Darksiders
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Game Reviewed:
Darksiders
Publisher:
THQ
Developer: Vigil Games
Reviewer:
Dean Williams
Platform:
Xbox 360 (also on PS3)
Category:
Action Adventure
ERSB
Rating: M
Game Description
Darksiders begins with an introduction that
gives a disturbing depiction of the beginning of days. The kingdoms of Angels
and Demons wage war against each other, but in order to maintain balance, a
mysterious group known as the Charred Council employs the Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse to keep both sides in line. A prophecy foretells of the coming of
the kingdom of humanity, which will be crucial to the battle of end times,
which is set to begin when seven sacred seals are broken. At the breaking of
the seventh seal, Angels and Demons will fight in an open war, and the four horsemen will come in to maintain the delicate
balance between all three kingdoms.
The game begins with demons falling to the Earth and wreaking havoc on humanity. Angels fly in
and open war begins. Then the main character, War, one of the four horsemen of
the apocalypse, flies in and begins slaughtering demons AND angels from both
sides. War, being feared by both sides, is friend to no one, but as the game
opens, it is revealed that the seventh seal was never broken, and thus War
began the apocalypse too soon. The Charred Council sentences War to death, but
War, on a vendetta of revenge, persuades the Charred Council to let him pursue whoever tricked
him into starting the Apocalypse early, and thus War sets out, ready to kill
anyone or anything that stands in his way.
Throughout the game,
War traverses various locations on a now war-torn Earth, fighting off enemies,
slaying bosses in dungeons, and solving puzzles along the way. All this takes
place in a post-apocalyptic world that is clearly now run by the demonic.
Remnants of the former kingdom of humanity riddle the landscape along with
fiery pits of lava and demonic spires.
What Parents Need
to Know
Violence
Darksiders is played from a third person,
over-the-shoulder perspective. War progresses through the game, slaughtering
all demons and angels in his path. War gains new weapons and abilities either
through finding them in dungeons or through purchasing them from a demon
merchant named Vulgrim. Many of Darksiders gameplay mechanics mimic successful
games like Legend of Zelda. However, that is where the similarities end.
Darksiders is GOREY. Every swing of War's sword causes copious amounts of blood
to issue forth from his enemies. Over the course of the game, War gains new
weapons and abilities, which all continue the flow of blood and gore.
Darksiders is more like the game, God of War, in this respect. Also, as enemies near their end, a
special cut-scene can be triggered that shows War in slow motion, ending his
foe. Typically, these finishing moves involve maiming the enemy, or simply
ripping them limb from limb.
Language
Other than the occasional use of the word
"damn" or "damnation", there is no real language issue in
Darksiders.
Sexual Content
Uriel, a female angel, has a large chest
that seems to be focused upon at certain points.
Spiritual Content
In
Darksiders, there is a great deal of spiritual content to be aware of, given
its subject material. The main character, War, is one of the four horsemen of
the Apocalypse and goes forth, killing demons AND angels. God is referred to
only in rare cases as "The Creator". In almost all portions of the
game, a demonic presence is showcased. Many of the main characters are demons
who have fallen out of favor with the Destroyer. These demons have War
go on side quests until he is allowed to get his revenge. The world of
Darksiders is in and of itself a demonic place.
Reviewers Thoughts
Darksiders has its moments that make it a very fun
game to play. The
story is engaging, the puzzles at points are devilishly clever, and the music is
some of the best I have heard in recent memory in a video game. The
orchestral score intensifies each scene of the game, providing an epic
underpinning to all portions of the game. My biggest concern for parents, however, is how
demonic the environment is in which the game takes place. Many parts of the
game glorify the demonic in that War must do quests for demons or exchange
human souls as currency for items. In conclusion, if you are not comfortable
with your child playing a game that focuses heavily on the world of the demonic
then you may want to pass on Darksiders.
