Post: REVIEW: Darksiders 2
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08-18-2012, 02:51 AM
#1
Paul
Edwards
Darksiders 2: A fantastic sequel or the "Death" of the series?
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Darksiders. The original game was a cacophony of original ideas, innovative gameplay and a great reward system that led to it gaining a very loyal following on both PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. However, it was let down by overly complicated controls, frame rate issues and, let's face it, a ridiculous story line.
However, Vigil and THQ surprised the gaming world when they announced that a sequel to Darksiders would be released in 2012 and that they were working hurriedly but surely to create a game which would be not only as good as but supersede it's predecessor.
Plus, let's face it, who wouldn't want to play as Death, one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, instead of his burly brother "War" whom you played in the original Darksiders.
You must login or register to view this content.
STORYLINE
You must login or register to view this content.
Darksiders. The original game was a cacophony of original ideas, innovative gameplay and a great reward system that led to it gaining a very loyal following on both PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. However, it was let down by overly complicated controls, frame rate issues and, let's face it, a ridiculous story line.
However, Vigil and THQ surprised the gaming world when they announced that a sequel to Darksiders would be released in 2012 and that they were working hurriedly but surely to create a game which would be not only as good as but supersede it's predecessor.
Plus, let's face it, who wouldn't want to play as Death, one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, instead of his burly brother "War" whom you played in the original Darksiders.
You must login or register to view this content.
__________________________________________________
STORYLINE
Vigil and THQ are taking a different approach with Darksiders II in that not only are you playing as Death himself, it is set such that the game begins during the 100 year long imprisonment of your brother and fellow Horseman, War.
When you first enter the game, you enter a world after the premature "End War", in which your brother War was apprehended, charged and imprisoned by the Charred Council for the "crimes" that he is accused of committing. Once he has been imprisoned, the Charred Council inform you and your two brothers, Strife and Fury, of the fate your brother has set upon himself.
Knowing your brother, War, is the brother of honour and fortitude, would never commit the heinous crime of early Apocalypse, you become a monster of hatred and rage, vowing to free your brother, War, and clear his name of the conspiracy you believe he has become the victim of.
To do this, you see the Charred Council and defy their orders before embarking on a dangerous and doom-filled mission to bring light to the proof of your brother War's innocence which you know exists. In doing so, you visit the Nether Realms, a fabled land between Heaven and Hell in which some of the most powerful and destructive deitys in all of creation lie and even though you are dismayed for doing so, barter with them, pleading for favours and grants for help in absolving your brother and reuniting the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
__________________________________________________
SINGLE PLAYER
The original Darksiders was praised for it's fantastic melee combat which featured some of the most bloodthirsty, callous and inhuman fighting ever seen in an action-adventure game however due to the fact you are now playing Death, you have some fantastic new moves at your disposal. As you progress through the game, Death acquires a gun. Not only are you Death, one of the most destructive Horsemen of the Apocalypse, you also have a big, badass revolver to kick some Nether Realm butt with! Whilst it's not fantastic as a weapon, it is insanely fun.
You must login or register to view this content.
On top of the gun you get, Death can also duel-wield weapons. He has his favourite scythe as his main weapon (Come on, did you really expect anything different from Death himself?) but if you tap Triangle (Y on Xbox 360), Death attacks with his often slower, albeit more powerful off-hand weapon.
You must login or register to view this content.
In the game's beginning, combat is very robot-like and boring admittedly, I was reminded of the original Devil May Cry in this respect, however as you plough on through the game, Death learns some fantastic new moves and once you get better and can work the buttons in a better manner, the combat becomes a plethora of ass-kicking brutality, worthy of Death himself.
Vigil and THQ have also expanded the game hugely by making maps much bigger and adding more of them, you have much more room to explore and the game feels much more realistic because of this. I felt as if I was sucked in to the game, discovering new areas all the time whilst going along with the story. However, often when game developers expand worlds, quality is sacrificed to gain quality, let me safely assure you that this is NOT the case with Darksiders II. Vigil and THQ have done a fantastic job in making the world not only big, beautiful and well designed, it's also highly detailed and overall a huge pleasure to look at when playing. Several times I found myself having to turn back because I had realised I'd not explored all of the zone/map or I would stop, look around and just wonder at the detail, especially when in combat.
