I… really don’t know what to make of Darksiders Genesis. I think its my favourite Darksiders game – I played the first game around seven years ago, enjoying it for what it was. The sequels, like the industry around them, packed on the numbers and I slid out of them quick. I’d guess I got maybe a quarter of the way through Darksiders II, if that (despite Death being my favourite horseman) and dropped III after only a few hours. I’ve always considered myself a fan, though, and Genesis had me considering going back to explore these entries. There’s something about the aesthetic and the world that does it for me. It might be that it’s only the allure of unfulfilled promises, but at least they’re alluring. The shift to 2D (technically not, but this entry is certainly showing off at least half a dimension less than its numbered forebears) simplifies things. Strife plays like a twin-stick shooter, while War returns with his big sword Chaoseater. They’re both fun to control, and the progression elements didn’t bother be quite as much as most do. The collecting of creature cores helped a little, I guess, even if their minor stat-boosting effects are the stuff of nightmares. There’s a lot to like here, and a lot to dislike.
The first time I played it, I got a few levels in, got stuck, and got out. Thankfully, I tried it again recently and powered through, enjoying most of the middle levels. Like many action games, the puzzles are of little interest, although the perspective shift helps both here and with platforming. There was less frustration with each than my time in I, II, and III. But ultimately a lot of these elements feel like filler, and while moving through the world is generally satisfying, puzzles are less so. Particularly finicky is the use of Strife’s tools in puzzles, which require reasonably precise aim and are activated with R3 (a side effect of giving him two ammo types at a time in combat, a welcome option but generally an unnecessary one). Such problems are exacerbated by 3D parts of the world which can get in the way. It’s enough to make one wonder why they didn’t just commit to 2D, smoothing out these issues alongside the game world. Even more of a problem is the balancing. Despite ostensibly being overlevelled, based on the blanket numbers given for War and Strife (it’s not levelling, it’s accumulation of various things, but you collect similar yet separate powerups so they’re levelled separately – yay)… what was I saying? Oh, yeah: despite ostensibly being overlevelled, I felt underpowered, engagements pointlessly long as I carved my way through bullet- and sword-sponge enemies. It stopped being fun, and was a disappointing way to end my time with the game.
Despite everything, I’d like to see Darksiders make a return. Of course, I’d want any comeback to be on my terms, not the terms it’s operated on – I’d want RPG elements stripped out entirely (fun merchants like Vulgrim and Dis can stay, don’t worry; we’ll find something for them to do) and a reduced puzzle presence. If I had to pick one to get done, it’d be the former. With God of War (alongside everything else) now an action-RPG, it would be great to see the series step into the limelight as a simplified throwback action game, with platforming spectacle to complement the violence. Perhaps a soft reboot, if necessary, with a single protagonist wielding the weapons of each horseman. I know though, as we all should, that if it returns it will be rife with industry trends and overstuffed with ideas, not a sleek challenge to an industry intent on barrelling down the wrong path. Ah, well, we can only dream.
(Whoops, broke my personal guidelines and got a little wistful there)
The first time I played it, I got a few levels in, got stuck, and got out. Thankfully, I tried it again recently and powered through, enjoying most of the middle levels. Like many action games, the puzzles are of little interest, although the perspective shift helps both here and with platforming. There was less frustration with each than my time in I, II, and III. But ultimately a lot of these elements feel like filler, and while moving through the world is generally satisfying, puzzles are less so. Particularly finicky is the use of Strife’s tools in puzzles, which require reasonably precise aim and are activated with R3 (a side effect of giving him two ammo types at a time in combat, a welcome option but generally an unnecessary one). Such problems are exacerbated by 3D parts of the world which can get in the way. It’s enough to make one wonder why they didn’t just commit to 2D, smoothing out these issues alongside the game world. Even more of a problem is the balancing. Despite ostensibly being overlevelled, based on the blanket numbers given for War and Strife (it’s not levelling, it’s accumulation of various things, but you collect similar yet separate powerups so they’re levelled separately – yay)… what was I saying? Oh, yeah: despite ostensibly being overlevelled, I felt underpowered, engagements pointlessly long as I carved my way through bullet- and sword-sponge enemies. It stopped being fun, and was a disappointing way to end my time with the game.
Despite everything, I’d like to see Darksiders make a return. Of course, I’d want any comeback to be on my terms, not the terms it’s operated on – I’d want RPG elements stripped out entirely (fun merchants like Vulgrim and Dis can stay, don’t worry; we’ll find something for them to do) and a reduced puzzle presence. If I had to pick one to get done, it’d be the former. With God of War (alongside everything else) now an action-RPG, it would be great to see the series step into the limelight as a simplified throwback action game, with platforming spectacle to complement the violence. Perhaps a soft reboot, if necessary, with a single protagonist wielding the weapons of each horseman. I know though, as we all should, that if it returns it will be rife with industry trends and overstuffed with ideas, not a sleek challenge to an industry intent on barrelling down the wrong path. Ah, well, we can only dream.
(Whoops, broke my personal guidelines and got a little wistful there)