The Darkness II

The Darkness provides a more twisted take on the FPS genre.

Based on the supernatural horror comic book series by Top Cow Productions, the original game was a hit when it arrived in 2007, with a Metacritic score of 82 and over 1m sales worldwide.

The Darkness II continues the story of mob boss Jackie Estacado. Set two years after the original game, where Jackie’s girlfriend was murdered and his devilish powers were unleashed, he gets caught up in a gang war and must travel to hell and back to discover more about the events – and his powers.

Gamers can now fire two weapons and swing Jackie’s demon arms at once in The Darkness II, making for a brutal FPS experience.

“The Darkness II differentiates itself from more conventional first-person shooters through its simultaneous use of gunplay, destructive supernatural powers, light and dark gameplay, unique graphical presentation and a strong comic book narrative,” says 2K’s UK marketing manager Simon Turner.

Light vs dark

The Darkness II uses a light-based mechanic which means players can only wield their super powers in darker areas. They must shoot out lights or create shadows to give themselves the one-up over their enemies. This gives the game a real graphic novel feel. 2K’s latest title is also written by comic book author Paul Jenkins.

Users can now also take part in a co-operative campaign mode, which boasts four different characters each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

The Darkness II is one of the first shooters of the year. Thanks to its comic book styling, co-op mode and super powered lead character, it’s far from your standard FPS.

Limited Edition

Customers who pre-order The Darkness II will receive a free upgrade to the Limited Edition, which includes an extra in-game Darkling outfit, Relic Hunter device, artwork and digital downloads of The Darkness Volume 1 and Volume 2 comics. This offer will run while stocks last.

Online marketing

The Darkness II will have a heavy online presence across all major video game websites including IGN, GameSpot, VideoGamer and more.

The dark outdoors

The Darkness II 12-sheet posters will go up in London Underground stations. Plus, there will be activity at a range of consumer events, a four-week promotion on Kerrang Radio and store promotions at Forbidden Planet. The comic book store will give customers branded carrier bags and allow them to play the game in its flagship London store.

TV fright fest

2K is advertising The Darkness II across Channel 4, Channel 5 and other TV stations including sponsorship on SyFy and The Horror Channel. Spots will appear on the latter channel for four weeks.