The Darkness [PS3]

Jackie Estacado is a mafia enforcer who's been raised by his "Uncle" Paulie and is just turning twenty-one. After one of Jackie's jobs goes south, Paulie turns on him, not knowing that Jackie's birthday will awaken a demonic presence that not only gives him dark powers, but has its own agenda.

Inspired by the comic series, the game is a story-based First Person Shooter that picks up as Jackie is involved in a car chase after a deal gone bad. Even during this opening scene, involving realistic traffic and over the top action, it's clear that this isn't going to be a run-of-the-mill game. Jackie then starts figuring out how to get back at Paulie before he gets hit. The linear gameplay generally involves meeting up with various Non-Player Characters who advise on the next course of action. The story itself takes some strange turns along the way, making this an engaging, and often surprising experience.

The shooting action is quite diverse as well, with several weapon options available, some of them dual-wield capable. Jackie will go up against both squads of police and mob members as the story progresses. Jackie will also gain new darkness powers along the way, including use of a Demon Arm to impale and lift people or objects, and Creeping Dark, which serves as a type of snake-cam with teeth. Jackie can also summon an increasing variety of Darklings from gateways that appear and command them to attack enemies or manipulate objects.

If there's one thing that stands out about this game, it's the overall presentation. From the highly cinematic opening, to the excellent facial and eye animations and the high-calibre voice acting. Everything about this game shows how the developers were given the tools and the time to do things right. The added creepiness of some of the subject matter, and the inventive darkness powers are the icing on the cake. The game even has a substantial multiplayer mode, which allows players to play as humans, darklings, or even shapeshift during the match.

While I can't claim to be a true fan of mafia-based fiction, this game goes far beyond the genre's norms and into survival horror territory, combining them in a way that keeps you motivated. An added bonus is that you get to play the monster, but there will still be times you'll get a bit anxious along the way. I was expecting this to be a fairly typical FPS game and instead find a likely contender for game of the year.

8/10