Darksiders Genesis

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 124 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 86 out of 124
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 124
  3. Negative: 18 out of 124
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  1. ReviewsAreBS
    Feb 14, 2023
    9
    Great puzzles, combat is balanced, challenging (highest difficulties only) and fun. Both characters retain their individual playstyles and are on par.

    Excellent couch co-op experience, though each half-screen goes out of focus making everything a little blurry. And there are a lot or small bugs.
  2. DaeGurth
    Dec 6, 2022
    5
    Its Darksiders. Its for two players. Good universe, decent story, simple jokes and talks, but the bugs (at least in two player mode) were annoying (Sometimes the characters could just run, but not attack) Still... it was fun, without the bugs - 7-8/10.
  3. Michalcichy
    Sep 28, 2022
    9
    This is one of the best games of genre. Level and bosses design is top of the top. It is just a strawberry on top of the cake.
  4. HaloFever
    Sep 11, 2022
    7
    The twin stick, top down shooter is a nice change of pace from bloated open world adventure games. The art has that classic Darksiders feel and continues the Heaven versus Hell mythology. But the game has too many mechanics from the prior games that do not work in this kind of game. What should be a relentless drive against the seemingly endless forces of Hell becomes mired in backtrackingThe twin stick, top down shooter is a nice change of pace from bloated open world adventure games. The art has that classic Darksiders feel and continues the Heaven versus Hell mythology. But the game has too many mechanics from the prior games that do not work in this kind of game. What should be a relentless drive against the seemingly endless forces of Hell becomes mired in backtracking and some very unfun puzzle solving.

    The game has co-op but i don’t recommend it, at least not on a first play through. Only one player enjoys the twin stick shooter action of Strife. The other player has to play War and use short range sword attacks. So while Strife is strafing enemies from a safe distance, War is getting torn up by demons,. Worse, none of the puzzles require 2 players, which leaves the co-op player with little to do. Co-op ultimately feels tacked on. I would love a 4 player co-op games like Gauntlet only with the 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse. This ain’t it.

    The shooting action works great. Strife has a starter gun with infinite ammo and a decent dodge mechanic. You can dance around, shooting enemies, and getting that dopamine hut to your brain. The game later unlocks different bullet types. The only one that matters is electricity. Strife can send arc lighting to a half dozen enemies and take out entire groups in seconds. None of the other ammo types come close to the utility of arc lightning and it’s synergy with the starter pistol to build up a super attack meter.

    My problem with the combat is the layout if the environment. There is no strategy other than keeping a safe distance. Give me choke points or cover or something to elevate this over classic twin stick shooters like Robotron. One fight has an angel riding a horse in a giant circle while enemies spawn from the center. The game needed more interesting fights like this,

    The story is not memorable. You go to a game level and fight your way to the end. Rinse and repeat. Some game elements unlock over time that are required to traverse new levels. Then you can go back to old levels and open up hidden areas. None of feels like a puzzle as much as a chore. It’s like, now that you have a washing machine, you can do the laundry. What the puzzles needed were something endemic to a twin stick shooter, like following a certain path, shooting a certain sequence, or leaving certain enemies alive. I had the feeling that a good number of the developers would have rather made a traditional Darksiders game.

    I have no issue with the AA nature of the game. My playthrough was at least 20 hours. Some of the bosses were a bit spongey, and this may be an issue with adding co-op and making co-op challenging to the detriment of the single player game. Generally thus game was breezy and light and the game industry needs more of this and less bloated, padded open world games.    … Expand
  5. Raziel72
    Aug 7, 2022
    8
    Диаблоидная игра, в которой ты сможешь менять персонажей. хорошая история про Всадников
  6. Cyrus666
    Mar 3, 2022
    8
    Number of playthroughs:2 (Once on Apocalyptic Difficulty)
    Total Hours of playtime: 40 hours
    Game’s overall score based on 2 players: 8 Darksiders Genesis is a good game. It’s not my favorite game in the series but it’s fun nevertheless. I personally liked the story, the back and forth conversations between War and Strife, the setting, the gameplay. There are some problems with the    Number of playthroughs:2 (Once on Apocalyptic Difficulty)
    Total Hours of playtime: 40 hours
    Game’s overall score based on 2 players: 8

    Darksiders Genesis is a good game. It’s not my favorite game in the series but it’s fun nevertheless.
    I personally liked the story, the back and forth conversations between War and Strife, the setting, the gameplay. There are some problems with the game that keep it from reaching 10/10 for me.
    1) The platforming in a few areas is a nightmare. The top-down camera angle is not a good choice when it comes to difficult platforming. I personally hate a couple of areas like the Trickster door on Eden Prime and the Leviathan Landing were frustrating. I have no problem with platforming in games but this style of camera was new to me and it frustrated the ** out of me
    2) Bugs: We encountered a few bugs during both playthroughs. Luckily, none of the bugs were game-breaking in any way. We also encountered FPS drops in one area.

