# Darksiders - XBOX Review



## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=3735&w=o[/img]*Game Title: Darksiders 
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Vigil Games
Genre(s): Action/Adventure
Players: 1
ESRB Rated: M
Release Date: 1/5/2010 
Review Rating: :4 stars: *
*Story* 

In DarkSiders you play as War, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The game wastes no time setting up the story by throwing you right into the last days of man where War is making his contribution to the destruction of the human race. Soon, War discovers that the horsemen have been prematurely summoned to Earth and he alone will be punished by being stripped of his powers and sent back to earth to discover who betrayed the horsemen or die in the process.

The story and gameplay are very similar to God of War in that you are betrayed by a “god like” figure and stripped of your powers and must regain them through the course of the game. All the while you are also powering up your weapons and combos. OK, for all intents and purposes this game is another action game in the vein of God of War or Ninja Gaiden but, it doesn’t feel like a cheap knock-off/wanna-be either, I’m looking at you Conan.:rant: Anyway, the story is fairly interesting and gives the player enough incentive to finish the game. Even though it is familiar, Darksiders is an extremly fun game.

There are several weapons to be had in Darksiders and each one is fun to use and capable of being upgraded for dealing out additional caranage. Additionally, some weapons are necessary for certain enemies while others may have little or no effect so choose wisely.

The end of the world looks pretty impressive in this game. Instead of the typical gray and dark barren wasteland we have come to expect over the last couple of years, the apocalypse in Darksiders that the artists have created is very colorful and has a very otherworldly feel to it.
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=3736&w=o[/img]

*Rating*
This game is rated ‘M’ for mature and should not be played by younger gamers. I let my 13 year old play it but I also know a lot of parents with 13 year olds that would not let theirs play it. My advice, try it out and you be the judge.

*Gameplay* 
Gameplay is incredibly fluid, extremely brutal and can be very rewarding even if it is reminiscent of other action games. That being said, there are some frame rate issues that can cause some occasional frustrations but this should in no way be a reason to not consider playing this game. The use of War’s horse as a vehicle works fairly well especially when taking down enemies. Some boss battles can seem a little out of balance and at times get very frustrating as controls can occasionally feel unresponsive. This leads the player to a feeling frustration and annoyance rather than the small accomplishment one would normally expect to feel. The puzzles in the game are not overly complicated and change up the gameplay nicely. 

The game itself is over 15 hours long which is a good amount of time to spend on this type of game and adds to the overall value of this title. My suggestion is that if you are a seasoned action gamer, play this one on hard to get maximum enjoyment and add to the longevity. 


*Graphics and Sound* 
Darksiders could have been little more than a cheap knock-off if it weren’t for the incredible graphics that bring the rapture to life. The destruction of mankind looks absolutely brilliant throughout the game and the cut scenes are a pleasure to watch. The battle between good and evil certainly comes to life in Darksiders and is dramatically and vividly brought to life beautifully in this high definition depiction of good vs. evil. There is an incredible amount of detail in this transfer and it really adds a lot to the overall atmosphere in the game.

























The sound in this game is extremely impressive as battles are very impactful and the musical score sounds almost epic. Tension mounts as haunting sound effects often signal an onslaught of new enemies coming your way and adds immensely to the overall enjoyment of the game. 

*Extras* 
Not any extras to speak of.

*Summary* 
Darksiders is not going to redefine the action genre for video games. The game easily reaches the designers intentions of creating a new IP with a cool hero that looks absolutely wonderful. I think anyone that plays it will remember it as a fun and very enjoyable action game that looks alive and sounds great. If you haven’t checked it out, give it a spin, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.


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## KASR (Jun 9, 2009)

Nice review! The games style looks cartoonish - I may have to rent/borrow this one before I drop $50-60 bucks on it. The audio sounds great and I love THQ sound!!


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## Ares (Nov 23, 2009)

Nice write-up Dale, I'm glad to see that the landscape has color.


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