As disappointing as it may sound, the gaming drought of this summer only ended in August, because it was in this month that truly good and worthwhile projects were released. One of these projects is the game Darksiders 2, which will be discussed in today's review.
Your Honor, I object!
Let's start with the story. The events of the second part of the game are directly related to the original plot of the first part. War was accused of starting the apocalypse much earlier than it was supposed to happen. And it so happened that only one hero could stand up for War — Death. Our new hero believes that War was framed, but he has no proof, so he drops everything and sets out in search of evidence that could clear War of all charges.
They're so different
Even though the plots of these two games intersect, the heroes are radically different from each other. War was a powerful warrior who solved all his problems with brute force and his gigantic sword. War's attacks were slow but extremely strong, whereas Death, instead of a huge sword, has a peculiar pistol and two blades, and his attacks are much faster and more spectacular than those of the previous hero. The gameplay of the second part is much more dynamic than in the first. We have to constantly stay on the move, jump, run, slash enemies, dodge their attacks, and perform counterattacks. It's also worth mentioning that there are tons of ways to deal with enemies in Darksiders 2. You also can't help but notice that the gameplay of Darksiders 2 is very similar to that of God of War, but this doesn't make the game worse—on the contrary, it even makes it more appealing.
Set course for the East
The game world in this installment has become much larger than in the previous one. The variety of locations is also a real delight. Even though the world of Darksiders 2 is quite vast, don't be afraid of getting lost—the main objective is always shown on the map, and if you can't navigate by it, your trusty raven will point you in the right direction. Plus, you have a loyal steed for fast travel across locations. The game also features plenty of side quests, which aren't mandatory but can be completed to diversify the gameplay. The dialogues between characters have become much more enjoyable and varied compared to the first part, and now you can choose your own lines during conversations—though, to be honest, this doesn't affect the story in any way.
The object is moving up
Fans of Prince of Persia will be pleased to find various levers and switches in Darksiders 2 that you'll need to activate to progress further. Often, to reach these switches, you'll have to skillfully jump from ledge to ledge, run along walls, swing on columns, and so on—in short, everything is done in the best traditions of Prince of Persia. As for character progression, it's done quite well: the bonuses you get from defeated enemies can be spent on buying armor and weapons from merchants (who charge a pretty penny for their goods), and you can also find bonuses in chests scattered throughout the locations. In terms of graphics, the game is also very good—there's not much more to say here.
***
Darksiders 2 is definitely a much more successful project than the first Darksiders. All that's left is to wait and hope that a third installment of the series will see the light of day.
