Just last week we saw new areas and powers in The Darkness II, reported by Nathan Irvine as he toured through Gamescom. This week, at PAX Prime 2011, 2K Games opted to show the US crowd the same demo it revealed at PAX East earlier this year – well, almost the same. While the events were identical to March’s preview, a few new gameplay elements were introduced that hint at Darkness II’s improved combat.
One more power was dropped in our laps – a massive black hole that sucks in all the enemies in a given space. In the original game, this was a power you could trigger over and over again, and made the last third of the game fairly easy. In Darkness II, you must keep an eye out for certain enemies who radiate a glowing red “evil aura” that Jackie can exploit; if you spot one, the tendrils can rip that heart out and toss it into the fray, triggering said black hole. A more tactical use of a power that was once possible to spam… perhaps it’s less empowering, but it’s definitely a strategic alteration that’ll make the gunplay more thoughtful.
Pretty much everything else was the same – there’s a dude who wants to steal the Darkness from Jackie, but the latter still can’t bring himself to let it go. New slashing powers let you rip enemies limb from limb, the new cel-shaded aesthetic distinguishes it from the previous game and, as we’ve seen today, new combat mechanics should make this a more immersive “I am the Darkness” experience. Hit up our earlier preview for the full scoop on those details, and look for Darkness II in February 2012.
Aug 27, 2011
