GamesRadar - The Darkness

Useless game heroes who couldn’t save the girl (Feature)

Nov 3, 2009

There are several sure-fire ways to check for heroic DNA in a video game character. An addiction to wearing tank tops (the more torn the better). Crew cuts so kempt you could grate cheese on their craniums. But the one thing sewn into the heart of every true hero’s genetic makeup is an unwavering talent for saving the girl.

Above: Not a hero (we’re assuming the racoon’s a chick)

Sure, it might be a bit sexist, ...

Keyboard Cat vs... The Darkness! (Video)

Sep 15, 2009

Like Chronicles of Riddick, this combines thoughtful, personality-driven adventure with some of the most vicious first-person killing ever seen in a game.

Top Cow announces Darkness sequel in the works (News)

Jul 27, 2009

Here's a great indicator of how slowly the wheels can occasionally turn. During Top Cow Productions' Comic-Con panel, head of the comic publisher, Marc Silvestri, was finally able to announce that a follow-up to The Darkness (based on the Top Cow IP) was in the works. We're not surprised if the news has a familiar ring to it: The company hinted at a sequel during the 2008 NYCC ... 15 months ago.

In more immediate news, the company announced that the original game would soon be added to the greatest hits value line-up on PS3 and Xbox for $29.99.

New York City - As seen in videogames (Video)

Jul 14, 2009

Like Chronicles of Riddick, this combines thoughtful, personality-driven adventure with some of the most vicious first-person killing ever seen in a game.

Darkness sequel in the works? (News)

Apr 21, 2008

The sequel to The Darkness is under development, according to the creator of the source material, comic book publisher Top Cow Productions.

Speaking at NY Comic Con 2008, staff from the comic book publisher responded to a QA question about the game by saying: "We can't say Darkness and video game sequel in the same sentence. So, Darkness. Wink. Sequel."

It's currently unclear whether the sequel is being handled by original ...

Five in-game deaths that actually made us sad (Feature)

Apr 4, 2008

More and more games seem to be plucking our heart strings to great affect and eliciting a genuine sense of woe amongst players. Here we look at five recent videogame deaths that have made us appropriately gloomy for all the right reasons and ponder how they succeeded in stoking the cold blue flames of our sadness. ...

XBOX Live Marketplace Update (Saturday 15th March 2008) (News)

Mar 15, 2008

New content is available to download on the XBOX Live Marketplace as of Saturday 15th March. Here's the full list:

Name: Drillbit Taylor Theme
Price: Free
Availability: United States
Description: Download the Drillbit Taylor Theme pack today! You get what you pay for! See the movie in theaters March 21st starring Owen Wilson.

Name: Anime Presented By XBOX 360: Killshots Theme
Price: 150 Microsoft Points
Availability: United States
Description: Download this theme. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Continued at the source.

2007 an historic year for videogames (News)

Jan 2, 2008

The critical popularity of flagship titles, mixed with continued fan attraction to established franchises and the introduction of valuable new IPs (intellectual properties), has also led to considerable commercial success. Software sales are on the rise to the tune of around $10.5 billion (through October) in the United States, while the UK gaming market has taken a total of around £1.52 billion during 2007.

Trusted Reviews: Top 20 Games of the Year: Part One (News)

Dec 22, 2007

Trusted Reviews: Games of the Year - Part One.

As our Andy noted back in November, it has been a fantastic year for games, In fact, it's arguably been the best year ever. However, all that bounty has left us in a dilemma. We originally planned a top ten list for the end of the year, but looking at the long list of titles we've been forced to expand that to twenty - and even then we've had to sacrifice a few of our darlings and lose a couple of still great franchise updates that we felt didn't quite do enough to justify inclusion: Sorry Unreal Tournament III and Sega Rally, apologies Guitar Hero III, Football Manager 2008 and Pro Evo.

