I must say, i never normally post things on sites about games, i just like to read what other people say, but after i read the last comment that was made on this game, i had to say something.. first off the comment that was made on this game that it add's nothing to the fps genre is total rubbish, for starters you can summon demons, suck people up through a black hole, sneak through gutters, grates with a creeping dark ability and impale the bad guys on your anaconda sized tentacles!! this is a fps that isn't just about the guns!! Also between missions you can do more or less what want, there's two subways that link the major levels off the game together, here you will find various sub quests and unlockable content, or you can just go round talking and watching people get on with their life! Now on to the main reason this game DOES add something different to the fps genre, the idea is, you stay in the dark, you see, your darkness powers will only work in the dark, therefore you find yourself shooting at street lamps before you even go in battle, with the conventional guns not really having much affect agaisnt the enemies you come across, its essential you black out the area so you can get in the dark and get out the weapons ( the darkness )that will kill the bad guys...!!! You stay in the light and it wont be long before your dead! The story will keep you gripped from the moment it starts as you find yourself being transported from hell and back ( literally ) in order to take out your evil uncle paulie and avenge events that happen not to far into the game!! All in all the darkness is a quality fps, that changes your mind on just running in with your guns blazing, its different, its gritty and its dark!! ( sorry about the pun! ) buy it now!! hope this helps!! 8/10
11 Reviews
Chiaroscuro
another_awakening4 April 2008
The first thing one notices when playing "The Darkness" is the incredibly stylized visual aspect of the game. It seems fair to assume that a game called "The Darkness" would be dark
but the game isn't just dark, it's pure darkness. It starts of in New York City and it's a shock to see every street, corner and alley so gloomy and absent of light, with only a few lamps bursting small, but bright, rays of light. But even those are not warm pleasant lights; they're cold, dry white lights that contrast perfectly with the blackness that surrounds them. The result is similar to the "chiaroscuro"style photography that will reminisce with anyone who has ever seen a "Film-Noir" or German expressionist film like "Nosferatu". Though it's a common technique in cinema, this is the first game that actually was able to emulate it on a game (and so many have tried), and for that fact it must be commended. The way the lighting shapes objects and scenarios is superb, thanks to the quality of the volumetric lighting engine and the sheer detail of the sets. Whether it's the New York subways, with its grayish and slab tones, or the hellish land of the Darkness, engulfed in its dead brown and fiery red, every environment of the game feels unique and organic, pulsating with life and death.
The dark visuals fit perfectly as the counterpart to a story of corruption that transpires in the soul of one man: Jackie Estacado. Jackie is a "wise guy" from a crime family ruled by his Uncle Paulie, and on his 21st birthday, he's possessed by a demon-like being called "The Darkness". Coincidentally, on the same day, his uncle decides to have Jackie killed. "The Darkness" will agree to save Jackie by giving him power, but in return, will demand a significant price to pay. The story is beautifully crafted, filled with fatalism and dread; in a nutshell: it's "The Godfather" meets "Faust". Not a bad combination, is it? And though it's based on a comic book, don't expect a cookie-cutter plot; it's not revolutionary, but it's engaging and deep. Narrative develops through dialogs and cut-scenes where the player has control of the character ("a la" Half-Life 2); and this is where "The Darkness" shines really brightly, with character animations bordering life-like, thanks to one of the best motion capturing ever seen in games. Add great voice-acting, and the result is a series of emotionally powerful sequences that actually resonate with the player, and thus give a whole new level of dramatic impact to the plot.
As a FPS, "The Darkness" fares well: it's not groundbreaking, it's not perfect, but it is enjoyable. The main character can use a lot of guns, which feel extremely powerful, thanks to the care given to model and sound design. But apart from the ability to use of some cool finishing moves, gun use feels a bit formulaic and shallow. Adding spice into the mix, are the "darkness" powers that allow the disposal of enemies in a number of "unpleasant" ways. Stick a huge tentacle through your enemies' bowels? Check. Summon a kamikaze imp to blow everything to smithereens? Check. Darkness powers are fun, and do a nice job of adding a touch of dark-humor to the otherwise serious tale. The downfall is that most powers don't seem well implemented, and more than once in a while, their effect will be unpredictable, either because the controls aren't responsive enough, or because the AI just doesn't cut it.
