Also available for PC and XBox 360
Released 21/08/2012
3.5/5
Darksiders II is an action packed sequel to the first installment featuring the stylised versions of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. After War’s adventure in the first outing, Death now takes centre stage as the star. His goal is to clear his brother’s name and save humankind.
Controlling Death will feel very familiar to anyone who has enjoyed titles like God of War or the more recent incarnation of the Prince of Persia. He is a highly acrobatic and agile character capable of stunts such as wall running, climbing and precision jumping. As well as this his combat repertoire is packed with a number of combos and skills with various weapons.
Death begins the game with familiar scythes, which uncharacteristically he dual wields with deadly speed. It isn’t long before Death gets his skeletal hands on axes, hammers, gauntlets and even more as the game progresses. Something quite unusual is the ability to have these secondary weapons equipped alongside your scythes which can flawlessly be used in combat combos without interrupting the flow of a fight. A nice twist is that sometimes, Death will be able to transform into a Reaper version of himself who can do more damage.
Though at first glance the game seems like an action hack and slash type title, it also contains some RPG elements, with Death leveling up and learning new powers as his adventure continues. Death is placed in an open world which he can traverse on the back of his horse Despair. As he journeys he is assigned quests by a group of giants called the Makers.
The bulk of the game may feel like a bit of a button basher, but every so often a giant boss will appear to test your tactical skills as well as the quickness of your fingers. The game is also full to the brim with puzzles familiar to fans of the genre. A number of interesting mechanics make for unique puzzles such as the use of explosives and constructs. If you are ever stuck, you can call upon your crow companion Dust to give you a hint as to which direction to go.
Death, Despair and Dust travel through a wide fantasy world, containing plains, mountains, dungeons and ruins giving a nicely varied landscape to play through, with a number of different enemy types to battle.
A couple of niggles in the gameplay come from the way that Death only seems able to grab specific ledges. Obviously this is for the purpose of puzzle solving, but it can be irritating when in an area that should be easy to get out of.
The game also comes with an Online Pass only available for first time buyers, which is an increasingly unwelcome habit of game companies. Early buyers may also be lucky enough to get a special downloadable weapon for their game such as the Van der Schmash or Mace Maximus. This type of thing is great for publishers, but gaming fans hate it.
The game is enjoyable and is a great example of the action/RPG/puzzler genre, though all in all it does little to break the mould. Wall running and puzzles in ancient ruins are nothing new, but for those who can’t get enough of that type of thing, this is a great addition to your collection.
