REVIEW: Darksiders 2

Darksiders 2 is the latest instalment created by Vigil Games and published by THQ as an action-packed RPG-style game. The story picks up from the original Darksiders where you played with the Horseman of the Apocalypse, War. In Darksiders 2, you are Death who is desperately trying to prove that his brother War is not guilty of being the architect of Mankind’s destruction.

I don’t personally enjoy the hack and slash RPG-style games but like the original Darksiders this edition is an enjoyable experience. Using Death’s trusty scythes and then quick-changing to a heavier 'one hit' weapon is one of the highlights. Besides the smashing and bashing, Death is accompanied by his trusty horse Despair that allows you to travel faster in the open terrains of the World and Dust, a raven which guides you to your objectives.

The game has many interesting movement mechanics. I must admit that swimming, running along walls, climbing up walls, swinging from point A to point B using the terrain around you, and later using a 'grappling hook' which allows him to access further hidden areas makes this game a truly 3D experience and certainly is not a platform-style RPG.

In a nutshell, the game has a feast of hidden areas which allows further progression in the storyline or in some cases finding hidden treasures, but it is also filled with many puzzles. From finding a way around an obstruction to solving actual combination puzzles, if you are a big puzzle-solving fan then Darksiders 2 is for you. Sometimes there is less action than puzzle-solving and that is the only real gripe I have about this game.

Like all RPG games, Death has a standard inventory where you can equip five armour types and which includes two separate weapon slots - these weapons can be quick-changed during combat. Also, separate skills can be learnt to aid in defence and attacks. Most of these can be learnt or bought from traders in the game. Like most other RPGs, gold is also collected during your travels and used at merchants in towns.

For me the storyline is one of the star attributes of the game. It is filled with depth and emotion, and you can almost feel the anguish Death feels in trying to defend his brother’s name. The graphics are impressive and the detail in the World is sometimes worth standing still and taking it all in. Overall, this is a striking game and certainly one which has had rave reviews from across the world by fans of this genre.

Game play - 7/10

Graphics - 8/10

Story line - 8/10

Rating: 7.6 howzits out of 10