Heads up on that second game. Different developer from the first, ie no more Starbreeze. The second one might actually *play* better, but it loses so much or the creative "spark" that made the first one such a unique experience. For me personally, the videogame adaptation of the Darkness' story begins and ends with this game.
@MrHammers there are health bars on darkness 1, it's the tentacles themselves with glowing eyes as bars. The reason you die fast is because you're in the light. You can use the red tentacle to grab enemies by holding the bumper.
The fact that you can watch all of To Kill A Mockingbird is crazy in and of itself for a game like The Darkness lol, that time of gaming was something else man
I'm so glad people have been covering this game again recently. Hopefully it picks up enough steam to turn that potential Night Dive remaster into reality.
@@MrHammers It might be because it's finally playable on emulators. The game was stuck on 7th gen consoles with pretty awful performance at least on PS3.
that mugger at the beginning of this video, when it happened to me on my playthrough I just heard a voice say "stick em..." only to cut off abruptly. I didn't even see him, he was behind me, so I turned to the sight of one of my darklings wedging an axe into his forehead. It remains my favourite unscripted moment in gaming.
It's pretty tame by today standards, but yeah it has some.. "bite." Lot is done by the small details are nice and help the visceral nature of the violence.
2007 was an insane year in gaming. Both BioShock, COD4 came out within months of one another and both defined shooters ever since then. Also felt like so many unique stories came out. I go back to them every now and then, so glad to see you highlight one of my personal favs. The Darkness’ portrayal of your relationship w/ Jenny was so real. Probably one of the more memorable moments.
@@harryadam7679pre release coverage doesn't equal unit sales, less so the depth and degree to which it's content is imprinted on players/culture at large
@@audiosurfarchiveit sold well enough to get a pretty decent sequel, as well as a comic book series IIRC. Most games don’t imprint on the culture so that’s probably not the best metric to measure it this game is a hidden gem by. Either way, it got more marketing than most games did at that time.
I played the Robo-Cop Demo and it gave me the same feeling as The Darkness. A lumbering killing machine, let loose in shooting galleries and then retiring to smaller hub worlds to walk around on foot. And a little janky, but still fun.
@MrHammers, Robocop: Rogue City, drops November 2nd on PS5/Xbox Series X/PC. Demo out now on Steam. Only FPS besides Trepang 2 I'm looking forward to. AAA gaming sucks.
Just to let you know, the Darkness power that kets you swipe enemies not only lets you impale enemies and the throw them, but later on you can pick up cars and throw them or stack them to make new entry points for certain locations. Another thing (you probably already know this) but if you go back to certain areas when there's no missions there, you'll occasionally come across events like the guy threatening to commit suicide by jumping off a building. There's also that weird bedroom only accessible by using the detachable demon arm that has an enemy lying comatose on a bed. There's no reason for that bit to exist, but it does
The game is filled with little details that make the world feel bigger than it is. I especially love the phone numbers you can call and always get some unexpected character.
@@matman000000Ahahaha the phone numbers! Man, I hadn’t thought about that in so long, this game was amazing, it’s long overdue for a remake, at least a remaster. Especially if they aren’t planning to ever actually continue the story where it left off at the end of The Darkness 2 with that cliffhanger, it looked like it was going to go full on Painkiller Hell And Damnation there but they never ended up making a 3rd game.
I remember renting this from Gamefly when it came out and loving it. When Jenny was killed I started crying. And the ending where it's like "don't question it, let's just enjoy this moment" gave me another good cry.
The problem with integrating The Lord of the Rings into our universe is that we'll always be asking, "Why?" about the smallest details of the manner in which it was done. Are "all roads supposed to lead [back] to This Game: The Darkness"? The developers went into the mind of An Inventor, and made Inventing Things be "an Invention" after it had already been invented by the first inventor --including all inventions of all forensic techniques--. This is like how extremism "invents" the death penalty (by giving it a reason to exist) after it was already invented long before, except "backwards/upside down".
SAME! I was so mad and devastated. Like when Jackie took his life, I wan't even surprised. It felt natural, I didn't care about revenge on these three fucks. I was devastated
I miss this generation so much. Better graphics be damned. After the PS3/360 gen the magic was lost on me. Just didn't capture that same feeling. Blame it on my age if you want but that was the last generation of gaming that truly captured me
@@Jonehones Exactly. With games being on such large budgets nowadays, studios can’t take these level of risks anymore. It’s a time where one dud could sink an entire studio.
Don't get me wrong there have been some works of art in the years after but the games from the early to mid 2000's were different, they felt "deeper"or more creative? I'm not sure how to explain it but I agree.
Man this game was insane from the gunfights,to the unleashing of the darkness,Jenny death, to going to hell and finally killing paulie but damn the ending still gets me and Jenny’s death as well
11:48 There is a point to eating hearts even after maxing out your darkness level. Devouring hearts restores darkness energy at 100%. You see it with the tentacles glowing a lot brighter as soon as you eat them. Its a lot more helpful than sitting in the shadows awkwardly and wait like 5 to 6 seconds for it to recharge.
