Darksiders II

When I turned nine, my mom and I had the death talk. She explained to me that death was out of human control and that, without it, there would be no life (pretty heady stuff for a nine year old, if you ask me). My mom clearly hadn't played Darksiders II ?because if she had she would know that anyone can now control Death in the latest action-adventure installment by Vigil Games and THQ Inc.

War and Death: What does it all mean?!
Darksiders II puts gamers in an experience parallel to the 2010 original, except instead of playing as War of the Apocalyptic Horsemen you take control of his brother Death. While in the Horseman's weighty boots, you take Death through the post-mortem of humanity as he looks to expunge allegations about War, pre-maturely starting the events that would inevitably eradicate mankind. Death attempts to defy the Charred Council, the governing body that controls the balance of the universe, by going out and exploring the Nether Realms for proof of his brother's innocence. Along the way, he encounters monsters, giants, and demons that will help or hinder him in this world hovering between Heaven and Hell.

With obvious nods to some of the most influential games in the past 20 years (ie. Legend of Zelda, Prince of Persia, God of War, etc.), Darksiders II has the makings of an instant classic. However, this enjoyable game often falls short in connecting with gamers on any long-term personal and/or original level. Players are bound to be irritated by the game's inability to advance beyond the plot's superficiality. As cool as it sounds on paper, there are definitely moments of boredom, apathy, and repeateded button tapping during cut scenes. Despite such flaws, Darksiders II is a major attempt to create a platform that combines the excitement of some of the best innovations in gameplay all under one hood, a commendable undertaking.

Reaping the Land
In this world, players combine brawny button-mashing with dungeon puzzle-solving in an experience that provides plenty of fun and frustration. At the beginning of the game, players can choose among easy, medium, and hard difficulty levels. With a sprawling interactive landscape that is more than double the size of the 2010 original, the map of Darksiders II is definitely a key selling point, though much of the game's real estate is simply empty plains. Also, every time you cross the threshold into a new area you have to endure a 10-to-15 second loading screen. On the other hand, Darksider II's campaign mode is three times as long as the original's (not counting loading screens).

Death wields two forms of weaponry: The standard quick melee weapon and the stronger yet slower secondary weapon. Players can purchase new abilities, attacks, and weaponry (as in most standard action-adventure games) by obtaining coins through extinguishing foes and finding stray packages along their journey. Death has the potential to harness quite an arsenal of attacks, ranging from summoning demons to taking the form of a giant cloaked reaper. Of the basic maneuvers, I suggest getting acquainted with countering and dodging because you'll need them if you plan on getting far with any of the game's bosses. Plus, seeing a character you're controlling do acrobatic feats while pinpointing a perfect swing with his axe into the face of some monster is an accomplishment in itself.

Although some of the missions are repetitive, I think the slight deviations from one level to the next are what makes the gameplay appealing. After all, remedial-errand-boy-routines are basically the glue for action-adventure games. Missions mainly consist of obtaining X amount of an item for a character, finding someone for information or battle, and exploring dungeons. The biggest problem I found in the gameplay, though, is the AI. Frankly, I don't like encountering baddies who glitch out and walk into walls or get caught behind objects, because it ruins the game's fluidity.

A 'Scythe' to Watch
I have met quite a number of people who are not fans of bombastic (often comic or cartoonish) art in videogames, famously seen in the Fable series. With its deep shadowing, Darksiders II as an offshoot of this. The graphics also stutter a bit, depending on where the camera is situated. The cut scenes are sometimes a bit contrived, but they do serve their basic purpose in expounding upon the talented developers' art skills as well as connecting loose ends in the story.

As for the sound, the voice acting is fair, but the accompanying score is easily forgotten and ignored. I wound up just turning on my own music to appropriate the mood more to my liking.

In the End of Ends
In the end, Darksiders II provides basic single-player hack and slash fun. Along with its campaign mode, Darksiders also has online capabilities, despite serving mainly as just a stat sheet among friends more so than anything else. The glitchy AI and weak story definitely undercut this game. In the end, I suggest taking Darksiders II for what it is: a button-mashing, dungeon-exploring ride that's good for some instant gratification.

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