The Darkness - Shocking spoiler 12-20-07 (Video)

Dec 20, 2007

Like Chronicles of Riddick, this combines thoughtful, personality-driven adventure with some of the most vicious first-person killing ever seen in a game.

GamerMetrics: Halo 3 Cannibalized Stranglehold, 360 Games Sales (News)

Dec 14, 2007

IGN GamerMetrics analyst Nick Williams recently took a look back at the predictions GamerMetrics made for Xbox 360 titles based on analysis of four primary factors -- awareness, engagement, purchase intent and game quality -- ahead of each title's launch with the aim of predicting the success of upcoming games.

Leaked: NIMF's Annual Video Game Report Card (News)

Dec 4, 2007

Kotaku's Brian Crecente has a leaked copy of the National Institute on Media and the Family's annual Media Wise Video Game Report Card, set to be officially released tomorrow. This year's report card is broken into five parts:

Â¿ The MediaWise Video Game Report Card
Â¿ The Buying Guide
Â¿ The ESRB Rating System and Ratings Education Efforts
Â¿ The Retailer Ratings Education and Enforcement Surveys
Â¿ Annual MediaWise-Harris Interactive Poll of Kids and Parents

Kotaku gives a quick summary for each part.

The Darkness sequel underway? (News)

Nov 19, 2007

Nov 19, 2007 An employee of comic publisher Top Cow Comics - which produces The Darkness comic series - has apparently let slip that a sequel to The Darkness game is in the works. According to reports, developer Starbreeze Studios is currently hard at work on the second moody horror quest, said to be for Xbox 360 and PS3, for a late 2008/early 2009 release. No further specifics were leaked, although the sequel is said to follow on directly from events in the first bloodbath of a game, which ...

The Darkness (Feature)

Jul 30, 2007

A first-person shooter packed to the gills with gruesome deaths and washed-out colors, The Darkness is a far cry from the relatively sunny worlds presented in most superhero games. Its hero, Jackie Estacado, is a mafia hitman who manifests demonic powers just in time to fight against all the hired killers his paranoid former boss sends after him. He's a remorseless killer, and relies on guns just as much as he does the snakelike monsters that emerge from his back when he becomes The Darkness. ...

Comic games that got it right (Feature)

Jul 30, 2007

Comic books are one of the hottest licenses out there right now. All you have to do is slap Spider-Man on a bag of socks and boom! It's out the door. The same goes with games based on comics - no matter their quality, they tend to sell like crazy. With so many lackluster heroes running around, it's hard to pinpoint which games are worth playing and which need to hang up the spandex. Well, that's precisely why we've hand-picked the best, most authentic comic book games of all time. The five ...

The Darkness demo has gone missing from XBLM (News)

Jul 21, 2007

The Darkness has apparently gone dark on XBLM. The demo has recently disappeared from the network and Joystiq is attempting to verify the reason for its disappearance. Major Nelson states, "The operations team pulled this ... it will be back up later today." 2K Games is investigating the retraction from its end as well.

The Darkness Demo Is Out On Marketplace (News)

Jul 20, 2007

The Darkness Demo is out on marketplace the price is free availability not available in Asia or Germany the Size is 1.27 GB The Darkness is spreading... Experience first-hand the dark underworld of New York City with this three-level, single player demo of The

PS3 & Resistance at Top of Current US Best Sellers (News)

Jul 17, 2007

Following last Monday's price drop the PS3 is top of this week's Amazon.com best sellers list while Resistance: Fall of Man tops the software chart. The top ten selling titles comprise of five Nintendo platform games, one PC game and two apiece for Xbox 360 and PS3. Click through for a rundown of top sellers by platform.

Bioshock exclusive interview & The Darkness review in 360Zine #8 (News)

Jul 5, 2007

The latest issue of the free Xbox 360 magazine has a review of The Darkness plus a hands-on preview and exclusive interview for Bioshock - including full audio. Also included is GTA IV preview, Fable 2, Overlord and Flatout.