    Overall the game was good. We enjoyed playing it 2 times. I highly recommend it to the fans of the series who don’t mind the top-down style of the game.    … Expand
  7. Hackslashshoot
    Oct 7, 2021
    0
    Platforming has not worked properly in any Darksider game I have played and that would be all of them now. Platforming and puzzling in this series is dog **** I know these games could be really good but they are always disappointing. I am done with this developer
  8. ElGranMugul
    Sep 2, 2021
    9
    La banda sonora es increíble, la jugabilidad es muy frenética y divertida, para mi el mejor darksiders.
  9. Enkindled
    May 7, 2021
    9
    Darksiders Genesis is completely different than the other previous entries of the Darksiders world, majorly because of the gameplay, in which you play in isometric view and can co-op. But there is more that sets this game apart. I have the platinum for all of the Darksiders games (including this one) so I can give you a full review and comparisons. If you are scared to buy because it is soDarksiders Genesis is completely different than the other previous entries of the Darksiders world, majorly because of the gameplay, in which you play in isometric view and can co-op. But there is more that sets this game apart. I have the platinum for all of the Darksiders games (including this one) so I can give you a full review and comparisons. If you are scared to buy because it is so different from the others (like I was), don't you worry, this game is good! More bellow.

    The Good:
    - Artwork: the artwork is solid. It is not amazing, many places feel generic, but the art direction is pretty good. The mood of the game is partially affected by artwork, and this game does it right. In comparison to the other game,s it feels the same. Hence, if you like the art of Darksiders, it stays the same.
    - Soundtrack: one of the best of the entire series. The main theme is absurdly beautiful and epic, thus, when it plays on a mission it gets you hyped. Environmental music is also well-done and exciting.
    - Story: I loved the story because of one major reason: the dialogs and the interaction between War and Strife. No other Darksiders show this interaction and Darksiders Genesis brings this new feature to the table in a funny way. Strife and War are pretty different, and their dialogs and funny and show that these riders have a history. In terms of overall story, well, it feels similar to all other games. However, the interaction between the riders brings something new and fun.
    -Gameplay: I admit, I was scared to buy because of the abrupt change in gameplay. However, the isometric view is pretty good and does not affect immersion. The co-op gameplay is super fun, even if you play offline! This is important because not everyone likes to play online, for all of you that prefer offline play, don't you worry. You can change between War and Strife and adapt your fighting style on the go! I loved changing between riders depending on the enemies that I was facing and loved exploring their completely distinct fighting-style. Another good thing about the co-op is that allows local co-op, so if you have a local player 2, just plug and play.

    The Bad:
    - Lack of cutscene: the only thing I didn't like was the lack of live cut-scenes. The ones you get are static drawings, while some voice acting is done in the background. I was really frustrated by that because I wanted to see more of Strife and War in full CG cut-scenes.