Level Design is OK. Action sequences are balanced and straight-forward, allowing the game to flow smoothly. But, "The Darkness", like the companies' predecessor ("Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay") also has a few RPG/adventure elements that add variety: speaking to characters, finding collectible items, and performing small quests are just a few of the possibilities. The problem here is that, unlike "Riddick", levels are enormous in size, and usually, have little going on in most of their areas. This means, the aforementioned elements become long and somewhat boring fetch games filled with backtracking . So unlike "Riddick", instead of helping the game, these elements end up hurting it.
Like its "Chiaroscuro", "The Darkness" is game of contrast; on one hand, there's a powerful and moving story, beautifully told through the sights and sounds of the game, and on the other, an uninspired game, that doesn't show the same amount of care and production value as the rest of the package. All in all, it's a great game for those who don't mind suffering some uninspired shooting to appreciate some great artistic design and a cinematic narrative. So if you don't belong in this group, then forget about "The Darkness", but if you do embrace it.
The dark visuals fit perfectly as the counterpart to a story of corruption that transpires in the soul of one man: Jackie Estacado. Jackie is a "wise guy" from a crime family ruled by his Uncle Paulie, and on his 21st birthday, he's possessed by a demon-like being called "The Darkness". Coincidentally, on the same day, his uncle decides to have Jackie killed. "The Darkness" will agree to save Jackie by giving him power, but in return, will demand a significant price to pay. The story is beautifully crafted, filled with fatalism and dread; in a nutshell: it's "The Godfather" meets "Faust". Not a bad combination, is it? And though it's based on a comic book, don't expect a cookie-cutter plot; it's not revolutionary, but it's engaging and deep. Narrative develops through dialogs and cut-scenes where the player has control of the character ("a la" Half-Life 2); and this is where "The Darkness" shines really brightly, with character animations bordering life-like, thanks to one of the best motion capturing ever seen in games. Add great voice-acting, and the result is a series of emotionally powerful sequences that actually resonate with the player, and thus give a whole new level of dramatic impact to the plot.
As a FPS, "The Darkness" fares well: it's not groundbreaking, it's not perfect, but it is enjoyable. The main character can use a lot of guns, which feel extremely powerful, thanks to the care given to model and sound design. But apart from the ability to use of some cool finishing moves, gun use feels a bit formulaic and shallow. Adding spice into the mix, are the "darkness" powers that allow the disposal of enemies in a number of "unpleasant" ways. Stick a huge tentacle through your enemies' bowels? Check. Summon a kamikaze imp to blow everything to smithereens? Check. Darkness powers are fun, and do a nice job of adding a touch of dark-humor to the otherwise serious tale. The downfall is that most powers don't seem well implemented, and more than once in a while, their effect will be unpredictable, either because the controls aren't responsive enough, or because the AI just doesn't cut it.
Level Design is OK. Action sequences are balanced and straight-forward, allowing the game to flow smoothly. But, "The Darkness", like the companies' predecessor ("Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay") also has a few RPG/adventure elements that add variety: speaking to characters, finding collectible items, and performing small quests are just a few of the possibilities. The problem here is that, unlike "Riddick", levels are enormous in size, and usually, have little going on in most of their areas. This means, the aforementioned elements become long and somewhat boring fetch games filled with backtracking . So unlike "Riddick", instead of helping the game, these elements end up hurting it.
