Darksiders - Thoughts

Darksiders is an action-adventure game developed by Vigil Games and published by THQ. It was originally released in 2010, for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC. Later, it was re-released as Darksiders: Warmastered Edition with enhanced graphics. The game marked the beginning of what would become a cult-favorite series, blending hack-and-slash combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving into a dark and mythologically inspired world.

Gameplay in Darksiders is often compared to a hybrid of The Legend of Zelda, God of War, and Devil May Cry. Players explore large, interconnected environments filled with puzzles, hidden secrets, and dungeon-like areas. War can acquire new abilities and weapons, including a massive sword called Chaoseater, a throwing blade, and a revolver. As the game progresses, he gains traversal tools such as a grappling chain and a steed named Ruin, allowing access to previously unreachable areas. The game also features an upgrade system, letting players enhance War's gear and abilities through combat and exploration.

Upon release, Darksiders received generally positive reviews. Critics praised the game’s art direction, world-building, and satisfying combat mechanics. The Zelda-inspired progression and the dark fantasy setting were particularly well-received, though some reviews noted that the game borrowed heavily from its inspirations without always innovating. Still, Darksiders carved out its own identity and was successful enough to spawn several sequels and spin-offs, establishing itself as a beloved franchise among action-adventure fans.

What I Liked 😃

The World of Darksiders

image: Steam

Drawing inspiration from religious stories is hardly a new concept. Film, television, video games, and literature have long used the Bible and other religious texts as a foundation for storytelling. This is largely because some of the earliest-and arguably most enduring-narratives are found within these sacred works. Themes like the battle between good and evil, perseverance in the face of adversity, and faith in a higher power offer a timeless framework for crafting compelling tales. Beyond that, these texts are filled with evocative imagery: omnipotent beings, angels, demons, and vast cosmic battles that ignite the imagination and enhance any form of media. Darksiders embraces this inspiration and runs with it.

The story of Darksiders centers on War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who stands falsely accused of triggering the end of the world before its appointed time. In the game’s lore, the kingdoms of Heaven and Hell have been locked in eternal conflict. To mediate between them, a mysterious force known as the Charred Council arose and created the Four Horsemen-War, Strife, Fury, and Death-to enforce balance. Earth and humanity are introduced as a third kingdom, meant to join the cosmic struggle once mankind had matured enough to stand on its own. Until then, the Seven Seals served as a safeguard to prevent the Apocalypse. After the seals are prematurely broken, War is stripped of his powers and embarks on a journey across a demon-ravaged Earth to uncover the truth and hold those responsible accountable.

If you're familiar with Christian theology, you'll recognize elements like the Four Horsemen and the Seven Seals, which are drawn from the Book of Revelation. However, these serve more as a springboard than a strict adaptation. As a Christian myself, I never got the impression that Darksiders was created with any malice or intention to critique the faith. Rather, it feels like the developers were intrigued by the apocalyptic imagery and grand themes found in Revelation and chose to reimagine them in a fantastical context. In that sense, I believe they succeeded. The premise remains one of the most compelling aspects of Darksiders and its sequels.

The Dark Side of Style

image: VICE

Darksiders’ tone and story are heavily influenced by comic book aesthetics, thanks in large part to the involvement of artist Joe Madureira, best known for his work on Battle Chasers and Uncanny X-Men. The visual style feels like the product of a fusion between a gritty comic book and World of Warcraft. War, the main character, is a hulking figure with a menacing presence, clad in a dark red hood. His massive sword, Chaoseater, is nearly as large as he is. It's not only visually striking but also serves to underscore War's immense strength. If you're familiar with Madureira's artwork, these larger than life characters will feel right at home.

Even when the characters aren't physically imposing, they're still visually compelling. Vulgrim, for instance, is a tall, lanky demon who aids you on your journey. He sports enormous horns on either side of his head, fingers adorned with ornate rings, and wears a mysterious, crown-like headdress.

Nearly every character or creature in the game has a distinctive and memorable design, which is a major reason Darksiders is so effective. It’s clear that a tremendous amount of effort went into the world-building, especially from an artistic standpoint.

The visual style doesn’t just serve as eye candy, however; it actively enhances the gameplay experience. The environments are layered with gothic architecture, apocalyptic ruins, and hellish landscapes that feel pulled from the pages of a dark fantasy graphic novel. This strong sense of place helps ground the player in the world, making exploration more engaging and the stakes feel more immediate. Visual cues are also cleverly used in combat. Enemies telegraph their moves through exaggerated animations, and War’s attacks feel weighty and satisfying thanks to sharp design and feedback. Whether you’re navigating a crumbling cathedral or battling grotesque demons, the artwork amplifies the mood, making each moment feel like a panel from a living comic book.

