Darksiders - Review
Darksiders is a game that surprisingly has not received a whole lot of hype for some reason. But, trust me, this is a game everyone needs to play.
It is a fantastic game, mixing elements from some of the best games out there along with the developer's own concepts. The basis of the story deals with Heaven, Hell and the Kingdom of Man, with you being one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
You are 'War' and you quickly learn that you have been set up by someone who has broken a sacred pact. The Four Horsemen are only supposed to appear to serve justice to those who break the law, however, after you have been set up you find yourself in trouble with the Council.
Now you are the one accused of breaking the law and you embark upon a quest for revenge, as well as answers.
Unfortunately the Council no longer trusts you, so they order 'The Watcher' to keep his eye on you and make sure you behave. As you progress throughout the game 'The Watcher' - excellently voiced by Mark Hamill - will give you hints and help remind you of what you need to do next. This is done brilliantly as 'The Watcher' never becomes annoying, yet he is always there.
Darksiders is a big game and one of the most impressive aspects of this title is that there is always something new around the corner. It is a pleasant surprise to see new things not seen before throughout the game.
The game flows well and you are constantly introduced to new power ups and new game mechanics, ultimately stopping you getting bored doing something time and again.
On the surface the combat appears to be very similar to God of War, but really it is not. There is plenty of 'hack and slash' gameplay, but there is so much more to it than that. It would be easy to button bash through most of the game however, doing so will almost certainly mean you miss out on the better weapons and attacks you acquire along the way.
You have your sword which will periodically level up as you use it, aswell as a scythe, a crossblade, a gun and more. There are also abilities that you can learn as you progress such as hardening your skin so hits cause less damage, a blade geyser which brings a circle of deadly blades to surround you, and affliction where you can summon demons and spirits.
Aswell as this, you also have 'passive abilities', although nowhere near as spectacular or satisfying. Most of these are available to be purchased from the merchant.
Also, dotted throughout the game are artifacts, which you can gather and bring back to the merchant for him to reward you with souls – the games currency. There is lots you can do to upgrade your weapons, and doing just that will ultimately mean a more enjoyable gameplay experience.
There is a good variety of weapons and items that you will find as you progress, keeping things fresh once more. The environments are varied, ranging from a destroyed city, to a desert, to a church, to name a few.
As you progress through the game you will come across a merchant where you can buy new spells and upgrade your weapons. In time, he will also give you access to serpent holes. Serpent holes are basically warp systems which help you get around quicker, a welcome addition when you consider the scale of the game.
Graphically, the game is very beautiful and features stunning environments for you to play in. The cinematics are done really well and woven into the story at just the right times to help move the story along.
Overall Darksiders is an amazing game. This will feel like many other titles from a similar genre, however, this has been combined very well with the developers own ideas. Graphically the game is gorgeous, showcased by the different environments. This is a really easy game to get into and certainly one that everyone should enjoy. For the hardcore amongst us, this will take some time to level up all of your weapons and abilities.
9/10 – Stunning Graphics and environments as well as some very good gameplay. Easy to pick up for casual gamers, and enough to keep the hardcore interested. This is 2010's 1st Must Have.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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