His “real mafia of darkness moment” which is actually a loading screen, is actually the best part of the game. You get expedition, back ground, Easter eggs etc
Some of the best loading screens in any game ever. Weird compliment to give a game, but such a resourceful and unique way to add to Jackie's character.
This was one of my favorite PS3 games. Love this game. Also, fun fact: The Darkness's healing factor is so powerful that in the comic it once completely regenerated Jackie from a fragment of his jawbone after Jackie burned to death.
Another banger video, my dude! I was at Wal-Mart when I was 17 (I’m 33 now) and saw this game and instinctively bought it; I have no idea why, the cover art was nothing special and I never heard of it, but something just told me to get it. It ended up being one of the most special and memorable experiences I’ve had in gaming, and one I’ll never forget. A truly beautiful piece of art and one that was ahead of its time… truly a gem that deserves a fuck ton more recognition. Thank you in doing your part for achieving just that.
One of those those games that feels strange to play and even felt a bit clunky but was addictive. Awesome game. Loved the second as well even tho it played completely different
played this game when I was like 8 or 9 and after seeing Jenny for the first time in years I'm about 90% sure her character design kickstarted my attraction to women with dark hair and piercings.
The voice of the darkness was so well chosen. So much so I think about it when I think of evil voices in general. Hell I tend to attempt the voice while doing D&D for monsters/characters if it fits. The game was a great time all around but that stuck with me hard.
The Darkness is one of those games (and comics I guess) from the 2000s that I think to myself ‘hey does anyone remember Jackie Estacado?’ Not sure why but I guess it’s just that weird nostalgia factor + my fascination/infatuation with character-focused action games from the 2000s and early to mid 2010s. games like Godhand, the Prototype series, the earlier infamous titles, killer is dead, viewitful Joe + goodness know how many more definitely deserve remasters or remakes for the next generation of consoles. Speaking of which, Fingers crossed this game + its sequel get a remaster! they really deserve it as well as a proper PC port for the first one (I’m not sure if rights issues are a thing? But hopefully it can get published without hassle if a remaster does end up happening)
I love this game. The scene in the orphanage stuck with me because of the ghostly images of the past and the creepy piano playing in the background. Also, Tomahawk playing at the end is the icing for the entire experience.
Etched into our minds forever! The Darkness Soundtrack - Subway Theme 2 was such a moving piece that added to the atmosphere and mood of the game. Good bit of action story. Almost like the Punisher! Good to see it pop up :) thanks! A remake would do well, but i'd have to direct it haha.
There was also The Darkness comics. Paulie franchetti didn't adopt Jackie out of the kindness of his heart,the Darkness convinced him in dream and told that prophecy that Paulie would become Don of New York city by adopting Jackie and that he would help Paulie achieve that power of becoming don.
I decided to play this and 2 back to back a few years ago and absolutely loved them. I was especially impressed with how well this game holds up. I still think about this game whenever I’m looking for something to play. Thanks for the reminder that this game is amazing.
Although I didn't love those interdimensional levels cuz they grinded the pacing to a screeching halt, I loved the art design and the choice to go with a WWI-esque nightmare setting was creepy as hell.
My pops took me to gamestop just to see what game to grab. I was there for solid 40 mins maybe just trying to find something. I saw they had the darkness in the counter. Had no idea what it was about. I looked at the box and decided i would take that one. Apparently it had recently released, and that copy was reserved, BUT the guy hadn’t shown up idk how long it must have been. The manager said eh screw it. And sold it to my dad. Its one of those games that triggers nostalgia to the max i love this game i love the memories.
This is one of my all time favorite series and it’s a shame it’s more of a hidden gem. The gameplay isn’t the best in the first one but it’s really not so bad that you can’t get used to it. The story, characters, tone, pacing and art really come together to make it fantastic. What I really loved too is that they showed that the darkness is really a curse, it cares only to keep Jackie alive to try taking over and you feel that power struggle at times. When the darkness takes over in cutscenes, you’re incredibly powerful tearing through enemies but Jackies in control in gameplay you’re more vulnerable and have to be slow.
Play this so many times on 360 and several times on the PS3. A definite gem in the 7th generation. Also the black hole power is seriously OP as hell in a good way.
17:04 his name is Richard Horvitz, he also recently voices Moxxie in the Helluva Boss Show here on UA-cam. great Voiceactor and really nice Guy, show him some love ❤
Darkness 2 has a genuinely great story love the asylum story in it and the collectibles have a ton of lore that can help you put the twist together early shame we will never get 3
I kinda hate second one, except for awesome gameplay and asylum scene, it was trash all around. Writing, story, charcters and especially presentation of everything was way worse than the first one. SO MUCH WORSE! it still eats me, still bought it day one
I bought this game with lunch money in 8th grade. It was only 3 dollars lmao. I had no clue how memorable it was actually going to be. I think I legit only played through it all the way through maybe once or twice? And still so much of it sticks out to me, like the ancestor flashbacks, the subway station, the black hole, the mechanics with the shadows and lighting. I remember I even wrote a review of it back then on Gamespot or something lol. Nice to see you cover this (especially since I just finished Sopranos for the first time a few months ago)
This game had hit me really hard when I played it. Not only gameplay but the atmosphere and the story. That ending left me really broken like some good tragic book. Shame there’s no games like this anymore…
The “wondering where tf jennie decided to buy an apartment.” Is real asf. When I was little shit would take me fucking hours. Wait five years after playing and bam, same fuckin shit. Rinse and repeat.
