DARKSIDERS GENESIS
And God said, “let there be sick finishers”
“ANOTHER PLAYER CAN HOP INTO THE GAME TO SLICE DEMONS BY YOUR SIDE.”
Strife has been the odd horseman out for a while – the last of the four to be playable as part of the Darksiders series (after a brief appearance in Darksiders III). And it’s a shame, as this cheeky gun-toting cowboy-styled Nephilim could be our favourite. With twin revolvers Mercy and Redemption in hand, his bullet-happy combat already feels unique – and he has a wisecrack for any situation.
But where is a joker without his straight man? For Genesis, the earliest canonically in the Darksiders timeline, Strife is joined by War in his quest to track down the demon Samael. This means it’s also the first Darksiders game to support co-op, as another player can hop into the game (either locally via split-screen or online) to slice demons by your side.
BROTHERLY LOVE
Each stage is packed with collectibles, such as items to upgrade the maximum stats of each horseman, and new abilities. Strife, for instance, can get extra bullet types, such as a charge shot, and can have two equipped at once on i and u. These pickups, alongside other side-quest objectives, litter the levels, encouraging careful and thorough exploration.
Despite the top-down perspective, there’s still plenty of gorgeous detail in the demonic areas, and the developers aren’t afraid to use event-centric camera angles to show them off. Occasionally you’re even able to stop and take in splendid vistas as Strife and War have optional banter.
Even if you play solo, both Strife and War will get some exercise. The two characters are very different, each with their own skillset, and their own health and wrath meters to manage. Strife is best suited to long-range shooting, while War can get stuck in with his great big sword. This means that while playing alone, you can bench a character who’s low on health and take care of business with one more suited for the situation. Get an enemy’s health low enough and you can finish them off with e. These fantastically animated moves feel right out of a gory comic book, and remind you just how much fun the exaggerated world of Darksiders is.