The Darkness 2 - Multiplayer Explained

If you still sleep bathed in the reassuring glow of a cutesy nightlight, you might be heartened to find out that The Darkness II has a fully-fledged co-operative mode known as Vendettas. It contains both a campaign, which runs parallel to the single-player narrative and occasionally intersects with it, and Hit List, a series of standalone missions.

As is so often the case with co-op modes – think Left 4 Dead or more recently Dead Island – the assembled cast is incongruously varied. There has to be something for everyone. But that accommodating variety usually manifests itself in the form of crudely-chiselled stereotypes. In this respect, The Darkness II is no different. The game's motley band of badasses are introduced sat around a poker table, cluttered with teetering stacks of chips and empty bottles. A thick blanket of cigarette smokes clogs the air. There's Inugami, an unstable assassin from Japan; Shoshanna, a lethal Mossad agent; Jimmy Wilson, a soused Glaswegian, garbed in Celtic hoops; and J.P. DuMond, a former doctor from the deep South who once used Voodoo to heal his patients.

But despite their pronounced ethnic and cultural differences, one thing unites this disparate group of killers: an undying hatred of The Brotherhood, the ancient society that wants to wield The Darkness for its own nefarious designs. So they aid Don Estacado by retrieving Darkness artefacts scattered throughout New York before they fall into the clutches of The Brotherhood.

Gameplay is fairly straightforward if you approach it as a shooter, the arsenal being familiar to any fan of the genre. But it's the lurking presence of The Darkness which distinguishes the game's co-op from its more militaristic peers. In many ways, The Darkness fills the role occupied by grenades and equipment in other shooters. To be used effectively, it requires a little more thought, timing and imagination, quickly adding a tactical element to any firefight.

Although not able to manipulate The Darkness to the same extent as Jackie – there are no querulous demonic arms or creeping tendrils in co-op – each character is equipped with a weapon, infused with eldritch power, and a unique way of harnessing The Darkness.



Sozzled Scot Jimmy has a Dark Axe which he can throw with tremendous accuracy for a man permanently intoxicated. But since it's not an ordinary axe, he can recall it at will, even if it has lodged itself into the cerebellum of an adversary. At first it seems like just a crude projectile – not much different from a shotgun – but as with all the Darkness powers, it yields more creatively lethal possibilities. For instance, if you throw the axe into a wall behind a group of enemies, and then stray into their line of sight before recalling it, the axe will plough through them as it returns to its master's hand, like a blood-smeared boomerang.

DuMond's Mignight Stick, a shamanistic staff adorned with the skull of a shrunken head, again showcases the tactical possibilities opened up by The Darkness II. Get close enough to an enemy, and they become highlight by a swirling cloud of purple vapour, allowing you to levitate them out of cover and use your secondary weapon to finish them off. Inugami's and Shoshanna's weapons – a samurai sword and a gun infused with dark energy – are more straightforward by comparison.

Similarly, the Darkness powers add a range of possibilities. DuMond is able to puncture reality, creating inescapable black holes that function like inverted grenades, consuming everything within a small radius. Like Jackie, Jimmy can summon the impish Darklings to take care of hidden enemies while you take cover. Shoshanna's power is more subtle, increasing the destructiveness of each weapon she fires.



The presence of a gentle levelling system allows various attributes – number of Darklings summoned, the size of ammo clips when in the shadows – to be notched at the beginning of each new mission. It's not enforced, but it allows a degree of character customisation and specialisation - though it's likely all upgrades will be unlocked by the end of the campaign, such is the game's generosity with XP.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen how deeply the story of the co-op campaign will impact upon the single-player experience. Based on the first two missions, the impact seems to be light, with the treasure hunt for artefacts being little more than a trail of MacGuffins, pushing you between environments, all rendered in the striking graphical noir style adopted by the sequel. Based on a couple of levels, it's difficult to say whether Vendettas will be an integral part of The Darkness II. If missions display more variety, and have at least some bearing upon the central narrative, it could be a interesting take on co-op. One thing at least is for sure: though some might find them tiresomely crude, The Darkness II's unapologetically caricatured co-op cast means you won't have to face the night alone.

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I didn't really want multiplayer in Darkness... but this actually sounds pretty cool.

never played the first Darkness.

Loved the first one from what I can remember, definitely going back over that one before the release of this.

The co-op looks really fun. You plan on getting this, Max?

Frankie wrote:Loved the first one from what I can remember, definitely going back over that one before the release of this.

The co-op looks really fun. You plan on getting this, Max?

Oh yeah, I'll definitely be getting it