Like its "Chiaroscuro", "The Darkness" is game of contrast; on one hand, there's a powerful and moving story, beautifully told through the sights and sounds of the game, and on the other, an uninspired game, that doesn't show the same amount of care and production value as the rest of the package. All in all, it's a great game for those who don't mind suffering some uninspired shooting to appreciate some great artistic design and a cinematic narrative. So if you don't belong in this group, then forget about "The Darkness", but if you do embrace it.
Wonderfully Developed
chackoperformance-114 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I was an avid fan of the Darkness Comics due to the perfect anti-hero: Jackie Estacado. This game covers his persona fairly well, has a thorough story, and lots of action packed scenes to stuff it up with. My only gripe: I wish there was some way Jackie could move faster in some locations and up the AI for your darklings.
There are only a couple continuity problems and some things that sort of leave you wondering what the developer was thinking. The major problem I had is that no one really seems to react to you appropriately when you dawn the darkness. In fact really the only NPC that does is Eddie Schrote: and he isn't even scared of it.
Aside from that, there is nothing more fun then going into creeping dark and eating the faces off a few guys. When we put this game up to a 104" projector in our basement theater I had friends and family over watching another friend play it:: they thought it was a full cgi movie and didn't realize it was a video game.
And yes, it is a FPS but not quite the same. This game plays more along the lines of FEAR without the AI of FEAR. There are a lot of situations where you will need to think through logically about how to get past an area, making sure that you have exhausted each of your darkness abilities in order to do so. The Darkness is constantly interacting with you, there are a multitude of quest-types in the game, and you get the colorful language of a modern Italian-New Yorker.
I will just put it this way. I hate consoles and this game is the only reason I bought the Xbox360
There are only a couple continuity problems and some things that sort of leave you wondering what the developer was thinking. The major problem I had is that no one really seems to react to you appropriately when you dawn the darkness. In fact really the only NPC that does is Eddie Schrote: and he isn't even scared of it.
Aside from that, there is nothing more fun then going into creeping dark and eating the faces off a few guys. When we put this game up to a 104" projector in our basement theater I had friends and family over watching another friend play it:: they thought it was a full cgi movie and didn't realize it was a video game.
And yes, it is a FPS but not quite the same. This game plays more along the lines of FEAR without the AI of FEAR. There are a lot of situations where you will need to think through logically about how to get past an area, making sure that you have exhausted each of your darkness abilities in order to do so. The Darkness is constantly interacting with you, there are a multitude of quest-types in the game, and you get the colorful language of a modern Italian-New Yorker.
I will just put it this way. I hate consoles and this game is the only reason I bought the Xbox360
The best comic-based game ever
Wolfdemon4 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I've played many comic based games, some were good and some were bad. When I picked up this game, The Darkness, I wanted to check it out. This game was published by 2K Games (Prey) and developed by Starbreeze Studios (The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay). Here's a review of The Darkness.
Plot: The story of the game is basically a re-telling of how Jackie Estacado gotten his Darkness powers. On the night of his 21st birthday, hit-man and mob enforcer Jackie Estacado first received his Darkness powers after his adopted uncle Paulie Franchetti put a hit out on him and to really make his nephew's life worse, he murders his nephew's lover named Jenny. Jackie must utilize his Darkness powers to take down Paulie and his goons while trying to keep the Darkness under control. 5/5
Graphics: Starbreeze Studios makes good on the graphics of The Darkness. It captures the very dark and gritty side of New York. Like The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, the graphics are near perfect. Starbreeze even did a nice job on the buildings in both New York and the battlefield of Otherworld. 5/5
Sound: The sound features a combination of orchestra and heavy metal music that is best suited to the Darkness game. The voice over actors were a nice match for the characters, even Mike Patton of Faith No More as The Darkness. No edits were done to his voice. The voices of the Darklings provide some black humor to the drama of the game. 5/5
Gameplay: The engine of The Darkness is very similar to The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, you can see the main character's whole body from his point of view. Although the game features nice fast-paced gun battles, the heart of it is the powers of the Darkness. Jackie can use his powers to even the odds from summoning Darklings to using the dark creatures on his back for instant kills. Jackie can also do brutal executions whenever he's within close range. Nice job right there. You can also watch movies, shows, and music videos on the TV. 5/5
2K Games and Starbreeze Studios did an excellent job on the Darkness. If you are a fan of the Darkness or not, check out this game. It's really worth playing.
