I rarely preorder games. But when I heard the news several months ago that one of my favorite games from all of last-gen was getting the remaster treatment, I pre-ordered early. I’ve been playing through Darksiders II for the first time since the summer of 2012 when it first came out, and it’s great to be back in the Land of the Dead. I did a full review of Darksiders II back in 2012 and rather than take up your time or mine regurgitating that info here, I’ll instead link to it and just focus on the aspects of the Deathinitive Edition.
The first and most obvious part about the Deathinitive Edition is that it’s a cross-generational one, meaning that a last-gen game is now avaiable to a whole host of players who missed out on it previously and who might not otherwise have had a means to play it. Furthermore, if you have the original game on PC, you automatically get the Deathinitive Edition; I am literally downloading from my Steam Library as I type this. Otherwise, the cost of admission is a very acceptable $30 or less, which nets you the original game and all of its DLC.
The DLC content includes some new areas and actual gameplay too, not just weapons and things but there is some of that, too (and some of which was previously only on the PC version). The list of DLC is: Maker Armor Set, The Abyssal Forge (playable area in the Shadow Lands), The Demon Lord Belial (another playable DLC), Death Rides, Angel of Death, Deadly Despair, Shadow of Death, Mortis Pack, Rusanov’s Axe, Van Der Schmash Hammer, Fletcher’s Crow Hammer, Mace Maximus, Argul’s Tomb (playable area not originally included in the Season Pass). Note that the DLC weapons and armor are not so obviously found; instead, they’re integrated into the game as pickups or loot that you’ll find during exploration (another major component of the game). I actually prefer this method because it’s a lot less arbitrary than just starting off with high end loot, instead, you just sort of find it as you go, so bravo to Gunfire for doing it that way. That said, between the main campaign and this DLC, you’re looking at a solid thirty-five hours of play, with the option to go back to do other side quests or change your skill tree.
Darksiders II now runs at a native res of 1080p. Notice I didn’t say 60fps, however, and that is really the biggest drawback thus far in this release. Patches should alleviate this I hope, but there are some framerate disappoinments to be had in that it does have its hiccups and as far as I can tell you’re never hitting above 30 fps. And while the lighting, shadows, resolution, and overall quality of the visuals (see comparison screens) is noticeable, the moderately trained eye will be able to tell that this is a not a native next-gen game. Does that really matter? Hell no, if you ask me, because the game itself is so damn good that you won’t really care if it’s the greatest looking one on your platform of choice. What is appreciable regardless of technical quality is the impressive artwork and animations. Additionally, the voiceovers, effects, and soundtracks, all ooze with quality and help create a really immersive atmosphere.
The Darksiders games do a lot and do it very well. Besides an instantly intriguing story, characters, and atmosphere, they’re chock full of gameplay mechanics. Puzzles and traversals are plentiful, as is visceral, satisfying combat. Maps are huge, and you’ll use your horse, Despair, to get around as well as some fast travel mechanics. There’s a whole lot to do, a lot to level-up, and just like the original Darksiders, once you think you have seen all of the game’s tricks and mechanics, something new is introduced that only adds another layer of depth and awe to the experience. Honestly, few games that I have played in the last several years manage to keep things fresh as the Darksiders games do throughout their appreciably lengthy campaign. Ultimately, I would consider them some of the very best the action/adventure RPG genre has ever seen.
