I got Darksiders 2 for free on my Xbox 360 and again on my PS4 where I finally got around to playing through it. Darksiders primarily reminds me of Prince of Persia but also features elements of Diablo and God of War mixed in for good measure. It seems like a strange combination of influences but this unique blend ends up working surprisingly well. The combat has a lot of flare, the puzzles are cleverly designed, the art style is very distinct, and the characters all have a lot of personality. There are any number of reasons to play this excellent action adventure game.
In Darksiders 2 you play as Death who is on a mission to prove his brother War is innocent of serious accusations. War was the protagonist of the first game and is being blamed for the downfall of mankind. I have not yet played the first game but this did not deter me from enjoying this game's plot. Death has signed up for a grand journey that will take him across multiple realms where he'll face an array of obstacles. All this work goes to show his dedication to redeem his brothers name and possibly save mankind in the process.
Death can get around the overworld by summoning his horse or by simply teleporting to previously visited locations. While there are plenty of NPCs and secrets scattered across the overworld much of your time will be spent inside large hand-crafted dungeons. Each dungeon has a different theme, different objectives, and will utilize different mechanics. For example two early missions having you routing both water and lava back to a dwarven forge so they can get their armory up and running again.
Often near the start of each dungeon Death is likely to learn a new power. There will be several puzzles will require you to use these new powers in every possible way until you master them. These abilities include a grappling hook, a spirit form, and portals. After you learn these new powers you can return to previous locations to reach new treasures. There is a lot of loot in this game color coded by rarity all featuring various stats and abilities.
Of course as you explore an array of enemies are going to try and block your path. Death uses his scythes for quick attacks and swap in various weapons; such as spears, axes, and iron knuckles for strong attacks. There are several combos which you can look up in the menu but on normal difficulty button mashing should be sufficient. You have a skill tree which you can use to unlock and upgrade various spells that can temporary boost stats or summon creatures to fight along side you. These spells deplete a mana bar which, along with your health bar, can refilled via a limited number of potions.
After playing a number of small indie games it felt like a long 30 hours to get through Darksiders 2. Not to say that is a bad thing as this game offers a great amount of variety from one dungeon to the next. The acrobatic platforming never quite gets old and the puzzles keep you on your toes. The story isn't anything too exciting but is interesting enough to keep you engaged. There are plenty of side quests and collectables if you want to extend your time in this world but honestly they are nessacary to enjoy the main plot. So if you want something that feels like the old school 3D platformers but with modern graphics and gameplay Darksiders 2 might be right up your alley.