Darksiders

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 5,958 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Darksiders Game Cover
Even the iffy controls and eccentric camera cant quite undo the fun of Darksiders potty plot and joyful combat.
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"Darksiders is a single-player open world fantasy game with an intriguing story, featuring War, the first Horseman of the Apocalypse. Despite perfect game mechanics, graphics, and music, the game has bugs, lacking optimization, and requires grinding. Accused of starting a war between Heaven and Hell, War seeks to clear his name and restore order in a ravaged Earth."

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Wii
  • Wii U
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 5,958 reviews
story1,234 positive mentions
stability134 negative mentions
  • Unique blend of hack and slash combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving in a post-apocalyptic setting.
  • Engaging storyline with interesting characters and voice acting, including Mark Hamill as the Watcher.
  • Visually appealing art style and immersive atmosphere.
  • Numerous bugs and crashes, particularly with achievements not unlocking unless Steam is restarted.
  • Repetitive gameplay with tedious puzzles that can detract from the overall experience.
  • Controls are clunky and not well-optimized for PC, making gameplay frustrating at times.
  • story2,070 mentions

    The story of Darksiders is a compelling blend of biblical mythology and apocalyptic themes, centering on War, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, as he seeks to uncover the truth behind the premature end of the world. While the narrative is often described as engaging and filled with intriguing twists, some players find it predictable or overly simplistic, with a few noting a disconnect between the serious tone and the game's exaggerated visuals. Overall, the story is praised for its depth and character development, making it a significant draw for players despite some criticisms regarding pacing and execution.

    • “The game's dark and atmospheric art style, combined with its epic storyline, creates a truly immersive experience.”
    • “What starts as a simple redemption quest leads you to uncover a much more intricate plot that I did not see coming.”
    • “Darksiders' storytelling prowess makes it a memorable highlight.”
    • “The story is very poor if there even is an excuse for a story.”
    • “The poorly thought out, illogical storyline, fanfic-grade script and entirely uncompelling characters manage to make even war between heaven and hell boring.”
    • “The story was cheap and mentions of the main plot were few and far between.”
  • gameplay1,076 mentions

    The gameplay of Darksiders is a blend of hack-and-slash mechanics reminiscent of God of War and puzzle-solving elements akin to The Legend of Zelda, creating an engaging experience that balances combat and exploration. While many players appreciate the fluidity and variety of combat, some criticize the repetitiveness and lack of originality, noting that it borrows heavily from other titles without introducing significant innovations. Overall, the game offers a satisfying mix of action and puzzles, though it may feel dated or linear to some players.

    • “Darksiders offers an exhilarating gameplay mix that effortlessly melds intense combat, intricate puzzles, and satisfying exploration.”
    • “The gameplay is excellent, a combat system that is simple enough so you can take full advantage of it and yet done well enough that every blow feels impactful.”
    • “The gameplay in Darksiders is a combination between Zelda and Devil May Cry.”
    • “In fact, the game is a collection of many clones; it feels like they didn't come up with anything of their own, they just took mechanics from similar games and made one lump.”
    • “The overall feel of the game was extremely console-like, and the devs put zero effort into optimizing any of the gameplay elements for the PC platform.”
    • “You get frustrating gameplay... the puzzles aren't clever; they're just annoying.”
  • graphics816 mentions

    The graphics of *Darksiders* are often praised for their striking and atmospheric art style, which combines comic book aesthetics with a dark, post-apocalyptic setting. While some reviews note that the visuals are dated, especially in the original version, many agree that the unique art direction and vibrant color schemes still hold up well, providing an engaging experience. The remastered edition offers improved visuals and smoother performance, making it the preferred choice for players seeking a more polished graphical experience.

    • “The game's dark and atmospheric art style, combined with its epic storyline, creates a truly immersive experience.”
    • “This action-adventure masterpiece skillfully blends captivating gameplay, an engrossing storyline, and impressive visuals, ensuring an enthralling experience for players.”
    • “The entire game is one massive world that is so vibrant and filled with bright and unique colors and themes; you can’t help but be amazed by the living art style that the game has to offer.”
    • “The graphics are dated obviously, but the game doesn't really suffer for it as the style and atmosphere are still very much engaging and nice to look at.”
    • “Now in Darksiders original the graphics did not age well.”
    • “The graphics are cartoonish and just about worthy of the Xbox 360 (not a compliment), the gameplay is formulaic and platformy reminiscent of a PlayStation 2 game (that's sort of a compliment) and the storyline and script is about as impressive as Michael Bay at his best (not really a compliment either), although having said that its 'twist' ending keeps things at least a little fresh.”
  • music222 mentions

    The music in Darksiders is generally praised for its ability to enhance the game's immersive experience, with many reviewers highlighting its orchestral quality and emotional depth that complements the narrative and gameplay. However, some players noted a lack of variety and memorability in the soundtrack, leading to moments of repetitiveness that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, while the soundtrack is well-crafted and fits the game's apocalyptic theme, opinions vary on its impact and memorability.

