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This new Darkness 2 trailer is impressively gross
For the most part, we as a culture have become desensitized to the ridiculous level of extremely graphic, realistic violence pervasive in most forms of entertainment media, which is why we're so damn impressed by how incredibly disgusting the latest trailer for The Darkness 2 is. Watching a man's spine and skull get ripped out through his scrotum (by chattering tentacle creatures, no less) wasn't really something we had planned on doing today, but there you go. While you check out the trailer, we're going to go cleanse our palate with something a little less violent, like Mortal Kombat.%Gallery-137848%
The Darkness 2 preview: Dancing in the dark
Jackie Estacado is an indestructible demigod. At least that's what the early stages of a recent demo for The Darkness 2 taught me about the game's main character. After unnamed assailants quite literally crash the dinner he had just sat down to eat -- subsequently murdering the erotic dancers he's dining with, of course -- Jackie's hurt pretty badly. His right foot is clearly mangled from the explosion, and soon enough he's being dragged to safety by a fellow mobster, all the while shooting at foes in pursuit. Thankfully for Jackie Estacado, though, he can take a lot of bullets. Like, dozens. From point blank range. At one point during the demo, I stopped firing back for a full 30 seconds to see what would happen. Lo and behold, the mobster dragging me kept right at his task and, aside from the occasional splash of red on the HUD, Jackie was no worse for the wear. Though a 2K Games rep assured me that Jackie could die during the sequence, the dozens of bullets that had already riddled him didn't do much damage. After that worrying intro, however, things improved greatly. Jackie was granted the power of quad-wielding and, soon enough, I was using his two crazy snake arms – the titular Darkness –to impale, assassinate, rip, and a whole host of other verbs, all while firing off bullets with my boring hands. Project lead Sheldon Carter with incoming developer Digital Extremes refers to Jackie's arsenal of arms as a "symphony of death," employing two weapons and two arms all at once to engage multiple enemies in a variety of ways.%Gallery-122546%
Darkness sequel still planned, Top Cow clearing up rights issues
We've been hearing murmurings about a sequel to 2007's The Darkness since back in 2008 when the property's creator -- comic book company Top Cow Productions -- hinted about one at the New York Comic Con. Fast-forward to this morning and we're once again back at the Jacob Javits Center on NYC's west side bugging Top Cow about The Darkness 2. "There are certain rights issues that we needed to clear up in order to move ahead with The Darkness 2. Those are getting cleared up. While there are no specific plans, it is definitely that is still on all of our minds," sales and marketing director Atom! Freeman explained to us this morning. We pushed for confirmation that a sequel to The Darkness is still being planned. "Absolutely. We loved the game. The fans loved the game," he told us, adding, "There's no reason to not do another one. Just making sure that all of our ducks are in a row so that we can begin that process." Unfortunately, that's all Freeman would tell us, preferring to keep other information ... shrouded in darkness for now.
Top Cow announces Darkness sequel in the works [update]
Here's a great indicator of how slowly the wheels can occasionally turn. During Top Cow Productions' Comic-Con panel, head of the comic publisher, Marc Silvestri, was finally able to announce that a follow-up to The Darkness (based on the Top Cow IP) was in the works. We're not surprised if the news has a familiar ring to it: The company hinted at a sequel during the 2008 NYCC ... 15 months ago.In more immediate news, the company announced that the original game would soon be added to the greatest hits value line-up on PS3 and Xbox for $29.99. If you haven't already checked it out, it's an interesting recommendation, if only to prepare yourself for the sequel that may finally be coming.Update: According to comments made to VG247, original developer Starbreeze will not be returning for the sequel.
Rumor: Comic Con brings The Darkness sequel talk
Comic Con is not only good for comic related news and culture, but also for semi-official video game sequel announcements as well. It's true!According to The Quarter Bin's recap of Top Cow Production' Comic Con panel, when talking about their future comic book licensing agreements they responded by hinting pretty heavily that The Darkness 2 is real and in the works. More specifically, Top Cow told everyone in attendance that "we can't say DARKNESS and video game sequel in the same sentence. So, DARKNESS. Wink. Sequel." So, there you have it. A possibly, maybe, probably The Darkness sequel announcement straight from The Darkness creators Top Cow. Fun stuff.[Via Joystiq]
New City of Heroes Fanzine released
Did you enjoy the stories and artwork that ran in the Top Cow line of the City of Heroes comics? Ever regret not sending in your work? Well, here's your chance, because Issue #0 of the new City of Heroes Fanzine was released today.For those of you who may be concerned that this publication is replacing the City Scoop, fear not: the fanzine was never intended to replace the scoop, but to add to the lore and backstory of the CoX universe. Then, too, the fanzine will only be coming out quarterly, so you'll have to rely on the Scoop ... and Massively, of course ... for timely news about the Rogue Isles and Paragon City.So pull out your pens and digital tablets, and share your stories and visions of the digital world all of our alts inhabit. We're looking forward to seeing what you have to offer. And don't forget, if you have any thoughts about the fanzine, issues you'd like to raise, or concerns you feel need to be addressed, bring them up in the City of Heroes official forum.