I'm so happy people are giving this game attention. It feels like such a hidden gem. So under appriciated. I hope it finds its way to a remaster of some sort one day
Wow Timeshift is one of my all time favs from that era, such a cool game. I played this one as a demo as well as prey and those other 2005-6 games and always loved it. I appreciate the Christopher Moltisanti credit too lol
This was mad back in the day and has always disappointed me that it didn't get much love. 2 is good aswell but I think this not doing amazing hurt it and now we'll probably never get a third game. Damn shame
this developer was super under rated. i loved the escape from butcher bay game and this one. they couldve done a sequel or remaster polishing out some minor details and really make these games twice as gritty and awesome as they were
So what I’ve noticed at eating hearts is contrary to what you think it would do is to grant you some health it doesn’t do that. What it does do from what I’ve observed is that it summons the tentacles immediately. Which is useful if you want to keep using the power after expelling a black hole since it takes a significant cool down to use it again. Eating a heart immediately will override that cool down
This is one of my favorite games of all time. Despite not having played it many years I still remember the pain in Jackie's voice when he says he wants to stay with Jenny at the end and get a little choked up.
I remember playing this game as a teen when it launched and remembering the subway area and how interactive it was then heading back to your gf's apartment and watching tv lol
Couple of things that stood out to me about the criticism of the combat was that the demon arm can be held to pierce and pick up enemies. I'm sure they can be used as shields and to knock others down. Also the eating of hearts gives you a full refill of the darkness meter, so you can eat them strategically mid fight in bright areas to keep the darkness in the fight. Your enemies dark hearts a source of power that a thought is awesome in tying the themes, logic and gameplay together.
The second one was so weird. If the game would have existed in a vacuum it would have been better. But thr first one is just so much better and the direction just changed way to much. The original is just so amazing
16:58 That would be Kirk Acevedo; who, fun fact, also played Miguel Alvarez in Oz, Joe Toye in Band of Brothers, Charlie Francis in Fringe and The Dragon in Arrow
Each of the darkness powers trivializes the game in their own way, the shockwave darkness gun makes any shot remotely close to a light break it, the darkness arm can impale and throw people and objects, the creeping darkness can clear entire rooms as long as you eat the heart to refill your darkness after each kill
What really stands out to me abiut this game is how solid the models and physics bodies behave, for a game that came out in 2007 it outclasses many many games of this generation.
The sequel is also amazing. Gives you much more control over the darkness on top of Jackie being able to take plenty of damage in the dark but dies quick in the light when he doesnt have the darkness active It set up a 3rd game but at this point im not expecting it
Got this game back in 2007. On my birthday. One of the achievements is " Happy Birthday " my teenager brain at that time thought it was so damn awesome and that the devs wished me happy birthday through the game. Best birthday gift I've ever got to this date. This game and that cool af birthday moment.
The entity itself represents both Jackie's personal Shadows (i.e. childhood abuse and generational trauma) plus the Collective Shadow of mankind itself. You're literally walking through the remnants of an unresolved war trauma, with the hellscape being linked to his subconscious. The 'boss fight' with the Darkness refers to the act of 'embracing' one's Shadow, which means accepting a difficult truth or two about yourself (which most people are too cowardly to do). Had Jackie had enough time to heal, the Darkness would not have regained control later on. Although his Personal and Generational Shadows are showcased the most, he also displays awareness of a much wider and impersonal one. For example, he once mentions that Grinder's Lane sickens him, making him want to kick a dog. This means that location is more steeped in corruptive influences that other places. Another time, he brings up an old story regarding the screaming souls of some dead innocents (which he claims to hear himself). Neither of these two are directly connected to him, yet they're both a part of the very same society that he's a member of himself. Christianity and Satanism are both depicted in the game. The latter puts its users at the mercy of their own subconscious forces, making them eternal victims of whatever they failed to uproot.
I remember this game being a real pain in the ass with the difficulty, that mugger in the intro gunned me down in seconds before I could even skewer him and I recall marching up and down that neighborhood for a few hours after reloading a save just so I could cap him in revenge lol Supposedly the Nightdive Crew are looking into remastering this and if they do, I can't wait to see this relauch on Steam!
