Darksiders: Wrath of War Review

War doesn't take kindly to street activists.

Like Link in Nintendo’s series, War finds various tools and companions to aid him throughout his quest. The fine cast of characters and voice acting really add to Darksiders charm. Ulthaine is a troll-like blacksmith, while Samuel is a fearsome fallen angel imprisoned by the Destroyer. Both must be enlisted to help War in his quest. The demon Vulgrim is a merchant who trades in the souls War collects, offering new combos and special moves, as well as weapons and expendable items. Not only do these items have their own uses (mainly tearing demons to shreds) but they also allow access to new areas in the game.

Darksiders teases us with abilities, placing treasure chests tantalisingly out of reach until the appropriate items are found. Luckily, later in the game Vulgrim allows access to his tunnel network to make travel around the open world much faster: a gloomily realised worm hole which leads you through a mysterious limbo dimension to your destination. War’s steed Ruin makes short work of traversing the world on flaming-hoofed horseback.

A couple of thousand gallons at least.

Many items, and by extension the puzzles, which War encounters are tried and tested staples of action adventure games, and a lack of originality is without doubt Darksiders’ greatest failing. That, and the rubbish title. Nothing in Darksiders comes as a surprise; everything has been seen before. Some of the puzzles haven’t been seen in a hack ’n’ slash adventure, so credit can be given for marrying different game types together so well.