes, technically that's true, bu?t it doesn't mean we can't stop and take a moment to gather our thoughts on this year's video game releases, does it?

...Okay fine, you caught me. Max and I were down in Anaheim for VidCon on Friday and this sounded like as good a topic as any for a pre-recorded episode. When you think about it, though, a lot has changed since the beginning of the year. Untimely delays, massive layoffs, and fan feedback are just a few of the things that can shape the gaming industry without our realizing it?.

So today??, we take a look back at 2012's most memorable games thus far, before looking forward to see what the rest of the year has to offer us. The results just might surprise you! (But probably not.)

The post The DTOID Show: 2012 in Retrospecticus appeared first on Destructoid.

In my mind, Mike Patton is absolutely one of the best parts of The Darkness videogames. Possibly even the best. It's like he has a demon living inside of him that's only there to help ??him produce sounds no human should be able to.

Since The Darkness II has been out for a couple of weeks now, 2K Games put out a fun behind-the-scenes video showcasing Patton's vo??ice acting. These things are usually interesting enough to send you on an IMDB spree, if nothing else, but this one made me laugh. A little too m??uch.

The post Watch ??Mike Patton become The Darkness in this video appeared first on Destructoid.

Today will be a very special 'New Release Showcase' with The Darkness II. King Foom has committed to completely finishing the game in one go. Darkness II's solo campaign has been clocked in at?? around six hours, but how long wil?l it take Foom? Tune in and stick around for the long haul.

Mash Tactics airs Monday through Friday at 4p.m. Pacific on Destructoid's Twitch TV channel. Watch King Foom play a variety of games, each day with its own t?heme. With a heavy focus on community and viewer interaction, you can ??be as much a part of the show as anything else.

The post Live show: Mash Tactics’ Darkness II playthrough marathon appeared first on Destructoid.

The Darkness was a rather solid ?first-person shooter and a good example of a license being properly handled. Developed by Starbreeze Studios, it featured some bold gameplay choices&n?bsp;that didn't always pan out but managed a solid game worthy of a sequel.

Picking up two years after the events of that game, Jackie E??stacado has become the de facto organized crime leader of New York, and his time since has been spent keeping The Darkness subdued. Now, a new enemy has targeted Jackie and plans to take his gift to use as a weapon of mass destruction. In order to save himself and his f?amily, Estacado must again unleash The Darkness and cut a bloody path through the city.

The Darkness II (PC, PS3, Xbox 360 [reviewed])
Developer: Digital Extremes
Publisher: 2K Games
Released: February 7, 2012
MSRP: $59.99 

This is a case of an unremarkable story being handled remarkably well. The surface-level plot line in which Jackie fights against this new enemy doesn't keep its secrets long and quickly becomes little more than one bloody conflict after another. Meanwhile, a second story thread slowly develops ?which changes Jackie's goals dramatically in the game's final act towards a rather predictable conclusion.

Were that all The Darkness II had going for it, things would be dire. But the presentation is more than up to the task of keeping things interesting. Pacing is very deliberate in attempting to keep the player on their toes. While some developers are conten??t to throw in a scripted explosion sequence or two as a mid-level surprise, Digital Extremes will completely change the emotional tone on a dime, nail it and then throw the player right back into the fray when they're done. Little touches here and there plant seeds to reward observant players and demonstrate that there are greater aspirations than the standard licensed game. 

Effective use of cel-shading gives a feel evocative of the comic books from which these games originate and makes it surprisingly easy to get sucked in. The effect does wonders to keep a game all about being in the dark remain vibrant and lends itself well in a practical sense to the gameplay as everything i??s easily distinguishable. It also sounds quite nice. In combat, guns are noisy, screams are bloodcurdling and Mike Patton feels bigger than life as the voice of The Darkness. Voice acting overall is stellar and while the plot may not be particularly original, the dialogue is pretty good and made all the better by some top-notch performances.

It's a fairly short solo campaign, clocking in at around six hours, and fun from beginning to end with a very strong emphasis on killing people. Even at the outset controlling Jackie feels like a bit of a power trip with his tentacles in play. Mapped to the bumpers, the right tentacle bashes either vertically or horizontally while the left allows Jackie to grab objects or enemies and throw them. In concert with firearms in his hands, he's lethal at any range. Killing enemies and eating their hearts gives Jack??ie dark essence which may be spent on new and improved abilities with bonus essence awarded for more violent kills.

