After the stumble that was Darksiders 3, a spinoff manages to breathe new life into the franchise.
Darksiders Genesis is a spinoff from the main franchise that takes place prior to the events of the first game. After the long and uncertain wait from 2012’s Darksiders 2 to the release of Darksiders 3 in 2018, Darksiders Genesis is a welcome surprise that also gives players the first chance to play as the fourth and final horseman, Strife. In another Darksiders first, you are able to play as two horsemen in the same game, as War from the original Darksiders returns. Genesis departs from the traditional Darksiders third-person Action-Adventure RPG and opts for a Diablo-styled Dungeon Crawler that works incredibly well.
The four horsemen of Darksiders were born from the union of a demon and an angel, this unlikely pairing spawned the species known as the Nephilim. They have been appointed by the Council to uphold the balance of good and evil. In return, the horsemen were granted great power to keep this balance no matter what the consequences are. Upholding this pledge forced them to slaughter their fellow Nephilim on Eden by request of the Council. Still haunted by that bloody battle that almost completely wiped out the Nephilim, War and Strife are called upon with a new assignment, one that involves that troublemaker Lucifer, who is dead set on upsetting the balance.
Lucifer’s plan to tilt the balance towards the dark side is initiated by granting power to various demons throughout hell. This sets up the catalyst of the plot as War and Strife must track down these powerful demons to foil Lucifer’s diabolical scheme which will force them to return to their destroyed Eden.
War also known as the rider of the red horse and star of the very first Darksiders returns as the loyal servant of the Council. He’s once again equipped with his mighty blade known as the Chaoseater which he brandishes as ferocious as Thor does his hammer. Throughout the game, he acquires the Vorpal Blade, the Tremor Gauntlet, and the Ghost Hook which is the only equipment he shares with Strife. The Chaoseater can also be enhanced with various perks such as Vampiric Rune which continuously spins and drains health from enemies while dealing damage.
Strife also known as the rider of the white horse is playable for the first time. He is equipped akimbo style with his beloved handguns, Mercy and Redemption. Strife’s handguns can be equipped with various types of ammo like the Thunderclap variation that fires bolts of lightning. Along with the aforementioned Ghost Hook, Strife possesses Void Bombs and the Aether Spark. While he’s obviously not as strong as War, his ranged attacks are useful in many combat situations. Controlling Strife feels like a mix of traditional Hack and Slash with a bit of Twin Stick Shooter which is incredibly fun.
Of course, our old friend, Vulgrim, The Demon Merchant and eater of souls, once again returns to supply the Horsemen with wares and upgrades. This time Vulgrim is centrally located but he can also be solicited through the Summoning Stones which are located all over the maps. It is once again through his Serpent Hole the Riders travel.
Darksiders Genesis is playable entirely solo, but it’s also the first Darksiders game to feature co-op. You can couch co-op locally with a friend through split-screen gameplay, or online with one player taking control of Strife while the other plays as War. Unfortunately, my review play-through was done entirely solo but co-op is definitely something I’m looking forward to when more people have the game.
Playing solo requires that you switch between the two characters through an effortless task of a simple button combination. Before long you will master the two horsemen’s different play styles and switching between the two will not only become intuitive it’s a ton of fun. While you might initially be attracted to the new dual gun-wielding Strife with his quick-paced ranged combat, War proves to be a powerful melee beast that does much better in close combat situations. Each character has different items and strengths so at times you will have to figure which one specifically helps you solve puzzles or traverse the map. However, in combat, it’s any Riders’ game, which offers a unique opportunity to switch up your play-style which is great for multiple play-throughs.
It is recommended that the game be played with a controller. I know you mouse and keyboard purists are exploding right now, but I can’t imagine playing this without a controller, which could be due to the fact that all of my previous Darksiders experience has been on a console. No matter which device you prefer, Darksiders Genesis feels very much like it should if you are a veteran fan of the series in both gameplay and combat. Darksiders is also known for its puzzle element, something I felt was spread a bit thin in Darksiders 3, but have happily made a hearty return to Genesis.
