Preview: Death Is So Bad Ass In Darksiders II

Death, the first thing that comes to your mind would be the Grim Reaper as we know that is the supernatural being that comes along to take your life once it has ended. With a scythe in hand, skeleton like face and body and weird cloak, however this is not the Death we see in THQ’s upcoming Darksiders II but instead we are treated to a more badass and able character.

So recently I was given the opportunity to try out the final build of the upcoming title, meaning everything was available and I could see the game through to the end (which was obviously not possible considering the amount of time). This time Darksiders features a new hero, if you can call him that called Death who is out to prove his brother War is innocent for a crime he didn’t commit and for those who didn’t play the last game, we’re given a quick catch up with an introduction explaining events which proved to be pretty useful. Now Death is far from your dashing knight in armour but he has the kind of mobility that makes him pretty fun to play, along with being able to call up a demon horse called Despair at will, it makes for an overall pretty epic character. Wall climbing, weapon skills, ability to use crazy magic, yeah you name it and Death can probably do it. I find it interesting though seeing as I initially had a completely different idea of what the character looked like however in essence just think of the Grim Reaper, except he started lifting weights and learning gymnastics.

Death likes to just hang around... A LOT!

Now if I were to point out the main elements of Darksiders II it would have to be combat, exploration and RPG aspects in the form of experience points and learning new skills. I never thought I’d have so much fun flipping over and slicing up ice monsters but all the while, it felt very fluid which just made the experience even better. This is coupled by the fact that you can carry both a primary and secondary weapon with the ability to switch between them mid combo, therefore creating what looks to be some devastating attacks. At the beginning you start with your Scythe however new weapons can be found around the environment or be dropped by enemies.

Exploration is heavily encouraged as environments are huge and there are always lots things to find such as chests and items which could contain weapons or armour. The dungeons themselves are pretty expansive and make for a good explorative experience. Good thing there is a horse because I couldn’t imagine walking or running around the game world but perhaps that isn't such a bad thing.

Everyone's favourite steed, Despair to the rescue.

Last but not least is the XP in which you can gain by defeating enemies. Once you gain enough, you level up by one and gain a skill point. These skill points can be used to enhance Death’s current skills or gain completely new ones. There is a lot to choose from and I like the sound of customising Death to your preferences. It is unknown whether you can unlock every skill possible through one playthrough and whether you get to keep said skills if you decided to go through it again.

Right now, Darksiders II looks to be a solid title and many aspects of it remind me of other games that were both fun and enjoyable to play. There seems to be a lot of content and with the addition of side quests, I doubt you will be left bored. Darksiders II is scheduled to be released on August 21st and make sure to keep your eyes peeled here for the full review.