Darksiders Updated Hands-On
We wreak havoc on the forces of Heaven and Hell as we play through the first few hours of this epic adventure.
There are plenty of fantasy adventure games set in an age before time, but how many feature angels, demons, and the destruction of mankind set against the backdrop of a modern metropolis? Darksiders combines all this with an interesting storyline, crisp visuals, and challenging gameplay. We recently got a chance to play through the first few hours and talk to the game's creative director Joe "Mad" Madureira.
"We thought of a cool way to trick people into letting us still do our fantasy game but putting it in the trappings of a modern day world…there's something really cool about seeing a demon pick up a bus and throw it into a building, and there's people screaming everywhere," explained Madureira on the idea behind the game. If you're new to Darksiders, then here's what you need to know: You play the role of War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. War serves the Charred Council, a mysterious force that holds the balance of power between the kingdoms of Heaven and Hell. For reasons unknown, War inadvertently starts Armageddon when he is summoned to Earth, and after mankind is annihilated, he needs to answer for his apparent crimes. It turns out that War was tricked into starting the Apocalypse by The Destroyer, a powerful demon who has taken over the planet after mankind's destruction. Throughout the game, you wage war against The Destroyer's demonic forces--angels that have been left behind on Earth--and any other supernatural entities that would stop you from your ultimate goal of reaching The Destroyer.
You're accompanied on this mission by The Watcher. Superbly voiced by Batman: Arkham Asylum's Mark Hamill, he has been instructed by the council to make sure that you stay on track. The Watcher is a useful companion because he's quick to point out your next objective, as well as intel, such as the weak points on boss enemies. You also meet an enterprising demon early on called Vulgrim who has struck a deal with the council so you can purchase a variety of useful items. These include weapons and abilities, new combos for your weapons, and an item that resurrects you when you receive a fatal blow. Killing enemies, destroying objects, and finding chests scattered around the world will earn you souls, which give you a currency, health, or wrath boost. Once you've earned enough wrath, you can activate special abilities, such as the blade geyser, which surrounds War with a ring of giant blades that damages nearby enemies. You will also discover hidden artefacts that can be used to redeem items from Vulgrim.
War has some epic weapons at his disposal, including his trusty sword, Chaoseater; a scythe; gun; shuriken; and grappling hook. Like other adventure games, you can acquire upgrades for these, such as one that increases weapon damage and binds it to specific items. The first weapon you get in the game is Chaoseater, and this oversized sword makes mincemeat of most enemies. As you use the sword, it levels up, increasing its damage along the way. Chaoseater is adorned with grotesque, screaming faces, and if you've equipped it with an upgrade, it will feature an ethereal glow, which makes it look even more badass. It also feels immensely enjoyable to use, with physics that are really satisfying, and some brilliant sound effects that can be heard when tearing apart demon flesh or clanging against armour.
After a while spent harvesting souls, we were able to buy our first weapon: the scythe. This works differently from the sword because it has a longer reach and can be thrown at enemies, slicing through them in a vertical motion before returning to you. You can also purchase additional weapons, with others collected while exploring. One such weapon is the crossblade, a giant shuriken-like blade that works like a boomerang. You can use it for ranged attacks while dealing damage to nearby enemies. It can also be used to activate switches and transfer elements, such as fire, to certain items. We encountered temporary weapons as well, such as sticky bombs that can be picked up and thrown at surfaces to which they will then stick. We discovered a flaming variety that exploded after a few moments and dormant ones that needed to be ignited with fire using the crossblade. While mainly used to destroy barriers in our way, these bombs also proved useful when fighting certain boss characters by lobbing them at a boss and then igniting them with the crossblade.
Review Scores
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Game Info
- Release Date: Jan 5, 2010
- ESRB: MTitles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older.
- Release Date: Sep 23, 2010
- ESRB: MTitles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older.
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Darksiders
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- Publisher(s): THQ
- Developer(s): Vigil Games
- Genre: Action
- Release: Jan 5, 2010 (US)
- ESRB: M
