Darksiders is an awesome series that tells the story of the four horsemen. Each of the horsemen has specific powers and ways of attacking. These games continue to get better and Darksiders 2 is a much stronger game than it’s predecessor. Darksiders 2 tells the story of Death and how he brings back humanity after War’s misadventures. In the first game War ended up wiping out humanity and now it’s up to his brother Death to save them all. Interestingly, the one who controls the balance between life and death needs to save the day. Death is a powerful figure, and it is going to be quite a feat to save all of humanity.
Death is a prodigious fighter and master of the undead arts. This being is the overlord of life and death so of course, he’d know what he was doing in that realm. Death doesn’t play around with his foes and mercilessly takes them down without a second thought. The fighting in this game is quick-paced and rather fun. Players can dash forward and attack enemies quickly. Taking multiple foes on at once, while dodging blows. The combat flows quite nicely and soon enough players will have combat mastered. It’s always exciting to get a large combo and to see Death quickly eviscerate his foes. Players also need to watch out for larger boss fights. These enemies don’t play around and will often summon other enemies to fight Death. Be prepared with a potion or two, and be ready to dodge blows. The first boss battle is a great one, as it is against Death’s brother at arms, War and protagonist of Darksiders.
After saving his brother War from the Crow Father, Death finds himself transported to the realm of the makers. The makers are Norse styled Giants who helped make the world what it is and the weapons Death is most likely to use as well. These giants are rather kind even though they are meeting someone as infamous as Death. The moment they meet him, they are up to giving him quests and asking for his aid. The old world is quite different from the modern world. There are quite a few open spaces for Death to ride on his faithful steed. Doing so cuts his travel time tremendously as the world is rather vast. I was surprised that there was such an open world compared to the first game. It begs to be explored and there is much to find in its depths, so always be on the lookout.
Death will fight through a variety of monsters on his quest to bring back humanity. By killing them he will gain experience. Each level up also grants him skill points which he can use to pick up new skills. These skills can change the game and it is important to pick the right ones. There are two skill trees to work with, Harbinger and Undead. Each of these trees offers different skills for Death to use and they can be used in tandem. Though without work it might not be possible to gain all the skills. There are quite a few skills and they can be rather useful, so the player should choose wisely.
Vulgrim is back from the first game and back to sell Death some more goodies. Vulgrim offers special in-game loot boxes that players buy with in-game gold and special tokens. These tokens are hidden everywhere but players should still think twice before buying these boxes. Though the boxes get more pricey they also hold better rewards so it’s better to hold off on buying them. The player might need to hold off as they will get a good amount of loot anyway, maybe save them for a hard boss.
This game has a gear system where players can strengthen Death with armor. Death might be strong but a little buff here and there doesn’t hurt anyone. The weapons are color-coded and with the color comes better stats and even perks like a higher chance of critical hitting. It’s good to outfit Death with the strongest weapons, but using weaker weapons might offer more of a challenge. Players will help the people of the old world with quests. Some of these quests are simple fetch quests and others progress the story. With quests, there is always a good chance of fighting so that’s good. Completing them will give Death money and experience so complete all the quests possible.
This game also has platforming fun to be had. Players will bound around platforms activating switches and completing challenges. While not the biggest deal, it does spice up a game that often has the player running between rooms. The puzzles are intricate enough that it adds to the fun and that is good with me. This definitive version also adds all of the DLC that was released. This DLC adds at least four hours of gameplay, new weapons, boss fights, costumes, and places to explore. The DLC included are The Abyssal Forge, Argul’s Tomb, and The Demon Belial. This DLC three-pack is sure to round out a gamer’s game time and bump up the level of fun. For anyone who hasn’t played the game the definitive version sure does give bang for their buck including all of the DLC.
Darksiders 2 also has voice acting like it’s predecessor. I am always a fan of voice acting so anytime a company goes for it I am happy. There is just something about having characters talk that puts me at ease. It’s also well done and helps enhance the story. Darksiders 2 is starkly different from Darksiders. Having an open world filled with nature is refreshing, after the metropolis in the first game. This game makes new what could have been a similar experience and that makes me happy. Death is out to save humanity, will the player help him?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided