You play as Jackie, a 21 year-old hitman, seeking revenge against the man who betrayed you on the dirty streets of New York, with enough wise guys and corrupt cops to give Scorsese cause for concern. Oh yeah, and you're also imbued with the power of a demon spirit as ancient as time and voiced by Mike Patton. And you spend some time in Hell. The Darkness is definitely one step beyond. The shooting and AI are pretty standard FPS fare and not worth the price of admission. But The Darkness stands out because of the little touches that show how much thought has gone into it. The genuinely engaging plot (a rare commodity in all but the best FPSs), the dark and haunting setting, the irresistible Darklings and crystal clear graphics are all top rate - and the Darkness powers stand out especially. Crawling around as a Demon snake, sneaking up on goons before devouring their hearts, or opening up a portal to suck them all into oblivion, is both terrifying and exhilarating. For a brief but intense few hours, the Darkness is one of the best games around at the moment. [Richard Dennis]