Blast in the dark

by ERIK LEIJON

A couple of weeks ago, I made mention of the surprisingly awesome Chronicles of Riddick game from 2004. Lo and behold, Swedish studio Starbreeze’s follow-up arrives right before the wave of big budget first-person shooters flood the market later this summer. The Darkness (X360, PS3/2K, Starbreeze) is based on the comic book of the same name, and since Starbreeze was able to fashion an incredible game based on a lame Vin Diesel licence, it’s not surprising that a similar title, starring a demon-possessed mafia hitman (who looks like Montreal actor Elias Koteas from his Casey Jones days), is an absolute blast. We’re only halfway through the year, but The Darkness is the most riveting single-player experience of 2007.

Jackie Estacado is said hitman, a badass orphan who inherits the Darkness—a double-headed demon that can conjure up smaller demons (called darklings) to do its bidding, open black holes and eat the hearts of fallen foes. Singer Mike Patton has done a lot of interesting projects in his life, but his turn as the throaty devil creature (who shouts random things at Jackie throughout the game) is as strange as any. Powerful as the Darkness is, as his namesake would suggest, he requires staying in the shadows to survive. Shooting out lights and planning a shadow-filled route is an important part of staying alive in both modern New York, where the game takes place, and in the flashback sequences, which are set in an alternate version of World War I.

The environments—especially the New York subway and superb opening shootout in the Lincoln Tunnel—are all as authentic as Jackie’s New York accent (played by Brooklyn native Kirk Acevado). Like in Chronicles of Riddick, Starbreeze emphasizes storyline and creating interesting characters over gameplay. The character models aren’t the best I’ve seen, but each character comes to life thanks to their unique mannerisms. I especially loved the Jack Nicholson-copycat, minor player Frank Mortis.

It’s extremely easy to get sucked into the five-part story. The game can be completed after a couple of long sittings, but only because the thematic pacing will keep you glued to your chair for hours. Because so much of the enjoyment of this title is tied to the story, the multiplayer likely won’t have much longevity. As an FPS, the controls are very basic. And the darklings, although neat the first few times, are pretty stupid and don’t help much beyond absorbing some damage, and eating hearts just isn’t the same after the hundredth time. Multiplayer isn’t bad, per say, but it’s clearly added on merely because every FPS is expected to provide some online modes.

The next big FPS, 2K’s BioShock, similarly looks to be more of a single-player experience, so perhaps it’s a growing trend.

It won’t remain a long-term fixture in your library, but The Darkness must be played through at least once.

PUZZLE-PLAY

At E3 this year, I did a lot of waiting on buses and in planes. It provided the opportunity to work on PQ2: Practical Intelligence Quotient 2 (PSP/D3, Nowpro), a puzzle game that tests your IQ, like Brain Age, but actually consists of puzzles you want to play.

It stars an androgynous lead who must get from point A to B by moving blocks, dodging cops and avoiding laser beams on a vector-lined checker board, looking not unlike Intelligent Qube for the PS1. The major triumph is the 100-test challenge, which has a time limit of five hours. It’s the perfect summer travel companion—and insanely tough.