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Every now and then, a game comes along that seems to have the right stuff — it’s got an unforgettable visual style, a quality studio, a respectable marketing budget, and the kind of gameplay that should go over damn well with a crowd. Every now and then, a game can have all that and just be unlucky.
Darksiders was one such game. One of my favorites of 2010, Vigil Games’ appealing (yet ridiculous) action title took the core of The Legend of Zelda and wrapped it in some highly original (and violent) clothes. It should have been a hit. It’s criminal that it wasn’t.
Darksiders II puts players in the bony boots of Death, a Horseman of the Apocalypse on an ironic quest to bring the slain back to life. His journey starts just after War has been tricked into obliterating mankind, and Death believes that if he can resurrect humanity, he’ll clear his brother’s name. Along the way, he encounters Corruption, a malevolent force intent on obliterating all existence, and thus finds himself with more urgent matters than his own brother’s fate — not that he cares.
Though Death is no less grim than his brother, he is an altogether more enjoyable protagonist, possessed as he is of a caustic wit and an affable disregard for anybody who isn’t a member of his family. As always, the weird and wonderful world of Darksiders is brought to life with a host of eccentric and overzealous characters, a fantastical set of locations, and some gorgeous designs courtesy of artist Joe Madureira. Much of Darksiders II will be familiar to fans of War’s bloody journey, but make no mistake, this is quite a different experience.
While Darksiders was an action game with heavy Zelda influences, its sequel comes close to being a full-blown action role-playing game along the lines of Diablo or Torchlight. There are still many Zelda influences — items that open up new paths, dungeons with tiered levels, key chests, and hidden maps — but the package is altogether less shameless this time around, with a greater focus placed on environmental challenges and puzzles that make heavy use of acrobatics, levers, and even a little time travel.
While none of these puzzles are especially fresh to the action genre — we’ve all spent time standing on pressure pads to open gates — the inventive level design helps them be among the best examples you could hope to see. There are some ingenious puzzles that make use of Death’s growing array of gadgets, whether he’s throwing bombs at crystallized rock, creating duplicates of himself, or jumping into Aperture Science-inspired portals.
Likewise, Death’s movement around the world is full of the same wall-running, ledge clambering, hook-grappling acrobatics we’ve seen in titles like Uncharted or Prince of Persia, but the elegance and speed with which the Horseman navigates his surroundings creates a fluidity quite unlike that seen with other clambering heroes — all while demanding quick wit on the part of the player. At times, this fluidity is a little overbearing, as Death’s animations feel too “floaty” and unpredictable to cope with some of the more demanding, time-limited areas. A number of times, Death needs to move through a series of environmental obstacles at a pace too quick for his often laggy responses, as Vigil placed too much emphasis on animation over utility. However, these irregular occasions are more than made up for by the many moments the system works successfully — and looks gorgeous doing so.
Combat is where most similarities with the original Darksiders can be found, though Death’s respective litheness makes him feel less meaty and far more agile than War ever was. Button-mashing combos, a heavy emphasis on dodging, and a range of increasingly brutal special skills make for a combat system that balances grace and brutality in equal measure. Death’s weapon of choice is a pair of scythes, which will always serve as his primary armaments, though he can equip a secondary weapon from a range that includes maces, hammers, glaives, claws, and more.
As Death gains experience and rises in level, he can unlock and upgrade abilities from two skill trees. Such abilities include the power to close distances with a teleporting slash, summon demonic minions, or send a murder of crows to steal health. Darksiders II‘s combat system works best in smaller engagements against a moderate selection of foes. Since it’s based on counterattacks, being able to concentrate on opponents is paramount, but it has to be said that Vigil sometimes relies too much on undermining this to create a sense of challenge. A fair number of fights, particularly toward the latter portions of the game, swamp the screen with monsters, many of which can power through your attacks in order to break combos. Some of the best battles are one-on-one engagements where timing is of the essence, so these larger, chaotic fights really aren’t needed and can be a little infuriating at times.
Things are kept interesting with the all-new loot system. Enemies now dispense vast quantities of gold, as well as pauldrons, greaves, vambraces, and weapons. Darksiders II does a solid job of providing more powerful gear at the right intervals, offering enough incentive to keep one hunting for fresh loot.
There are certainly complaints to be had with the title. The latter half feels like it’s over a bit too quickly, I’d have loved to have seen more exploration of Death as a protagonist, and I feel that the series’ trademark macabre characters needed more of a spotlight. However, with a game that already provides so much, these things feel more like desired garnish rather than missing components. This is one of those games that you can really sink your teeth into, a game that feels full, making you want more without feeling like you need more.
Darksiders II takes the best elements from many games and blends them into a seamless, wholly satisfying package. With a unique protagonist, killer art style, savvy level design, and ferocious combat, there’s little left for an action fan to want, while the role-playing elements have been enhanced to such a degree that the overall experience feels deeper and more compelling than before.
Verdict: 9/10