Latest US Games Chart 1st of July 2007 (News)

Jul 4, 2007

The Darkness has a strong start on both PS3 and Xbox 360. List of top selling games for week ending 01st July 2007. Rainbow Six Vegas PS3 makes it to top 10 and the number one is Wii Pokemon.

Free Berserker Outfit for The Darkness Players (News)

Jul 4, 2007

2K have just sent us word that there is an Australian/European exclusive outfit for the Berserker Darkling hidden in the game. It can be unlocked with a phone number that you can call to get the outfit. The outfit sports the Darkling in a rather tasteful Golf ensemble so we've been told.

Click the link to see how.

The Darkness - Banned in Singapore (News)

Jul 2, 2007

For those not in the know, Singapore have got a uber (sometimes stupid) censorship system. The latest videogame victim happens to be The Darkness. The Darkness is officially banned in Singapore for what the local censorship have dubbed excessive violence.

The Darkness: All Powers Revealed (News)

Jun 29, 2007

While we were playing The Darkness last week, someone popped their head into the video studio and asked, "Why are you playing Max Payne?" "This isn't Max Payne," we shot back, "Can Max Payne do this?" We proceeded to rip the beating heart out of some poor schlub and feed it to our writhing demon tentacles. In case you missed our gruesome video compilation of Darkness powers in our review, we're presenting it again in all its bloody splendor. We unlocked all the tentacle powers, weapons, and ...

Verboten: The Darkness Changed For Germany (News)

Jun 29, 2007

Looks like gamers in Germany are going to have to wait a little longer to play The Darkness on their Xbox 360s, and their version will differ quite a bit from what others are playing now in the state and UK. Probably the most major change needed before the game is released is the removal of Nazi symbolism, which of course hearkens back to a period of history that Germany isn't too proud of.

Other changes to the German 360 version include removal of four of the Darkling kill methods, and the ripping out heart animation being replaced with sucking out souls via a green mist. Weak.

Gamefly Top 10 for the Week (News)

Jun 28, 2007

The Darkness for Xbox 360 once again takes the top spot of the Gamefly Top Ten 'Most Queued' list. Resident Evil 4 is at the top of the Nintendo Wii list, while PlayStation 3 gamers can't wait to get Ninja Gaiden Sigma in their mailbox.

Queue up the complete Gamefly Top 10 most requested list:

See The Darkness Multiplayer in action (News)

Jun 26, 2007

Starbreeze's first-person action game The Darkness is out on Xbox 360 now and you can feast your eyes on the game's multiplayer component right here. The trailer features just under a minute of in-game footage and, as you can see, gunplay and horror is as much part of the multiplayer part as it is the single-player campaign with plenty of hardcore FPS action and shape-shifting into nasty beasties. Take a look below - and remember: it's for the eyes of those 17 years of age or over, thanks to ...

The Darkness in Stores Today for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 (News)

Jun 26, 2007

2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., announced today that The Darkness is now available in North America for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system. The Darkness is a next-generation, first-person action game that features an immersive and gritty storyline written in collaboration with famed comic book writer Paul Jenkins.

Darkness for ps3 and xbox360 on july 20th for europe (News)

Jun 25, 2007

There were many reports that the ps3 version got delayed to the 20th july in europe. Thats true (at least for some parts of europe), but the xbox360 version was delayed too. The german amazon.de lists for example the 20th july for the xbox360 version of the darkness. Another source (a german gaming site) says that the release termin in europe is not fixed yet (like may other sites statet), but both version will release on the same day! Note that there was an update which states that the release is on the same day, after they asked Take 2 about this issue. Nice to hear!

The Darkness (Review)

Jun 25, 2007

Boxes are scattered around the apartment, evidence that your girlfriend Jenny has only just started moving in. She's surprised you with a birthday cake and - even though you've tried to warn her that you kill people for a living and your former boss is out for your blood - she shrugs it off as a bad joke. Motioning you over to the couch, she kisses you, leans her head on your shoulder and gradually falls asleep as the two of you watch TV. It's not what you'd expect from a hyperviolent shooter, ...

