To preserve the balance between Heaven and Hell, a mediator group, The Charred Council, sends the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, to intervene and force a truce between the two kingdoms after countless centuries of war. Eons after the truce, The Council foresees that Man will be a major factor in the final apocalyptic battle; this would be marked by the breaking of the Seventh Seal.
In the present day, armies of demons and angels fall to Earth and the final battle begins, the two forces destroying everything in their wake. In the midst of the chaos, War is summoned to Earth to bring order. Upon his confrontation with Abaddon, the general of Heaven’s army, War discovers that the other Horsemen have not arrived and the Seventh Seal has not been broken. Straga, a powerful demon, arises from the ground and kills Abaddon.
War battles Straga and is defeated, but is saved from death and sent to The Charred Council, accusing him of bringing about the Apocalypse prematurely. The Council sentences him to death, but War demands a chance to find the one responsible for summoning him prematurely, and to restore balance. The Council agrees, on the condition he is bound to one of their keepers, The Watcher, who has the power to kill War in the event that he strays from his mission.
From this point onwards you take control of the massively powerful War, as you set about rebuilding your strength and skill set, whilst undertaking various boss character seek out and kill missions in an attempt to find the answers behind the mystery of why you were summoned in the first place.
This is very much a cookie cutter action adventure game, which has you engaging in combat, puzzles and exploration, all from the third person perspective, as well the ongoing collection of various brightly coloured souls to increase your combat ability and upgrade your moves set. With a main and a sub hand held weapon (sword, horn, scythe, giant throwing star, gun), magic, abilities, and items, there is a huge amount of ways you can tackle combat and solve puzzles, and with a perfectly weighted difficulty level that doesn’t unfairly ramp up without warning, Darksiders really is the perfect hack and slash game with a deep and satisfying story, kick-ass characters and good combat system.
Aurally Darksiders is a hit, with Liam O’Brien delivering an excellent War and Mark Hamilll backing him us as The Watcher, all complemented by a fantastic and suitably epic soundtrack. However it is the visuals of Darksiders that without a doubt steals the show, with creative director and long time comic book superstar artist Joe Madureira providing the bulk of the distinctive look and character designs for this visually stunning game.
In summary, if you enjoy games like God of War and Dante’s Inferno, then Darksiders will most definitely be up your alley. Never boring, an engaging story and abilities tree, and most importantly a visual treat, Darksiders is the perfect (and enjoyable) way to bash away your weekends!
Related Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darksiders