Summary
- Darksiders Genesis introduced cooperative play, but lacks depth compared to others, suitable for single players.
- Darksiders 3 takes a different turn influenced by Soulslikes, losing original charm but still fun with cool mechanics.
- Darksiders 2 blends narrative and gameplay well while showcasing agile combat, but faces repetitiveness in level design.
The story of how the Darksiders franchise came to be begins with Vigil Games, a studio founded by Joe Madureira and David Adams back in 2005. From that point on, the story of the Four Horsemen and the eerie Charred Council that handles them, has been handled by several different studios.
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It is no surprise that the many games which resulted from collaboration between all the parts involved have different takes on the original IP, and some of them have better qualities than others. Still, all of them are great games. However, this is a ranked list of all Darksiders games, from worst to best, considering technical aspects, narrative, gameplay, and general design.
6 Darksiders Genesis
Good In General Terms, But Still Lacking Something
Darksiders Genesis
Darksiders Genesis is an isometric action game where players incarnate Strife, the fourth Horsman, and an agent of the Charred Council, looking for answers. The story serves as a prequel to the events of Darksiders, where players will have to fight through countless hordes of enemies in hack-and-slash fashion.
Despite the story being a bit simple and linear, and the lore not as abundant as the other games, Genesis is an overall good game. The fact that this was the first game in the franchise that introduced cooperative play is also important, although not critical for gameplay, and it can be enjoyed by a single player as well.
5 Darksiders 3
A Great Change Of Direction, But Pales In Comparison To Other Titles
Darksiders 3
In Darksiders 3 we control Fury, the only female of the Four Horsemen, and the one with the coolest weapon. During the development of this game, the influence of Soulslikes and modern RPGs had somewhat shifted the direction from the franchise's essence, and players got a different style of game than what they were used to.
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Since this game is essentially different from every other Darksiders game (much like Genesis is), it is hard to measure it by the same standards. The game is still fun to play and has a lot of cool mechanics, but sadly, it is that same coalescence of many ideas that made it lose its original identity, something that fans had a hard time dealing with.
4 Darksiders 2
A Great Sequel, A Good Change Of Pace
Darksiders 2
In terms of narrative, Darksiders 2 is superior to the majority of the games in the franchise, and in terms of gameplay, it sits in a comfortable position between Darksiders and Darksiders 3. A game that follows the same direction as the original Darksiders, presenting another of the Four Horsemen, being called by the Charred Council, and shedding some light on the events of the first game.
Death is definitely the Horseman with the coolest design, and his fighting style is both strong and agile, contrary to the powerful War, and the even faster Fury and Strife. This means balanced combat for a balanced game, though its level design can be a little repetitive and lacks the environmental storytelling of the first Darksiders.
3 Darksiders 2: Deathfinitive Edition
Even Better Than The Original Version
- Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Series S
- Release Date: 10-27-2015
- Time To Beat: 52 h
Darksiders 2: Deathfinitive Edition is, logically, a better game than Darksiders 2. With improved rendering, shadings, illumination effects, and a considerable technical overhaul that corrects some issues from its predecessor. It also integrates all the original's DLCs, adding over 30 hours of extra gameplay and a rebalanced reward system.
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Looting is more balanced, and the item level progresses more seamlessly as players move forward in their adventure, making the power scaling of Death feel fun and rewarding. Another good aspect of this edition that makes it superior to the previous iteration is that the game runs in native 1080p, something many fans will appreciate.
2 Darksiders
The Beginning Of The Saga, And An Incredible Game
- Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Series S
- Release Date: 1-5-2010
- Time To Beat: 25h
Darksiders is the beginning of the franchise and the first experience that fans had with the universe envisioned by Joe Madureira and David Adams. The game introduces the first of the Four Horsemen to players: War, tasked by the mysterious Charred Council to investigate why the Endwar (basically the Apocalypse) began before its scheduled time.
The game has a lot of strong points, and the main character is the best in the franchise. Not only because he feels powerful and superior in combat to the other three Horsemen, but also because his overall design and background fit perfectly with the lore of Darksiders. In terms of gameplay, the original Darksiders had the perfect combination of hack-and-slash action and adventure, and was less RPG-like than the later iterations of the franchise.
1 Darksiders Warmastered Edition
Everything That Is Right With The First Game, But Better
Darksiders Warmastered Edition (dupe)
- Released
- November 29, 2016
- Developer(s)
- Vigil Games, Kaiko Games
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, Switch, Nintendo Wii U, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Hack and Slash
Of all the things that Darksiders did right, Darksiders Warmastered Edition did better, with bigger and better texture resolutions (support up to 4k), and better renders, including re-rendered cutscenes and shadows. In general, it was a graphical overhaul, and fixed many of the original's technical shortcomings, almost putting it on par with next-gen games.
The engine was optimized, making it run seamlessly, ensuring FPS stability and advanced postprocessing options that weren't available in the original version. In a game such as Darksiders, with such brutal and graphic combat, it totally makes sense that the devs put a special emphasis on improving how the game runs. Therefore, the Warmastered Edition is definitely the best of all Darksiders games, both in its technical and design aspects.
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