Surviving The Darkness

The path of Jackie Estacado is rife with danger and supernatural conspiracy. It takes a sharp mind and an even sharper trigger finger to survive unscathed in The Darkness, but with the following tips, you should be well on your way to ousting Paulie.

Hit the trigger up close for the quick execution.

Don't Be a Hero
It's in vogue now for veteran gamers to bypass the easier difficulty level and strike out on the hardest option from the beginning. The Darkness is unmerciful even on Normal level, so just know that playing on Hard will test your gaming mettle at every turn.

Lights Out
The simplest path to sustained success is to travel and fight under the cover of shadow. Shatter and snuff every light you find to make sure your Darkness abilities are powered up at all times. Early on, you must use your guns to shoot out lights, but once the Demon Arm is unlocked, use the power of the arm to save bullets.

Stay Informed
The Darkness is a largely HUD-less game. For example, there is no life meter and an ammunition meter only materializes when selecting or reloading a weapon. It may seem that you have no Darkness meter either, but you do. The glowing yellow scales on the sides of the demon's heads represent how much Darkness power you have available. Note how the scales replenish after use when you plunge into shadow.

A darkling distraction.

Close Encounters
When confronted with a large group of enemies, close the distance and battle up close and personal. Execution moves (performed with either trigger when close to a target) provide instant kills. You don't take damage when performing the kill, so move rapidly from target to target dealing out mayhem.

Chatter Tips
The Darkness is equal parts shooter and adventure, and whether you're wondering where to head next or how to get there, listening to nearby characters proves quite helpful. Your girlfriend Jenny's voice might guide you to her apartment door, or a paranoid scatterbrain will offer tips on how to bypass the lock on an electrical gate on Grinders Street.

Side Quests
The storyline in The Darkness is relentless and intense. But you don't always need to rush off to the next plot point. Instead, take your time to enjoy exploring the world, and track down some side quests.

Early on, you can convince a subway thug to allow a nearby musician to play unimpeded, or take on a challenge to pick up four quarters off the subway track with the train bearing down on you. Whatever the side quest, unlockable content and achievements are your rewards.

Headshots are always a plus.

Creeper Kills
Use the Creeping Dark ability to scout out nearby areas. If the slow pace of constant scouting isn't your thing, at least break out the Creeping Dark whenever you hear voices. A great number of enemies can be thinned with one-hit kills using this ability, and that will make any ensuing gunfight a great deal easier.

Command Your Darklings
A summoned darkling may wander around and collect the occasional kill on its own, but it's far more useful when properly instructed. Place your cursor on the desired location or enemy, and press X. Even if the darkling doesn't score the kill, they provide a nice distraction, freeing you up to shoot unimpeded.

Achievement Tracking
The Achievements option in the Start Menu will highlight the challenges you've won, and it will also track your progress for certain achievements. Keep track of exactly how many more hearts you must devour for the Cannibal achievement, or how many executions you need to snag Legendary Executioner.

The Darkness is an interesting game with a paranormal theme, and a lot of intense, visceral gameplay. Use these tips to survive as long as you can.

Article by Ryan Treit