These abilities are both fun and useful. Grabs can become executions and reward a kill with health, ammo or even a shield made of pure dark essence (as well as some stomac??h-churning animations). Gun channeling buffs your guns with more damage, infinite ammo and rapid-fire for a few seconds and can eventually do the aiming for you. The bashing tentacle can fling enemies or sprout blades for a big damage boost. 

When upgrading, abilities are organized in a wheel with each quarter having its own skill tree relating to different types of pow?ers. A steady flow of dark essence ensures upgrades are always there for the taking, but the game's length is such that it would be quite challenging to unlock much more than two trees to the point at which their more valuable powers become available, providing replay value in attempting different configurations of powers or achieving Jackie's full potential in the "New Game +" mode.

Also supplementing the solo campaign is the multiplayer "Vendettas" mode. Playable with up to four people (or solo, if you like), each controls one of Jackie's four supernatural enforcers. These characters are each centered around one of? Jackie's Darkness powers which they can use as well as support abilities that contribute to the team. Like Jackie, they collect dark essence from kills and spend it upgrading thei??r own unique ability wheels. Unlike Jackie, they aren't a whole hell of a lot of fun to play. With only one real power at their disposal each, the lack of variety makes the combat significantly less interesting.

??At around two hours, the Vendettas campaign is worth playing through, offering a different set of missions which run concurrent to Jackie's story and add some additional flavor, but could easily be dismissed. Greater challenges can be found in The Hit List missions, arena-style boss fights where the odds are much less in your fa?vor. These are really difficult, to the point where it feels necessary to have more people helping to keep some of the heat off (or, you know, just Jackie).

The Darkness II succeeds far more than it fails. The single-player experience features some genuine emotion in its narrative, somet?hing games which don't feature skull-extricating tentacles rarely manage to accomplish. And while the Vendettas cooperative multiplayer conte??nt feels lackluster by comparison, it's not bad either and serves to pad out this short but otherwise delightful game.

The post Review: The Darkness II appeared first on Destructoid.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that one of the best p??arts of my job is receiving mysterious packages in the mail from various developers and publishers. Sometimes we know to expect them, and other times they're a wonderful surprise.

This morning, I came into work to find a cryptic box from 2K games on my desk with only the word "Destructoid" written on it. Knowing it had to be related to The Darkness II, I opened it with a?? fervor strong enough to actually tear the plastic cover of the game. Guess I'll have to be more careful next time!

The post Unboxin?g The Darkness II with a badass Darkling statue appeared first on Destructoid.

2007's The Darkness was a fun, albeit flawed first-person shooter. The Starbreeze-developed title followed the exploits of Mafioso hitman Jackie Estacado on his 21st birthday as a hidden demon??ic power awakens inside him and he becomes a relentless killing machine.

The game stayed fairly close to its comic roots and offered unique gameplay options such as the controllable demon arms and Jackie's ability to summon darklings to do his bidding. Now, Digital Extremes picks up the license and the groundwork that Starbreeze laid out, and it appears they have improved upon every aspect of the origin?al.

The Darkness II (PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [previewed])
Developer: Digital Extremes
Publisher: 2K Games
Release: February 7, 2012

When speaking with lead game designer Tom Galt, he emphasized to me how he and his team took the criticisms of the original game in mind when working on the sequel. One of the main points they wanted to highlight was the emphasis they had on the story over the last title. They felt that The Darkness was a good origin, but didn't really present a lot to keep gamers interested, story-wise. To t?hat end, this time around the gameplay is more story-driven, a move that aims to keep the players attention while still offering the same style of combat from the original and comic series.

Speaking of the comic, one of the first things players will notice with the new title is how much it looks like the comic. The developers wanted to stress that the look of the game isn't cel-shading, but rather a new art style they've developed called "graphic noir." Cel-shading tends to have thicker black outlines and a flat color to the art, whereas The Darkness II's style features more even colors, crisper tone?s, and even some hand-painted backgrounds to give it a more comic feel.

But back to the story. When we meet up with Jackie Estacado, he's been suppressing the Darkness within for four years now. He has had a good handle on controlling it, never unleashing it for fear of losing control. However, that doesn't last long, as a mysterious other force has plans for the Darkness itself. The demo that has been released now has some story elements in it, but these actually don't occur until later in the game, and are much more detailed than wha?t's presented in the demo.

