The Darkness II is a first-person shooter and horror title being developed by Digital Extremes; is based upon a comic book of the same name. The game serves as the sequel to 2007's title The Darkness, and will not be tied to Starbreeze Studios—the development body behind the first game. It features the story of Jackie Estacado, a young mobster in the Mafia who was possessed by an entity known as “The Darkness” and who now, harnesses the ability to summon the demons or “Darklings” to protect the ones he loves. Now he is thrown into the middle of a mob war as the result of an unprovoked attack on his family and is unable to dispatch the thoughts of his deceased girlfriend. Jackie must use his powers once again to discover the source of The Darkness itself and to survive the horrors it conjures.
The sequel will share the core of its gameplay elements with the original while simultaneously introducing a lot of new mechanics and features. For instance, Jackie will be able to use his darkness powers and firearms at the same time. This new tactic is called “quad-wielding” and serves as one of the new core combat mechanics. Players will also be able to use unique environmental tactics such as turning power tools on their owners and using car doors as makeshift shields. There will also be a variety of “finishing moves” which allow the player to torture and execute enemies using demons. The focus on Darklings is more prominent with the sequel, and will provide a richer story and better combat. Unlike the original, darkness powers will now be accessible in public places and become more powerful and effective in darker areas. Jackie must stay out of the light as much as possible to avoid the detrimental effects it has on The Darkness.
Digital Extremes is using the Evolution Game Engine to develop The Darkness II. As a result, the game will feature cel-shaded graphics similar to titles like Borderlands and Street Fighter IV. The decision to go with this artistic style occurred when the developers wanted to have a more comic strip look and feel to the game, while keeping it unique. Shading has become popular in recent years for video games and it makes sense that the developers of The Darkness II adopted such a fitting rendering technique. As for the voice acting, the Darkness will once again be voiced by Kirk Acevedo but Jackie is now being played by Nolan North. This came as a surprise to some fans, but North has plenty of recognition and experience in the industry so he's unlikely to disappoint eager fans when the game is released this fall. The game is slated for release in October and is being published by 2K Games.
View the trailer on the game's official site.