Easily in my top ten games of all time, yet i really cant dispute most of your criticisms about the gunplay. However the story and the profound emotions it brought out of me combined with immaculate world building, art design and atmosphere left such a memorable impact that any flaws kind disappeared from my memory. The tragic love story at the core of this game is one of the most convincingly told and acted in gaming history IMO. Something about Jennys voice actor just made her feel so incredibly real. This game is the perfect example of how great writing and storytelling can he so much more important than technical achievement or mechanical perfection
Happy to hear it's getting the recognition it deserves. Really was a well crafted, unique experience. I love when first person shooters dive head first into world building and exploration. Side note, I had a lot of funny making sure I smashed every possible light before advancing the story, some are really well hidden.
I've never played a vr game before (unless you count the 1996 brockton fair.), but i bet this would be amazing. only because i remember how i felt playing this on a tv in the dark. in vr it'd be crazy.
Bro this game is my fucking childhood. Literally the first game I got for my Xbox 360. I remember my dad getting it one Christmas and thinking he was gonna get me the latest COD, only instead he got me this. While pissed at first, I kept replaying the entire game all week. Just amazing
This was the 2nd game I bought when I first purchased my Xbox360 as a birthday present. Needless to say I was so impressed with the gameplay and graphics. There was a certain charm with this generation of gaming consoles.
Go to buyraycon.com/mrhammers and use code BIRTHDAY to get 20 to 40% off sitewide during Raycon's Anniversary Sale! Brought to you by Raycon.
Heads up on that second game. Different developer from the first, ie no more Starbreeze. The second one might actually *play* better, but it loses so much or the creative "spark" that made the first one such a unique experience. For me personally, the videogame adaptation of the Darkness' story begins and ends with this game.
Raycons are awful
@phoenixzappa7366 I've been enjoying mine way more than my last buds 🤷🏻♂️
@@phoenixzappa7366 Mine broke after like 2 minutes lol
@MrHammers there are health bars on darkness 1, it's the tentacles themselves with glowing eyes as bars. The reason you die fast is because you're in the light. You can use the red tentacle to grab enemies by holding the bumper.
The fact that you can watch all of To Kill A Mockingbird is crazy in and of itself for a game like The Darkness lol, that time of gaming was something else man
I'm so glad people have been covering this game again recently. Hopefully it picks up enough steam to turn that potential Night Dive remaster into reality.
It is kind of weird a few people made videos on it at the same time lol
@@MrHammers It might be because it's finally playable on emulators. The game was stuck on 7th gen consoles with pretty awful performance at least on PS3.
I always heard the emulation was terrible with this game, same with the Riddick games. That's cool they are getting fixed tho
@@matman000000 from what i've seen basically every game that wasn't made exclusively for the PS3 runs awful on it
@@MrHammers Boulder Punch did a video on it, was there anyone else?
that mugger at the beginning of this video, when it happened to me on my playthrough I just heard a voice say "stick em..." only to cut off abruptly. I didn't even see him, he was behind me, so I turned to the sight of one of my darklings wedging an axe into his forehead. It remains my favourite unscripted moment in gaming.
That's amazing haha
I loved how violent this was honestly. It blew my mind as a kid
It's pretty tame by today standards, but yeah it has some.. "bite."
Lot is done by the small details are nice and help the visceral nature of the violence.
Didnt blow ur mind as hard as that .44 blew his girls mind all over that office.
The dumb broad should've made more cannoli & gabagool for din din. 😂
The drill section ;) taunting the enemy to stand in front of you to get his shadow on you
@@audiosurfarchivestill a lot more brutal than the 2nd game (see random madness gore review on TD2)
shit I almost forgot bout this game, i just had the demo and replayed it over and over
The voice actor for the Darkness still gives me chills, it was a solid performance.
It's Mike Patton from Faith no more!
Agreed
JAAAAAAACKIEEEEEEE
I love how painful the "Heart Devouring" mechanic look. So metal, I love it.
I went unnecessarily hard!
You went what exactly?!
@@MrHammersIt’s preferable to erectile dysfunction any day! :3
@@wowguyman1440😂😂😂
i always felt so bad for the head on the left he didn't get any nomnoms
Eating hearts was waaaaaayyy more fun to me as a kid than it shouldve been
It went too hard. Not only did I kill you, but I'm eating your damn heart too
same
This game needs a next-gen remaster/remake one of these days. Such an underrated gem in the FPS Horror genre in gaming 😁👍🏼💯
2007 was an insane year in gaming. Both BioShock, COD4 came out within months of one another and both defined shooters ever since then.
Also felt like so many unique stories came out. I go back to them every now and then, so glad to see you highlight one of my personal favs. The Darkness’ portrayal of your relationship w/ Jenny was so real. Probably one of the more memorable moments.
Felt this was a hidden gem back in the day.
This game got the game informer cover. It wasn’t a hidden gem
@@harryadam7679pre release coverage doesn't equal unit sales, less so the depth and degree to which it's content is imprinted on players/culture at large
@@harryadam7679lol called out
@@audiosurfarchiveit sold well enough to get a pretty decent sequel, as well as a comic book series IIRC. Most games don’t imprint on the culture so that’s probably not the best metric to measure it this game is a hidden gem by.