If you've played the demo on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, however, you've played the first level, where a mob hit squad attacks Jackie at his restaurant. The preview build I played picked?? up just shortly after the demo ends, with Jackie on the trail of the man who orchestrated the hit, a small-time hood named Swifty. For those that haven't played the demo yet, this is where you first do the quad-wielding. Jackie can hold a small arms weapon in each hand, and the two "demon arms" act as t?he other two weapons. The left and right bumpers (or L1 and R1) control these arms, and the amount of mayhem you can cause with them is frightening and awesome.

Your left demon arm can grab items, weapons, and even enemies, while the right acts as a striking implement. As you pass through firefights, the arms can be used to pick up ammo, hurl objects at your foes (such as pipes and explosive tanks) and slap around enemies to be taken out up close and personally. These special executions are particularly gruesome to watch, and you can pick up more using the game's talent tree. Essence points are?? earned through ki?lls and other activities in the environment, and spending essence at portals around the environments yields new abilities (such as special attacks), executions, and more.

These attacks are fluid and fun, and I really got into using a combination of shooting, chucking items at guys behind cover, and then eviscerating foes who got too close. Of course, I also made sure to eat my fallen enemies' hearts along the way, as that refuels health and gives more essence points. One of the strongest differences over the original game is how quick and focused everything is. The animations of the demon arms don't ever interfere with your vision on screen, and even when eating hearts, the animations aren't as long and played out as they were in The Darkness, so you ?can even get repeated chomps in be??fore moving on.

One of the biggest changes over the original, however, is the need for it to be dark in The Darkness II. Previously, you basically just shot out all the lights and moved on to the next section, using your darkness vision to see in low light, but never having the light be a noticeable issue with gameplay. Now, Darkness mode is always on, but when you enter the light, the arms hide within you, and you're blinded and weakened by the light -- so mu??ch so that you often have to take the lights out to advance. Enemies can even use light to try to take you down, so this even plays an active part in stopping Jackie throughout the game (such as in the first boss battle I encountered).

Not to give too much away (spoiler alert and all that) but it's revealed that Swifty is just a patsy, sent by a new character, Victor, created for the game, who leads an altered version of The Brotherhood from the comics: a cult which worships the Darkness, and even has dark armor protecting their bodies. How this all plays out will have to be discover?ed by the player.

Rounding out the single-player experience is the presence of a darkling, one of the small cre??atures summoned by the Darkness. There are no longer various darklings used for specific tasks as was the case in the first game. Instead, the one you're paired with acts as a guide, and the AI of this character is actually very helpful, taking out foes and assisting with kills. You'll even have a section where you play as the darkling to unlock areas for Jackie ??to pass through.

There was mention of two co-op modes, but I sadly didn't get to play them. Vendettas is a story-driven, four-person campaign that runs concurrently to the main story, and offers backstory as to what's happening with Jackie. The characters here don't have the Darkness, but each ha?s a special weapon that can use an ability similar to one of? Jackie's special attacks. There's also a mode called Hitlist; neither of these two options are a versus mode. The developers claimed they wanted to keep the focus on story and offer unique co-op modes instead.

With all that I saw, there definitely seems to be a good deal of replay value packed into the game, with artifacts to find and store at your mansion (which serves as the game's hub). The mansion ??itself offers a wealth of content too, including mini-games and interactions with characters from the comic that h?elp move the storyline along. If you couldn't tell, I'm really anxious to get back into this game when it's released next week.

The post Hands-on: Quad-wielding with The Darkness II appeared first on Destructoid.

If there's one thing I love more than blasting holes in the heads of my enemies from fifty feet away, it's ripping them in half from crotch to sternum with my giant demon tentacles. Fortunately for me, both of those things are possible in The Darkness II.

2K Games released the game's demo exclusively for Xbox Live Gold members this Tuesday, so I took that opportunity to get some quality Estacado time in. The demo will release to the rest of Xbox Live, Ste??am, and all North American PSN users on Jan??uary 24th, while PSN users in Europe and Asia will have to wait until the 25th.

The post Feast your eyes on ??The Darkness II demo walkthro??ugh appeared first on Destructoid.

2007 doesn't seem like it was that long ago, but it's been almost five years since The Darkness was released. Finally, its sequel is definitely on the way and 2K Games has announced a demo for The Darkness II that you can look forward to. Here's?? a fe?w dates you'll want to remember:

• Tuesday, January 17th: The demo will release worldwide for Xbox Live Gold subscribers
• Tuesday, January 24th: It will release worldwide for the rest of XBL members, Steam users and North American PSN members.
• Wednesday, January 25th: PSN members in Europe and Asia can finally check out the demo.