New Releases for the Week of June 25, 2007 (USA) (News)

Jun 25, 2007

Holy Release-ness!

A total of seven releases for Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii and five for the PlayStation 3. Some noticeable releases include The Darkness for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, while Pokemon makes its way to the Nintendo Wii. In addition, Rainbow Six Vegas arrives for PlayStation 3 gamers.

Check out the latest list of new video game releases (USA) for the week of 6/25/2007 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 (PS3), Nintendo Wii, Sony PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS, and PC (USA)! As always, release dates are subject to change.

The Xbox 360 Games of Summer 2007 (News)

Jun 23, 2007

IGN:

Summer is said to be the worst time for gamers. The "summer drought," however, is a myth. Eyeballing the release calendar for summer (June 21-September 21) shows that there are several dozen games bound for stores in the next few months. And better still, many of these are quality titles. Don't expect to save your pennies this year -- summer is going to be big on Xbox 360. Just take a peek at our list of some of the biggest games on the horizon.

Fanboy Fight for 5 copies of the Darkness (News)

Jun 23, 2007

Via ps3fanboy
The Darkness is coming ...

Starbreeze's hotly anticipated FPS title is coming to the PS3 ... and Xbox 360. We have five copies of the game to give away, but we don't know which version we should hand out. Xbox 360? PS3? Well, you'll help us decide in the very first Xbox 360 Fanboy/PS3 Fanboy joint contest. We're pitting each community against each other. Fans on Xbox 360 Fanboy will explain why the 360 version of the game will be better. You will explain why the PS3 version of the game will be better. To enter:

1. Finish this sentence: "The PS3(360) version of The Darkness is better than the 360(PS3) version because ... "
2. Submit your idea to our comments section

The Darkness demo playable in a few weeks (News)

Jun 21, 2007

In The Darkness game's latest MySpace blog update, Lord Sonatine talks about the demo being delayed and that it is still coming, albeit a few weeks late. The blog confirms that the demo will be headed to Microsoft certification sometime this week and go through the two plus week process of getting approved. So, we'll have to be a patient bunch. Lord Sonatine also reiterated that The Darkness demo wasn't intentionally held back like some conspiracy theorists have expressed and that the real reason for the delay was because the retail version was at "risk of being late and missing the release date by a week or two. So we pulled people off the demo to work on the game". See, it's as simple as that.

The Darkness: EXCLUSIVE developer walkthrough video (Feature)

Jun 20, 2007

We recently managed to haul Lars Johansson, producer of The Darkness, out of the shadows of the Starbreeze studios and into the light to talk us through two levels of his supernatural horror thriller. Joining him for the commentary were art director, Jens Mathies, and the lead gameplay designer, Fredrik Ljungdahl. The walkthrough is presented in two parts, both of which you can find below. And if you find you need more enlightening on this dark and mysterious game you can check out our ...

The Darkness - hands-on (Preview)

Jun 20, 2007

We've hinted at some pretty serious concerns with The Darkness before. There seemed to be a limit in level size, it was easy to get lost and it had twitchy controls. We've spent hours with an almost-done code, and we're delighted to report some of our worries have been soothed. The Darkness might not eclipse the unexpected magnificence of Chronicles of Riddick, but it's packed with imagination, blood, guns and kick-ass environments. And after establishing themselves as king of the videogame ...

The Darkness (Screenshots)

Jun 20, 2007

The Darkness (News)

Jun 14, 2007

So what kind of game can fans of the comic book series, The Darkness, expect? Just take a peek at this newly released trailer from 2K Games that showcases scenes and gameplay from the Otherworld as well as later levels in the upcoming game. Enter into the belly of the beast - the dark, dystopian life of mafia hitman Jackie Estacado. Anyone who doubts whether or not the game could live up to the comic book standards need only to look at the quick scene where a hole is carved into some poor ...