Either way, it got more marketing than most games did at that time.
@@harryadam7679bro it already had comics lmao
I played the Robo-Cop Demo and it gave me the same feeling as The Darkness. A lumbering killing machine, let loose in shooting galleries and then retiring to smaller hub worlds to walk around on foot. And a little janky, but still fun.
Wait what.... There is a robo cop game coming out???
Yep, I saw some gameplay on twitter looks like a blast
@@MrHammers Yeah and the demo is on Steam
@MrHammers, Robocop: Rogue City, drops November 2nd on PS5/Xbox Series X/PC. Demo out now on Steam.
Only FPS besides Trepang 2 I'm looking forward to. AAA gaming sucks.
@@GruntvcDidn’t Trepang 2 get a full release? Maybe you’re talking about the potential console releases
Just to let you know, the Darkness power that kets you swipe enemies not only lets you impale enemies and the throw them, but later on you can pick up cars and throw them or stack them to make new entry points for certain locations.
Another thing (you probably already know this) but if you go back to certain areas when there's no missions there, you'll occasionally come across events like the guy threatening to commit suicide by jumping off a building. There's also that weird bedroom only accessible by using the detachable demon arm that has an enemy lying comatose on a bed. There's no reason for that bit to exist, but it does
Oh wow that's actually really cool. I'll have to go back and explore
The game is filled with little details that make the world feel bigger than it is. I especially love the phone numbers you can call and always get some unexpected character.
I was gonna say, I remember that being the most useful power in the game
I loved the demon arm, used to impale dudes while blasting their friends. Felt like a monstrous powerhouse
@@matman000000Ahahaha the phone numbers! Man, I hadn’t thought about that in so long, this game was amazing, it’s long overdue for a remake, at least a remaster.
Especially if they aren’t planning to ever actually continue the story where it left off at the end of The Darkness 2 with that cliffhanger, it looked like it was going to go full on Painkiller Hell And Damnation there but they never ended up making a 3rd game.
This game was awesome. I remember watching the entire "To kill a mocking bird" movie on the TV in the game.
Glad I’m not the only one that caught that. Best Easter egg ever.
The fact that people STILL play this game fills me with so much joy
It should be a felony how slept on this game is,It’s an all around masterpiece
This entire game was like a Kubrick interpretation of the comic. So freaking good.
I remember renting this from Gamefly when it came out and loving it.
When Jenny was killed I started crying.
And the ending where it's like "don't question it, let's just enjoy this moment" gave me another good cry.
The relationship with Jenny cut so deep man, so good
The problem with integrating The Lord of the Rings into our universe is that we'll always be asking, "Why?" about the smallest details of the manner in which it was done. Are "all roads supposed to lead [back] to This Game: The Darkness"? The developers went into the mind of An Inventor, and made Inventing Things be "an Invention" after it had already been invented by the first inventor --including all inventions of all forensic techniques--. This is like how extremism "invents" the death penalty (by giving it a reason to exist) after it was already invented long before, except "backwards/upside down".
SAME! I was so mad and devastated. Like when Jackie took his life, I wan't even surprised. It felt natural, I didn't care about revenge on these three fucks. I was devastated
yeah, I wanted for the end to last forever. such good game man
I miss this generation so much. Better graphics be damned. After the PS3/360 gen the magic was lost on me. Just didn't capture that same feeling. Blame it on my age if you want but that was the last generation of gaming that truly captured me
Dude, I was just talking with a friend the other day about this!
As time went on the gaming industry has taken less creative risks, games like this are going to be extremely rare from now on
@@Jonehones Exactly. With games being on such large budgets nowadays, studios can’t take these level of risks anymore. It’s a time where one dud could sink an entire studio.
Don't get me wrong there have been some works of art in the years after but the games from the early to mid 2000's were different, they felt "deeper"or more creative? I'm not sure how to explain it but I agree.
I absolutely agree
Man this game was insane from the gunfights,to the unleashing of the darkness,Jenny death, to going to hell and finally killing paulie but damn the ending still gets me and Jenny’s death as well
JENNY DEATH WHEN
@@audiosurfarchive death grips is soy
This is such a beautiful masterpiece of a game. I go back a lot and replay it.
One of my favorite games of all time. Such a power trip. Needs a remaster(and not just for PC)
11:48
There is a point to eating hearts even after maxing out your darkness level. Devouring hearts restores darkness energy at 100%. You see it with the tentacles glowing a lot brighter as soon as you eat them.
Its a lot more helpful than sitting in the shadows awkwardly and wait like 5 to 6 seconds for it to recharge.
His “real mafia of darkness moment” which is actually a loading screen, is actually the best part of the game. You get expedition, back ground, Easter eggs etc
Some of the best loading screens in any game ever. Weird compliment to give a game, but such a resourceful and unique way to add to Jackie's character.