Final Review: 5/5
Plot: The story of the game is basically a re-telling of how Jackie Estacado gotten his Darkness powers. On the night of his 21st birthday, hit-man and mob enforcer Jackie Estacado first received his Darkness powers after his adopted uncle Paulie Franchetti put a hit out on him and to really make his nephew's life worse, he murders his nephew's lover named Jenny. Jackie must utilize his Darkness powers to take down Paulie and his goons while trying to keep the Darkness under control. 5/5
Graphics: Starbreeze Studios makes good on the graphics of The Darkness. It captures the very dark and gritty side of New York. Like The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, the graphics are near perfect. Starbreeze even did a nice job on the buildings in both New York and the battlefield of Otherworld. 5/5
Sound: The sound features a combination of orchestra and heavy metal music that is best suited to the Darkness game. The voice over actors were a nice match for the characters, even Mike Patton of Faith No More as The Darkness. No edits were done to his voice. The voices of the Darklings provide some black humor to the drama of the game. 5/5
Gameplay: The engine of The Darkness is very similar to The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, you can see the main character's whole body from his point of view. Although the game features nice fast-paced gun battles, the heart of it is the powers of the Darkness. Jackie can use his powers to even the odds from summoning Darklings to using the dark creatures on his back for instant kills. Jackie can also do brutal executions whenever he's within close range. Nice job right there. You can also watch movies, shows, and music videos on the TV. 5/5
2K Games and Starbreeze Studios did an excellent job on the Darkness. If you are a fan of the Darkness or not, check out this game. It's really worth playing.
Final Review: 5/5
A dark and explosive ride
holy_johan29 July 2007
Well first I must admit that I was a bit sceptical about this game to begin with. Sure it looked good but still I was unsure, but for whatever reason I bought it.
First impression was amazing, the first act is probably the most intense scene in the whole game, but not in a bad way. You get the general picture of what has happened and before you know it your are forced into an adrenaline pumping car chase.
The game does a good job at making you feel like you are over powerful, which (of course) is not so true. You feel invincible with all the tentacles sticking out of your back but really if you are not careful (and not playing on easy difficulty) you will fins yourself gunned down before you know it.
All in all it's a great game, nice graphics and with a depth rarely seen in these types of games. The story is intriguing and the acting superb. However, there are some frustrating moments with a few (and rare) glitches and the fact that there seem to be hardly anyone walking the streets of New York, although I suppose you could argue that this is because it's night throughout the game.
This is still a game that I think most people would enjoy as long as they like FPS games, but really I think this game can offer a lot to just about anyone.
First impression was amazing, the first act is probably the most intense scene in the whole game, but not in a bad way. You get the general picture of what has happened and before you know it your are forced into an adrenaline pumping car chase.
The game does a good job at making you feel like you are over powerful, which (of course) is not so true. You feel invincible with all the tentacles sticking out of your back but really if you are not careful (and not playing on easy difficulty) you will fins yourself gunned down before you know it.
All in all it's a great game, nice graphics and with a depth rarely seen in these types of games. The story is intriguing and the acting superb. However, there are some frustrating moments with a few (and rare) glitches and the fact that there seem to be hardly anyone walking the streets of New York, although I suppose you could argue that this is because it's night throughout the game.
This is still a game that I think most people would enjoy as long as they like FPS games, but really I think this game can offer a lot to just about anyone.