God of War + Zelda

image: IMDB

One of the most fascinating aspects of Darksiders is how seamlessly it blends gameplay elements from two very different-but highly influential-franchises: God of War and The Legend of Zelda. At first glance, the game’s brutal, combo-heavy combat system feels like it was pulled straight from God of War. War slashes through enemies with his enormous sword, Chaoseater, chaining together light and heavy attacks, launching enemies into the air, and finishing them off with visceral, cinematic executions. The combat is fast, aggressive, and satisfying, often pitting you against multiple enemies at once and rewarding timing and positioning. You even earn souls from fallen foes that function similarly to God of War’s red orbs, used for upgrading abilities and gear.

But once the blood settles and you begin to explore the world, Darksiders shifts gears and takes a page from The Legend of Zelda. The game world is structured with large, interconnected zones that gradually open up as you acquire new abilities like the Crossblade (a boomerang-like ranged weapon), Abyssal Chain (a grappling hook), or the Voidwalker (which functions much like the gun/apparatus from Portal). These tools are essential not only for progression but also for solving increasingly complex environmental puzzles. Dungeons play a central role, each with its own theme, set of mechanics, and boss fight, mirroring Zelda’s iconic formula. You'll find locked doors, map rooms, and even the classic "get the item, use it on the boss" structure that fans of Nintendo’s series will immediately recognize.

This dual influence allows Darksiders to walk a compelling line between raw action and thoughtful adventure. It scratches the same itch as God of War when it comes to visceral combat and mythic storytelling, but tempers that with the slower-paced, exploration and puzzle heavy satisfaction of Zelda. The result is a game that feels both familiar and unique. Rather than being a simple clone of either franchise, Darksiders blends their core strengths into a cohesive and confident experience, delivering something that can stand on its own.

What I Didn’t Like ☹️

Buggy

image: YouTube

I played the remastered version of Darksiders, known as Darksiders: Warmastered Edition. While the visuals have been modestly improved-with higher resolution textures and smoother performance-the game remains largely unchanged in terms of gameplay and structure. I played the Xbox One version, and unfortunately, I encountered more technical issues than I expected.

The most frustrating problems involved the cutscenes. At times, the audio would become desynchronized from the visuals, making key narrative moments feel disjointed and awkward. As someone who deeply values storytelling in games, not being able to experience the cutscenes as intended was a major letdown.

I also ran into occasional instances where War would fall through the environment, forcing me to reload from the last checkpoint. On top of that, some actions were inexplicably missing sound effects-such as absorbing souls or gliding-further pulling me out of the experience.

To be clear, I understand that bugs are an unfortunate but often unavoidable part of game development. Still, many of these issues feel like they should have been addressed, especially in a remaster, which exists in part to introduce the game to new players. When a re-release is meant to represent the definitive version, the technical polish should reflect that goal.

Overall Thoughts 🤔

Darksiders is a strong introduction to the series. It establishes a compelling foundation by revealing the catalyst for the world's apocalyptic state and introducing a memorable cast of characters, both heroic and villainous. The ruined Earth, caught in the eternal war between Heaven and Hell, is genuinely intriguing and sets the stage for deeper lore and future conflicts.

The gameplay is solid and enjoyable, drawing inspiration from several iconic titles. It combines the brutal, combo-driven combat of God of War, the dungeon structure and puzzle-solving of The Legend of Zelda, and even clever mechanics reminiscent of Portal through tools like the Voidwalker. This blend of styles creates a gameplay experience that feels both familiar and unique.

That said, as the first entry in the franchise, Darksiders does show its age in a few areas. The voice acting can be uneven, certain segments of gameplay feel repetitive, and-unfortunately-even the remastered Warmastered Edition suffers from lingering bugs that impact the overall polish. Still, despite these flaws, the game made a lasting impression on me. It left me genuinely excited to dive into the rest of the series, which I’ll be exploring and discussing in the weeks and months ahead.

Where Can I Play This? 🕹️

Darksiders is available on all major consoles between the Warmastered Edition and the regular version.

I played Darksiders via the Warmastered Edition physically on the XBox One. I beat the main story and found most of the collectibles. I got all the pieces to equip the Abyssal Armor as well.

Up Next 📅

Up next, it’s back to the Mega Man series with Mega Man 4 for the NES!