The articlegameplay, story, development, reception
Gameplay
In Darksiders, players control War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, in a third-person perspective. The world is split into separate locations with many areas initially inaccessible until later in the game. The center of the world, The Scalding Gallow, functions as a hub where War is given new objectives and paths to unlock new areas, many of which require the use of newly-gained abilities to progress.
Although War is initially limited to the use of his two-handed signature sword, Chaos Eater, he eventually obtains other weapons throughout the course of the game. He also has a Scythe, which he uses as his other main offensive weapon. Weapons have different combinations of attack that can be obtained throughout the game. Along with combos, players are encouraged to use countering moves, blocks, and swift dodging.
Story
Since the beginning of time, Heaven and Hell have been at war. To preserve balance, a mediating force known as the Charred Council emerged, recruiting the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to enforce its will. Anticipating humanity's future significance, the Council declared them as a third kingdom under its protection. A truce between Heaven and Hell was sealed by the Seven Seals, which would only be broken when humanity was ready to join Endwar. The breaking of the final seal would summon the Four Horsemen and begin the Apocalypse.
The Horseman of War (voiced by Liam O'Brien) arrives on present-day Earth amid the outbreak of the Endwar between angels and demons while humanity is caught in the crossfire. He confronts the archangel Abaddon (voiced by Troy Baker), only to discover that the Seventh Seal remains intact and the other Horsemen have not been summoned. During the battle, Abaddon is slain by the colossal demon Straga (also voiced by Troy Baker). War almost defeats Straga but mysteriously loses his strength and falls under the judgement of the Charred Council (voiced by Fred Tatasciore), who accuse him of prematurely triggering the Apocalypse.
Reception
Darksiders has received positive reviews. Aggregating review website Metacritic gave the Xbox 360 version 83/100, the PlayStation 3 version 82/100, and the PC version 83/100.
GameZone's Dakota Grabowski gave the game an 8/10 on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, saying that "THQ and Vigil Games did an outstanding job creating an intellectual property that has weight. The voice-acting is top-notch, the combat is exquisite, the replay value is high, and the world they have created is fascinating. Darksiders is a marvelous way to start out 2010". Being overall positive, IGN saw the elements of Darksiders as a combination of three separate game franchises. Devil May Cry, God of War, and The Legend of Zelda games have been used to compare to the style of Darksiders.
