I played The Darkness for the first time years ago. This happened after a period of obsession with its sequel, a period in which I tasked myself with treasure hunting a PS3 copy of the predecessor here in Argentina. Every cell of my body wanted to know the origins of Jackie Estacado, the black sheep of a mob family who witnesses the murder of his soulmate by the same hands that adopted him at a young age.
Jackie, a mix of Marilyn Manson and Peter Steele, is possessed by an ancient force that grants him demonic powers. This being, rightfully called The Darkness, was performed by the Faith No More singer Mike Patton. It manifests itself in the form of heart-eating tentacles that can’t stand the presence of even the smallest light bulb. Oh, and you can also create black holes and summon darklings.
Yes, reader, all of this happened in a first-person shooter back in 2007. It wasn’t a new IP, mind, but rather the work of Starbreeze Studios and 2K Games toiling upon Top Cow’s comic series that itself spawned from the Witchblade universe. The Darkness also arrived in one of the most important years for video games, especially for the FPS genre. Bioshock, Half Life 2: Episode 2, Crysis, and Call of Duty 4.