In the interest of stopping the misrepresentation in its tracks, let’s get this out of the way: “Darksiders” is not a “Legend of Zelda” rip-off.
Yes, “Darksiders” borrows many gameplay mechanics unabashedly from the Hyrulians, but its execution is fresh enough that it feels more like an adult-oriented homage than digital plagiarism.
Players control War, one of the horseman of the apocalypse charged with keeping the balance between heaven and hell. At the start of the game, War is mistakenly called to fight in the apocalypse way ahead of schedule, an error of cosmic proportions that inadvertently results in the extinction of humanity.
War’s bosses are none-too-pleased with his disturbing of the balance, and in typical video-game fashion, they send him back to Earth, stripped of his powers. To keep tabs on him, they attach his spirit to an entity known as The Watcher, a hilarious, bloodthirsty creature voiced fantastically by Mark “The Joker” Hamill.
While War does throw a boomerang, fling bombs and swing a sword (if an enormous one), the similarities to “Zelda’s” inventory end there. Link would singe his tights on War’s flaming steed, Ruin, and wouldn’t know what to do with Mercy, an enormous pistol big enough to emasculate Clint Eastwood.
Actually, War has just as much in common with “Soul Reaver’s” Raziel or “God of War’s” Kratos as with Nintendo’s hero. He’s usually angry and has a penchant for brutally executing angels and demons in vivid displays of viscera. Also, he collects souls, which he can trade in for new skills and items.
Thankfully, as much emphasis as is placed on the combat; it’s extremely well-tuned, both fluid and highly cinematic. Be warned, though, you’ll fight the controls occasionally, thanks to some unnecessarily complicated multibutton commands for things like locking on with the boomerang.
Visually, “Darksiders” is an outstanding example of adhering to a concept. The graphical style is best described as comic gothic/punk. Seemingly everything is covered in spikes or massive armor plates, and muscles and weapons are enormous, to the point that “Gears of War’s” Delta Squad look positively svelte by comparison.
As players move across the overland and through numerous dungeons, they’ll encounter a variety of environments, from flooded sewers and lava fields to a cathedral drenched in a downpour. Despite the presence of some low-resolution textures on some surfaces, the game world on the whole is a treat to explore and rife with hidden chests to find, for the completionists out there.
While I could have done with a more-engaging soundtrack to fit the brutal combat (something with distorted guitar comes to mind), the orchestral score is suitably epic. Where the game really shines, sonically, is in the voice work. I’ve already mentioned Hamill, but other standouts include War (Liam O’Brien) and Uriel (Moon Bloodgood).
As easy as it is to make tongue-in-cheek comparisons to “Zelda,” “Darksiders” truly is a phenomenal game in its own right. The mythology behind the sprawling story is deep and engaging, and the characters are well-written, if rarely truly likable.
And even if it does borrow heavily from Link and Co., it’s only adopting tried-and-true elements from one of the most celebrated franchises ever. Clearly, even the herald of the apocalypse knows a good thing when he sees one.