You must login or register to view this content.
However, once time goes on, the fact that the maps are massive spaces can grow mediocre as it causes getting around to take a long time, think Assassin's Creed getting from city to city, even though, just like Assassin's Creed, you have a summonable horse (Like Warlocks in World of Warcraft), it can still take some time. This does not really detract from the game though as the levels in which you are underground or in a boss lair/vault/coliseum type place it more than makes up for it with the huge detail I mentioned above.
You must login or register to view this content.
Finally, in Darksiders I, it was designed as an action-adventure game with a bit of RPG thrown in which felt like, to me, an afterthought to bring more potential customers to the game. However, in Darksiders II it is OFFICIALLY an Action-Adventure Role Playing Game. Where in Darksiders I you could find new weapons and various other pieces, in Darksiders II there are loot drops, new weapons/armour for Death's get-up and a REAL level-up progression system which really brings the game from action-adventure to an action-adventure RPG. Whilst I said above that big zones can be tedious and mediocre you often find yourself unperturbed by this as you frantically eyeball the area, scrutinizing every small part of each map on the look out for items, stat boosts, chests and creatures which will drop "phat lewtz!" which you can then use to make Death even more deadly than he already is. This brings a whole new dimension to the game which makes you want to keep playing and playing.
You must login or register to view this content.
Unfortunately, Darksiders II does not have a multiplayer function and there is no news about one being added. However, I do not feel that this is much of an issue due to the game being so fantastic as-is and once you've completed it you will want to play it over again as you will inevitably miss something because the world as a whole is just huge in comparison to Darksiders I.
CONCLUSION
SINGLE PLAYER
The original Darksiders was praised for it's fantastic melee combat which featured some of the most bloodthirsty, callous and inhuman fighting ever seen in an action-adventure game however due to the fact you are now playing Death, you have some fantastic new moves at your disposal. As you progress through the game, Death acquires a gun. Not only are you Death, one of the most destructive Horsemen of the Apocalypse, you also have a big, badass revolver to kick some Nether Realm butt with! Whilst it's not fantastic as a weapon, it is insanely fun.
You must login or register to view this content.
On top of the gun you get, Death can also duel-wield weapons. He has his favourite scythe as his main weapon (Come on, did you really expect anything different from Death himself?) but if you tap Triangle (Y on Xbox 360), Death attacks with his often slower, albeit more powerful off-hand weapon.
You must login or register to view this content.
In the game's beginning, combat is very robot-like and boring admittedly, I was reminded of the original Devil May Cry in this respect, however as you plough on through the game, Death learns some fantastic new moves and once you get better and can work the buttons in a better manner, the combat becomes a plethora of ass-kicking brutality, worthy of Death himself.
Vigil and THQ have also expanded the game hugely by making maps much bigger and adding more of them, you have much more room to explore and the game feels much more realistic because of this. I felt as if I was sucked in to the game, discovering new areas all the time whilst going along with the story. However, often when game developers expand worlds, quality is sacrificed to gain quality, let me safely assure you that this is NOT the case with Darksiders II. Vigil and THQ have done a fantastic job in making the world not only big, beautiful and well designed, it's also highly detailed and overall a huge pleasure to look at when playing. Several times I found myself having to turn back because I had realised I'd not explored all of the zone/map or I would stop, look around and just wonder at the detail, especially when in combat.
You must login or register to view this content.
However, once time goes on, the fact that the maps are massive spaces can grow mediocre as it causes getting around to take a long time, think Assassin's Creed getting from city to city, even though, just like Assassin's Creed, you have a summonable horse (Like Warlocks in World of Warcraft), it can still take some time. This does not really detract from the game though as the levels in which you are underground or in a boss lair/vault/coliseum type place it more than makes up for it with the huge detail I mentioned above.
You must login or register to view this content.