Other than that, you can wait in anticipation for The Darkness II to release on February 7th for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Who's excited to take control of Jackie Estacado and The Darkness once again?

The post The Darkness II finally has a demo on the way appeared first on Destructoid.

Jackie Estacado was?n't somebody I would have wanted to meet in a alley even when nobody was watching his back. Now he's teaming up with a batch of hombres to take down The Brotherhood ?and that nervous guy who narrates all of these trailers seems to really have his knickers in a twist over it.

The above video introduces us to the gang Jackie has put together for your use in playing the co-operative "Vendetta" mode found in The Darkness II. For more on the mode, check out our preview.

The post Meet Jackie’s co-op friends in The Darkness II appeared first on Destructoid.

Did you ever wonder what it would look like if you ripped a human spine from various orifices? No, just me then. Well, join me for a quick jaunt down the twisted and bloody world of The Darkness II with this new trailer.

Now, a little bit older and a little bit wiser, Jackie Estacado can now perform a wider range of execution moves with his Demon Arms, and can also unlock more through out the course of the game. The ridiculous executions moves in The Darkness helped make it stand out amoungst other FPS games at the time, for myself. I loved watching those tendrils fight over which one would get to eat the heart of my fallen enemy. Good times?!

Make sure to stick around until the end of the trailer too, to see the fan-favorite "Assecution". The Darkness II will be hitting stores February 7 2012.

The post New execution moves revealed for The Darkness II appeared first on Destructoid.

With The Darkness II right around the corner, maybe you should brush up on the comic series. That becomes easier today with the newly announced iOS app, announced here at New York Comic-Con. Yo??u'll be able to jump right in to the 50 or so launch issues of The Darkness on your iPad or iPhone with this app, and more issues are on the way. The entire backlist will eventually be available, along with exclusive material.

The app itself is a free download, and each issue of the comi?c is $1.99 each.

To celebrate this launch, Top Cow, Image Comics, and comiXology have made The Darkness #1 through #6 fre??e until the end of the day, Monday, October 17.

The post NYCC: Brush up on The Darkness with a new app appeared first on Destructoid.

2K has dropped a slew of new gameplay trailers for you would-be The Darkness II fans. The first (found above) dives into the mysteri??ous Brotherhood, the group out to strip ??Jackie Estacado's ability to control The Darkness. Apparently these are some bad dudes, but that doesn't make Jackie a saint. 

The other three videos offer a closer look at some of these coveted abilities: Swarm, Black Hole, Gun Channeling, Quad-Wielding, and Jackie's adorable Darkling. Prior to this, my interest in The Darkness was minimal. I've got to say though, these powers look way too co?ol?.

The post The Darkness II quad-wields some new trailers appeared first on Destructoid.

Part of me is glad that The Darkness II is now coming out February 7, 2012. There's so many big titles coming out this year that The Darkness II could have gotten easily buried amongst the swarm of triple A titles on the?? horizon.

Then again, part of me is mad that the game isn't out this year as it means I have to wait even longer now to get my demonic tentacles all over the next Darkness. ??For now, I'll just have to accept videos like this one that 2K put out detailing the long dark history of just what the Darkness?? is.

The post The long and bloody history of the Darkness appeared first on Destructoid.

Hey gang! PAX is finally o??ver, and holy hell. What a blast.

If you haven't checked out any of our coverage, you really should. I asked Skyrim's lead artist how many kinds of fish are in the game, and what's the best way to woo an Argonian. Tara found a redhead who's just as cute as she is, and the two of them gushed about The Darkness II. Um. We also did a fart-ton of other videos. It's all on our YouTube channel. Seriously, I'm way too exhauste??d to link to more videos right now. Please go cli?ck on them. Right now. Do it.

In this episode, we also talk about what we liked about PAX. Cosplay, meeting community members, and OUR TOTALLY RIDICULOUS PANEL are all things we talk about. We've got?? a few clips from that magnificent sh*t-show, but there should be a full video? up soon.

Honestly, guys, I cannot tell you how cool it ?was to meet everyone. You guys are awesome. It's the opposite of reading mean internet comments. Now, excuse me while I get away from the internet. If I read anything mean on this little sleep, I will enter a tragedy coma.

The post The DTOID Show: PAX Was F***in’ Awesome (Final Wrap-Up) appeared first on Destructoid.

