Page 84 - PC Gamer - UK (February 2020)
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RE VIE W
Darksiders Genesis
WARNEVERCHANGES
DARKSIDERS GENESIS proves the series still
has that invisible touch. By Luke Kemp
here’s good reason to welcome the return of the horsemen of for me to stick almost exclusively
the apocalypse, and not only because of what’s on your social NEED TO KNOW with him. Although he’s a decent
media feed. In the world of videogames they star in a great WHAT IS IT? melee fighter, Strife dual wields guns
series that didn’t deserve to pass like wind with the The end of the world as and is designed for fighting at a
Tsomewhat lame third entry. And lo, Airship Syndicate did rise we know it, in distance where he can. His standard
from the ashes of Vigil Games – who did once develop entries first and action-RPG form infinite bullets do the job just fine,
second – and thus it spake unto the industry, “Let’s do this”. EXPECT TO PAY but there are different types of ammo
£27 to be found, most of which you have
Darksiders has always bounced changing the bin collection days DEVELOPER to search for. The more powerful shot
gleefully from one influence to the without telling anybody to instruct Airship Syndicate types tend to draw from a finite
next. The first game borrowed these two lovable harbingers of doom PUBLISHER ammo supply however, so you can’t
heavily from Nintendo’s Zelda series, to find out what it is. THQ Nordic carve your way through with, say, a
while the second – which starred a The developers have an obvious, laser beam for long.
REVIEWED ON
hilariously ripped version of Death – genuine fondness for the series. Not GeForce GTX 1650, AMD War plays completely differently.
clearly took its only do we see Ryzen 5 3550H, 8 GB He’s almost powerless at a distance,
wallrunning cue from returning characters RAM so it’s all about hitting enemies with a
the Prince of Persia Strifesoon such as Samael and MULTIPLAYER comically large sword with him. You
reboot. Then, the unlocks the Vulgrim (I never 2 player co-op (online can simply button bash if you’re
Gunfire Games- Void Bomb for would’ve forgiven the or splitscreen) playing on Casual difficulty, but
developed Darksiders absence of my favourite LINK anything above that requires you to
III decided to join the some portal demonic shopkeeper), darksiders.com explore the nuances of combat.
wearisomely long line creation weapons and abilities Although he’s not my preferred
of titles trying to copy from the core games character, I still really enjoy his
Dark Souls. Given the have been carefully playstyle. A large part of this comes
history of the series, the move to an integrated. For example, War still has down to the simple fact that he can
entirely different genre isn’t really as his boomerang-like Vorpal Blade, block and parry. That may not sound
jarring as it might be. both horsemen can grab objects from particularly interesting, but let me tell
Darksiders Genesis is an action- afar with a sort of ghostly Inspector you going toe-to-toe with a 100 foot
RPG, with all the waves of enemies Gadget arm, and Strife soon unlocks tall fire demon and killing it without
and grabbing of loot that you might the Void Bomb for some portal losing so much as a sliver of health is
expect. I’m slightly surprised, creation shenanigans. Fellow always a nice little ego boost. There
therefore, to find that it still Darksiders fans, we are home! are abilities and combos to unlock
immediately and consistently feels and power up, too. The experience
like Darksiders. It’s a prequel to the A WAR WELCOME changes to a pleasing degree
first game, which follows War and, I instantly gravitate towards Strife depending on who you play as.
for the first time, Strife. Notorious simply because this is the first game The characters differ not only in
rascal Lucifer is up to something, and he’s appeared in, but I soon find that play style, but also in personality, and
The Council has taken time out from he matches my play style well enough this is one of the areas where I find
myself slightly disappointed. The
Darksiders story has always been silly,
but (in the first two games, at least) a
WAR AND STRIFE Duo know what I mean? kind of perfect silly, a self-important
nonsense that took itself just
1. War. Loves seriously enough to be enjoyable
fighting and red
hoodies. without straying into the tiresome.
2 Things have catapulted in totally the
2. Strife. Loves other direction here. It’s too
4 pistols and telling self-aware, too ready to make a joke
bad jokes.
at its own expense. It’s not self-
3. Horse armour. parody, but rather a swapping of
No DLC required. biblical fantasy for explicit comedy.
1 Strife talks like a wise-cracking rogue
3 4. Even the cop who doesn’t play by the book,
Horsemen love
scarves. with War is his hulking, straight-man
foil. Basically, the gunslinger is a cross
84 FEBRUARY 2020