This was one of my favorite PS3 games. Love this game. Also, fun fact: The Darkness's healing factor is so powerful that in the comic it once completely regenerated Jackie from a fragment of his jawbone after Jackie burned to death.
Another banger video, my dude! I was at Wal-Mart when I was 17 (I’m 33 now) and saw this game and instinctively bought it; I have no idea why, the cover art was nothing special and I never heard of it, but something just told me to get it. It ended up being one of the most special and memorable experiences I’ve had in gaming, and one I’ll never forget. A truly beautiful piece of art and one that was ahead of its time… truly a gem that deserves a fuck ton more recognition. Thank you in doing your part for achieving just that.
The fact that he mentioned Jericho pulled some little heartstrings for my childhood heart.
One of those those games that feels strange to play and even felt a bit clunky but was addictive. Awesome game. Loved the second as well even tho it played completely different
this was one of my first games on the 360, 12 year old me was absolutey captivated
played this game when I was like 8 or 9 and after seeing Jenny for the first time in years I'm about 90% sure her character design kickstarted my attraction to women with dark hair and piercings.
She was a cutie fo sho
I´m more of a Butcher Joyce kind of guy
Bro same 😭
This game is mind blowing to me as a kid, it felt so grounded and realistic (even though you have fucking demons coming of your back)
The world is pretty grounded to be fair
The voice of the darkness was so well chosen. So much so I think about it when I think of evil voices in general. Hell I tend to attempt the voice while doing D&D for monsters/characters if it fits.
The game was a great time all around but that stuck with me hard.
That voice is nothing I could get close to replicate. If my DM did that shit I would get so hype
Mike Patton is the absolute king
The Darkness is one of those games (and comics I guess) from the 2000s that I think to myself ‘hey does anyone remember Jackie Estacado?’ Not sure why but I guess it’s just that weird nostalgia factor + my fascination/infatuation with character-focused action games from the 2000s and early to mid 2010s. games like Godhand, the Prototype series, the earlier infamous titles, killer is dead, viewitful Joe + goodness know how many more definitely deserve remasters or remakes for the next generation of consoles.
Speaking of which, Fingers crossed this game + its sequel get a remaster! they really deserve it as well as a proper PC port for the first one (I’m not sure if rights issues are a thing? But hopefully it can get published without hassle if a remaster does end up happening)
I love this game. The scene in the orphanage stuck with me because of the ghostly images of the past and the creepy piano playing in the background. Also, Tomahawk playing at the end is the icing for the entire experience.
Agreed. The orphanage was a nice level as far as atmosphere and backstory, terribly sad tho
Etched into our minds forever! The Darkness Soundtrack - Subway Theme 2 was such a moving piece that added to the atmosphere and mood of the game. Good bit of action story. Almost like the Punisher! Good to see it pop up :) thanks! A remake would do well, but i'd have to direct it haha.
I mowed lawn for 6 weeks to buy this game and I loved it.
Yooooo this game was ahead of its time! I would be down for a remaster of this and the 2nd game🔥
0:01 I love this guy's confidence for thinking he can mug someone who looks like Jackie Estacado.
It's an act that sits at that midpoint between being ballsy as fuck and just plain dangerously stupid.
There was also The Darkness comics.
Paulie franchetti didn't adopt Jackie out of the kindness of his heart,the Darkness convinced him in dream and told that prophecy that Paulie would become Don of New York city by adopting Jackie and that he would help Paulie achieve that power of becoming don.
I decided to play this and 2 back to back a few years ago and absolutely loved them. I was especially impressed with how well this game holds up. I still think about this game whenever I’m looking for something to play. Thanks for the reminder that this game is amazing.
My friends and I are all Mike Patton fans. So when the first game came out we were so in. Love these games. ❤
Although I didn't love those interdimensional levels cuz they grinded the pacing to a screeching halt, I loved the art design and the choice to go with a WWI-esque nightmare setting was creepy as hell.
Totally agree. The gameplay sucked in those moments, but the design of that world was brilliant
My pops took me to gamestop just to see what game to grab. I was there for solid 40 mins maybe just trying to find something. I saw they had the darkness in the counter. Had no idea what it was about. I looked at the box and decided i would take that one. Apparently it had recently released, and that copy was reserved, BUT the guy hadn’t shown up idk how long it must have been. The manager said eh screw it. And sold it to my dad. Its one of those games that triggers nostalgia to the max i love this game i love the memories.
This is one of my all time favorite series and it’s a shame it’s more of a hidden gem. The gameplay isn’t the best in the first one but it’s really not so bad that you can’t get used to it. The story, characters, tone, pacing and art really come together to make it fantastic. What I really loved too is that they showed that the darkness is really a curse, it cares only to keep Jackie alive to try taking over and you feel that power struggle at times. When the darkness takes over in cutscenes, you’re incredibly powerful tearing through enemies but Jackies in control in gameplay you’re more vulnerable and have to be slow.