The Darkness demo gets held back (News)

Jun 11, 2007

Xbox360Fanboy reports:

"We just received a tip that The Darkness demo has hit an unforeseen road block and may not make it to the Marketplace before the game ships later this month. Being a subscriber to The Darkness' MySpace group, Ben Furneaux says that he received a subscribers only bulletin message from Lord Sonatine stating that the demo has been delayed, but will release as soon as possible. Again, we aren't cool enough to be subscribers to The Darkness' official MySpace page, so we didn't get the message to confirm its contents. But you can take Ben's word for it and check out the bulletin message he received, posted after the break. The Darkness can be stopped ... by Microsoft's certification team."

Darkness' new Black Hole power revealed (News)

Jun 4, 2007

New video of The Darkness showing off the demonic Black Hole power has been released. As the video shows, Black Hole a terribly powerful ability, as it creates a vortex that sucks up and violently spins anyone or anything caught in its pull. For those of you who don't know, The Darkness is based on a comic of the same name and tells the story of Jackie Estacado, who inherits an ageless destructive power on his 21st birthday. Watching the player controlled anti-hero, being urged on by his ...

Darkness screens not for kids (News)

May 18, 2007

We can't wait for The Darkness. Its stunning mix of dark, sinister graphics, twisted horror themes and the balls to shock you with the sickest gore you've ever seen makes it a game you can't afford to ignore. You play as mafia hitman Jackie, a man possessed by an ancient demonic entity that lets you summon demons. You can see him preparing to end one unlucky foe with his tentacles in one of these ...

The Darkness Demo Coming In June? (News)

May 8, 2007

GamingTalkHQ Is reporting that on the official"The Darkness Myspace page that they have posted a new message.Revealing that a demo is slated to be released before the game hits store shelves. The post notes that the demo will be download only,meaning it wont be on in any OXM. Currently, the demo is scheduled to arrive approximately 3 weeks before the title debuts on June 25th, so it should be on Marketplace in the first week of June

A Good Summer for 360 Owners (News)

Apr 17, 2007

May through August are normally not a strong months for game releases. Well, it looks like that won't be the case this year for Xbox 360 owners.

Startinging in May, a number of anticipated games will be hitting shelves. Hit the jump for titles and dates.

The Darkness Dated (News)

Mar 29, 2007

2K Games has confirmed this morning that The Darkness will launch across Europe on 29th June. It will be available slightly earlier in America, on 25th June, and both console versions will launch simultaneously.

The darkness to be released June 25 (News)

Mar 27, 2007

The Darkness coming out for xbox 360 and ps3 will be released June 25th in the US and June 29 in Europe.

The Darkness June Release Announced? (News)

Mar 22, 2007

The Darkness has been slated for a June release, according to the game's Myspace blog.

The Darkness - hands-on (Preview)

Feb 28, 2007

Your captor walks over to the wall, casually plugging a handheld drill into an electrical outlet while he curses your name and tells you exactly why you deserve this. Before you know it, the drill is being thrust into your head, bits of blood and flesh splattering outwards as the screen shakes violently. This is the world of The Darkness – gritty, degenerate and malevolent. Its a strikingly beautiful, disturbingly intense game, a first person shooter descent into the world of mob violence ...

The Darkness: still looking brilliant (News)

Feb 23, 2007

Starbreeze and 2K Games have launched the official website for The Darkness, which along with an absurd amount of flash trickery delivers several new screenshots of the comic book shooter, which is out in ...

Germans invade The Darkness (News)

Jan 10, 2007

These brand new screens for gore-fest shooter The Darkness reveal the game's mentalist Otherworld realm - an alternate universe where history has been bent all out of shape by the titular wicked force. So, as if the game wasn't supernatural enough - hit man Jackie Estacado becomes possessed by an evil, shadow-hungry force embodied by giant toothy tentacles and nasty goblin murderers - the images below show that you won't simply be butchering New York mobsters. Entering The Otherworld brings ...

