I'm currently writing a review of The Darkness II for the magazine. There's an embargo, so I can't talk much about it, but I'm fairly sure it won't cause too much trouble to tell you that I'm really enjoying it. In the normal run of things, that would mean I'd encourage you to check out the Xbox-Live exclusive demo that has popped up today. In this case, however, it isn't a good idea.
The Darkness II is a wholly narrative-driven shooter, and whilst the content of the demo doesn't contain huge spoilers, it doesn't do the final game justice either. A pop-up message at the start of the demo explains why: "This content is specifically designed for demo purposes, and will not appear in the final game in this order."
You're looking at a demo which mashes up two entirely different sections of the game in an attempt to make things feel more exciting. This wasn't a good idea. The full game's sense of pacing is excellent, and this jumbled-up version makes it seem overly scripted, and too action-heavy. It's exactly the same demo that I played at PAX - the same one that left me worried that The Darkness II might not live up to the original. As it turns out, it was the demo that was to blame, not the game.
If you're interested in playing through The Darkness II - and from what I've seen so far, you definitely should be - then I'd recommend leaving the demo alone. The chain of events in the full game is great, and playing it out of context first will dull the impact when you play through properly. If you're really not sure about whether you'd like it, then by all means jump in and have a quick go, but for those of you already excited about playing it, resist the temptation to get involved.
Trust me on this one. I think the wait will be worth it.
5 comments so far...
Waffles2541 on 17 Jan '12 said:
Bugger...
paulbrown23 on 17 Jan '12 said:
I just finished the demo when I came here and saw this. I really enjoyed it for what it was, basically just a tutorial. It did feel a bit disjointed, but if you're saying that these events are not told in the same order in the full game, then that's understandable. Will definitely be picking this one up though.
msbhvn on 17 Jan '12 said:
Can't be worse than the demo for Dead Space 2, that almost put me off buying it at all! I'm not that excited about The Darkness 2, despite liking the first game. I'd replay The Darkness and see if that helps, but since I have about fifteen games I've bought and barely played recently, I haven't got the time.
comabob on 17 Jan '12 said:
Im disappointed the gunplay/aiming/manoeuvering STILL feels incredibly loose since the first game.
Rental me thinks (and i played Darkness 1 shitloads too)
lawsond28 on 18 Jan '12 said:
Hopefully by the time this is released I'll have managed to clear at least some of my 'still to be played' games backlog as this is an essential purchase for me. As a massive fan of the comics (nerd alert) and after loving the first game, I'd like to thank you for alerting us to the issues with the demo. I won't be downloading it now, I'll wait for the full game instead. Thanks OXM, for the heads up.