Delivering another action game to the market is a safe bet for most developers and publishers. After all, the genre has been tested and tried so many times and the public still revels in it. However, the real challenge is not making a mere on-the-rails type of shooter with a clich'd story.

Solid gamepaly ideas in this one; cool art; cool execution moves; interesting premise

Single-player's too short; the multiplayer is not compelling enough to make you stay for long; we do miss the open-ended approach from the original game

The Darkness is unleashed again, and this time Kevin VanOrd is there for all the brutal mayhem that ensues in this video review.

Demonic arms + solid gunplay = fun times; Unusual; creepy story that's more than just cheap shocks; Skill tree gives the action some diversity; Excellent voice acting and sound effects

Incredibly short campaign; Linear levels and second-rate AI make for predictable encounters; Run-of-the-mill co-op missions lack challenge

The Darkness II is a shooter. OK, so that seems a pretty odd statement to make: Of course The Darkness II is a shooter! But in this sequel's case, it's an important point to consider. The Darkness (the original game on consoles) had the feel of an adventure.

Demonic arms + solid gunplay = fun times; Unusual; creepy story that's more than just cheap shocks; Skill tree gives the action some diversity; Excellent voice acting and sound effects

Incredibly short campaign; Linear levels and second-rate AI make for predictable encounters; Run-of-the-mill co-op missions lack challenge

For those who aren't in the know, there were lots more comics publishers than just the big two, and a few, like Image comics, made several interesting and gritty titles, of which "The Darkness" was just one.

I've always had this theory. In the beginning of every year, there's that strange lull until we get new quality games, and perhaps it's a bit unfair, but those games set the tone for what the rest of the year will be like. Terrible games are released first?

The Darkness II is a good first-person shooter but for diversity of gameplay it is lacking. However, the quad-wielding system is interesting enough to run through the whole game and the Hit List missions and co-op campaign give some small reason to return.

So a while back I asked to review a game for OnLive and they generously said "sure, have a couple" so I picked a second game called The Darkness II simply because I loved the trailer with a twitchy guy standing in the dark babbling about the game.

The Darkness II begins with Jackie Estacado, 23-year-old mob boss and current possessor of demonic force The Darkness, saying he will never awaken his dormant supernatural abilities ever again, two minutes before you reawaken his supernatural abilities with a single tap of a button.

The Darkness II's main campaign is a well-written tale that is worth experiencing, even though the fun factor decreases as the game wears on. Unfortunately, the Vendettas mode is boring and makes up half of the included content. Is it worth paying full price for a game that's 50% fun?

Four arms: it was so obvious. It must be galling for other shooter developers. They've spent decades since Doom trying to work out ways to innovate on the FPS model, to make shooting people feel fresh and interesting again.