Combat and gameplay are fluid and intuitive but at times feels like a finicky cat that doesn’t always behave as you intend. Don’t get me wrong, the game is mostly responsive, but there were moments I felt the timing was a bit askew or the characters would jump in the wrong direction causing me to miss a beat and fall to my death. The beauty of the new game format is that falling off a ledge doesn’t lead to super death, and you respawn right where you left off with just a small portion of your health depleted.
Genesis takes Darksiders out of the sandbox and instead offers a chapter-based arcade experience. Smaller level-based gameplay means you are spending far less time getting from point A to point B, which makes the game’s pacing seem much faster. The new chapter format also makes retracing your steps to find missed items or previously locked areas a breeze which will no doubt help elevate the replay value of the game. At the start of each chapter, you can see exactly how many hidden areas and collectibles there are overall, versus how many you have actually uncovered. You can also replay the chapters at a different difficulty level and since you retain all of your unlockables and progression, Darksiders Genesis basically offers a built-in New Game+ right from the start.
Also gone from the core Darksiders games is the RPG influenced progression through a character skill tree. War and Strife now have Creature Cores that act as the primary means of progression in Genesis. Creature Cores are dropped by enemies, and each enemy type has a unique core. Picking up duplicate cores will level it up, and as it levels up, it brings more perks to the horsemen. The cores come in three varieties: health, attack, and wrath and are maxed out at level three. Creature Cores also come in two forms, minor, which are collected from common enemies, and major that are obtained from defeating bosses and mini-bosses.
The Arena also returns and if you played Darksiders 2 you are familiar with this horde mode. Unlike Darksiders 3 which only added a horde mode later through DLC called The Crucible, The Arena unlocks about halfway through Genesis. Not only is The Arena a great way to hone your fighting skills with both Strife and War, but it’s also useful in acquiring and upgrading Creature Cores. Each Arena is split up in ten waves with that progressively gets more difficult. There are twenty levels that upon completion will unlock Endless mode.
The sound design is expertly mixed so much so that you can feel the whizz of Strife’s bullets and the clanking of War’s Chaoseater as if you were actually wielding the weapons yourself. However, it’s Gareth Coker’s stunning soundtrack that really shines. The soundtrack does well in setting up the mood and compliments the emotions of the game. Sweeping orchestrations featuring violin and cello solos just happens to be the perfect music for an impending Apocalypse.
Darksiders Genesis is developed by Airship Syndicate. The small studio is comprised of less than forty employees including Joe Madureira, a Darksiders and Virgil veteran who worked on the first two games. Despite being a smaller scaled world for Strife and War have to play in, it’s no less impressive. The art and level design is top-notch and looks like a Darksiders game should.
Darksiders Genesis features many returning characters and voice actors, including Troy Baker as Abaddon, and Liam O’Brien as War. Strife is voiced by Chris Jai Alex, who expertly provides some comic relief in contrast to the stoic and oh so serious War. Strife’s performance in Genesis should bode well for him getting his own proper Darksiders game, but I also want the spinoff to thrive and spawn more games as well. As a longtime Darksiders fan, I have to say that Genesis might just be my favorite of all of them. Once I finished the game, I immediately wanted to jump back in, whereas with the core games I felt a bit of fatigue upon completion and needed a change of scenery before I went back.
In many ways, Genesis could be described as Darksiders light, however, that doesn’t make it any less of an enjoyable experience. The camera angle might make the world seem smaller, but Darksiders Genesis is as epic as anything the series has produced thus far. Genesis is to Darksiders what Rogue One is to Star Wars, it has its place in the universe but is easily enjoyed on its own, and just like Rogue One, Genesis might just be the best the series has to offer.
Darksiders Genesis review code provided by the publisher for PC.
Darksiders Genesis is out December 5 on PC and Stadia, and February 2020 on consoles.