    Overall, a fresh, interesting, and fun new addition to the series. I fully advise you to play this game if you are a fan of Darksiders, and action hack n' slash RPGs. Especially if you can play with a co-op partner. Don't be afraid, this game is really fun.    … Expand
  10. Hlawmaster
    Apr 9, 2021
    4
    If you wanted to continue Darsiders, why did you change the core gameplay? This is terrible. Also the guy that designed SCAR level should never ever work as a game designer...
  11. G0jiman
    Mar 13, 2021
    9
    Great gameplay, flexible skill tree along with stunning graphics and a killer soundtrack. Darksiders Genesis is a whole bag of fun
  12. Necrophat
    Feb 8, 2021
    8
    A little buggy at times and has network issues when playing co-op, but a fantastic game overall and I hope for more Darksiders.
  13. boris_out
    Feb 7, 2021
    8
    Не шедевр, но чертовки добротный диаблоид во вселенной Darksiders. Советую играть в коопе, становится куда интереснее и веселее!
  14. alexandrumna
    Dec 16, 2020
    8
    I really liked this game. As the other reviews say, it really resembles diablo in style. I had a lot of fun playing it! I love the story of this series and this as a prologue was pretty good. Not the best out of the series, but still good. I still hope to get a game in the style of the previous games for strife. Maybe even one with all four horsemen together, who knows?
  15. marcos83
    Dec 5, 2020
    9
    Gostei do game mas está faltando um dlc para prolongar mais um pouco a jogatina .
  16. Steyraus
    Nov 29, 2020
    3
    The developers and even in the game it claims it is enhance this is a lie. There is no enhancements on the Xbox or PS4 version the game is 1080p 30 frames which is crazy being an isometric game. The game itself is average at best but I can't abide Studios lying to their customers I've wasted my money on this game.
  17. Jajooka
    Nov 14, 2020
    5
    Played around 10-20 hours so far in coop. The level design seemed creative, with some puzzles and chest places, but every other aspect is of the game is mediocre (not actual bad for sure though). The battle mechanics doesn't have too much depth but a bit better then just pressing X and kill everyone. The passive skill tree and unlockable abilities doesn't improve this either. But thePlayed around 10-20 hours so far in coop. The level design seemed creative, with some puzzles and chest places, but every other aspect is of the game is mediocre (not actual bad for sure though). The battle mechanics doesn't have too much depth but a bit better then just pressing X and kill everyone. The passive skill tree and unlockable abilities doesn't improve this either. But the bigges problem is that it has (so far) no variety between enemies. There are 3-4 type mob and even the sub-bosses are the same 2 type, which makes a game feels really repeatative. ( because of this I am unsure at this point if we going to continue playing it )… Expand
  18. danield80
    Sep 20, 2020
    5
    THQ Nordic had to do four Darksiders games, one for each character. After the performance failure of Darksiders III an anti-climactic spin-off follows. Overall, the game's not remarkably bad. But there are plenty of better games of this genre. The biggest issue about this game is the local multiplayer which is a MESS. Fps drops, deloading textures, bad camera.
    With a bit stiff controls and    THQ Nordic had to do four Darksiders games, one for each character. After the performance failure of Darksiders III an anti-climactic spin-off follows. Overall, the game's not remarkably bad. But there are plenty of better games of this genre. The biggest issue about this game is the local multiplayer which is a MESS. Fps drops, deloading textures, bad camera.
    With a bit stiff controls and cringe-ass protagonist comes another instalment proving the franchise's mediocrity and overrating.
    Since the game is made by a different studio, there's a chance a proper game's in development. Otherwise, the game's title would've been 'Darksiders Exitus', right? (Not even half as cringe as Strife is.)    … Expand
  19. bersi84
    Aug 14, 2020
    7
    There are not many games where the good and the bad are so close then in this one. You get quite good content for your money, the variety is nice and the levels are build out innovatively. On the other hand the camera and the controls are horrible which makes the game as a whole less enjoyable. I kind of feel that the 7 is somewhat alright but you gotta have some patience with this game.There are not many games where the good and the bad are so close then in this one. You get quite good content for your money, the variety is nice and the levels are build out innovatively. On the other hand the camera and the controls are horrible which makes the game as a whole less enjoyable. I kind of feel that the 7 is somewhat alright but you gotta have some patience with this game. Thinking about this I feel it is a 6.5 even but I want to see the many good parts that are existent.

    I played this on my PS4 Pro with SSD. The loading times are okay-ish. Not good not bad. The visual experience of this game is pretty good but nothing too special at the same time. The game loop is interesting with two swappable characters and numerous skills that you unlock by playing on. I hate that you have to track back if you want the 100% completion. It feels like a waste of time that I didnt decide to do in the end.

    I encountered one bluescreen and one load-lock through my playthrough besides that I got perma-stuck three times but the game will kill you after some time. As I said before the camera and controls are horrible. The camera is auto controlled and sometimes the jumping or guessing of plattforming is just insanely frustrating. I also encountered some inverse controls bugs.