Tara Long got a chance to demo The Darkness 2 and talk to 2K's Seth Olshfski about it today at PAX. They discuss the art style, which is more heav??ily influenced by the comic than?? the first game, and story (Paul Jenkins is returning to continue the tale). There is also some talk about what quad wielding is. 

There is something satisfying about calling up the powers of darkness to cause destruction, and The Darkness 2 looks like it delivers plenty of mayhem. I had my doubts about the quad wielding but even that looks good. Sad news is that the game was delayed until February 7, 2012. Good news is the silly protest that started recently doesn't seem to have affected the ga?me at all.

The post Tara Long in??????????????????????????terviews Seth Ol?shfski for The Darkness 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

So it started off innocent enough. One day, Destructoid went to 2K to check out The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom. One thing led to another and I ended up challenging Paul Bellezza, co-creator of P.B. Winterbottom, to a pie eating contest. We then had a rematch with 2K at PAX East 2010 where ... Paul won again. This time though he won fair and square (he threw up ?in his mouth and kept going!)

We're keeping the food eating tradition going with 2K at our Destructoid LIVE 2 panel, this time centered around The Darkness II. The new game from Digital Extremes is al??l about Quad-Wielding, where players can shoot guns and use their demon tentacle arms at the same tim?e.

For this food eating battle, we're engaging 2K and Digital Extremes in a two-vs-two match up. One person will "act" like the demon tentacle arms you get in Darkness II. So basically, the "demon" partner will stand behind their teammate and shovel the cake into their partner's mouth. The person that has to eat can't use their own hands at all. So like this, but with cake.

BONUS: The cakes will be shaped like human hearts to keep up with the whole Darkness II theme going on. So join us this Sunday in the Unicorn Theatre at 12PM and see who throws up first!

The post Destructoid LIVE 2: Revenge will be mine against 2?K! appeared first on Destructoid.

[Update: Contest?? over! Winners are TheRemix, Toneman, Clown Baby, ?Jonny, Swishiee, GrumpyTurtle, Nihil, LK4O4, ryaomon and Zeiss! Check your PMs soon for further instructions!]

2K will be showing off three huge titles at PAX Prime this year. XCOM, The Darkness II and Borderlands 2 will all be on the show floor in some way and form. Obviously fans will be waiting hours to play all the games on hand but we're giving you the ch?ance to skip the lines for The Darkness II hands-on time! 

The lovely folks at 2K want to give ten of you a chance to go straight into the 2K booth for some Quad-Wielding insanity. The VIP session is set for 10AM on Saturday, August 27 and if you want in, you just need to tell us what you love about The Darkness series in the comments below. 

We'll b??e picking the ten best comments on Sunday. Not only will you get to skip the line, but 2K will be hooking you each of you up with a Darkling ski mask and on?e of you will randomly win the Darkling statue pictured in the header too.

Also panels! The "Video Games and Comics: A Natural Partnership?" is set for August 26 at 11AM in the Unicorn Theater. The panel will see Marc Silvestri (Creator of The Darkness), Sheldon Carter (Creative Director at Digital Extremes) and Ron Davey (lead environmental artist at Digital Extremes) t?alking about The Darkness II. Ten limited-edition Darkling s??tatues will be given away to panel attendees. 

Then there's the "Inside Gearbox Software" panel is set for August 28 at 3PM in the Pegasus Theatre. Gearbox will be giving a behind-the-scenes look at various Gearbox titles such as Borderlands 2 and Duke Nukem Forever. 

The post Get the VIP trea???tment and play Darkness 2 at PAX Prime appeared first on Destructoid.

[The Destructoid Show gives a rundown of all the top news from jbsgame.com every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Subscribe to us on YouTube, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.]

NOTE: Flying squirrels got into the engine room over at Revision3, so yesterday's episode didn't upload till today. Sorry!

Hey gang, another one of these things again. Today, people said things about the Playstation Vita. Then, Christian policemen got mad at The Darkness II, that douche from Oasis got mad at video games in general, and I got mad at Dark Souls for having bird-butts but no lady-boobs. Amazon is having a big fat summer sale of handheld games, Valve is making Defense of the Ancients 2, and Batman: Arkham City looks super cool. Because it has Mr. Freeze in it. Because ice. Get it? Finally, one of the guys who worked on Deus Ex: Human Revolution for the PC says that the PC version is probably best. Ahhh, Monday news.

Also, you guys should tune into Mash Tactics tomorrow, where I will be making a special guest appearance with Mr. John Carnage himself. That's on Twitch.TV/Destructoid, at 4 PM PST, 7 PM EST. We gonn?a play the vidyas.

