You know, sometimes a game can just be fun.

You don't need brand-new and unique mechanics that have been A/B tested to death.
You don't need to collect a thousand trinkets to get a "true" ending.
You don't need an amazing story.
You don't need a 100 hour-long campaign.
You don't need a tacked-on multiplayer.
You don't need to sUbVeRt ThE pLaYeR's ExPeCtAtIoNs.

Sometimes, a game can just be fun. Darksiders is fun.

It's the most video game-y video game to ever video game. It wears its inspiration on its shoulders, taking the best mechanics from what other games did well, and mixes them up into a game that's satisfying to play. That's what Darksiders is, and that's what it does. The comparisons you've heard from others is right: It's heavily inspired by Zelda and God of War. The puzzles are satisfying to solve and utilize the new weapon you obtain in each section of the game. Each puzzle offers plenty of verticality and requires some lateral thinking to solve them to keep things fresh. Between puzzles, you'll often be fighting off the denizens of hell with your comically oversized sword. Combat feels visceral and satisfying, and will feel right at home for anyone who has played other character-based action games like God of War, Bayonetta, or Devil May Cry. While it's not as deep or as complex as the aforementioned games, the combat system is still very solid and gives you enough options to mix things up and approach combat however you'd like. You have options to go all-out in one-on-one encounters, juggle enemies, and use other weapons for crowd control, which all keep you on your toes from fight to fight.

Is Darksiders perfect? No. I snoozed through the story, paying attention just long enough to hear the next quirky line your Mark Hamill sidekick spat out. Some boss fights are either too obtuse or have a ridiculous difficulty spike. Many enemies and bosses have broken hitboxes. Combo chains ultimately mean nothing and end too quickly, and the "finishers" for each enemy will get old after the first or second time you see them.

I tend to judge a game by the sum of its parts, so I don't believe these annoyances detract enough from the game to the point where the good parts were tainted or marred by the bad parts. I believe the good parts of this game outweigh the ultimately benign issues I've had with it.

In summary: I enjoyed my time with Darksiders. I would say that anyone who liked the 3D Zelda games, God of War, Bayonetta, or Devil May Cry will find some amount of enjoyment from this game, and it holds up well enough that it's worth playing even today.

You don't need much to have a fun game. Darksiders is just a fun game.

You know, sometimes a game can just be fun. You don't need brand-new and unique mechanics that have been A/B tested to death. You don't need to collect a thousand trinkets to get a "true" ending. You don't need an amazing story. You don't need a 100 hour-long campaign. You don't need a tacked-on multiplayer. You don't need to sUbVeRt ThE pLaYeR's ExPeCtAtIoNs. Sometimes, a game can just be fun. Darksiders is fun. It's the most video game-y video game to ever video game. It wears its inspiration on its shoulders, taking the best mechanics from what other games did well, and mixes them up into a game that's satisfying to play. That's what Darksiders is, and that's what it does. The comparisons you've heard from others is right: It's heavily inspired by Zelda and God of War. The puzzles are satisfying to solve and utilize the new weapon you obtain in each section of the game. Each puzzle offers plenty of verticality and requires some lateral thinking to solve them to keep things fresh. Between puzzles, you'll often be fighting off the denizens of hell with your comically oversized sword. Combat feels visceral and satisfying, and will feel right at home for anyone who has played other character-based action games like God of War, Bayonetta, or Devil May Cry. While it's not as deep or as complex as the aforementioned games, the combat system is still very solid and gives you enough options to mix things up and approach combat however you'd like. You have options to go all-out in one-on-one encounters, juggle enemies, and use other weapons for crowd control, which all keep you on your toes from fight to fight. Is Darksiders perfect? No. I snoozed through the story, paying attention just long enough to hear the next quirky line your Mark Hamill sidekick spat out. Some boss fights are either too obtuse or have a ridiculous difficulty spike. Many enemies and bosses have broken hitboxes. Combo chains ultimately mean nothing and end too quickly, and the "finishers" for each enemy will get old after the first or second time you see them. I tend to judge a game by the sum of its parts, so I don't believe these annoyances detract enough from the game to the point where the good parts were tainted or marred by the bad parts. I believe the good parts of this game outweigh the ultimately benign issues I've had with it. In summary: I enjoyed my time with Darksiders. I would say that anyone who liked the 3D Zelda games, God of War, Bayonetta, or Devil May Cry will find some amount of enjoyment from this game, and it holds up well enough that it's worth playing even today. You don't need much to have a fun game. Darksiders is just a fun game.