Finally, in Darksiders I, it was designed as an action-adventure game with a bit of RPG thrown in which felt like, to me, an afterthought to bring more potential customers to the game. However, in Darksiders II it is OFFICIALLY an Action-Adventure Role Playing Game. Where in Darksiders I you could find new weapons and various other pieces, in Darksiders II there are loot drops, new weapons/armour for Death's get-up and a REAL level-up progression system which really brings the game from action-adventure to an action-adventure RPG. Whilst I said above that big zones can be tedious and mediocre you often find yourself unperturbed by this as you frantically eyeball the area, scrutinizing every small part of each map on the look out for items, stat boosts, chests and creatures which will drop "phat lewtz!" which you can then use to make Death even more deadly than he already is. This brings a whole new dimension to the game which makes you want to keep playing and playing.
You must login or register to view this content.
Unfortunately, Darksiders II does not have a multiplayer function and there is no news about one being added. However, I do not feel that this is much of an issue due to the game being so fantastic as-is and once you've completed it you will want to play it over again as you will inevitably miss something because the world as a whole is just huge in comparison to Darksiders I.
__________________________________________________
CONCLUSION
In my opinion Darksiders II is a fantastic game and a huge improvement over the original Darksiders I. It will leave you wanting to play more and more as the character of Death is hugely believable and engaging. Not only this but the game keeps you entertained and busy through levelling up, finding loot and perfecting your combat skills with Death himself which inevitably leads to your progression through the game and freeing your brother War from the unjust imprisonment he is currently suffering through at the hands of the Charred Council. This game is fun, if you loved Darksiders I then this game will be a fantastic purchase for you that you will rave about for weeks on end. However if you haven't played Darksiders I then there is nothing stopping you playing this game as it is set in a prologue fashion, but I would recommended checking out Darksiders I and due to it being such a good game, you will inevitably be chomping at the bit to get your hands on Darksiders 2 on release day.
__________________________________________________
Final Score:
88/100
Final Score:
88/100
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The following 3 users groaned at Paul for this awful post:
08-18-2012, 03:04 AM
#3
Jeremy
Former Staff
Originally posted by Paul
Darksiders 2: A fantastic sequel or the "Death" of the series?
You must login or register to view this content.
Darksiders. The original game was a cacophony of original ideas, innovative gameplay and a great reward system that led to it gaining a very loyal following on both PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. However, it was let down by overly complicated controls, frame rate issues and, let's face it, a ridiculous story line.
However, Vigil and THQ surprised the gaming world when they announced that a sequel to Darksiders would be released in 2012 and that they were working hurriedly but surely to create a game which would be not only as good as but supersede it's predecessor.
Plus, let's face it, who wouldn't want to play as Death, one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, instead of his burly brother "War" whom you played in the original Darksiders.
You must login or register to view this content.
STORYLINE
You must login or register to view this content.
Darksiders. The original game was a cacophony of original ideas, innovative gameplay and a great reward system that led to it gaining a very loyal following on both PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. However, it was let down by overly complicated controls, frame rate issues and, let's face it, a ridiculous story line.
However, Vigil and THQ surprised the gaming world when they announced that a sequel to Darksiders would be released in 2012 and that they were working hurriedly but surely to create a game which would be not only as good as but supersede it's predecessor.
Plus, let's face it, who wouldn't want to play as Death, one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, instead of his burly brother "War" whom you played in the original Darksiders.
You must login or register to view this content.
__________________________________________________
STORYLINE
Vigil and THQ are taking a different approach with Darksiders II in that not only are you playing as Death himself, it is set such that the game begins during the 100 year long imprisonment of your brother and fellow Horseman, War.
When you first enter the game, you enter a world after the premature "End War", in which your brother War was apprehended, charged and imprisoned by the Charred Council for the "crimes" that he is accused of committing. Once he has been imprisoned, the Charred Council inform you and your two brothers, Strife and Fury, of the fate your brother has set upon himself.
Knowing your brother, War, is the brother of honour and fortitude, would never commit the heinous crime of early Apocalypse, you become a monster of hatred and rage, vowing to free your brother, War, and clear his name of the conspiracy you believe he has become the victim of.
