the darkness was surprisingly grounded and mature in spite of its premise. it really was just a mobster plot with some lovecraft in the background. hell - if you were to remove mike patton the story could remain nearly identical

...so it's understandable why a lot of fans aren't too keen on the sequel being an incredibly abrasive corridor shooter where enemies are constantly screaming things in the vein of, "WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING", "IT'S A FUCKIN' MONSTER", and "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH"

but you know what? while it's not as clever or unique as the original, digital extremes does nail the gameplay down pat. guns feel fucking incredible, tendril attacks are meaty as all hell and darkness powers in general are actually fleshed out this time around. can you use the subway, watch tv and explore the city? nah, but you can rip the door off a car, slice someone's head off with it and then use that same decapitated corpse as a weapon. that certainly has merit in its own right

if you're seeking a power fantasy - look no further. shame that there's less mike patton than in the original and the ending is obviously rushed, but hey, that'll all be resolved in the darkness 3!

...right?