14 DAY TRIAL // 
Darksiders 1 came out of nowhere back in 2010 and impressed plenty of console and PC owners with a great mix of hack and slash gameplay, as well as decent puzzle and platforming sections. While it did borrow plenty of elements from other, more established franchises, the title from Vigil Games proved to be a fun experience.
Now, with Darksiders II, Vigil Games is trying to add more original features to the game, while retaining the fast and fluid combat. Through a new protagonist, Death, and the promise of a different adventure, the team is also fleshing out the universe of the franchise beyond the journey of War from the original.
Can Darksiders II take the franchise to new heights or should Death’s story be banished into the depths of the inferno? Let’s find out.
Story Darksiders 1 put you into the shoes of War, one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who “accidentally” started the end of the world because of a trick. While War’s quest reached a conclusion in the original, the sequel takes place at the same time and focuses on his brother, Death, who’s trying to redeem his comrade.
While War’s adventures took place mostly on Earth and in various fantasy locations, Death’s journey takes him to other places, including a different world that he first must make right before actually proceeding in his journey, as well as the locations of various other supernatural beings.
While War was a pretty decent protagonist, his gruffness became weary after a time. Fortunately, his brother possesses a more “lighthearted” attitude and his responses are always full of wit and dry humor, which is quite appropriate considering he’s the Grim Reaper.
The overall story is quite decent and, while the last third of the game feels a bit more rushed, especially the ending, you’ll definitely be interested in experiencing Death’s journey and seeing how it intertwines with the adventures of his brother.
Gameplay Darksiders 2 retains most of the same gameplay from the original, although the action feels much more fluid, largely because Death is a more agile hero than his bulky brother.
The protagonist can use his trademark scythes, which can be dual-wielded or linked together, but also a second weapon that can range from heavy yet slow hammers or axes, to light yet weak gauntlets or claws.
These various weapons can be normal, infused with special abilities, or even possessed, which means you can feed them other items and improve their stats. This is quite an interesting mechanic and is a great alternative to simply selling weapons and gear you don’t use, especially as you can choose what stats to improve with each new “feeding” session.
Combat is fast and hectic, as you can perform various combos using your weapons, as well as execute different attacks that you can unlock from a varied skill tree. Once you fill a power gauge, you can even transform into your spectral Grim Reaper form, which provides increased damage output and a higher resistance to enemy attacks.
Besides fighting, you’ll also find yourself exploring the game’s various levels in a true Legend of Zelda-like manner. Environments are huge and, just like the first game, filled with areas you can’t access before acquiring certain gadgets or abilities.
As such, you’ll often find yourself backtracking through the different levels. Luckily, you can call upon your trusty steed, Despair, who’ll help you on your travels, while your pet raven, Dust, will highlight where you need to go.
While most of your Darksiders 2 experience revolves around exploring and fighting, you’ll also find yourself solving different puzzles. These start relatively simple, but they quickly evolve into true tests of your reaction times and your brains, especially once you unlock different gear and items, like the already infamous Portal-like gun.
Darksiders 1 felt more like a hack and slash experience with a few RPG-like mechanics sprinkled on top but its sequel goes full-on RPG, as you find all sorts of loot on your adventures, ranging from primary and secondary weapons to clothes and trinkets. As such, you’ll often find yourself browsing your inventory and deciding on what gear you can use in certain situations.
Darksiders 2 also puts a much bigger emphasis on Death’s acrobatic abilities, as he can pretty much give other heroes like the Prince of Persia a run for their money in terms of running on walls, climbing ledges or jumping across chasms.
The main quest line is quite good, while there are a few different side missions, ranging from simple “Collect X things” to sprawling dungeons with special rewards that enhance the abilities of your allies.
Sadly, there are still a few problems with the game. Death, while quite agile, feels a bit slow, especially in combat, so the lack of a sprint button means you need to constantly roll around the battlefield. There are also a few glitches every now and then, especially when trying to run along walls, as the game doesn’t really detect what you’re trying to do. Thankfully, when missing a jump, Death goes into his Spectral Form and floats back to where he jumped from, just like in the Prince of Persia reboot.
Visuals and Sound Visually-wise, Darksiders 2 retains the imposing style pioneered by its predecessor, with everything looking huge and impressive. While Death’s a pretty frightening foe, plenty of his adversaries and even some of his allies are even bigger and more imposing than him.
Sadly, while much care was put in the design, the overall quality of the textures isn’t that impressive on the PC, especially in the first world, where you spend quite a lot of time.
The color palette is varied enough, but the game does like to take advantage of unsaturated shades of grey, at least at the beginning, making the whole experience feel a bit lifeless.
In terms of sound, the game is certainly impressive, with Death’s voice actor managing to deliver the dry wit of the character, while his allies and foes feel impressive.
The soundtrack, made by Jesper Kyd, also shines, as quite a few songs that are played during combat make the whole experience feel even more epic. Sadly, some of the tunes that accompany regular exploring can repeat themselves a lot and become quite annoying, especially during prolonged play sessions.
Conclusion Darksiders 2 is a thoroughly impressive hack and slash experience that has more than enough action role-playing mechanics to enhance its overall appeal. The story is quite good, especially if you played the original, and you’ll have a great time fighting, exploring, and solving puzzles.
While there are a few glitches and the textures may look a bit blurry from time to time, you’ll still enjoy the time you get to spend with Death.
