As a teen I read the Darkness comic religiously, and its brothers and sisters (Witchblade, Spawn). I've only played the first few hours of the first game and I found it vastly different from the source material I'd known for several years. They'd changed so many aspects of Jackies personality and how the darkness power manifests that the first game never grew on me. It can of course be seen as an adaptation of the source material, but I never managed to split the two in my mind while playing the first Darkness game.

What I'm asking is; would you recommend the second game, and why? And has anyone ells here read the comic?

Haven't read the comics, but I felt there was a lot of the first game in the second game. (manifestation, characters, pacing, etc)

@fetchfox: Aye, I've read the comics, and they were fucking terrible.

Once you get beyond the idea that The Darkness video games are superhero sims and take them as they are (gritty as hell noir horror stories), you'll realize that both Starbreeze and Digital Extremes maximized the potential of The Darkness fiction. Then you'll probably become sad, because the comics will never top what those two studios accomplished.

@Oldirtybearon: @Demoskinos: I think that the first parts of the comics were great. A good, strong character with an evil and dark power and some worthy enemies. And for a teen, the violence was very welcome (well, still is). It quickly turned into a B-grade comic because of several writers and some storyline bullshit. But I've heard that it picked up some years, ago so I kinda want to check that part out.

I think I'll get the second game. It looks fun and I'm a sucker for anything with a well made mobster story.

@fetchfox: I'm curious, what were the changes to the fiction that made the game less palatable? I've played the darkness 1, never read the comics.

I read a couple, and I felt that the game was better in every way. Jackie was a douche in the comics.

I read the first 20 or so issues, That first year under Garth Ennis and Marc Silvestri were amazing.

@Kidavenger said:

I read the first 20 or so issues, That first year under Garth Ennis and Marc Silvestri were amazing.

This.

As someone who has read many of the comics, I would say the second game is more faithful to the comics, but is still very different. I think that is fine and I don't have a preference.

@fetchfox: I just finished the second game a few minutes ago. They take some liberties (the darkness doesn't switch kill it's current host at the conception of the next one), but overall they skew a bit closer to the comic I feel. I mean, the armor is there as an upgrade, which I think is a nice bit of fan service. I'll also just say that there are larger nods to the comic universe in there, but to say more would spoil some neat moments. Honestly, if you liked the comics you'll probably enjoy the second one more than someone who just had exposure to the first game.

@WalkerTR77 said:

@fetchfox: I'm curious, what were the changes to the fiction that made the game less palatable? I've played the darkness 1, never read the comics.

The Darkness is (at least in the beginning) on Jackies side and does not try to control him. It's more of a gift than anything ells. Jackies personality is also entirely different. As someone ells here said, he's a bit of a dick and a total womanizer. That is, until the Darkness comes and he can no longer reproduce. If he did it would mean instant death with the Darkness transferring to the new host (the child) and activating when it turns 21.

@GloomyTangent: That definitely gives me more of an incentive to play it, thanks for the info. I'll probably get it.

@fetchfox: Does the Darkness in the comics ever start talking to Jackie?

@Bocam: The Darkness speaks to Jackie in the very beginning as an entity, informing him of his new powers. It might have started to talk to Jackie, like he does in the game, later in the comic, but I only remember it as being a "dark gift" and Jackie using it do destroy his foes.

@GloomyTangent said:

@fetchfox: I just finished the second game a few minutes ago. They take some liberties (the darkness doesn't switch kill it's current host at the conception of the next one), but overall they skew a bit closer to the comic I feel. I mean, the armor is there as an upgrade, which I think is a nice bit of fan service. I'll also just say that there are larger nods to the comic universe in there, but to say more would spoil some neat moments. Honestly, if you liked the comics you'll probably enjoy the second one more than someone who just had exposure to the first game.

Jackie has gone at odds with The Darkness entity a few times over the years. Its happening right now in the comics. The Darkness wants to get rid of him as Jackie doesn't want to be merely a pawn. Prior to that, it never talked to him as Jackie was in complete control. But once The Darkness wants a new host its made itself heard.

The first game, in terms of story, was a mixture of the end of Vol 1 and the beginning of Vol 2 of the comics. (the whole Jenny thing). The games are written by the same writer of that period, Paul Jenkins.

I don't understand why they made up Victor instead of having him simply be Sonatine though.

I'm still waiting for a hot female cop named Sara Pezzini to show up in these games...