The Darkness II Announced

2K Games and Digital Extremes have today announced that they are working on The Darkness II, set to continue the story of its predecessor as gamers take control of Jackie Estacado and the power of The Darkness once again.



Although it's been rumoured for years now, and was "revealed" back in July via a developer's resume, this is the first official confirmation we've had on the game's existence, sequel to 2007's The Darkness.

Staying true to its comic book origins, the game is "layered with the use of dark versus light, steeped in deep and twisted storytelling, and engulfed in stylistic violence that is visualized through a hand-painted graphic noir technique." 2K have also teased its "Quad-Wielding gameplay," allowing Jackie to slash, grab and throw objects and enemies with the Demon Arms while simultaneously firing two weapons.

The game's story is being written by revered comic book writer Paul Jenkins, with the press release teasing both "dark humor" and "hardcore tenderness":

It’s been two years since Jackie Estacado, now the Don of the Franchetti crime family, used The Darkness to kill the men responsible for his girlfriend’s murder. He’s been unable to shake the memory of Jenny’s death since bottling up his supernatural power, and now The Darkness wants out. A sudden, unprovoked attack on Jackie’s life heralds the start of a full-scale mob war, which has clearly been orchestrated by some outside force. The botched attempt opens the door for The Darkness to reemerge, and sets Jackie on a journey to hell and worse, as he unravels the mystery behind the attack and the motivations of The Darkness itself.

While the original was developed by Starbreeze Studios, the sequel is in the hands of Digital Extremes, whose previous work includes Dark Sector and BioShock 2's multiplayer.

Mark Silvestri, founder and CEO of Top Cow Productions and co-creator of The Darkness comic series, said the following about the game:

Sometimes that whooshing sound you hear is that of comic fans holding their collective breath. So often disappointed when a favorite character gives birth to a lame movie or video game, us fans have come to expect the worst. And sometimes we get it. But not with The Darkness II. Yeah, call me biased, but this second installment of Jackie Estacado’s epic saga is – in my humble opinion – one of the most brutally cool games I’ve ever played. 2K Games hammered this one out of the park.The Darkness II is scheduled for release Fall/Autumn 2011.