Darksiders Genesis

Darksiders Genesis is a wildly different game to Darksiders I and II, and is nowhere near as competent with its design. It is, however, a hell of a lot of fun, with the inclusion of co-op being a standout feature. Paying £350 for the Nephilim Edition is a massive stretch, though.

Darksiders Genesis takes most of what you love about the Darksiders games and gives them a fresh spin. While I do wish that it had maintained the unified world of its mainline brethren, the adventure is thrilling from beginning to end. The Switch port itself certainly has some rough spots, but is overall still a solid way to experience Darksiders Genesis. An oddly hidden mission reward system and horrible map may cause some confusion, but the music and character dialogue are all superb. Fans of the Darksiders franchise will almost certainly find enjoyment here and newcomers can feel at ease knowing that they don’t need to play the previous entries to enjoy this one.

Darksiders Genesis perfectly mixes Action-RPG and puzzle platformer mechanics, delivering an experience closer to Darksiders 1 than Diablo, and doubles the fun featuring a local/online coop mode.

It looks like Diablo, it plays like God of War, what Darksiders do we have? An original and enjoyable one, with some attractive ideas that now arrive to consoles with a good port, event if it has with some problems (on Switch runs at 30 fps, some problems loading textures...). Regardless, it's an enjoyable hack'n slash playing alone or coop.

Despite losing a little of the polish the other console versions enjoy, Darksiders: Genesis on the Switch feels just as satisfying to play.

Darksiders Genesis is a welcome addition to a solid franchise and does a good job at expanding on the universe. Despite the shift in camera perspective, the game retains its signature blend of combat, puzzles and platforming and is a joy to play. Small issues like a woeful map and occasional bugs get in the way of the action a little, but the addition of co-op and the excellent gameplay more than makes up for any shortfalls. Genesis is a must-play for fans of the series and those looking for some solid action on the Switch.

Despite being a spin-off and switching to an isometric view, this game maintains the essence of the main saga by combining its great artistic design and its action, platforms, puzzles and exploration. It is a very fun and replayable title.

Darksiders Genesis is a pretty decent hack-and-slash adventure that takes the series in an interesting new direction. While my experience with the game rarely left me jaw-dropped, I nonetheless had an entertaining time slashing away at demons and finally getting to play as the fourth and final horseman.

With its fun and engaging combat, a healthy mix between hack and slash and RPG elements and an enjoyable rapport between the two protagonists, Darksiders Genesis might be the most fun chapter in the series so far. Despite a sub-par performance on the Nintendo Switch screen and a not very functional map that could be more helpful, this is a game that will most certainly marvel any fan of the genre and which deserves an opportunity by every other Switch player too.

Darksiders Genesis has its flaws for sure. It is still a lot of fun to play and it remains a solid entry in the Darksiders series. I would only recommend playing it in TV mode. With that being said, it might be hard to recommend the Switch version itself if other versions of the game are available, as I suspect the higher resolution may make certain objects easier to spot within the game. If you are a fan of Darksiders though, I can’t recommend this enough. There is a lot here that adds to the overall backstory of the Four Horsemen and the Charred Council.

Technical foibles aside, Darksiders Genesis provides yet another fresh take on everyone's favourite Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The isometric viewpoint is an interesting new direction and one that isn't quite justified by the familiar hack 'n' slash action, but this is nevertheless a fun and well-designed experience that stays true to its roots despite its diminished scale. Fans of Darksiders will surely find a lot to enjoy here.

The game has a good visual style, but you just a feel a little distant from the action due to the fixed viewpoint. Cooperative play is a nice touch and a welcome addition for the franchise. However, its implementation has not been thought through properly. Darksiders Genesis may forever be in the shadow of Diablo III, but that’s not necessarily a bad place to be. If you are a fan of Blizzard’s ARPG, chances are you’ll find a lot to enjoy here. I know that I did.

Darksiders Genesis is, for us, the best entry in the series in terms of its mix of satisfyingly meaty hack-and-slash action and huge levels filled with secrets, puzzles and platforming. With its fully co-op campaign, unlockable arena mode and Apocalyptic difficulty feeding into that addictive Creature Core grinding, there's an absolute ton here for fans of the series – and newcomers alike – to get stuck into. This Switch version may suffer some slight blurriness and FPS hiccups in portable mode but, if you can make peace with these problems, this is a highly entertaining action game at a very reasonable price.

If you’re a Darksiders diehard, consider picking up Daksiders Genesis on a different platform. It’s near unplayable on the Switch, but has the seeming makings of a better outcome, elsewhere.