Darksiders: Old and New

“And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.” - Rev 6:3-4

Those who are well versed in the bible, and even those who aren’t, may recognize these verses. No, this isn’t a bible lesson. Revelations 6:1-8, as found in the Holy Bible, served as the inspiration for the 2010 Vigil Games and THQ title Darksiders (originally titled Darksiders:Wrath of War) and they’ve recently announced the release of the upcoming sequel Darksiders II!

Darksiders

In Darksiders you take on the role of War, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. In the Book of Revelations it mentions a scroll in the right hand of God that is sealed with seven seals. Once the seven seals are broken, War and the three other horsemen (known in the series as Fury, Strife, and Death) are to ride forth in the battle of Armageddon to bring forth an apocalypse as preparation for the Last or Final Judgment. Somehow War was lead to believe that the seventh seal had been broken and he rode forth to take part in the fight. When he arrived he found demons and angels already engaged in battle, and soon learned that the seventh seal indeed remained intact and that something was horribly wrong. He was wrongfully accused and found guilty for bringing about the premature apocalypse of earth by the Charred Council, who act as mediators between heaven and hell. War shares with the Council what he learned while fighting the demons, and petitions to be allowed to serve his sentence on earth while he tries to right the wrongs and bring whoever is truly at fault to justice. Stripped of his former glory, War has to fight his way through the now demon ruled world to find the source of the injustice that caused the extinction of the human race.

I found the plot in the first installment very interesting and fun, so I’m excited to see what they do in the upcoming title, but the fighting style, especially in the first few sequences of the game, is a bit repetitive and can quickly become a button masher. Once upgrades to abilities are obtained it becomes less so, but for the most part it seems Vigil went for quantity versus quality. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed hacking my way through the armies of heaven and hell, but there is definitely room for improvement. I also enjoyed the puzzle dungeons throughout the game which do a great job of breaking up the monotony, and gives you a reprieve from mutilating hordes of demons. The soundtrack gives the game a very fast pace feel, and features a lot of percussion and brass instruments, as well as some tracks featuring a choir. The music fits the experience, which added to my overall satisfaction.

One thing that I love to have in a video game is the option of customization. If I’m able to change the look of my character and choose what armor I wear, or what weapon I use, then I’m a happy camper. Unfortunately there isn’t much customization in Darksiders but you do unlock new moves and new weapons as you progress through the game. Because there’s not a lot of customization and War improves in pretty much the same fashion no matter how many times you play through the game, the replayability factor is lacking. Overall, there is room for improvement but Darksiders is a great game and on a scale of 1-5 I give it a solid 3.

Darksiders II 

“And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” - Rev 6:7-8

It’s almost impossible to make a game that gets everything right on the first try, that’s why they make sequels! In the upcoming title Darksiders II, you’ll be playing as War’s elder brother Death. The story takes place during the same time frame as the original title and follows Death’s mission to redeem War and resurrect the human race. One of the major improvements is the game’s size, which will be at least twice the size of the original and will include numerous puzzle dungeons and city hubs. Loot will also be added, which will allow Death to find up to twelve new pieces of armor, each carrying various enchantments that boost Death’s abilities. 

We’re all excited here at Gaming Cuisine for the new release coming in August! For more detailed information on Darksiders II, be sure to check out the official website here and, as always, we’d love to hear what you think about the title. Until next time, good gaming!