Darksiders II for PS3
Price: Rs 2,799
In 2010, Darksiders stormed the gaming world with its breathtaking graphics and the awesome elements it had borrowed from God of War. The protagonist might not have enjoyed the cult status of Kratos but he was captivating in his own dark way. As War was the hero in the first edition, it was inevitable that Death would be the lead character in the sequel. Darksiders II carries over a lot of positives from the first game and has added some amazing features that promise to knock your socks off.
The combat moves are similar to those of God of War, but Death is a lot more agile. So the hard-hitting hero, or the anti-hero, feels like a synthesis between Kratos and Prince of Persia. This is a good thing as you are familiar with the controls and your eyes are glued to the screen. So apart from slashing your way through ugly creatures and ghouls, you can run across walls and jump across beams. An engrossing addition to the game is that after you slaughter your enemies you earn coins, pick up armour and even weapons. If you want to get rid of any equipment, you can sell or swap them for more sophisticated arms. So no matter how many times you play, the experience will always be different.
Darksiders II is not a mindless action game. Your grey cells have to work, deciphering dungeon maps and finding hidden treasure chests and master keys to unlock doors. All these remind us of Nintendo's legendary game Zelda. In fact, Darksiders II does a decent job in taking ingredients from different games and concoting a dark recipe. The fantastic graphics make you feel the chilling environment. The problem is that this game doesn't have its own identity. It has borrowed too many features from games like God of War and The Legend of Zelda. It is entertaining, no doubt, but lacks the X factor.
BAG IT OR JUNK IT? Entertaining and engrossing, but lacking that wow factor.
