written by Joshua Bouie
I have been a fan of the Darksiders series for years, through the highs and lows, and I am happy to report that Darksiders is back with a fresh new spin on the series and its a fantastic new direction. With this latest iteration of the franchise, Darksiders has changed quite a bit in 2020, but thankfully the series has not lost any of its soul.
Darksiders has shed its open-world action roots in favor of a fast and fluid top-down isometric action platformer, in the same vein as the Diablo series. At its very core Darksiders Genesis is the same hack and slash we know and love, just somewhat better in many areas.
Unlike previous games in the series where players were tasked with playing as only one of the famed Horsemen, for Darksiders Genesis, the gameplay is split between the sword-wielding WAR and new edition his gun-wielding brother STRIFE, the final of the legendary Horseman. Both characters have unique skills and gear that help you to puzzle solve and slaughter your way through hell. In single-player mode switching between characters is seamless. This is also the case while playing with friends in online cooperative mode, including split-screen co-op, allowing you and a friend the option of experiencing both the Horseman and their unique playstyle.
If you are a veteran of the series, WAR, the hulking and powerful Horseman plays and feels just as before with his frontline tank dexterity and high health pool. WAR’s health pool allows him the ability to endure the majority of the combative attention while dishing out devastating damage with fantastic melee combat and a variety of combos and enchantments for his sword, Chaoseater, such as a cool name for a sword! STRIFE, on the other hand, is the complete opposite, operating as a bloodthirsty gunslinger who prefers a more ranged combative approach while utilizing his swift and tactical artistry with his dynamic dual handguns, ‘Mercy and Redemption’. STRIFE also maintains a variety of different enchantments to his ammo.
For Darksider Genesis, the story centers around WAR and STRIFE who by the command of The Council has been sent to investigate the dealings of Lucifer, who has been accused of plotting to disrupt the balance the Horsemen are sworn to protect. This see’s the brothers travel from realm to realm from the gates of Hell to Eden. The narrative, however, does take a backseat to the entertaining verbal jousting exchanged between the brothers. STRIFE is witty and oftentimes overly sarcastic while his brother WAR is stoic, very serious and always mission-focused. Adding intrigue and character layers to the protagonists, dialogue between the two brothers shed light on the details surrounding the great war of Eden and the individual exploits of the Horsemen before they were legend.
As the story progresses as with past titles in the series players collect different tools to aid with puzzle solving. Both horsemen have access to three distinct abilities that can be freely switched between with the directional pad. While puzzles will require teamwork from both players using their respective abilities in tandem, for players choosing to play solo, this team-based dynamic to complete puzzles and objectives is well complimented with a seamless solo process enabling the use of both Horsemen. Like most cooperative games, the experience is always better with friends however, how this is executed in solo mode, if I’m being honest I never missed a beat. The game is a blast either way.
As a side note, I must also admit that playing cooperatively does lend well to figuring out how to traverse the game’s diverse and complex environments. This becomes especially helpful if you aim to locate and acquire all of the valuable items scattered throughout the maps.
What is new for Darksiders this time around is the introduction of the coveted Creature Core system that replaces the traditional power gain by leveling up players with skill points. Each skill type within the game drops a specific core that enhances a variety of stats. Slotted like gemstones, players will gain a bonus from the gems if they are slotted in the appropriate slot, such as an attack stone placed in an attack slot, simple. Yet, due to how you may want to customize your skill slots and overall power sometimes changing up could also grant other unique advantages. Importantly, these cores gradually gain power by finding more of the same gems.
If you were wondering whether or not the Horsemen were accompanied by their faithful steeds, the answer is yes. On some of the games, larger maps WAR and STRIFE can quickly call upon their steeds to swiftly get them across the map and into battle. One of the games more challenging boss battles requires that you wisely utilize your horse to even the odds against one of the heavens fallen angels.
Throughout the games sixteen chapters, the closer you get to confronting Lucifer, mini-bosses and boss battles become more challenging. This sort of forces you to seek out the acquisition of more souls and gems to increase your formidability. And you will love it. As WAR and STRIFE become more powerful the game gradually becomes more fun to play. And if battling bosses is not enough, then the ARENA will certainly scratch your combative itch.
The ARENA is a straightforward approach to testing your fighting skills against ten waves of enemies for each dungeon, and there are plenty. Want more souls, creatures cores, health potions, etc, the ARENA will make you fight for it.
For all of the games great highs there are unfortunately some lows, however.
For starters, Darksiders Genesis when playing in the split-screen coop the camera is an absolute nightmare, as the foreground gets in the way and blocks your line of sight and this never gets better regardless of the map. Thankfully, this is not an issue while playing online cooperatively.
Also, the map UI could use some more attention or a complete overhaul. For some reason, developer Airship Syndicate thought it would be a good idea to offer a highlighted map reference point system instead of offering a more real-time designation that would reveal your character’s location on the map. Far from being impossible to navigate, players are made to memorize the terrain and kind of guess their proximity, which can lead to frustration.
Lastly, with much of the games interesting dialogue details taking place in the Void with famed series characters such as Samael and Vulgrum, players are made to suffer through an obnoxious echo that completely drowns out the sound of the games amazing voice acting. Thankfully, the subtitles are on display.
While Darksiders Genesis may lack the polish and spectacle of previous titles in the series, make no mistake this is a true Darksiders experience. The game perfectly strikes a balance between combat, puzzle-solving, and exploration that we’ve come to love from this series. Aside from the few shortcomings, Darksiders Genesis has positioned itself as arguably the best way to fully capture the franchise’s best attributes.
I highly recommend this game to players who enjoy hack and slash games with a side of platforming for good measure. If you are a fan of isometric games Darksiders Genesis is a must-play experience.
If this game does anything it proves that Darksiders is a franchise that can venture into a different genre and still excel.