User Score
8.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 219 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 16 out of 219

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  1. Sep 20, 2010
    10
    This gem is hands down one of the most underrated games in a while. The reviews are pretty good across the board but I am the only person I know that bought this game. To me this game is the ultimate gamerâ
  2. CurtisM.
    Jan 7, 2010
    10
    This was just an amazing game to play through. For Vigils first game ever they achieved what few well established developers have and that's a brilliant blend of action/adventure and puzzle solving.
  3. Mar 1, 2011
    8
    This is a game designed by gamers. There is so much to love about Darkisders, the huge bosses, the fun hack and slash, the dark storyline, the horseman's continually increasing arsenal of weapons and tools, and the game design amongst other things. The downisde however is the somewhat repetitive gameplay, but overall the game is great.
  4. Jun 10, 2012
    3
    This has to be one of the most overhyped games of recent times. Combat is restricted to one button, with a minimum amount of combos achieved by pressing square (or x) one, two, three or four times. Enemies are extremely repetitive and boss fights completely unspectacular. The main character War is lacking personality and the environment is both graphically poor and not fun to traverse. The only redeeming quality of this game is the somewhat enjoyable story, but it is not enough to warrant a purchase, let alone a rent. Expand
  5. JonathanJ.
    Jan 6, 2010
    10
    The comparison to Zelda is apt... the first hour is kind of a slog but it gets insanely addicting
  6. Kevin
    Jan 5, 2010
    10
    Class act top to bottom. Amazing visuals, and a very interesting art-style. It is true that it takes a lot of ideas from other games like Zelda or God of War, but the way it implements them is very fantastic.
  7. BenVanderH.
    Jan 6, 2010
    10
    First off, while the game does apply aspects of games we've already played, it takes so many things from so many different games that it's impossible to say that it's a carbon copy of a game we already have. The graphics in this game are fantastic. They may not be the most vivid details or textures, but still very good. The monsters, the city and dungeons, the design of War and Ruin are all fantastic. It's also very colorful, which is a nice change from recent post-apocalyptic games. The boss battles are quite fun and they also look really great, and are, for the most part, HUGE. The weapons and items you get to take down these bosses with are also fun. While they didn't reinvent the wheel, they created cool weapons that fit with the story and kill stuff, and quite frankly, that's all you can ask for. (: My only gripes about the game is that most experienced gamers will want to boost the difficulty if you don't want to get caught button mashing. But that's fixable by merely adjusting the difficulty setting. My second of two complaints is that Ruin is not as big of a star as it's made out he would be. While he does become mildly important and makes the game that much more fun, he doesn't come in until you've taken a nice chunk out of the story. The pros on this game are awesome and the cons are just nitpicky things. All in all a fantastic game and an excellent effort on Vigil's first go at the business. There is some room for improvement, and I would expect to see it in DS's follow-up or in a new IP. 9.5/10 Expand
  8. SteveC.
    Jan 25, 2010
    6
    I know it's symptomatic of the genre, but this game is far to linear. I never felt like i was actually in control of War's journey. It was always so obvious where to go next. "Get the key, open the only door that you found that needs a key" type of thing. Boss fights are somewhat of a joke. Each boss has a total of 3 moves max that they will use against War, and each is easily identifiable before being launched. As already mentioned everywhere else, this game borrows too heavily from God of War. I don't understand why these linear button-mashers are still being produced given the quality capable in the sandbox genre. The thought of being a Horseman in an open, destroyed earth... that sounds impressive and far more inviting. Expand
  9. [anonymous]
    Jan 23, 2010
    0
    there is absolutely nothing original about this game. Every single detail has been taken from some other game. It's got all the trademark items of Legend of Zelda and even has a portal gun. This game has no shame and should be considered an abomination.
  10. Dec 21, 2010
    6
    A decent third-person action adventure of good length that unabashedly mimicks Zelda, God of War, and Portal but fails to establish a personality of its own. Too busy trying to be cool and violent when a bit of humor might have made a world of difference. Not bad per se, just forgettable.
