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[Darksiders] = Zelda + DMC + GoW + Panzer Dragoon + SotC + Portal.
Chance
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
DARKSIDERS 2 IS ON THE WAY
(see: 2012)
"Darksiders is The Legend of Zelda...
if Hyrule were destroyed in the Apocalypse,
Link was given a chain gun,
and grew some balls."
Release date : January 5th 2010
360 & PS3
(see: 2012)
"Darksiders is The Legend of Zelda...
if Hyrule were destroyed in the Apocalypse,
Link was given a chain gun,
and grew some balls."
Release date : January 5th 2010
360 & PS3
Reviews. There were some early 9s and 10s that showed up in early December, but early reviews are often full of crap - so here's some that popped up the week prior to release.
9/10 - IGN Australia.
9/10 - IGN UK.
8.5/10 - Game Informer.
My fave so far is this review from AusGamer (9/10), which basically tells me everything I wanted to hear about the game.
If you don't trust those damned cynical professionals, and would prefer to hear the organized opinions of some fellow PAers, here's Professor Snugglesworth's review. And, why the hell not - here's mine.
Darksiders! What's the story? Who's the dev? Why should you care? I'm here to tell you, bucko.
The Developer
Vigil Games haven't made anything else, and Darksiders has been in development for years. In terms of pedigree, this game has nothing. Nothing, that is, unless you count comic book artist Joe Madureira. He formed Vigil Games with David Adams and some other talent from NCsoft.
Now, word is Joe "Mad" is a big deal in the world of comics - I can't vouch for that - but I can say that even with the traditional post-apocalyptic grey-and-brown world, I love this game's art style.
Screenshots! (Big, BIG screenshots.)
Spoiler:
...y'know, these shots don't quite sell the game for me. Perhaps it's better I point you towards this trailer. This is the one that made me sit up and take notice.
The Story
The basic premise is, you play as War - one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The first playable part of the game is you and your Mounted Apocalypse Posse ripping the Earth a new one to usher in the end of days, Book of Revelations-style.
What a twist! You were tricked into triggering the apocalypse early! Left in limbo for a hundred years, you are judged guilty by the overseers of the Balance - but you convince them to let you return to Earth to find the orchestrator of your betrayal.
Once you get back to the mortal plane, it's not all kittens and puppies. The world has been torn apart by a century of war between the angels and the demons - and they both want you dead. To make matters worse, your glove has been possessed by Mark Hamil.
This happy fellow is a malicious spirit that the overseers of the Balance stuck you with, to keep an eye on you while you're out of their presence. Described by the developers as an "evil Navi," The Watcher will point stuff out to you - but he's not necessarily there to help...
Why should you care?
I was once like you. When I first saw video of Darksiders, I was blown away that they were willing to show anything at all. A generic, chunky he-man slices up a generic-looking monster in a vast, empty waste that looked... well, you get the idea. It looked awful. But the more I see, the more I like it.
Combat
Once War whittles down his enemies, he can dispatch them with brutal finishers. So it's got a little God of War in there. I've also seen War blast an enemy into the air with his sword and keep him aloft with a hail of gunfire - so it's got a little Devil May Cry as well. If you're going to crib elements of combat, it doesn't hurt to start with the best.
Voice Talent
We all love Mark Hamil, but my personal favorite VO is Phil LaMarr. He's Hermes Conrad (and many others) on Futurama, he's Samurai Jack, he's Vamp in Metal Gear Solid, and he's Marvin - who gets his head blown off in the back seat - in Pulp Fiction. LaMarr plays Vulgrim - essentially, the demonic merchant War buys his gear from.
If you watched the video I liked above, you probably recognize War's voice from somewhere, but you can't pin it down. Well, that's Liam O'Brien , best known for his work in the English localizations of anime. He's quite a prolific talent. Anyway - all this stuff is nice, but here's the kicker. Here's the important bit:
It's like Zelda
The Watcher is an "evil Navi" and your horse is like "a bad-ass Epona." Seeing a trend here?
At media events, when discussing the game with devs, journalists are quick to compare it to combat-heavy games like God of War and Devil May Cry, but the developers shrug off these lables and straight-out say the game Darksiders is most like is Zelda.
You've got a giant open world. A lot of it, you can't access yet. You're not strong enough, or you don't have the right tool.
You find new powers and tools by entering dungeons. Each dungeon is unique, and each one houses a special artifact that - naturally - will be key to solving future puzzles and bringing down that dungeon's boss monster.
Once you leave the dungeon, you discover your new found power will grant you passage to previously inaccessible areas - and there, you will likely discover a new dungeon...
So that's it, that's my spiel. Dig on some trailers if you want more media, but it's this multi-part developer walkthrough that really sold me:
Part One.
Part Two.
Part Three.
Chance on
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Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
Want.
This.
NOW.
I will devour the flesh and bone of any who get in my way of getting it.
