It means the guns are used to take down light sources as much as enemies, and while you'd think it might suggest a more studied approach, that's not really the case. When the odds are stacked against you it pays to take a little more time, but as soon as you unleash hell it's adrenaline-pumping, gratifying stuff - and also opens up a load of different ways to play.
But there are side-effects. The Darkness is an awesome-looking game, but its reliance on creating dark environments means that the gorgeous graphics are often wasted. When everywhere is dark and you've got your Darkness powers "on," edges take on a ghostly glow so you can still navigate. But with some real brutal moves in the game it's a shame that you don't always see exactly what's going on in full, horrific detail. And while it's far from an open world sandbox it's still easy to get lost, not helped by some of the more obscure puzzles, which, considering the maps aren't exactly gigantic, is a bit weird. And irritatingly, the tentacles are mostly brilliant… but as soon as you guide these appendages up walls they become all-but uncontrollable.
But are we lowering our expectations for The Darkness? Nah. Get your head around the fact that this isn't your typical FPS, and you'll forgive the irritations in what looks set to be one of the best comic-book tie-ins for, well, ever - we just wanted to play, and play, and play. The Darkness might not be technically perfect, but you'll kick yourself if you miss out. Look for a full review soon.
