Darksiders Genesis

From the dawn of creation, the council has maintained the Balance across existence. Carrying out their orders are the Horsemen, Nephilim (powerful beings spawned from the unnatural union of angels and demons) who have pledged themselves to the Council and been granted immense power. However, this power came at a tragic cost: the Horsemen were ordered to use their newfound strength to wipe out the rest of their kind. What followed was a bloody battle on Eden where the Horsemen, obeying the will of the Council, annihilated the Nephilim.

Still reeling from the events on Eden, War and Strife have been given a new assignment — Lucifer, the enigmatic and deceptive demon king, has been plotting to upset the Balance by granting power to master demons throughout Hell. War and Strife must hunt down these masters, gather information, and ultimately fight their way through a tangled, demonic conspiracy that threatens to forever upset the Balance and unravel all of creation.

Darksiders: Genesis is an action/adventure that tears its way through hordes of demons, angels, and everything in-between on its way to Hell and back with guns blazing and swords swinging. Genesis gives players their first look at the world of Darksiders before the events of the original game, as well as introduces the Horseman Strife. The gun-wielding Horseman Strife serves the Council to maintain the Balance while keeping an eye on his own best interests. Strife is decisive with a short fuse, always ready to empty a clip before asking a question. He fights fast and loose, utilizing his dual handguns Mercy and Redemption to tear down any angel or demon that stands in his way.

Unlike previous Darksiders games, Genesis is a top-down action RPG in the vein of Diablo. Stepping away from the full-on Metroidvania feel of the previous entries, Genesis allows for a more tactical and role-playing feel. You get to swap between the powerful swordsman War and Strife instantly in frenetic, single-player gameplay. Explore the epic world of Darksiders and wreak havoc with a friend in two-player cooperative mode or experience a brand new story campaign that takes place before the original Darksiders, exploring the origin of the Seven Seals.

It’s a dramatic departure for the series, but after the middling reviews of Darksiders 3, it’s a much-needed change. Fans of the first three games will still find a lot to love in Genesis and newcomers might feel more at home with the familiar Diablo-style gameplay. Regardless, Darksiders Genesis is a step in the right direction for the series and promises to fulfills the potential it always deserved.