Fantastic game from the good days
amadeuseisenberg24 November 2019
Pretty good gameplay, a story you will want to follow and great atmosphere. This is from back when games still had lots of depth and quality. The attention to detail. Also back when developers really enjoyed making games too and were passionate about what they were creating. The voice acting is also superb and I love the creative loading screens. Made with Chronicles of Riddick engine. And same level of quality and passion.
I also wonder if I'm the only one who noticed that the Metal music kicks in when you bring out the Darkness in a fight. One of the coolest touches ever.
I also wonder if I'm the only one who noticed that the Metal music kicks in when you bring out the Darkness in a fight. One of the coolest touches ever.
Beautiful story and beautiful graphics in a neat package.
hoopotus14 November 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I think this title is one of the greatest emotional games so far. The gameplay could have been more innovative, but I don't think this game is intented for FPS fans as much as it is for people who appreciate a good story. I mean, really, in how many action games you have a scene where you just sit on a sofa with your girlfriend and just watch TV (and snuggle a bit)? The whole story is somehow twisted and beautiful at the same time. From the beginning things go bad and thne they go worse. The main character sees the orphonage he grew in blow up. He sees his girlfriend executed before his face by his uncle Paulie. And in the end he has his revenge, but at the same time loses himself to the Darkness so the ending isn't all that happy either. We're talking about tragedy here.
So if you like dark (and slightly Gothic) stories of life fallen apart and simple joys denied, this is the game for you.
So if you like dark (and slightly Gothic) stories of life fallen apart and simple joys denied, this is the game for you.
Jackie's odyssey is one to be experienced
KillerK199129 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Another fantastic, gritty, story driven experience by the creators of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, The Darkness is a unique shooter that plays by its own rules for better or for worse.
(+) - This game has style in spades. New York is even grimier and foreboding than ever. - The voice acting is top notch. Kirk Acevedo nails the lead with an abundance of world weariness and charm. His monologues throughout are a nice touch; very amusing. Mike Patton is amazing as ever as the sinister Darkness. The fact that it is a 2 man show for the most part makes the performances even more impressive. Kudos to the actors behind Jackie's grandpa, Butcher, Captain Eddie Shrote, and Jenny as well. - The story is one of the best you'll see in a shooter especially. Jackie and his less than savory acquaintance have a certain uniqueness to them - You need to actually aim well(though there is a little assistance) to win the day. You will get smoked if you go guns blazing, as the ai's aim is actually quite precise in comparison to its easier peers. - The minions and powers are all very amusing and fun to use. - Doesn't pull any punches with the subject matter without getting over-the-top. - The soundtrack fits the mood perfectly.
(-) - The surreal World War 1 Darkness sequences were visually arresting but confusing to traverse; I couldn't wait to get back to the real world. - Though having a sense of realism, besides involving hellish creatures that rip people apart, the clunkiness of movement made the game as frustrating as it was fun at times. - Doesn't really explain much at times, leaving to some annoying sequences that will make you slap yourself upside then head when you figure them out(Okay, this might be a personal problem on behalf of yours truly) - Hard to see what's going on. There are certain moments involving flashing lights that will make you wonder if they are purposefully trying to give you a seizure.
These somewhat minor gripes aside, I recommend this experience to anyone who like shooters, story-driven games, comic books, and a shadowy aesthetic.
(8/10)
(+) - This game has style in spades. New York is even grimier and foreboding than ever. - The voice acting is top notch. Kirk Acevedo nails the lead with an abundance of world weariness and charm. His monologues throughout are a nice touch; very amusing. Mike Patton is amazing as ever as the sinister Darkness. The fact that it is a 2 man show for the most part makes the performances even more impressive. Kudos to the actors behind Jackie's grandpa, Butcher, Captain Eddie Shrote, and Jenny as well. - The story is one of the best you'll see in a shooter especially. Jackie and his less than savory acquaintance have a certain uniqueness to them - You need to actually aim well(though there is a little assistance) to win the day. You will get smoked if you go guns blazing, as the ai's aim is actually quite precise in comparison to its easier peers. - The minions and powers are all very amusing and fun to use. - Doesn't pull any punches with the subject matter without getting over-the-top. - The soundtrack fits the mood perfectly.