    The variety and play value is good but the devs should definitely do their homework for another installment because its a waste of effort with just 2 or 3 really bad game decisions they took. I can kinda recommend this game for a decent sale but have some patience and be open minded about it.    … Expand
  20. OrikhonVitaliy
    Aug 13, 2020
    8
    Раздают в икс бокс гейм пасс. И я прям очень доволен. Пощёлкать демонов и отдохнуть вполне ок. Рекомендет
  21. amralchalati
    Jul 10, 2020
    10
    I played this game with my friend and it was extramural fun! The story is cool and characters are well balanced and each one has unique play style which made the game pretty fun. The environments are very beautiful to explore and each place has it's unique flavor, the music is atmospheric and very enjoyable. Finally the bosses are huge and fun to fight and the enemies diversity is great,I played this game with my friend and it was extramural fun! The story is cool and characters are well balanced and each one has unique play style which made the game pretty fun. The environments are very beautiful to explore and each place has it's unique flavor, the music is atmospheric and very enjoyable. Finally the bosses are huge and fun to fight and the enemies diversity is great, the arena was challenging yet rewording specially the last challenge.

    We encountered some bugs here and there in co-op, but still didn't take out the enjoyment experience.

    I highly recommend to pick-up this game if you want to have fun with friends or alone.    … Expand
  22. Chempion1
    Jun 28, 2020
    4
    Начну с грустного. Мне игра не понравилась!
    Я являюсь поклонником серии Darksiders с 2010 года. Мне очень понравились первая, вторая, да и третья (хотя делала другая студия, но думаю, получилось) части франшизы.
    С Genesis, что то не так. Что же, думал я, и понял. В Genesis не так всё! Я понимаю это эксперимент с перспективой, но, на мой взгляд, он не удался. Игра не может потягаться с    Начну с грустного. Мне игра не понравилась!
    Я являюсь поклонником серии Darksiders с 2010 года. Мне очень понравились первая, вторая, да и третья (хотя делала другая студия, но думаю, получилось) части франшизы.
    С Genesis, что то не так. Что же, думал я, и понял. В Genesis не так всё!
    Я понимаю это эксперимент с перспективой, но, на мой взгляд, он не удался.
    Игра не может потягаться с Diablo III в качестве "экшен-рпг в изометрии", проигрывает по всем параметрам.
    Не знаю, но пройдя всю игру такое ощущение, что сражался все время с какими то тараканами, ни чем друг от друга не отличающимися. Между прочим, в игре рядовых противников 30 разновидностей или более, но подчеркиваю их практически невозможно друг от друга отличить. Короче враги полный отстой с данной перспективы!
    Иногда было непонятно за какого персонажа я играю в данный момент!
    Боссы. Ну, кроме Молоха, убиваются простым закликиванием. Так себе.
    Теперь то, что меня выбесило больше всего. Это УЖАСНЫЙ ПАРКУР!!! Я погибал в 99% случаев промахиваясь мимо нужных мест. Не знаю может это только на консоли, а на PC по другому, не знаю. Но из-за кривизны этого грёбаного паркура игра потеряла, для меня, балла 3. Просто можно вывихнуть пальцы, что бы запрыгнуть куда надо, много плюшек осталось не взято.
    Опять таки из-за корявой камеры иногда не видно ни героя, ни куда идти, ни хрена!
    Так же я не понял, может это фишка, но. В этой игре самая неудобная, корявая и не информативная карта местности из тех, которые я видел. Зачем то убрали место положения главного героя, при том сама карта иногда сильно отличается от реальной местности. Ещё на каждом уровне тебе чуть ли не насильно втюхивают этот "кладоискатель", но найти какую то плюшку иногда просто не реально из за хреновой карты и убогой камеры.
    Как видно из вышесказанного я играл на русском и всегда приветствую полную локализацию. Но здесь много диалогов сделано с таким ужасным эхом, что не понятно вообще кто и что говорит, только по субтитрам. Ну, можно же было сделать как то получше.
    Ещё сделали этот странный хабчик в этих змеиных норах.
    Сюжет тоже не несёт в себе ничего особо нужного. Кстати, на мой взгляд, Раздор получился очень не интересным геймплейно персонажем. Даже не знаю, как его будут обыгрывать в 4ой части, если будут.
    Единственное, что меня держало это атмосфера и то из-за плохого вида из камеры эта самая атмосфера тоже пострадала.
    Резюмирую: на мой взгляд, неудачная попытка сделать свою дьяблу. Ребята у вас НИХРЕНА не получилось. Забудьте поскорее этот экспромт и бросайте все силы на четвертую часть. Буду очень ждать. Не надо лезть в чужой монастырь со своим бухлом. Делайте то, что у вас получается!
    Не могу посоветовать её никому, особенно поклонникам серии. Игра совершенно не обязательна для прохождения!    … Expand