Peer into The Darkness (News)

Sep 29, 2006

A gruesome new trailer and a batch of action shots have surfaced for The Darkness, the comic book inspired, next-gen shooter that spices up the blasting with an array of savage demonic powers. If you're squeamish, we suggest you don't hit that Movies tab above to see the footage, which features cursed hero Jackie Estacado unleashing his dark skills against a gang of ...

The Darkness (Preview)

Jul 27, 2006

The folks over at publisher 2K Games decided to show off the best of both the comic and video game worlds at Comic-Con this year with a new demo of its upcoming shooter, The Darkness. In case you're - ahem - in the dark about the game's plot, here's a quick primer to bring you into the light. Based on the popular comic book, The Darkness tells the story of mafia hitman Jackie Estacado, whose already complicated life gets an extra little twist. On his 21st birthday, Jackie inherits control of a ...

The Darkness calls (Preview)

May 15, 2006

We've just emerged, blinking into the light, from a special showing of The Darkness, the comic-book inspired shooter with a seriously evil bent. Our demo began with hitman Jackie Estacado - the hero - lugging a corpse-filled body bag into the trunk of a van, and it only got better. To cut a paranormal story short, on the night Jackie turned 21 he was possessed by an ancient demonic force called The Darkness, giving him some impressive powers. Shooting out the lights in a deserted restaurant ...

New Darkness shots creep in (News)

May 4, 2006

Wednesday 3 May 2006 We've laid our hands on a fresh batch of screenshots from 2K Games' forthcoming gothic first-person shooter The Darkness. The gritty adventure sees gamers assume the role of mafia hit man Jackie Estacado who is possessed by a supernatural entity called The Darkness, which arms him with dark powers enabling him to really go to town on his enemies in really horrible ways. The screenshots illustrate the dark and chilling New York landscape the game is set in and provide ...

Pre-E3 blowout day one: Xbox 360 (Feature)

May 2, 2006

We can't wait Gears of War By now, we've all seen the jaw-dropping trailer, but we can't wait to get our hands on this festival of frags. Just the thought of burying the end of our chainsaw-gun into the face of a formerly subterranean dwelling Locust monster has our fingers twitching with anticipation. Being able to share the bloodletting with online friends in a little co-op play only makes the prospect of eviscerating Locusts more ...

2K Games summons powers of the netherworld (News)

Mar 3, 2006

Jackie Estacado, mafia hitman playboy, has found a new home at 2K Games after nearly meeting his end with now-defunct publisher Majesco. The Darkness, based on the popular Top Cow comic, thrusts you into Jackie's suave trench-coat and gothic nightmare city. You've been possessed by a mysterious, malevolent force that encases your body with inky, rippling blackness. In addition to beign totally goth-fashionable, this development gives you the power to command the zombified, rat-like demons that ...

The Darkness Strategy Guide (FAQ)

Oct 3, 2008

Go to GamesRadar to see the FAQ ...

Ride a Car (Hint)

Apr 16, 2008

Go to GamesRadar to see the Hint ...

Achievements (Unlockable)

Nov 15, 2007

Go to GamesRadar to see the Unlockable ...

The Darkness FAQ (FAQ)

Nov 15, 2007

Go to GamesRadar to see the FAQ ...

The Darkness Collectables Guide (FAQ)

Jul 2, 2007

Go to GamesRadar to see the FAQ ...

Collectable Phone Numbers (Cheat)

Jul 2, 2007

Go to GamesRadar to see the Cheat ...

Other In Game Phone Numbers (Cheat)

Jul 2, 2007

Go to GamesRadar to see the Cheat ...

Complete Darkness Guide (FAQ)

Jul 2, 2007

Go to GamesRadar to see the FAQ ...

Unlock 2K Darkling (Cheat)

Jul 2, 2007

Go to GamesRadar to see the Cheat ...

Secret Phone Numbers (Cheat)

Jul 2, 2007

Go to GamesRadar to see the Cheat ...