To do this, you see the Charred Council and defy their orders before embarking on a dangerous and doom-filled mission to bring light to the proof of your brother War's innocence which you know exists. In doing so, you visit the Nether Realms, a fabled land between Heaven and Hell in which some of the most powerful and destructive deitys in all of creation lie and even though you are dismayed for doing so, barter with them, pleading for favours and grants for help in absolving your brother and reuniting the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
__________________________________________________
SINGLE PLAYER
The original Darksiders was praised for it's fantastic melee combat which featured some of the most bloodthirsty, callous and inhuman fighting ever seen in an action-adventure game however due to the fact you are now playing Death, you have some fantastic new moves at your disposal. As you progress through the game, Death acquires a gun. Not only are you Death, one of the most destructive Horsemen of the Apocalypse, you also have a big, badass revolver to kick some Nether Realm butt with! Whilst it's not fantastic as a weapon, it is insanely fun.
You must login or register to view this content.
On top of the gun you get, Death can also duel-wield weapons. He has his favourite scythe as his main weapon (Come on, did you really expect anything different from Death himself?) but if you tap Triangle (Y on Xbox 360), Death attacks with his often slower, albeit more powerful off-hand weapon.
You must login or register to view this content.
In the game's beginning, combat is very robot-like and boring admittedly, I was reminded of the original Devil May Cry in this respect, however as you plough on through the game, Death learns some fantastic new moves and once you get better and can work the buttons in a better manner, the combat becomes a plethora of ass-kicking brutality, worthy of Death himself.
Vigil and THQ have also expanded the game hugely by making maps much bigger and adding more of them, you have much more room to explore and the game feels much more realistic because of this. I felt as if I was sucked in to the game, discovering new areas all the time whilst going along with the story. However, often when game developers expand worlds, quality is sacrificed to gain quality, let me safely assure you that this is NOT the case with Darksiders II. Vigil and THQ have done a fantastic job in making the world not only big, beautiful and well designed, it's also highly detailed and overall a huge pleasure to look at when playing. Several times I found myself having to turn back because I had realised I'd not explored all of the zone/map or I would stop, look around and just wonder at the detail, especially when in combat.
You must login or register to view this content.
However, once time goes on, the fact that the maps are massive spaces can grow mediocre as it causes getting around to take a long time, think Assassin's Creed getting from city to city, even though, just like Assassin's Creed, you have a summonable horse (Like Warlocks in World of Warcraft), it can still take some time. This does not really detract from the game though as the levels in which you are underground or in a boss lair/vault/coliseum type place it more than makes up for it with the huge detail I mentioned above.
You must login or register to view this content.
Finally, in Darksiders I, it was designed as an action-adventure game with a bit of RPG thrown in which felt like, to me, an afterthought to bring more potential customers to the game. However, in Darksiders II it is OFFICIALLY an Action-Adventure Role Playing Game. Where in Darksiders I you could find new weapons and various other pieces, in Darksiders II there are loot drops, new weapons/armour for Death's get-up and a REAL level-up progression system which really brings the game from action-adventure to an action-adventure RPG. Whilst I said above that big zones can be tedious and mediocre you often find yourself unperturbed by this as you frantically eyeball the area, scrutinizing every small part of each map on the look out for items, stat boosts, chests and creatures which will drop "phat lewtz!" which you can then use to make Death even more deadly than he already is. This brings a whole new dimension to the game which makes you want to keep playing and playing.
You must login or register to view this content.
Unfortunately, Darksiders II does not have a multiplayer function and there is no news about one being added. However, I do not feel that this is much of an issue due to the game being so fantastic as-is and once you've completed it you will want to play it over again as you will inevitably miss something because the world as a whole is just huge in comparison to Darksiders I.
CONCLUSION
SINGLE PLAYER
The original Darksiders was praised for it's fantastic melee combat which featured some of the most bloodthirsty, callous and inhuman fighting ever seen in an action-adventure game however due to the fact you are now playing Death, you have some fantastic new moves at your disposal. As you progress through the game, Death acquires a gun. Not only are you Death, one of the most destructive Horsemen of the Apocalypse, you also have a big, badass revolver to kick some Nether Realm butt with! Whilst it's not fantastic as a weapon, it is insanely fun.