  11. Jun 2, 2011
    8
    i like this game quite a bit. even though the only thing unique about this gmae is the story i enjoy playing through this and the only thing i see people complaining about is the fact that it does not have any origanality but i for one dont care because it is taking the good parts of the games it copies and puts them all together into one nice little package. the graphics are pretty good and i love the character design and every time i saw a new character or monster i had to say to myself "Wow" because the artists that made this game put alot of care into designing this game. the puzzles are very good as well because they are not all easy and they are just hard enough to get you frustrated but when you finnaly do it you feel a sense of accomplishment. really the only problems i had with this game were the stale voice acting and the linear story. the voice acting is not very good in this game due to the fact that it is very stale they are always talking about the journey ahead and putting just a little comedy in there once and a while can never hurt. the game is way too linear but it does not diminish the fact that it is a good game but dont fool yourself into thinking that you have any control over the story in any way because it is just basicly a straight line from start to finish with obvious structures and walls that pop up behind you to keep you going in the right direction. this game is a must have for all gamers and is very easy to pick up and play and i cant recomend it enough Expand
  12. Feb 12, 2012
    10
    Hands down! One of the best games this gen.. The Story is AMAZING!! the main protagonist is badass... I liked this game more than Devil may cry 4 and God of War 3 !! I dont know why people are saying that Darksiders is a **** game and God of War 3 is better!! To be honest i liked God of War 3 , but Darksiders is soooo much better!! The gameplay and the story makes it one of the best games this gen... It a very long game too.. I finished it in 27 hours it will take you less if you didnt explore enough (the game is semi-open world ) it will take you even longer if tried to platinum it Expand
  13. ErickG.
    Jan 8, 2010
    9
    You should brace up for a hybrid of GoW, 300(the PSP game) and Demon's Soul kinda game... The over-all atmosphere is immersive albeit it looks cartoonish for the most part. The characters were sort of stripped of "grim-ness" maybe to appeal more to younger audiences and add a lightened ambiance in the otherwise brutal gameplay. Speaking of that, the controls are easy to learn and combos do not take a while to learn. That makes this game very engaging and entertaining (so far)...HACK and SLASH is the key element in the gameplay (button mashing,eh?). So that means this aspect of the game makes up for the slightly disappointing graphics element as I mentioned above. The gameplay, to sum up, is a bit repetitive. Sound is also great but otherwise generic, action-type. Now, in terms of cut-scenes, it's like watching an animated fantasy-action-religious movie at the same time as the whole story is somewhat based on the Bible's last book, the Revelation (Apocalypse). Being the first of the Horseman, WAR, you embark on a war for your own salvation of existence after being fooled into starting the final battle. Where this game will take my character? Can't wait to see... It's amazing how a great game like this would be deprived of the hype (reminds me of Demon's Soul) like the one bestowed on CoDMW4 or AC2. Hope experiences like mine would drive sales of this beautiful game. Expand
  14. TimontyD
    Jan 22, 2010
    9
    This game is so much fun to play and the story line is as original as it gets. IMHO this game does everything right. The fighting is fast and furious yet uncomplicated. It has the right blend of RPG elements but none of the boring grind. The boss battles are challenging but not overly difficult. The graphics are well done and what you would expect from next gen. Overall the game is a gem that never gets boring and is very hard to put down. Expand
  15. Dave
    Jan 10, 2010
    9
    What a way to start off 2010! Darksiders is a complete work of art. Epic story and backdrop plus the Earth after the catastrophic and ultimate fall of man during the apocalypse is simply stunning to behold. The Combat at first simple chaining of the square button with R1 to block, soon broadens into a vast array of moves that, with 3 main weapons (each with their own move set) is totally overwhelming, but the pace at which you can learn these moves and advance as your weapons increase in level, gives you time to master each one. Take time to practice chaining combos, it's worth it to watch the action flow beautifully. The array of customisation within the weapons and assorted geare you carry with you, isn't quite RPG level, but more than enough yo keep you engaged. The characters are all very well acted, players of Batman: Arkham Asylum will immediately recognise Mark Hamill (The Joker) as the Watcher, the being bound to you by the charred council to keep War under constant vigilance. He does occasionally help you out with tips, or hold select for a hint from the Watcher if you forget where yo uare supposed to be going during all that exploration. Little can be said of War himself, or indeed his true form, The Chaos Form, a massive Balrog-esque being wreathed in toiling flames! It must be seen ot appreciate the level of detail that has gone into the chracter. As it is with world in which war finds himself, stripped of his powers and facing a world of Demons and armoured Battle Angels all trying to send you to packing with the Chaoseater (war's mighty saber) between your legs. Exploration. Battle. Puzzles. Epic. Epic. EPIC! Expand
  16. BrandonB
    Jan 20, 2010
    8
    This game is fun end of story. Its nice to see that a few games being released lately are delving alittle more into the hell vs heaven storylines. Seeing first screen shots of this game i thought that in-game it was gonna be too cartoonish on the visuals but actually playing it i was proved wrong. The visuals are good. One thing I would like to point out is I'am seeing some reviews scoring this game lower because they say it copies off of other games too much....thats just a bunch of crap. They took stuff from other games and didn't screw it up its still fun just as the similiar stuff you did in Zelda was fun. Anyways on a side note i find it funny how a game like Shadow Complex on Xbox market place is getting rave reviews for being identical to Metroid while some of the same reviewers are blasting Darksiders for being too much like other games. Expand
  17. DrewD
    Jan 20, 2010
    9
    I'd give it an 8.5 if it was available. This game is definitely an early sleeper for 2010. The beautiful and diverse backgrounds set through out the game really set the stage. The voiceovers are clear and concise and give each character his/her identity. Its God of War-esque with more open space. Even though there are a lack of combos, the overall combat and decent magic spells make up for it. Being able to venture back to previously unreachable places and upgrade yourself accordingly creates an added interest. War is a character to like as well as he gets down to business, looks like a bad-ass and carries a fearsome sword. I am quite bias toward action adventure games (God of War, Devil May Cry, Onimusha) however, either way, this game was a pleasant surprise, kept my interest, excited me for a sequel. Expand
  18. CasperX.
    Jan 5, 2010
    10
    It's awesome, I'm about 6 hours in and having a great time..
