It's been a troubling development cycle for The Darkness as the game shifted from one company to the next, but comic book fans will be happy to hear that its managed to beat the odds and actually be completed and released to retail. The Darkness boasts a gritty storyline that will be familiar with the comic of the same name. For those who might not be in the know, a mafia hitman named Jackie Estacado is bestowed with "the darkness" on his 21st birthday. What is the darkness, you ask? It's some sort of ancient power, but who wants to be bothered with the details of how it works? All you need to know is that it'll give you the ability to kill lots of things and do it well. And as a hitman, that's music to your ears.

For starters, the darkness will allow you to do all sorts of things to your enemies such as devouring, impaling, and imloding them. Not only does devouring your enemies provide you with a hearty meal, but you get a power boost thanks to their delicious hearts as well. The darkness is no fan of light, however, and you'll need to use it to remain in the shadows to keep in tip-top shape. When you're not feeling up for it, you can summon demons to do the job for you, or just toss objects about without lifting a finger.

The game also features voice acting by Kirk Acevedo (Oz, Band of Brothers), Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under), and Mike Patton (Faith No More, Peeping Tom), and actual television shows playing on TVs throughout the game. The game is out now, published by Take-Two Interactive.