Each level is this sprawling, expansive maze filled with little Easter eggs just begging to be discovered. In fact, I really wish that I had more time to play Darksiders Genesis. Darksiders Genesis begs you to explore, and luckily there is plenty of room to do it in. While the different stages aren’t specifically gated by power level, there is a recommendation for each stage that isn’t very easy to reach by just blowing through the game. This system is actually fairly robust, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to increase each Horseman’s power to your liking. In addition to choosing your loadout of ammunition, the “Creature Core” system allows you to customize both War and Strife with upgrades that you find hidden throughout the levels. While he’s quick on his feet and can shred up his adversaries with his “wing clip” melee attack, his primary method of demon-crushing will be with his handguns, “Mercy” and “Redemption.” Throughout the game you’ll inevitably stumble upon countless different ammunition types, enabling things like chaining blasts of lightning or a beam of demonic energy. Strife really does play differently than any character we’ve seen before in a Darksiders game. Come to think of it, Darksiders Genesis is a solid platforming game in its own right, often pushing you to make increasingly difficult jumps, grab ledges that may seem out of reach, or time your dash just in time as you progress through the depths of Hell. These puzzles often sit squarely between longer scripted platforming set pieces that are more akin to something like from Uncharted than from the previous Darksiders games. While I was initially worried that there would be too much overlap in the gameplay between War and Strife, it ended up being a non-issue as each character had a distinct play style.ĭarksiders Genesis is actually a pretty competent platformer as well, with activating switches and jumping between platforms actually feeling responsive.įurthermore, War and Strife each have items that can be used to solve various environmental puzzles by activating switches, destroying obstacles, or opening portals. These Wrath abilities are charged via gems dropped by enemies and can only be executed when the player fills their wrath meter. Each character has two primary attacks, a dash, and three unique “Wrath” abilities. Strife, on the other hand, focuses on ranged combat as well as utilizing deception abilities through a decoy. War specifically wields the Chaoseater for the exact same weighty, satisfying combat as in the original - albeit with a few tweaks. War gamesĭespite how much of a departure Darksiders Genesis might be visually from its predecessors, its combat is still authentically Darksiders. During gameplay, you manually switch between controlling him or War, or you each play as one character if you play cooperatively. Darksiders Genesis‘ roughly 12-hour campaign just made me wish I got to see a bit more of him in the mainline series, or in this game, for that matter. Quick witted, hot-tempered, and imprudent, Strife consistently impresses with funny one-liners and excellent voice-acting. Genesis finally introduces the last playable Horseman, Strife, who is absolutely the highlight.
In classic Darksiders form, cut scenes consist of beautiful graphic novel-inspired panels. Quirky characters, beautiful comics-influenced cut scenes, and engaging dialogue allow for much needed reprieves from its 11 combat-heavy stages. While Darksiders Genesis doesn’t take any risks with its story, it’s quite unoffensive as well. When War, Death, Fury, and Strife become aware of Satan’s plot to trigger an apocalypse, they must ensure he doesn’t succeed and offset the aforementioned balance. In a world of conflict, the four Horsemen, warriors recruited by “The Charred Council,” ensure no one being has too much power. The power of the prequelĭarksiders Genesis is a prequel. But this time it lets you share it with your friends… and that’s a damn good time.
DARKSIDERS GENESIS LOCAL CO OP SERIES
Darksiders Genesis is no different, propelling the series into the action RPG genre with its isometric camera angle, emphasis on ranged combat, and focus on co-op gameplay.ĭespite the differences in presentation, Genesis is still unapologetically a Darksiders title, featuring the same satisfying combat, lore-rich world, and soul-hoarding of its predecessors. Who could forget the transition from Darksiders II‘s swift combat and Zelda-inspired dungeons to Darksiders III‘s slower, Dark Souls-esque boss battles? ( I wish I could). THQ Nordic has never been afraid of experimenting with the Darksiders franchise.