  19. christianL.
    Jan 5, 2010
    10
    its what Ive been waiting for since the release of the ps3.also its a masterpiece from Joe mad (battle chasers,x-men) a true masterpiece (Zelda meets devil may cry meets metroid)and a must have! i just hope Joe mad finish the whole series since mad never finish what he start.
  20. SethB.
    Jan 6, 2010
    9
    The game had initially started out very easy to play, and as such I started out being fairly disappointed. I stuck with it for a little longer, watched the difficulty level ramp up quickly and came to a realization. If you were to take Zelda and it's dungeon system and moderate storyline and replace the visuals and battle system to better match something comparable to Devil May Cry or God of War (meet those somewhere in the middle) and you get Darksiders. To put it simply, it's Sony's Zelda game, with a meter telling you how much blood you've spilled. Expand
  21. DouglasY.
    Jan 6, 2010
    10
    Badass game.Great combat,looks like a fantastic comic, and play is Really Really fun.
  22. GilF.
    Jan 6, 2010
    10
    This game was surprisingly fun. I was expecting a GoW rip off but I was very wrong. It has good action, great level design and top notch voice acting. A must have gmae.
  23. RobertF.
    Jan 6, 2010
    9
    A solid and very well done adventure game. War is a badass plain and simply and the art is incredible. The story is well done and well performed even though it may sound cliche on the surface.
  24. StephanieK.
    Jan 7, 2010
    10
    All I can say about this game is WOW! Ignore those who say this copies Zelda and such without being as good because being a die hard Zelda fan myself I can honestly say this game is brilliantly done and is just as good as Zelda.
  25. ScottM.
    Jan 7, 2010
    10
    This is a brilliant first release from Vigil Games and I must say that this has taken it's place in my top 5 game series of all time.
  26. ZachB.
    Jan 8, 2010
    9
    while there are great elements to this game and they mesh well I think that it could use a bit more polish, I look at this as a top 20 or top 10 game this year and look forward to the sequel which, with a bit of luck could be a game of the year contender whenever it is released
  27. Vedran
    Jan 13, 2010
    10
    This is probably the best game I have played in recent memory. It's everything that Sony and Microsoft needed: A really good action/adventure game. Be warned though: After playing Darksiders, God of War will seem much inferior due to its linearity. Darksiders is more engaging and rewards you constantly, something other developers should take notes of. I can't wait for the sequel!
  28. ChrisM
    Jan 13, 2010
    8
    Visually stunning with massive enemies & addictive game play, the cut scenes are worth watching, Although the dialogue is at times over-the-top dark, Mark hamil provides a welcome dose of comic relief as the Watcher, a wisecracking evil spirit that dwells inside your character to monitor your actions. Most importantly, If you did not like God of War, you will not like this game.As It is indeed essentially a clone of GOW. but for those of you who need a game that will help occupy the agonizing 2 month wait for GOW 3, Darksiders is not only a very well designed Clone, but may indeed be carving it's own successful franchise of their own, And with the epic GOW series coming to a conclusion, The time may have come for Kratos to pass the torch, And I know I am not alone when I say that hope That WAR & Vigil run with the torch & continue to expand on this series. Expand
  29. MichaelB
    Jan 13, 2010
    10
    Great graphics, great game play, eye candy like no other. I could not put the game down. All the details and finishing touches make it one of the best games I have played. I can highly recommend it. It is great value. I cannot wait to see if there is a sequel. I
  30. JasonG
    Jan 18, 2010
    10
    This game is absolutely fantastic. I did not know what to expect at first, but being seven hours in, I can honestly say that this is a beautiful game with great dungeons that are, in my oppinion, better than any found in the latest Zelda game, and the story is fantastic. HIGHLY recommended.
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 73 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 73
  2. Negative: 0 out of 73
  1. If ever there was a pure gamer’s game, Darksiders is it.
  2. When viewed as a whole, it is clear that Darksiders was made by skilled developers who truly love video games. If there ever was a game that could be all things to all people and tastes, Darksiders is it.
  3. 90
    A great action RPG. Solid, ever-evolving combat meets solid, ever-evolving puzzles in some really evocative environments.