Summary
The story of how theDarksidersfranchise came to be begins with Vigil Games, a studio founded by Joe Madureira and David Adams back in 2005. From that point on, the story of the Four Horsemen and the eerie Charred Council that handles them, has been handled by several different studios.
It is no surprise that the many games which resulted from collaboration between all the parts involvedhave different takes on the original IP, and some of them have better qualities than others. Still, all of them are great games. However, this is a ranked list of allDarksidersgames, from worst to best, considering technical aspects, narrative, gameplay, and general design.
Darksiders Genesisis an isometric action game where players incarnate Strife, the fourth Horsman, and an agent of the Charred Council, looking for answers. The story serves as a prequel to the events ofDarksiders, where players will have to fight through countless hordes of enemies in hack-and-slash fashion.
Despite the story being a bit simple and linear, and the lore not as abundant as the other games,Genesisis an overall good game. The fact that this was the first game in the franchise that introduced cooperative play is also important, although not critical for gameplay, and it can be enjoyed by a single player as well.
InDarksiders 3we control Fury, the only female of the Four Horsemen, and the one with the coolest weapon. During the development of this game, the influence of Soulslikes and modern RPGs hadsomewhat shifted the directionfrom the franchise’s essence, and players got a different style of game than what they were used to.
Since this game is essentially different from every otherDarksidersgame (much likeGenesisis), it is hard to measure it by the same standards. The game is still fun to play and has a lot of cool mechanics, but sadly, it is that same coalescence of many ideas that made it lose its original identity, something that fans had a hard time dealing with.
In terms of narrative,Darksiders 2is superior tothe majority of the games in the franchise, and in terms of gameplay, it sits in a comfortable position betweenDarksidersandDarksiders 3. A game that follows the same direction as the originalDarksiders, presenting another of the Four Horsemen, being called by the Charred Council, and shedding some light on the events of the first game.
Death is definitely the Horseman with the coolest design, and his fighting style is both strong and agile, contrary to the powerful War, and the even faster Fury and Strife. This means balanced combat for a balanced game, though its level design can be a little repetitive and lacks the environmental storytelling of the firstDarksiders.
3Darksiders 2: Deathfinitive Edition
Even Better Than The Original Version
Darksiders 2: Deathfinitive Editionis, logically, a better game thanDarksiders 2. With improved rendering, shadings, illumination effects, and a considerable technical overhaul that corrects some issues from its predecessor. It also integrates all the original’s DLCs, adding over 30 hours of extra gameplay and a rebalanced reward system.
Looting is more balanced, and the item level progresses more seamlessly as players move forward in their adventure, making the power scaling of Death feel fun and rewarding. Another good aspect of this edition that makes it superior to the previous iteration is that the game runs in native 1080p, something many fans will appreciate.
2Darksiders
The Beginning Of The Saga, And An Incredible Game
Darksidersis the beginning of the franchise and the first experience that fans had with the universe envisioned by Joe Madureira and David Adams. The game introduces the first of the Four Horsemen to players: War, tasked by the mysterious Charred Council to investigate why the Endwar (basically the Apocalypse) began before its scheduled time.
The game has a lot of strong points, and the main character is the best in the franchise. Not only because he feels powerful and superior in combat to the other three Horsemen, but also because his overalldesign and background fit perfectly with the loreofDarksiders. In terms of gameplay, the originalDarksidershad the perfect combination of hack-and-slash action and adventure, and was less RPG-like than the later iterations of the franchise.
Of all the things thatDarksidersdid right,Darksiders Warmastered Editiondid better, withbigger and better texture resolutions(support up to 4k), and better renders, including re-rendered cutscenes and shadows. In general, it was a graphical overhaul, and fixed many of the original’s technical shortcomings, almost putting it on par with next-gen games.
The engine was optimized, making it run seamlessly, ensuring FPS stability and advanced postprocessing options that weren’t available in the original version. In a game such asDarksiders, with such brutal and graphic combat, it totally makes sense that the devs put a special emphasis on improving how the game runs. Therefore, theWarmasteredEditionis definitely the best of allDarksidersgames, both in its technical and design aspects.