The post The DTOID Show: DotA 2, PS Vita, & Dark Souls bird-butts appeared first on Destructoid.

Various Christian law enforcement groups have colluded to express their distaste for upcoming 2K Games sequel, The Darkness II. They'd like to see it go very far away, in fact, for fear that it will?? make people hate the pol??ice. Go figure. 

A large coalition, formed from the International Christian Police Fellowship, the Christian Police Association, the Swiss Christian Police Association and the Germany Christian Police Association have sent a letter?? to developers and poli??ticians, complaining about game violence overall and singling out the first-person demon-tendril-simulator. 

They believe games like The Darkness II promote hatred of law enforcers and "idealized violence" and that politicians should refuse to support the industry in order to stop real-world crimes. Because, as always, it's obvious that videogames are the reason why anything bad has happened, ever. Nobody's ever done s??omething bad because of what they gleaned from th??e Bible, right?

I'm frankly more concerned that there are groups of police officers who identify themselves through the fact that they believe in things without needing any evidence. Not sure I'd want them handling any case I was involved in. 

Christian Police Association??s Want to Ban ??The Darkness II [Game Informer]

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During a 2K Games panel at San Diego Comic-Con, it was officially announced that comics publisher Top Cow Productions is working with Mandeville Films to develop a live-action movie based on The Darkness.

More recently, Mandeville Films was involved with The Fighter, Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2, and The Muppets. Man, I hope they get Mike Patton to voice The Darkness. Even better, have him play ev??ery single role in the film. That'd g?et me into the theater, no question.

Top Cow Teams With Mand??eville Films For Darkn?ess Movie [Game Informer]

The post Top Cow, Mandev?ille Films to do The Darkness movie appeared first on Destructoid.

The Darkness II has been ??pushed from its previously scheduled October 4th, 2011 release to February 7, 2012 in North America and February 10, 2012 internationally.

It's probably not the last game to move out of the crowded holiday season of releases. Instead of competing with games like Gears of War 3, Rage, Batman: Arkham City and Battlefield 3, it will now be up against Inversion in February.

Perhaps 2K Games took a look at the sales of some of Namco Bandai's last new IPs, like Enslaved and Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, and fi??gured that it didn't have much to fear from? the competition?

The post The Darkness II slips to early 2012 appeared first on Destructoid.

If you have a list of panels and booths you want to hit during the San Diego Comic-Con, here's another one to consider. 2K Games is hosting a panel titled "Spreading the Darkness: From Comic Book to Video Games and Entertainment." It will feature discussions about The Darkness II by talent from Top Cow and Digi??tal Extremes and is scheduled for Thursday, July 21 from 12:00 - 1:00 Pacifi??c in room 9.

The panel will look at the expansion of The Darkness from a comic to videogame as an entertainment medium. Marc Silvestri, CEO of Top Cow and co-creator of the comic, will be joined by Top Cow president Matt Hawkins and Darkness II project director Sheldon Carter from Digital Extremes. There's going to be other guest speakers??, but they are being kept a secret.

2K is also bringing a demo of the game, playable at the Top Cow booth (#2629). Anyone who plays will get to try out th?e quad??-wielding, which translates to more slaughter.

The post The Darkness descends on San Diego Comic-Con appeared first on Destructoid.

The Darkness 2 project director Sheldon Carter believes that Ap??ple's iPad poses a threat to trad?itional home consoles, expressing his "absolute" belief that it will encroach on the market. 

"I think the home console experi?ence is going to be with us for a long time," he said. "Do I think that the iPad will encroach? Absolutely, it has to. You think about how man?y iPads are out there already, iPads and other mobile devices. 

"But I don't think it'll be exclusive, I don't think that ju??st because somebody buys one of those things they wouldn't buy a console."

Carter said it would be "awesome" to have a Darkness game on?? an iPad, with swipe controls for th??e demon arms. Sounds ripe for the Wii U version, right?

iPad will 'absol??ut??ely encroach on consoles' - Darkness 2 dev [CVG]

The post Darkness 2 dev: iPad will ‘encroach’ on consoles appeared first on Destructoid.

In The Darkness II, you'll have just one Darkling a?round this time who helps you out during your adventure. At some point, he finds the corpse of a cat and puts ?it on his head as a hat.

BEST GAME EVER!

The post The Darkness II features dead cat hats appeared first on Destructoid.