(-) - The surreal World War 1 Darkness sequences were visually arresting but confusing to traverse; I couldn't wait to get back to the real world. - Though having a sense of realism, besides involving hellish creatures that rip people apart, the clunkiness of movement made the game as frustrating as it was fun at times. - Doesn't really explain much at times, leaving to some annoying sequences that will make you slap yourself upside then head when you figure them out(Okay, this might be a personal problem on behalf of yours truly) - Hard to see what's going on. There are certain moments involving flashing lights that will make you wonder if they are purposefully trying to give you a seizure.
These somewhat minor gripes aside, I recommend this experience to anyone who like shooters, story-driven games, comic books, and a shadowy aesthetic.
(8/10)
The Darkness makes for a rather good first person shooter with a bit of a twist.
Aaron137511 June 2009
It took me awhile to finally play this game because I always got mixed reviews on it, however upon finally playing and completing this game I have to say I rather enjoyed it. It had a good story, I loved ripping the hearts out of my enemies and the graphics were rather good to for one of the earlier Playstation 3 titles. It does have its assortment of problems too, some times it is hard to control your snake thing when sending it on the attack, your darklings get killed rather easily and so forth. However, those problems need a little addressing don't they cause if you have not played this game you are thinking "What?". The game is about a guy in the mob named Jackie who is about to have the head of the family against him. Yes, Jackie has fallen out of favor with his uncle Paulie and at the start of the game you and the two guys you are with are infiltrated by the many crooked cops who basically work for Paulie. This is Jackie's 21st birthday, however, and he is about to gain a special power, or you could say a dark power is about to control Jackie. This power is the Darkness and it manifests itself around Jackie in the form of two snakes and tentacles. So you have your basic shooter combat where you kill with guns, and on top of that you now have the Darkness powers which can be used to kill very efficiently such as sending the snakes out to do stealth kills, using the tentacles to move cars and kill people, and later in the game manifest black holes. You also now have the ability to summon creatures called darklings which sometimes they can be effective and sometimes not so much. So using Jackie you now must take your revenge against your uncle Paulie and Eddie Shrote the crooked captain of the police as they do something that really ticks Jackie off. You also have to try and control the Darkness, though that seems to be a losing battle. As I said rather fun game, just needs work in a few areas, however ending is not one of them, very good emotional ending to this one.
Dark and action packed.
omfgigorawr17 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Starting with the good, there was plenty of action and an awesome background music when action heats up or when things calm down had me feel like i was really there. The variety of powers and minions was awesome. Being able to level the darkness proved a good challenge and the story really had me hooked from the start. Being put into a car chase right off the bat was the most intense part of the game however. And having lots of optional objectives and collectibles throughout the game makes putting time into it worthwhile with the entertaining collectible phone numbers.
The bad was that the lip synching and voice acting wasn't top notch. And sometimes the objectives not telling you specific enough directions was kind of a pain. The aim was a pain most of the time since you rely heavily on the darkness for life and your shield. Your minions are really lacking in AI at some points, such as i found my gunner with horrible aim and shooting walls. And light killer often ignored the lights just to rush ahead and be killed by enemies. Mainly having to go to the same areas three or four times for story objectives made it a little repetitive.
The bad was that the lip synching and voice acting wasn't top notch. And sometimes the objectives not telling you specific enough directions was kind of a pain. The aim was a pain most of the time since you rely heavily on the darkness for life and your shield. Your minions are really lacking in AI at some points, such as i found my gunner with horrible aim and shooting walls. And light killer often ignored the lights just to rush ahead and be killed by enemies. Mainly having to go to the same areas three or four times for story objectives made it a little repetitive.
Comics + games = bad mix.
