Après The Chronicles of Riddick, Starbreeze bosse sur une nouvelle licence. Et cette fois-ci, c’est d’un comic book qu’il s’agit, The Darkness, précisément. Un comic gore et violent où le personnage principal est très, mais alors vraiment très méchant : en plus d’être un tueur de la Mafia, il est utilisé par une entité maléfique (« The Darkness », précisément) aux pouvoirs monstrueux. Lesquels pouvoirs seront disponibles dans le jeu.
On nous promet un jeu mélangeant FPS et TPS, de l’horreur, du thriller, un gameplay non-linéaire et du multi. Pour l’instant, le jeu n’est annoncé que sur les consoles de prochaine génération, pas sur PC. Ça sort en 2006 et ça sera édité par Majesco. Le jeu sera présenté à l’E3. En attendant, vous pouvez toujours aller lire le premier comic de la série.
[–SUITE–]Le communiqué de presse :EDISON, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–March 21, 2005–Majesco (NASDAQ: MJES), a provider of diversified offerings and content for digital entertainment platforms, today announced it will publish the video game adaptation of the popular comic book series, The Darkness, for the next generation of consoles. Scheduled for release in 2006, The Darkness is being developed by Starbreeze, the acclaimed development studio behind the top-selling video game, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay.
Based on the best-selling Top Cow comic book, The Darkness casts players as Jackie Estacado, a fearless Mafia hitman for the Franchetti crime family who is suddenly possessed by the terrifying and spectacular powers of The Darkness. Throughout the game, players must learn to control and harness The Darkness power in order to overthrow the vicious mob boss and fulfill their destiny.
« We are excited to have secured Starbreeze, a highly talented and respected team, to develop one of our first titles for the next generation of video game consoles, » said Jesse Sutton, president of Majesco. « Combining the top-tier development talent and technology of Starbreeze with the compelling content of Top Cow’s The Darkness comic book series provides a solid foundation for success. »
The Darkness features a seamless and unique blend of modern crime drama and supernatural horror through first and third-person, non-linear gameplay. Utilizing the Starbreeze engine for next generation consoles, The Darkness features single and online multi-player action across highly realistic environments.
Union Entertainment, a feature film and video game production company, packaged the deal which includes Paul Jenkins, a seminal writer in The Darkness comic book series, who will provide game story and dialogue.
The Darkness comic book series launched in 1996 and is currently published in 19 different languages around the world. The highly popular comic sells more than 500,000 copies of each issue and generates more than $25 million annually across its various brand extensions. « The Darkness » live action film, produced by Platinum Studios and Dimension Films, is estimated for release in 2007.
Additional information about The Darkness will be unveiled during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) being held May 18-20 in the Los Angeles Convention Center, booth 846 in the South Hall, in Los Angeles, CA.