    • “The music complements the mood of each moment, infusing layers of emotion and excitement.”
    • “Darksiders is an awesome game, with good level design, challenging puzzles, great voice actors, unique boss fights and the most amazing music I have ever heard.”
    • “The soundtrack lends itself well to the world, and the voice acting is phenomenal (Mark Hamill delivers as always).”
    • “Darksiders 1 is awesome 10/10 even for the year 2022 still looks good and replayable, but -1 point for the lack of music. Not really sure why, but the entirety of the game is deprived of any music.”
    • “The music and in-game music get irritating really soon, and there is no major change in this field until the game ends.”
    • “The zelda-like dungeons, progression, and exploration are the highlights of the game; however, there is no music to accompany you while you are doing these things. It just kind of makes things feel a little empty, dour, and less enjoyable.”
  • stability140 mentions

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting frequent glitches, crashes, and performance issues, particularly with achievements not unlocking properly. While some users experienced minimal problems, many found the game to be plagued by bugs that significantly detracted from the overall experience, making it feel unpolished and frustrating at times. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the gameplay can be enjoyable, the stability issues are a major drawback.

    • “The game runs great for the most part.”
    • “Other than that, the game runs great.”
    • “I crashed once the entire time playing this game, so it's nearly bug-free.”
    • “It runs very slow, glitches and stutters constantly, and I am constantly finding yet another glitchy roadblock whenever I get a new item.”
    • “The game crashes and freezes on occasion, and some permanent issues can rarely tarnish your saves.”
    • “Darksiders is a novel idea that has too many glaring bugs and glitches that weigh it down.”
  • grinding98 mentions

    The reviews highlight a pervasive sense of tedium associated with grinding in the game, particularly during combat, puzzle-solving, and exploration segments. Many players found the repetitive nature of tasks, such as backtracking and lengthy boss battles, to detract from the overall enjoyment, especially in the latter parts of the game. While some appreciated the engaging combat and puzzles, the consensus leans towards the experience becoming increasingly tedious as the game progresses.

    • “Achievements are a bit tedious: running in a circle for 3 hours was unnecessary.”
    • “Last third or so of the game is painfully tedious, pretty much ruins the whole thing.”
    • “Unfortunately, the last quarter of the game does its best to ruin all that, with the final dungeon stealing shamelessly from Portal - yes, you are given a portal gun for no apparent reason - and still managing to be a tedious slog with pointlessly long elevators, the same rooms and corridors repeated, and a boss that's far easier than any that have come before.”
  • atmosphere68 mentions

    The atmosphere of Darksiders is widely praised for its dark and immersive art style, complemented by a compelling storyline and engaging world design. While some reviews note dated graphics, the overall ambiance, sound design, and creature design contribute to a captivating experience that overshadows gameplay shortcomings. However, a few critiques mention that the protagonist's serious demeanor can detract from the potential richness of the atmosphere.

    • “The game's dark and atmospheric art style, combined with its epic storyline, creates a truly immersive experience.”
    • “The story is great and the atmosphere of the whole hell vs heaven conflict is a killer!”
    • “Comic-style graphics and absurdly gory and dark scenes and atmosphere work together to give the game an authentic setting.”
    • “No atmosphere whatsoever...”
    • “Not that it looks bad, but I would've liked a darker atmosphere.”
    • “Atmosphere: 4/10”
  • optimization66 mentions

    The optimization of Darksiders has received mixed reviews, with many praising its smooth performance across various platforms and improved visuals in the warmastered edition. However, players have reported significant issues on PC, including stuttering, frame drops, and poor mouse/keyboard controls, indicating that the game may not be well-optimized for all systems. While some users experienced seamless gameplay, others noted that performance issues, particularly on AMD video cards, detracted from the overall experience.

