Darksiders successfully crams solid gameplay, puzzle-solving and brutal violence in one fun and rewarding package.
I don't know how best to summarize the story appropriately, but it's pretty wild. You take on the role of War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who is accused of igniting a war between Heaven and Hell, bringing a premature apocalypse to Earth before its proposed time. You soon discover that you were set up by a sentient evil being called the Destroyer, and vow vengeance, pleading with your overlords to be sent down to Earth to claim it. And so, to Earth you arrive--shackled under the will of a strange demon called the Watcher assigned to keep an eye on you and, if necessary, snuff out your candle if you stray from your task at hand. Oh, and as an afterthought, you're also stripped of your awesome power with only a powerful weapon called the Chaoseater to show for it.
From there on in, you'll explore a devastated Earth city doing battle against hordes of really UGLY demons. They're some of the most horribly wrought creatures you've ever seen, and they're far from pushovers. Fortunately for you, in spite of losing much of your incredible power (which you'll eventually get back during the course of the game), you haven't lost a lick of your badassery, and you'll use it much to your advantage with a variety of attacks and deadly kill moves similar to those found in God of War and Ninja Gaiden. They're all pretty simple to pull off and don't require a whole lot of timing, and are easily distinguishable by their obvious visual cues--meaning, you'll inexplicably know from the red button flashing right off the bat when you can finish an enemy with extreme prejudice. Some of the finishing moves might be a little over the top, but you have to admit--they're a hoot to behold if you fancy that stuff.
You're also able to upgrade your weapons, possess a host of special attack moves, and spend much of your time hunting down rare artifacts which you can trade to the death merchant Vulgrim for souls--which are the game's currency. Furthermore, you can earn souls from defeated enemies, treasure chests and destructible objects like cars and breakable rocks. The world itself is delightfully dreary and morose--everything you see is an indication of just how horrible the apocalypse truly was in its 100 year aftermath, and it makes for some challenging obstacles as well. You'll climb on ledges, leap across chasms, explore dungeon-like tunnels and cathedrals (exploration will be a lot cooler once you have your horse, appropriately named Ruin) and go toe-to-toe with some incredibly nasty boss fights. Like Legend of Zelda, some boss fights require you use your head or whatever new weapon you came across to navigate around their defense barrier and straight for their Achille's Heel. But unlike Zelda, a lot of blood will spill.
As you're probably well aware, the 360 version of the game suffers from a lot of screen-tearing and, while it's noticeably distracting, it won't render the works unplayable. Voice work is pretty good--even if a little overacted in parts. The Watcher may literally and figuratively crawl under your skin, but he's only truly annoying if you have a penchant for pressing the back button on your controller. He does lend a helping hand when it counts, though.
Overall, there's a lot to like about Darksiders--not so much its violence, but the solid, rewarding gameplay. It's also a fairly huge adventure in length, so be prepared to spend a LOT of your time not just getting through the story, but also finding every artifact and item as well as earning its numerous achievements. In either case, if you liked the exploration and problem-solvings of the Zelda games and the brutal, unapologetic violence of God of War, then Darksiders is the game for you.