Littlebitsofgaming10 July 2007
I have never read any of the comics this game is based on...but I do know of them. But this game was my first proper introduction to The Darkness, so I write this as a game fan, not a comic fan...and it's very disappointing.
Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad game. Just a dull one. Here we have the tried and VERY tested First Person Shooter (FPS) game. With so many FPS out there, it's hard to do anything interesting or new with the genre...and this game also fails. It really is nothing more than another FPS, it offers nothing new to keep the genre alive. The missions are sub-standard stuff, and with a character that has the abilities Jackie does have you'd think they could inject some life into the mission design. Then there is all the pointless walking between locations, getting on and off trains....it's tedious. This game does not know if it wants to be a free roaming explorable game world (al-la GTA) or a restrictive FPS. So they tried to mix the 2 and fail. Yes you can ignore the missions and go off and explore, but with such a small game map and and lifeless empty one too (I'll get to that next)...why bother? There is nothing to explore anyway. The game is set in New York, though you would not believe that unless you were told as much. The streets are empty, you are lucky if you see more than 2 pedestrians at once. Also, it's such a small part of NY you do get to walk around that it beggars belief that the developers did NOT include more life and interaction.
The basic gameplay is just that...basic. Nothing really to keep a gamers enjoyment alive. It does have an interesting story...but this is a GAME, and GAMES require GAMEPLAY to make them enjoyable. I'm sure this would make a fine film (if done right), but it makes a dull, repetitive game.
The graphics are very nice...but I don't play games to look at nice graphics. I play games for the enjoyment and challenge of the game. As for the challenge, there really is none. I started a game on normal setting just to get a feel for the game. Found it all too easy, so re-started on hard and still found that too easy...and that was with turning off auto aim, etc. There are side missions and collect-ables...but they are just as tedious as the main game.
A rather average game that looks nice but really seems about 8 years old gameplay wise. Wait for the inevitable film instead, I'm sure it'll be FAR more enjoyable than playing this tiresome effort.
As one of the NPC police officers say in the game "Move along, nothing to see here"...yup, that pretty much sums up this game.
Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad game. Just a dull one. Here we have the tried and VERY tested First Person Shooter (FPS) game. With so many FPS out there, it's hard to do anything interesting or new with the genre...and this game also fails. It really is nothing more than another FPS, it offers nothing new to keep the genre alive. The missions are sub-standard stuff, and with a character that has the abilities Jackie does have you'd think they could inject some life into the mission design. Then there is all the pointless walking between locations, getting on and off trains....it's tedious. This game does not know if it wants to be a free roaming explorable game world (al-la GTA) or a restrictive FPS. So they tried to mix the 2 and fail. Yes you can ignore the missions and go off and explore, but with such a small game map and and lifeless empty one too (I'll get to that next)...why bother? There is nothing to explore anyway. The game is set in New York, though you would not believe that unless you were told as much. The streets are empty, you are lucky if you see more than 2 pedestrians at once. Also, it's such a small part of NY you do get to walk around that it beggars belief that the developers did NOT include more life and interaction.
The basic gameplay is just that...basic. Nothing really to keep a gamers enjoyment alive. It does have an interesting story...but this is a GAME, and GAMES require GAMEPLAY to make them enjoyable. I'm sure this would make a fine film (if done right), but it makes a dull, repetitive game.
The graphics are very nice...but I don't play games to look at nice graphics. I play games for the enjoyment and challenge of the game. As for the challenge, there really is none. I started a game on normal setting just to get a feel for the game. Found it all too easy, so re-started on hard and still found that too easy...and that was with turning off auto aim, etc. There are side missions and collect-ables...but they are just as tedious as the main game.
A rather average game that looks nice but really seems about 8 years old gameplay wise. Wait for the inevitable film instead, I'm sure it'll be FAR more enjoyable than playing this tiresome effort.
As one of the NPC police officers say in the game "Move along, nothing to see here"...yup, that pretty much sums up this game.
See also
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