I love that I get to watch a new video of yours on my last night at my shitty job hammergang always comes through
I hope I can help ease the pain of your job my friend! Hammer gang! 🔨🔨
I can't emote on mobile 😞
Play this so many times on 360 and several times on the PS3. A definite gem in the 7th generation. Also the black hole power is seriously OP as hell in a good way.
I used to obsessively watch a full walkthrough gameplay with NO commentary over and over of this exact game many many years ago
17:04 his name is Richard Horvitz, he also recently voices Moxxie in the Helluva Boss Show here on UA-cam. great Voiceactor and really nice Guy, show him some love ❤
The atmosphere of this game is just too good, the ending is epic and sad, the soundtrack is mind blowing. A 10/10 game.
Mike Patton though. Mafia guy has evil tentacles with faces voiced by Mike Patton. I was so sold out of the gate when this came out.
That brief mention of Clive Barkers Jericho made my ears perk up and unlocked memories lol
Darkness 2 has a genuinely great story love the asylum story in it and the collectibles have a ton of lore that can help you put the twist together early shame we will never get 3
Why didn’t they make a third? I never played the second
I kinda hate second one, except for awesome gameplay and asylum scene, it was trash all around. Writing, story, charcters and especially presentation of everything was way worse than the first one. SO MUCH WORSE!
it still eats me, still bought it day one
@@hughu9340 yeah and the gameplay is only a couple hours or something like why is that the one on steam let me play the first one 😭
This game was so dark and they really set the tone in the game I loved it from the story texture and lighting of the environment.
This and the sequel are legit two of my favorites from that generation.
I love The Darkness and Garth Ennis should have been given a movie deal his writing was so good!
The game is great too! Both parts!
I bought this game with lunch money in 8th grade. It was only 3 dollars lmao. I had no clue how memorable it was actually going to be. I think I legit only played through it all the way through maybe once or twice? And still so much of it sticks out to me, like the ancestor flashbacks, the subway station, the black hole, the mechanics with the shadows and lighting. I remember I even wrote a review of it back then on Gamespot or something lol. Nice to see you cover this (especially since I just finished Sopranos for the first time a few months ago)
Mike Patton was great voice for the Darkness. Made the game for me.
This game had hit me really hard when I played it. Not only gameplay but the atmosphere and the story. That ending left me really broken like some good tragic book. Shame there’s no games like this anymore…
The “wondering where tf jennie decided to buy an apartment.” Is real asf. When I was little shit would take me fucking hours. Wait five years after playing and bam, same fuckin shit. Rinse and repeat.
The devs hunted that they are working on porting the game to PC.
Played it on PS3 and absolutely loved it, would replay it instantly on PC.
That would be so dope
I'm so happy people are giving this game attention. It feels like such a hidden gem. So under appriciated. I hope it finds its way to a remaster of some sort one day
Wow Timeshift is one of my all time favs from that era, such a cool game. I played this one as a demo as well as prey and those other 2005-6 games and always loved it. I appreciate the Christopher Moltisanti credit too lol
Timeshift was a really good game!
This game was ahead of it’s time. We need a remaster
Christopher Moltisantis Cleaver is the funniest possible way to describe this game
Being o.p at the end is much down to the story and the mastery of his abilities then using its full wrath towards the end of the game and sequence
Just as I start replaying my favorite game a retrospective video pops up by MrHammer. I am happy there people still talking about this game
This was mad back in the day and has always disappointed me that it didn't get much love. 2 is good aswell but I think this not doing amazing hurt it and now we'll probably never get a third game. Damn shame
We'll never get a third game, even with that damn cliffhanger in the ending
Probably the best story you've covered yet💯
I agree! It was fantastic
one of my all time favorites
this developer was super under rated. i loved the escape from butcher bay game and this one. they couldve done a sequel or remaster polishing out some minor details and really make these games twice as gritty and awesome as they were
So what I’ve noticed at eating hearts is contrary to what you think it would do is to grant you some health it doesn’t do that. What it does do from what I’ve observed is that it summons the tentacles immediately. Which is useful if you want to keep using the power after expelling a black hole since it takes a significant cool down to use it again. Eating a heart immediately will override that cool down
This is one of my favorite games of all time. Despite not having played it many years I still remember the pain in Jackie's voice when he says he wants to stay with Jenny at the end and get a little choked up.
I remember playing this game as a teen when it launched and remembering the subway area and how interactive it was then heading back to your gf's apartment and watching tv lol
Couple of things that stood out to me about the criticism of the combat was that the demon arm can be held to pierce and pick up enemies. I'm sure they can be used as shields and to knock others down.
Also the eating of hearts gives you a full refill of the darkness meter, so you can eat them strategically mid fight in bright areas to keep the darkness in the fight. Your enemies dark hearts a source of power that a thought is awesome in tying the themes, logic and gameplay together.