    • “Performance and optimization: Darksiders performs seamlessly across various platforms, reflecting meticulous performance and optimization efforts.”
    • “Developers' dedication to optimization ensures players can fully engage with the game's world without encountering technical hindrances.”
    • “It has great visuals, is wonderfully optimized (though PC options are limiting), and has very well-realized lore.”
    • “The story and gameplay are fun, but the FPS in cutscenes is choppy, there are minor concerns about performance on AMD video cards, and the game freezes if you open the Steam overlay too many times.”
    • “Unless you like running your games in Windows 98 compatibility mode, with new high-tech features like crashing on loading screens, stuttering into oblivion, and zero support.”
    • “I know it's not a spec issue because there are other games that blow this one away in terms of hardware requirements, so I believe it's simply poor optimization.”
  • replayability58 mentions

    Overall, "Darksiders" offers moderate replayability, with some players appreciating the chance to master combat mechanics and explore collectibles, while others criticize its linear design and repetitive gameplay. The game lacks multiplayer modes and expansive open-world elements, leading to mixed feelings about its long-term engagement value. Despite these drawbacks, many still find it enjoyable enough to revisit, especially at its price point.

    • “Though Darksiders may lack the replayability of expansive open-world titles, it provides ample reasons to revisit its world.”
    • “Additionally, the joy of mastering combat mechanics and reliving epic moments contributes to the game's replay value.”
    • “Fantastic game with high replay value - storyline, side quests, and action sequences are spot on.”
    • “You won't be surprised by the dynamics of the game's world, unfortunately: everything is scripted and highly invariable between saves, so there isn't a lot of replay value to be found in the world design.”
    • “Weaknesses: mild instability, consolitis, limited replay value (almost everything is linear, scripted, and invariable), occasional issues with movement mechanics.”
    • “I would overall rate this game 7/10; the reason I didn't give it a 10 is just because of its lack of content and replayability.”
  • character development40 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its depth and integration of skills and weapons, enhanced by a local merchant's techniques. The character designs, particularly those of War and his foes, are highlighted as exceptional, contributing to a vibrant and immersive fantasy/post-apocalyptic world, though some find elements overly cartoonish. Overall, the combination of strong character development, captivating story, and impressive art style creates a unique identity for the game.

    • “Character development is well thought out, skills and murder weapons are enhanced in the process, which are supplemented by techniques from a local Vulgrim merchant.”
    • “Character designs, particularly those of War and his adversaries, are remarkable, breathing life and individuality into the game's vibrant world.”
    • “Character development is pretty strong on this one too; it's also a very good setup for the sequel.”
    • “Some people say that War's character design could've been a lot better, and while I agree, I don't think it's that abysmal.”
    • “What you get is a fairly linear action title mixing hack & slash action sequences with environmental (and/or ability-based) puzzles and backtracking for power-ups (and at the end, for a bunch of plot tokens) rather typical for its metroidvania roots and character design closely based on Joe Madureira's art style.”
    • “The locations and models look gorgeous even on my low-end PC, though at times it feels like some aspects are exceedingly cartoonish regarding character design.”
  • humor36 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its blend of dark comedy and clever dialogue, particularly through the character of the watcher, which elicits genuine laughter. Players appreciate the game's self-aware tone, with its over-the-top presentation and absurd character names adding to the comedic effect. Overall, the humor enhances the experience, making it both entertaining and memorable, despite some critiques on originality and technical issues.

    • “Also in-game was the moment that made me laugh, it's the moment in dialogue after we killed the second boss.”
    • “The whole presentation in this game is super hilarious on how serious it presents itself while looking overall rather goofy or too over-the-top cliché.”
    • “Hilarious dialogue and voice acting, thanks to the super cheesy gravelly voices and serious business attitude of the characters.”
  • emotional10 mentions

    Players highlight the game's emotional depth, driven by a complex narrative and well-developed characters, complemented by a poignant soundtrack. However, technical issues, such as frequent crashes and a flawed auto-save system, detract from the experience, leading to frustration and disappointment. Despite these setbacks, the emotional impact of certain moments resonates strongly with players.

    • “The narrative's complexity is magnified by well-rounded characters and thought-provoking dialogues, bestowing a layer of depth and emotional resonance.”
    • “They should've fixed the bug; I was really enjoying and looking forward to getting into this series. It's quite heartbreaking.”
    • “[*][b]soundtrack[/b]: very emotional soundtrack.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

82% average critic score

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Play time

20hMedian play time
19hAverage play time
17hMain story
28hCompletionist
17-26hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 40 analyzed playthroughs

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