Well, umm, it's a game about one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
You know, the four guys who show up to end the world?
They were kind of the definition of "extreme" long before Mcfarlane's shit existed.
Or if you prefer you could say they're the epitome of "metal". Perhaps even "fucking metal".
He's not compensating! No, not at all!
I totally agree - but it's still a funny quote from the devs.
As to the whole "Todd McFarlane" thing - the game's creative lead is an ex-comic book artist. I never felt it was trying to be too extreme (War, Ruin - his horse - and the angels' armor are all pretty chunky-crazy though) - but even if it is, I'm blinded by the concept of a treasured game-style that's never been made expressly for an adult audience.
Zelda and Okami are great - but they're also made with a different, younger, more-forgiving audience in mind. This is a Zelda-like made for us.
'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
Oh wait, no. It's a creatively bankrupt artstyle that was shit the first time round and is doubly shit upon being regurgitated several years later.
Having that shitty artstyle and then having it be about the four horsemen of the apocalypse only serves to make things worse. AWW SHIT! YOU'RE MOTHERFUCKING WAR! COME TO END THE WORLD! OHHHHHHH! AND YOU WERE BETRAYED AND NOW SOMEONE'S GONNA PAY!
Really? Really guys? Wrath of War? I just... *sigh* Adult Audience? Hahahaha. Try "14 yr old boy" audience.
I want Zelda-type gameplay from more than just Zelda, dammit. Nintendo takes too fucking long making them.
Xbox: UnbreakableVows | PSN/Wii U: UnbreakableVow | 3DS: 1521-3241-9354
Yeah I know. I don't really care much for what little I've seen of this, but it still begs the question as to why more games don't attempt the Zelda formula.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
Or Metroid.
Though we just had two Metroid-styles in two weeks (Shadow Complex and Batman: Arkham Asylum), so maybe people are finally catching on after, you know, twenty years.
Xbox: UnbreakableVows | PSN/Wii U: UnbreakableVow | 3DS: 1521-3241-9354
Gonna say it again: this game is being made by the people making the Warhammer 40k MMO. Don't know about you, but they seem pretty similar aesthetically. Maybe the plotting is a little weak, and I'll admit that I groaned at the subtitle(which I haven't seen all that publicized recently, so maybe they wised up).
I can take or leave the stylings, but Zelda gameplay is always good.
PSN & XBL - OFRunner | SS FC - 3782 1420 3176 DIA FC - 2150 0629 4353 | Steam ID | LoL
I seriously don't even give a shit how fucking 90's it is, I'll play any game for Luke Skywalker
PSN ID : DetectiveOlivaw | TWITTER | SCREENED | STEAM ID | BUY SOME STUFF!
But then again, I guess video games are a serious artistic genre where letting your hair down and slaying thousands of foes while drinking virgin blood and carrying a dozen maidens across your shoulders is forbidden.
Edit - Okay not sure if it's there; might be. But holy crap you play as one of the Four Horsemen (that would explain the name) yesssss.
Edit - And Mark Hammil is a yesplz.
...but with a ton more pseudo-badass attitude?
Fuck yeah it is.
Xbox: UnbreakableVows | PSN/Wii U: UnbreakableVow | 3DS: 1521-3241-9354
WiiU: JamWarrior
Oh it's such a nice day, I think I'll go out the window! Whoa!
I also want to have Mark Hamill follow me around and comment on everything I do.
In real life.
GOD DAMN IT EA, STOP MILKING THOSE CLICHÉS!
Don't claim your game is like any other game because it will seem like you set out to duplicate it and, more often than not, failed to do so. Perhaps not failed at making a decent game, but failed to make a Zelda game.
Nintendo Network ID: unclesporky
It does look pretty generic/boring in a sort of gothic RAWR BRUTAL kind of way.
I mean,that's basically what Zelda IS and I think Zelda even invented that kind of gameplay.
So I can understand that when people ask "So what's your gameplay like?" they say "It's like Zelda!" explaining for 5 minutes.
Oh it's such a nice day, I think I'll go out the window! Whoa!
Basically with a bit of luck, this'll be good good times.
There's a reason they look alike. Joe Madueira (sp?) is doing the artwork and cocept designs for both of them. I've always liked his style but I still haven't forgiven him for being part of Ultimates 3.
While people on message boards are quick to say "omg this game looks just like <x> only better," devs should not be going around touting their game as being like <x>. It's like you know your product is inferior but want the association with a much better game to improve its reputation. That's why there are so many cruddy games from no-names saying "it's like GTA mixed with Gears of War mixed with Zelda!"
Nintendo Network ID: unclesporky
Well,but instead of GTA you can say "open world", instead of gears of War you can say "third person shooter with cover mechanic". But what do you say instead of Zelda? Action Adventure? Open world action adventure?
One of the walkthrough video's was all about how badass WAR was because he'll kill angels too.