  23. Corvonero
    Jun 20, 2020
    8
    Fun gameplay and the isometric camera works well. A well-crafted spin-off and the price is fair.
  24. Zezaku
    Jun 19, 2020
    7
    i'm a real darksiders fan and i played all 4 games, but darksiders genesis was below my expectations in terms of gameplay. i played it through steam and had many annoying glitches i'm not sure if they exist in other consoles. but the graphics and the lore were really good. i hope THQ nordic doesn't make the same mistake in their upcoming darksiders game in terms of gameplay because ARPGi'm a real darksiders fan and i played all 4 games, but darksiders genesis was below my expectations in terms of gameplay. i played it through steam and had many annoying glitches i'm not sure if they exist in other consoles. but the graphics and the lore were really good. i hope THQ nordic doesn't make the same mistake in their upcoming darksiders game in terms of gameplay because ARPG dosen't fit them.… Expand
  25. Hannibalmath
    May 19, 2020
    10
    I really couldn't believe it. When I initially saw its trailer I was skeptical. It was obviously a Diablo wannabe. After the amazing first 2 games I was really disappointed with the, full of bugs, mediocre no3 and I had my expectations really low.
    The game is fresh, the bugs are few to none and, even though it looks as a Diablo clone, it simultaneously has the darksiders hack n' slash    I really couldn't believe it. When I initially saw its trailer I was skeptical. It was obviously a Diablo wannabe. After the amazing first 2 games I was really disappointed with the, full of bugs, mediocre no3 and I had my expectations really low.
    The game is fresh, the bugs are few to none and, even though it looks as a Diablo clone, it simultaneously has the darksiders hack n' slash flavor we loved in the past.
    If you haven't played it yet, do it. I took a platinum in 39 hours and i enjoyed every minute of it. This comes from someone who has no time to play nowadays; I just found some for this gem.    … Expand
  26. 7of9
    Apr 1, 2020
    1
    no, no, no! not at all happy with the overhead perspective. i absolutely HATE it. i cant even get interested enough to play it. i wish i hadnt bought it, thinking it would be like the other darksiders. One popular phrase says it all: IF IT AINT BROKEN, DONT FIX IT!
  27. domhd3095
    Mar 28, 2020
    9
    Maybe i‘m a little bit bias here, but i love the series! DS3 was solid, but had it‘s problems with performance. Overall i love the Darksiders Universe and the Lore! DS Genesis is a pretty awesome designed Game, the LVL‘s are amazing in my opinion. The Story is so good and keeps you motivated to play through the end. Overall i loved the experience the game delivers and i‘m looking forwardMaybe i‘m a little bit bias here, but i love the series! DS3 was solid, but had it‘s problems with performance. Overall i love the Darksiders Universe and the Lore! DS Genesis is a pretty awesome designed Game, the LVL‘s are amazing in my opinion. The Story is so good and keeps you motivated to play through the end. Overall i loved the experience the game delivers and i‘m looking forward to have 1 or maybe 2 more DS Games in the future. Big thank you to the team of Airship with Joe and everybody!… Expand
  28. RubyGlumm
    Mar 8, 2020
    10
    Мне нравится, что разработчики не боятся экспериментировать. Тут игра предстаёт перед вами совсем другая, которую мы привыкли видеть.
  29. ZEWI
    Feb 21, 2020
    10
    The game is really fun and enjoyable to play espicially if you are new to the Darksiders universe.
  30. Madcan6
    Feb 17, 2020
    10
    It's a great game with Berry many feelings of diablo with the whole look from above! I would recommend it and for the price it is its really worth it!
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Awards & Rankings

88
#88 Best PS4 Game of 2020
73
#73 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. RPG Fan
    Nov 15, 2021
    76
    While by no means the pinnacle of the series, it’s a more than worthy successor to Vigil Games’ legacy and a very enjoyable action-adventure title that fans will get a kick out of. I can only hope that Airship Syndicate will one day be able to finally give us the conclusion to this epic saga of Heaven, Hell, and the Balance between them.
    Read full review
  2. Gameblog.fr
    Apr 22, 2020
    60
    Darksiders Genesis is a pretty good spin-off to the main series. For sure, it will entertain and please the fans.
    Read full review
  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Mar 12, 2020
    80
    It’s a terrifically fun game to throw on, whether you’re playing alone or with a mate, and it proves that Darksiders still has plenty of stories to tell. [Issue#173, p.91]
See all critic reviews »