Game review 04 December 2019, 17:00 author: Patrick Manelski A fanatic of MMO-games, who's lost in the fantasy world. He won't say no to a good book or TV series. Darksiders Genesis Review  Looks like Diablo, but This Still is Darksiders Is there any point in releasing a spin-off prequel after three parts of the series  and switching to isometric perspective? Surprisingly  yes. Genesis is so good, in fact, that I wish it was the first game of this franchise. The review is based on the PC version.

Darksiders is a series that gives me warm feelings. However, the third part was, in my opinion, underwhelming in many aspects, and I had mixed feelings about coming back to the Fury. When I learned the new game will allow us to control Strife, the last Horseman, I was really thrilled. Then, they presented this whole Darksiders Genesis, which at first glance looked like some kind of budget variation on Diablo. But eventually, I was reminded of the old truth: do not judge a book by its cover. As it turns out, the new spin-off of the series is 100% Darksiders, only isometric!

War and Strifes dance with demons

Darksiders Genesis is a prequel for the entire series. The story takes place before the events known from Darksiders and the finale of this game is a prelude to the original. So if you're only interested in the story, it's just one thing that makes Darksiders Genesis worth it. Just keep in mind that the plot is rather simple, so do not expect crazy turns of events  only an excuse to mutilate demons.

One can even say that the Riders are incredibly naive, their decisions seem meaningless, and the last scene may seem unfinished. It's like another act is missing. However, this is totally not the case, because after the end of Darksiders Genesis, you should jump right into the first Darksiders, for this spin-off lays the foundation to all subsequent events in a perfect way.

WHAT'S THE RIGHT ORDER TO PLAY DARKSIDERS? Just like with Star Wars  you have to decide yourself. If you want to fallow the story chronologically, you have to begin with Darksiders Genesis, and then with all the subsequent parts. But of course nothing prevents you from finishing the full playthrough with this sequel. The narrative may seem incomplete at first, but everything certainly makes sense if you know the full story.

The last Horseman and his pals

PROS: Isometric perspective works great; Riding horses, and even two; Dynamic combat that requires thinking; The platform elements work perfectly; A lot of mysteries, secrets and collectables; Challenging difficulty level; Co-op split screen mode; CONS: Non-intuitive map; Minor graphical glitches; The story is really naive; Random, split-second freezes of the character.

Throughout the sixteen chapters, we will accompany Strife and War in their pursuit of the mission ordered by the Council  see for yourself which demon they have to chase. Along the way, we'll meet some old friends, a lot of new characters, and will either grow to love or hate the last Rider. Strife is rather specific  a cynical, self-confident jester who sometimes throws in some boorish one-liners.

Hats off to the devs, who decided to also give us another protagonist  without War, Strife would be a real nuisance. Accompanied by War, however, his malice gains a certain charm, contrasting with War's stern, military disposition. The dialogues between them are rather typical, but they have a few pretty amusing moments. A big advantage is the fact that story does actually exist in Darksiders Genesis  they often comment the events, and there's plenty of animated, cartoonish interludes.

The later are actually really good. Beautifully drawn, they perfectly convey the atmosphere and work better than regular cut-scenes on game engine. Also noteworthy is the full dubbing, which I definitely liked. The actors who voiced enmity and war were able to convey the spirit of these characters. I was only twisting the nose of the main antagonist (although using the child's voice was a jackpot), who sounded like he was reading his text from a card.