Darksiders

 

Darksiders, originally known with the subtitle Wrath of War, is an action adventure video game developed by Vigil Games and published by THQ. The game takes its inspiration from the apocalypse, with the player taking the role of War. The game was released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on January 5, 2010 in North America and January 8 in Europe. The PC version was released on September 23, 2010 for North America and September 24 for Europe. A sequel is currently under development and expected to be released in 2013.

The Good

• Combat looks great and plays great  
• New combos and mechanics are introduced at a terrific pace  
• Big world abounding with interesting monsters and challenging puzzles  
• Dramatic art style and overall presentation. 

The Bad

• Next to no graphics settings to fiddle with  
• Convoluted, occasionally unresponsive controls  
• Throwaway story and lead character.

If Darksiders is to be believed, the end of the world is signaled not by a blinding and burning flash of nuclear energy, but rather by the arrival of furious winged angels and heavily armored arbiters of doom. In this unoriginal but uproarious amalgam of borrowed game mechanics, you play as War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. War is not the most engaging hero, but that's of little consequence in a game more concerned with brutal and flashy combat than zesty storytelling. You ride an otherworldly steed while fighting off a ravenous worm, carve up colorful demons with various blades, and navigate through a number of tricky but satisfying environmental puzzles. The PC version of this entertaining romp didn't receive the star treatment you would have wanted for a port released almost nine months after its initial console release. But while it doesn't boast the expected graphical bells and whistles, it runs well, looks good, and keeps the pace moving by mixing up the action and constantly introducing new ways to triumph over your foes. If you've been hankering for blistering combat and melodramatic boss fights, Darksiders is a great way to enjoy the end times.