Genre: Action adventure
Developer: Vigil Games
Publisher: THQ
Price: $49.99 (PC)
Darksiders II
D
arksiders was a pleasant
surprise, born from the minds of
a fledgling development studio,
eager to make a mark with their first
title. And make their mark they did:
they managed to deliver an excellently
polished and highly enjoyable actionadventure romp, one filled with many
hours of quality exploration, puzzle
and action elements. Naturally, it
wasn’t for everyone. But it seems
enough people enjoyed its Legend
of Zelda-like charms to ensure that
the game received a much-deserved
sequel. And you’ve got to hand it to Vigil:
they’re now two-for-two, with a sequel
that does its predecessor proud.
First, the plot. It runs parallel to
that of Darksiders I, and switches
out War for Death. Here’s a quick
refresher: the first game saw War,
one of the Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse, riding out to herald the
apocalypse at the appointed time,
only to discover that it’s happened
early, Heaven and Hell are already
at war, and that humankind has been
obliterated in the conflict. Following
this, War is imprisoned for 100 years
40 The OverClocker Issue 21 | 2012
by the Charred Council. Darksiders
II takes place during this time,
casting players as War’s brother
Death. Death believes his brother
innocent, refusing to accept that War
would’ve prematurely unleashed
the apocalypse. And so, we join
Death on a journey across numerous
strange and beautiful worlds, packed
with deadly foes to defeat, puzzling
dungeons to traverse and massive
overworld areas to investigate, all
to prove his brother’s innocence and
simultaneously resurrect humanity.
Like its forebear, Darksiders II is
a blend of games that have come
before it, drawing inspiration from
other celebrated franchises and
using that inspiration to carve out its
own unique identity. Darksiders II is
basically an angrier, bloodier Legend
of Zelda, and anyone familiar with
that series will immediately feel at
home here. Each area you visit in the
game boasts a sprawling overworld
playground, littered with enemies
who’ll add a bit of challenge to your
exploratory expeditions. To help with
getting around these enormous zones