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It's the end of days, folks and sadly, all life on Earth has ceased to exist. War - the first Horseman of the Apocalypse – was tricked into unleashing a pesky armageddon on humanity, bringing about the end of the world. The higher-ups aren't too pleased with what has happened. Stripped of his powers and sentenced to roam the desolate earth, War sets out to figure out the truth behind his unjust deception and to clear his name.
At first glance, Darksiders looks like something similar to God of War or Devil May Cry – demons and monstrous creatures are running amok and you essentially have to slash them to bits. But the more time you spend with Darksiders, the more you realize how that initial comparison just isn't the case and that Vigil Studios has crafted a gaming experience that is more along the lines of The Legend of Zelda. Intrigued yet? Keep on reading.
Darkisiders' depiction of a ravaged and demon-populated Earth is one of gothic style. Joe Madureira of Marvel Comics fame lends his talents as creative director; it's easy to spot the artist's unique vision and obsession to detail. The environments of Darksiders are a triumph, each decorated with twisted and destroyed furnishings. Simple things such as an elevator shaft are strewn with fleshy faces and add to Darksiders' dire setting. I was constantly impressed; from the massive above-ground world to the more puzzle-oriented underground, all of it was presented with an undeniable sense of hellish splendor.
War's primary tool for punishment is the Chaoseater, a massive blade decorated with tortured faces with an incredible knack for making mincemeat out of mobs of unruly demons. With it players can unleash a barrage of swings, launch demonic foes into the air, and even cleave them in half. Since the Chaoseater is mapped to a single button, players can also equip a secondary tool of destruction which can be used on its own or to string combination attacks between weapons. One weapon which was a lot of fun to use was the Crossblade. Similar to Link's boomerang, this projectile device can be used to target multiple enemies at once, striking them in the order in which they were marked. It can also be imbued with elemental attributes as it passes through them. Throwing the Crossblade into fire for instance will engulf the weapon in flames, torching any enemies it comes in contact with.
Controlling the horseman is as simple as it gets. Jumping over pits and clinging to the edge of a wall are handled with the greatest of ease. Along with the ability to double-jump, you can also spread black, raven-like wings from your back to glide to distant platforms for increased maneuverability.
Though War has been stripped of his abilities, players will have the chance to regain what was lost as long as they tear their adversaries to shreds and gather enough souls to purchase new abilities and upgrades to existing weaponry. With a ton of unique add-ons and weapons to obtain, Darksiders' gameplay felt far from repetitive. I found myself having a total blast sampling War's skills, including one of four Wrath abilities. These powerful damage dealers, which can be upgraded, can easily bring a mob of nasties to their knees. As War, I summoned a handful of swords from the ground, impaling all enemies who happened to be near me at the time. You can also focus your talents and transform into an even deadlier killing machine. As a Horseman of the Apocalypse, War can momentarily become a fiery red beast of hell; one that can take down larger demons with very little effort.
Another fun gameplay element is War's mount. After all, you can't throw out a basis for comparison like The Legend of Zelda and not expect a horse to play some sort of role. Described as a "badass Epona," Ruin is War's fearsome steed. He leaves a trail of fire as he gallops and is made entirely out of ash. Badass indeed. Aside from providing War a quick means of transport in Darksiders' open world, he can be summoned at will. This is an especially useful mechanic when War is falling from a relatively high place and needs something safe to land on.
The demo ended with a particularly awesome battle against Tiamat, the Dusk Queen. It was during this boss sequence that Darksiders further showed off its Zelda-inspired gameplay as War would have to use his wits along with his weaponry to take down a gigantic airborne adversary. There is an undeniable sense of tension throughout this entire battle; Tiamat smashed through stone structures and laid waste to the environment as I frantically tried to bring her down.
There really isn't much to complain about; Vigil Games has gone to great lengths to ensure Darksiders will provide a fun and unique action game experience. With top-notch voice talent such as Phil LaMarr (you know him as Vamp from the Metal Gear Solid series) and Mark Hamil (does this man ever take a vacation?) Darksiders is going above and beyond what gamers normally expect from an action title. Keep this one on your radar. Even though the January release date is a bit far, it won't be long before Armageddon is upon us.
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