The second one was so weird. If the game would have existed in a vacuum it would have been better. But thr first one is just so much better and the direction just changed way to much. The original is just so amazing
16:58 That would be Kirk Acevedo; who, fun fact, also played Miguel Alvarez in Oz, Joe Toye in Band of Brothers, Charlie Francis in Fringe and The Dragon in Arrow
Each of the darkness powers trivializes the game in their own way, the shockwave darkness gun makes any shot remotely close to a light break it, the darkness arm can impale and throw people and objects, the creeping darkness can clear entire rooms as long as you eat the heart to refill your darkness after each kill
What really stands out to me abiut this game is how solid the models and physics bodies behave, for a game that came out in 2007 it outclasses many many games of this generation.
The sequel is also amazing. Gives you much more control over the darkness on top of Jackie being able to take plenty of damage in the dark but dies quick in the light when he doesnt have the darkness active
It set up a 3rd game but at this point im not expecting it
I didn't really liked sequel, but I would've loved to see third game
This game needs a remaster love everything about this game.
I remember spending hours on this game as a kid. I would love to get a remaster of this someday
Got this game back in 2007. On my birthday. One of the achievements is " Happy Birthday " my teenager brain at that time thought it was so damn awesome and that the devs wished me happy birthday through the game. Best birthday gift I've ever got to this date. This game and that cool af birthday moment.
The entity itself represents both Jackie's personal Shadows (i.e. childhood abuse and generational trauma) plus the Collective Shadow of mankind itself. You're literally walking through the remnants of an unresolved war trauma, with the hellscape being linked to his subconscious. The 'boss fight' with the Darkness refers to the act of 'embracing' one's Shadow, which means accepting a difficult truth or two about yourself (which most people are too cowardly to do). Had Jackie had enough time to heal, the Darkness would not have regained control later on.
Although his Personal and Generational Shadows are showcased the most, he also displays awareness of a much wider and impersonal one. For example, he once mentions that Grinder's Lane sickens him, making him want to kick a dog. This means that location is more steeped in corruptive influences that other places. Another time, he brings up an old story regarding the screaming souls of some dead innocents (which he claims to hear himself). Neither of these two are directly connected to him, yet they're both a part of the very same society that he's a member of himself.
Christianity and Satanism are both depicted in the game. The latter puts its users at the mercy of their own subconscious forces, making them eternal victims of whatever they failed to uproot.
I remember this game being a real pain in the ass with the difficulty, that mugger in the intro gunned me down in seconds before I could even skewer him and I recall marching up and down that neighborhood for a few hours after reloading a save just so I could cap him in revenge lol
Supposedly the Nightdive Crew are looking into remastering this and if they do, I can't wait to see this relauch on Steam!
Dude I bumped this game down to easy in the WW1 sections and still got destroyed lol it was hard
10:16 You're crazyyyyy, the demon arm is my FAV power in this game. If you *hold* RB you literally impale enemies and throw them away.
i was watching gmanlives and your vids keep popping up. Gotta say im in love with your content my dude. Deff going to be in my rotation from now on
Thanks dude! High praise 🙌
Easily in my top ten games of all time, yet i really cant dispute most of your criticisms about the gunplay. However the story and the profound emotions it brought out of me combined with immaculate world building, art design and atmosphere left such a memorable impact that any flaws kind disappeared from my memory. The tragic love story at the core of this game is one of the most convincingly told and acted in gaming history IMO. Something about Jennys voice actor just made her feel so incredibly real. This game is the perfect example of how great writing and storytelling can he so much more important than technical achievement or mechanical perfection
You mentioned clive barkers jericho….super curious to see your take on it. I loved the aesthetic.
The ps3 360 gen really was the last gen where devs were willing to take risks on unknown IP's.. now its just a lot remasters and call of duty.
one of my favorite games of all time, its too good
Happy to hear it's getting the recognition it deserves. Really was a well crafted, unique experience. I love when first person shooters dive head first into world building and exploration. Side note, I had a lot of funny making sure I smashed every possible light before advancing the story, some are really well hidden.
Thank you for reminding me the title of Clive Barker's Jericho, I dimly remembered the game itself but had forgotten the title for 15 years.
I'd forgotten about this gem. Thanks for covering it, brought back memories.
I've never played a vr game before (unless you count the 1996 brockton fair.), but i bet this would be amazing. only because i remember how i felt playing this on a tv in the dark. in vr it'd be crazy.
"you know Camille is actually a guy right?"
"Yeah? So?"
lmao based
Bro this game is my fucking childhood. Literally the first game I got for my Xbox 360. I remember my dad getting it one Christmas and thinking he was gonna get me the latest COD, only instead he got me this. While pissed at first, I kept replaying the entire game all week. Just amazing
This was the 2nd game I bought when I first purchased my Xbox360 as a birthday present. Needless to say I was so impressed with the gameplay and graphics. There was a certain charm with this generation of gaming consoles.
One of my favorite FPS from the time, along with the Riddick games
If I didn't play this game I wouldn't have found the comic books they have a lot of great art in them and a dark interesting story 😎👍
Genius casting to make Mike Patton the voice of the darkness
What a good game this was!! And props to Mike Patton(Faith No More Lead Singer) for voicing The Darkness!!!!