Darksiders was a pretty big hit when it first released in 2010. While the games stands quite well on its own two feet, it does borrow inspiration from popular franchise including God of War and The Legend of Zelda, both in their combat and puzzle designs. In this review, we take a look at the Warmastered Edition to see if it’s worth your time.
Let me start by saying this: If you haven’t played Darksiders, buy it. It’s dirt cheap and worth every penny. If you enjoyed aspects of the aforementioned games then you’ll enjoy the game, along with its classic good vs. evil storyline.
The game eases you into the swing of things although there’s nothing too complicated. You can use basic combos to destroy your enemies, climb walls and ropes, and use different things in your environment as weapons. The camera can sometimes be a little jerky and takes some getting used to since it’s not as smooth as big budget titles like Uncharted, but it’s not too bad. There’s some platforming involved in progressing through the game, but nowhere near the amount of other titles in the genre, and some of it feels like it’s just thrown in there for the sake of inclusion, but it does help to flesh out the levels. There’s also a consistent flow of new items and/or weapons that will allow you to do new moves and reach more areas, and this helps to keep it from getting too stale.
As mentioned, Darksiders is essentially a story of good vs. evil and it doesn’t let you forget that. The characters are pretty cool, and the voice acting is often way above the level you’d expect from a game like this and that’s great. There are a few lines of dialogue that’ll surely bring a smile to your face. If you’re ever stuck in the game, you’ll see a pop-up box that gives you a semi-direct hint of what you’re supposed to do next. I found this particularly helpful because I get sidetracked destroying every bit of my immediate environment and forget what I’m doing.
Visually speaking, Darksiders Warmastered Edition looks great. It’s been upscaled to run at 1080p on all consoles, while its original release 720p @ 30 fps. The PS4 and Xbox One versions now run at 60 fps while the Wii U is a 30 fps. The game features comic-like visuals which is another bonus because it’s somewhat of a timeless style, and the game doesn’t really look all that dated.
Darksiders isn’t a AAA title, but it’s definitely a solid title that aims to please and it’s available for budget gamers. While I’d like to see more puzzles and integrated platforming, the content offered is enough to recommend the game in its current form. The average player will find 10-15 hours of enjoyment, depending on how much you like to mess around throughout the game or if you just focus moving forward. Darksiders Warmastered Edition is a remaster worth your time and money, and it’s one of the more welcome ones in the PS4 library as I think many players missed out the first time around.
| Rating | Description |
| 7.5 | Gameplay Some basic but fun platforming and puzzles, although not enough in the long run. Fun weapons and boss fights that are worth your time. |
| 8.0 | Graphics Comic book style visuals hold up well today, and now running at 1080p/60fps on PS4/Xbox One. |
| 7.5 | Sound The voice-acting is above par and well performed, though the soundtrack isn't really incredible and doesn't offer much in terms of memorable tunes. |
| 8.0 (Average) | Final Score |
