Now here's an interesting series with an uncertain future ahead of it; the Darksiders franchise, which was previously owned by THQ with a subsidiary development team, Vigil Games. After THQ's bankruptcy earlier this year, all of its game franchises were put to auction with Crytek being the primary bidder for Vigil Games. After some backwards and forwards discussion Crytek finally bought Vigil and established a new U.S. subsidiary named it Crytek USA, while a lot of the team stayed on board with the new owners a handful left to join Retro Studios. So getting back to Darksiders, the first installment saw a bit of press and established a sound fan base so naturally Vigil began development on a sequel. Darksiders 2 faced a lot of hype and when released didn't receive the warm welcome it was expecting. With a mediocre performance for sales figures Vigil were uncertain as to whether or not they would attempt to complete the quadrilogy and now with the THQ ownership put to rest the fate of the franchise hinges on Crytek and its future decisions. One particular discussion that has always surrounded Darksiders is that of the 'cloning' of the Legend of Zelda franchise. Yes it plays like Zelda and has dungeons with boss battles and treasure chests, yes it has an over-world map, but so does Skyrim and a lot of other games. I understand the comparison yes, but don't relate to a negative trait, Zelda is brilliant, so gameplay wise logically the game should be fun, it's more the story that gets to people I feel.
Now for those who don't know what Darksiders is about well prepare to be enlightened. Darksiders follows the post apocalyptic journey of the Four Horsemen who are drawn into a bloody conflict between angels and demons on both the destroyed Earth and other worldly dimensions. Darksiders 1 followed the footsteps of 'War' and his false accusations for bringing about the apocalypse on Earth, through this game War sought to uncover the truth about the Earth and prove to the Charred Council (an overseeing judgment committee of this dimension) that he was innocent. In Darksiders 2 you follow 'Death', the second Horseman who travels across many worlds in search of his fallen brother War. I don't want to give away too much more information regarding the series as it is a great one and I feel you should all give it a go. In Darksiders 2 the team implemented a lot more RPG characteristic in terms of customising your character, weapons and levelling up systems as well, but it's all for nought if it's not executed properly. Darksiders 2 I felt bought these additions to the table but didn't present them as well as it could, but I feel it makes up for it by having great stylish gameplay, amazing visually attractive worlds and a cool story. I like to consider Darksiders a darker more hack and slash version of Zelda, it's got all the things I love in action/adventure games but with a different plot and an immersive lore. It's unfortunate things went the way they did with THQ but I hope Crytek is seeking to redeem the franchise in a different way and complete the saga with the two remaining Horsemen.
Something that I've always liked in video games is maps; vast sprawling ones showing a huge world just begging to be explored. When playing games like Darksiders, Zelda and Skyrim they appeal exactly to that need that I desire in gaming. I feel every game should have maps, call me weird but there's something I just can't get over about maps. Much like Zelda and Skyrim you've got varying areas of both ruins, snowy mountains, volcanoes and dense forests and it all balances very well. The transition between multiple dimensions in both Darksiders 1 & 2 is flawless making what you initially thought a large game map even larger. Darksiders 2 for me was a stand out when travelling to multiple places in both heaven and hell; it was a take on the ideas I hadn't seen in video games for a long time and it truly stood out for me. While being a game from the hack and slash adventure genre the implementation of puzzles and limited dungeon progression does add to the atmosphere and doesn't slow down the pace at all. If anything it's great every now and then to take a breather from all the sword fighting and soak in the surroundings. Some of the worlds in Darksiders 1 & 2 are amazingly pretty even if they're post apocalyptic. The opening to Darksiders 2 for me was a standout also and the ascent into the Black Throne at the end of Darksiders 1 was truly epic! Nowadays Darksiders 1 & 2 are exceptionally cheap and I urge everyone to help the sales as I would really like to see Crytek tie up the franchise with both 3 & 4.
Genre: Action / Adventure, Hack & Slash
Platforms: PC, PS3 & 360
Score: 8.9 / 10
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