Over two years ago, Darksiders showed us the end of the world, and we met War, a Horseman of the Apocalypse and the unlikeliest hero. Darksiders II shines the spotlight on his eldest brother Death, the only horseman who was explicitly named in biblical text and arguably the most terrifying and powerful of the Four. Through his eyes, Vigil Games tells another side of the story we already know, one centered on guilt and vindication. As War rampages across the Third Kingdom, searching for the truth behind humanity’s untimely extinction, Death leads a campaign of his own, hoping to save War and clear his name.

Darksiders II takes place concurrently to the first game, meaning the story doesn’t really progress forward from Darksiders’ cliffhanger ending. Instead, the sequel focuses on expanding the lore, which adds to the existing plot. We pick up Death’s trail shortly after the Apocalypse is prematurely triggered, when everyone still believes War is responsible for damning mankind. Interestingly, this timeframe also means the player goes in with a better understanding of the situation than any of the characters – assuming you’ve played the first Darksiders.

Building Your Own Reaper

While Darksiders II sticks to its roots as a hack ‘n’ slash, the new protagonist and addition of RPG features are notable contrasts to the previous game. Death is a different breed of fighter than his brother, one who favors speed and agility over brute force. This is apparent even in the way he looks and the double scythes he carries. As Death, evade is your primary defensive move, and the removal of blocking – along with Death’s superior mobility – dramatically changes the rhythm of combat. Even the puzzles have been redesigned to accommodate his agility, by incorporating an elaborate mix of jumping and wall running, like platformer meets parkour.

Skill trees, an entirely new element in Darksiders, allow players to customize the Pale Rider in any number of ways. He isn’t exactly a walking tank, but you can build him for melee, ranged, or mixed combat. The Harbinger tree can be considered a warrior track, whereas the Necromancer path is akin to spell caster. One focuses on improving Strength and critical, and the other lets Death summon ghouls and crows for aid. Both do provide a bit of sustainability, and buyable respecs mean you can play around with different builds to your heart’s content.

Like War, Death has a primary weapon – dual scythes –and a ranged weapon or skill. In addition to these, he’s also got a secondary melee weapon, and the game offers a number of options to choose from, depending on your preferred play style. His primary weapon slot will always be occupied by scythes, while the secondary can be a hammer, glaive, gauntlets, claws, and so forth, all categorized either as heavy or light, balancing damage with speed. For added depth, super rare Possessed Weapons allow players to further customize their Reaper. These special items can evolve when “fed” unwanted gear, adopting the stats and effects of the items that they cannibalize. The concept is fairly similar to Enchanting in The Elder Scrolls.

Gear is a major factor in how the player customizes Death, and this extends to both his arsenal and armor. Darksiders II adopts a new randomized loot system, where any kill or chest could drop a potentially epic (or crappy) piece of gear. Death’s appearance will change based on his equipment too. Armor that improves Arcane and Wrath tends to look softer, with more cloth to closely resemble mage’s garb. By contrast, Strength and attack pieces incorporate spikes, metal, and other such elements. You are what you wear.

Bigger Than Before

On top of an unexpectedly robust character progression system, the world of Darksiders II has also seen significant expansion. Death’s playground spans multiple sprawling realms, favoring an open world feel over the first game’s linearity. Through his explorations, we’re introduced to a universe that goes well beyond Heaven and Hell, angels and demons. There are the Celtic inspired Forge Lands, occupied by noble giants calling themselves “Makers,” and the Kingdom of the Dead, where all spirits must eventually tread.

Death’s horse Despair can be summoned in most places, and fast travel provides an even speedier means of transportation. Getting around certainly isn’t an issue, but the various realms might feel a bit more meaningful with a few more NPCs peppered in. Granted, there’s a reason every world is suddenly barren of life (you’ll have to play to find out why), but a few more NPCs to chat with doesn’t seem like a whole lot to ask for.

All the realms, no matter how big or small, have their share of quests and other distractions. All zones will give Death optional objectives to complete and collectibles to find, though larger realms also boast extra dungeons and other explorable spots, not to mention more quest givers. Although most NPCs happen to be quest givers, Death can converse with them about the world and their circumstances, which is actually a pretty interesting way to learn more about the series lore. Character interactions are slightly more complex than they were in Darksiders, when conversations only happened during cutscenes. Just don’t expect branching dialogue trees and “Good vs. Evil” decisions.

Within the campaign is Darksiders’ new Arena mode, where players can face down waves of enemies and earn extra loot for their troubles. After a certain point in the story, Death receives an invitation to the Crucible arena, and as the questline continues, more invitations unlock more stages. No experience is rewarded for participating, thus preventing players from farming XP and power leveling. If you’re looking for Death’s ultimate armor and other legendary loot, however, the Crucible is a must. For players such as myself who aren’t fans of challenge modes, I’m afraid you’ll have to miss out on some excellent loot.

The Story of Death

Since the sequel is building on an existing plot, the lack of earth-shattering revelations makes sense. That’s not to say Darksiders II is without its surprises. Fans will especially appreciate the new developments and lore reveals, just nothing so dramatic as Azrael’s cutscene from the first game. By this point, most of us know the truth behind the Apocalypse, even if the characters themselves have yet to find out. It’s through this narrative vantage point that we are given proper insight into the most important players in Darksiders, like the Hellguard’s plight and the Dark Prince’s ominous machinations. In the second game, there is a clear emphasis on character development, and the player is actually invited into Death’s mind to better understand what drives him – namely why he is so determined to help War.

Improved pacing also makes the plot a bit easier to follow. Unlike Darksiders, the second game maintains a steadier pace, which mostly means you aren’t going to suffer through excessively difficult puzzle sequences (“The beams. Redirect the beams.”) at random. The puzzles do get tougher as Death acquires more abilities, but nothing a little patience won’t solve. Most of the running around and exploration takes place earlier in the campaign, since the starting realm is the largest. As the main questline carries on, realms start to scale down, and most of your time will be occupied with puzzles and boss battles rather than traveling.

Final Thoughts

In terms of gameplay, Vigil’s decision to incorporate RPG into their hack ‘n’ slash action series has proven successful. The customization is positively addicting, bringing to the table some much needed depth. The loot system, Arena mode, and New Game+ all contribute to the game’s seemingly infinite replayability. Perhaps my biggest issue remains with the Crucible and the accessibility of legendary loot, particularly Death’s ultimate armor. As someone who isn’t all that into challenge modes – I skipped out on them in the Arkham games – I’d argue that the armor should be made accessible in the same way War’s Abyssal armor was unlocked, via collectibles.

After Darksiders, I couldn’t imagine what a second game might entail. The universe that Vigil has envisioned is absolutely brilliant and gorgeous, with an obvious originality that the industry seems to lack. Joe Madureira’s distinct visual style coupled with composer Jesper Kyd’s musical talents are impossible to overlook. As a whole, Darksiders II is a definite step forward for the series, and if this game is any indication, the next chapter in the Darksiders saga will surely blow us away.