Darksiders: Review

January 8, 2010 at 5:44 am (Uncategorized)

Darksiders rose from obscure rumors to scarce previews to one of the most anticipated games of 2010. Darksiders launched as one of the first titles of 2010 (literally on the first release day of the year) and out of the box promised to be one of the biggest games of the year. Anticipation was high for the game, and so were expectations.  Launching simultaneously on the Xbox 360 and the PS3 the game stood to bring a much needed breath of fresh air into a market dominated for all of 2009 by first person shooters (the late release of Uncharted 2 aside). The Xbox in particular was in serious need of a solid action adventure game, undeniably one of the systems weak points. Darksiders promised an action adventure game unlike anything this generation of gaming had seen (despite it’s apparent similarities to games of past). I’m not going to waste the time tell you, Darksiders delivers.

Anyone who has ever played a Legend of Zelda game will of course notice the similarities in the overall game layout, what with the dungeons and puzzle solving items and a few other more than obvious similarities. The combat is less Zelda though, and more God of War, though in my opinion much more satisfying. Indeed Darksiders could be written off as a hodgepodge of characteristics of some of the industry’s most beloved franchises and titles. Aside from the God of War and Legend of Zelda inspirations, there are traces of Panzer Dragoon, Prince of Persia, and even Fable present in the game. But Darksiders houses just as much creativity and ingenuity as it does heavy influences. This game is not a clone, a port, or a carbon copy of anything else ever on the market before it. Yes, it is absolutely impossible to play this game and not feel these similarities, but why is this a bad thing? Sure some elitists reviewers and message board fan boys have done nothing but criticize the game for a ‘lack of originality’ but these are the same people that continually cry and whine about nothing for a lack of anything better to do. I for one am impressed with what this game has to offer. It’s taken what is the best of some of the greatest games of all time, and seamlessly blended them together into one hell of a game.

The story behind Darksiders is one based on the book of Revelations, and the coming apocalypse, though some of the more classical religious themes and characters are replaced by a new and more original story and cast. You play as the Horseman War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. When war breaks out between Heaven and Hell on earth (the Third Kingdom) you arrive, presumably summoned, to do your job of punishing the wicked and creating a new balance between the two remaining kingdoms. But something has apparently gone wrong. War begins to slowly lose his powers, and the other Horsemen are nowhere to be found. After a very impressive opening cinematic, and a beautifully presented opening act, War finds out that he has been manipulated and betrayed. Found guilty by the powers that be of jumping the gun and destroying the balance of the Three Kingdoms, War pleads to be sent back to Earth to expose the truth and regain his honor, and hopefully the balance. And at this point you’re on your own to hack and slash your way through the legions of hell on what remains of Earth.

The story is one that could have easily gone either way with the quality of the writing and voice acting. Fortunately developer Vigil took such things seriously. The game is well written and features an impressive and very solid voice cast (and yes, Mark Hamill is part of said cast, and does an absolutely wonderful job). The story is also spectacularly brought to life by a beautiful presentation. Never has post-apocalyptic ruin looked so good. Many times I’ve found myself simply looking around at the landscape in admiration. The music in Darksiders is also pretty awesome, though unfortunately there isn’t enough of it. While wandering the world frequently there is no score present. And while the sound of the game is fine, the lack of a score can lead to an empty feeling, especially while you’re wandering around for some time looking for the key to a puzzle. Of course being one of the last few remaining things on a planet would be incredibly empty and lonely, so maybe this was done intentionally.

The game play of Darksiders is fantastic. The combat system is one that can be as simple as you want (simply mashing X until everything is dead) or as complex (switching from weapon to weapon and mixing in different powers and equipment items for the highest combos). War, though striped of his powers at the beginning, soon begins to build an impressive collection of attacks, weapons, combat equipment, and ‘wrath’ powers. All of which can be upgraded and customized by purchasing new combos, leveling up your weapons, and finding new augmentations for them. Though simple and repetitive on the surface, there is a depth and enjoyment that can be found in Darksiders’ combat I’ve yet to experience in similar games. Being one of the Horsemen, of course you do eventually gain access to your steed. The summoning of this beast is impressive visually, and the mechanics of horseback combat and travel could stand to be adopted by say, a future Zelda game.

While it is indeed Epic, Darksiders is not going to have the amount of game play of a Borderlands of Fallout. The core of the game can be completed in about 12 hours or so, if you spend no time exploring and speed through the dungeons. I expect about 15-20 hours a play through for people who want to take their time, enjoy the game, and find all the collectables. There are plenty of hidden treasures to find on your way to that 100% complete achievement/trophy.

My expectations for this game were quite high, and had been for a while. I am happy to say they were exceeded. At this point I have no complaints worth mentioning, and am very impressed. This is, in my eyes, an instant contender for game of the year, and a much needed vacation from the Halos and Call of Dutys. I expect this to be remembered fondly though out this generation of gaming, and if the franchise continues, well beyond that. Darksiders is a must play.