You must login or register to view this content.
On top of the gun you get, Death can also duel-wield weapons. He has his favourite scythe as his main weapon (Come on, did you really expect anything different from Death himself?) but if you tap Triangle (Y on Xbox 360), Death attacks with his often slower, albeit more powerful off-hand weapon.
You must login or register to view this content.
In the game's beginning, combat is very robot-like and boring admittedly, I was reminded of the original Devil May Cry in this respect, however as you plough on through the game, Death learns some fantastic new moves and once you get better and can work the buttons in a better manner, the combat becomes a plethora of ass-kicking brutality, worthy of Death himself.
Vigil and THQ have also expanded the game hugely by making maps much bigger and adding more of them, you have much more room to explore and the game feels much more realistic because of this. I felt as if I was sucked in to the game, discovering new areas all the time whilst going along with the story. However, often when game developers expand worlds, quality is sacrificed to gain quality, let me safely assure you that this is NOT the case with Darksiders II. Vigil and THQ have done a fantastic job in making the world not only big, beautiful and well designed, it's also highly detailed and overall a huge pleasure to look at when playing. Several times I found myself having to turn back because I had realised I'd not explored all of the zone/map or I would stop, look around and just wonder at the detail, especially when in combat.
You must login or register to view this content.
However, once time goes on, the fact that the maps are massive spaces can grow mediocre as it causes getting around to take a long time, think Assassin's Creed getting from city to city, even though, just like Assassin's Creed, you have a summonable horse (Like Warlocks in World of Warcraft), it can still take some time. This does not really detract from the game though as the levels in which you are underground or in a boss lair/vault/coliseum type place it more than makes up for it with the huge detail I mentioned above.
You must login or register to view this content.
Finally, in Darksiders I, it was designed as an action-adventure game with a bit of RPG thrown in which felt like, to me, an afterthought to bring more potential customers to the game. However, in Darksiders II it is OFFICIALLY an Action-Adventure Role Playing Game. Where in Darksiders I you could find new weapons and various other pieces, in Darksiders II there are loot drops, new weapons/armour for Death's get-up and a REAL level-up progression system which really brings the game from action-adventure to an action-adventure RPG. Whilst I said above that big zones can be tedious and mediocre you often find yourself unperturbed by this as you frantically eyeball the area, scrutinizing every small part of each map on the look out for items, stat boosts, chests and creatures which will drop "phat lewtz!" which you can then use to make Death even more deadly than he already is. This brings a whole new dimension to the game which makes you want to keep playing and playing.
You must login or register to view this content.
Unfortunately, Darksiders II does not have a multiplayer function and there is no news about one being added. However, I do not feel that this is much of an issue due to the game being so fantastic as-is and once you've completed it you will want to play it over again as you will inevitably miss something because the world as a whole is just huge in comparison to Darksiders I.
__________________________________________________
CONCLUSION
In my opinion Darksiders II is a fantastic game and a huge improvement over the original Darksiders I. It will leave you wanting to play more and more as the character of Death is hugely believable and engaging. Not only this but the game keeps you entertained and busy through levelling up, finding loot and perfecting your combat skills with Death himself which inevitably leads to your progression through the game and freeing your brother War from the unjust imprisonment he is currently suffering through at the hands of the Charred Council. This game is fun, if you loved Darksiders I then this game will be a fantastic purchase for you that you will rave about for weeks on end. However if you haven't played Darksiders I then there is nothing stopping you playing this game as it is set in a prologue fashion, but I would recommended checking out Darksiders I and due to it being such a good game, you will inevitably be chomping at the bit to get your hands on Darksiders 2 on release day.
__________________________________________________
Final Score:
88/100
Final Score:
88/100
This is an absolutely amazing review. I wish all of the members on NGU still put this much effort and hard work into their threads as you did on this.
You sir will be receiving some +rep, thanks, and likes.
08-18-2012, 04:17 AM
#6
Astro Zombie
professional lurker
08-18-2012, 04:31 PM
#8
jadethefighter
Haxor!
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