Every Darksiders game has offered something new. The original Darksiders was a fairly straightforward action-adventure game that copied its homework from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time while blending the combo-driven action of Devil May Cry. The sequel brought in a new protagonist who had a totally different paradigm, focusing on mobility and Diablo-like looting. Darksiders III featured a new protagonist who also had gameplay that was unlike the prior entries, playing more like Dark Souls than anything. Darksiders Genesis eschews the series’ usual third-person brawling, opting for a top-down perspective. This spin-off, starring War from the first game and the newly playable Strife, delivers a satisfying dose of apocalyptic chaos, but it doesn’t quite ascend to the heights of its predecessors.
Darksiders Genesis is a prequel set long before the events of the mainline Darksiders series, focusing on the Nephilim Horsemen War and Strife. Tasked by the Charred Council, the enforcers of balance between Heaven and Hell, the two are sent to thwart a demonic plot threatening the fragile truce in the universe. The story begins with Lucifer, the Demon King, scheming to upset the balance by empowering lesser demons with forbidden knowledge. The Council dispatches War and Strife to investigate and eliminate the threat. Their mission takes them across swamps, lava-forged fortresses, and ruined outposts where they confront Lucifer’s lieutenants, including the cunning demon lord Mammon and other demonic entities.
As the Horsemen kill their way through the devil’s legion, they uncover a network of betrayals and pacts tied to Lucifer’s plan to destabilise the realms. The narrative explores the dynamic between War’s stoic, duty-bound nature and Strife’s cocky, gunslinging swagger, with their banter providing levity. Flashbacks and lore fragments reveal glimpses of the Nephilim’s brutal past and their role as the Council’s enforcers.
The story climaxes in a confrontation with Lucifer’s forces, but it remains straightforward, focusing on action over deep character development or complex twists. It lacks the apocalyptic stakes of the mainline games, serving as a self-contained chapter in the Darksiders lore. The ending ties up the immediate threat while hinting at future conflicts, aligning with the series’ broader mythology without overshadowing the original trilogy’s events. All in all, it’s a forgettable story, and that doesn’t amount to much in the grand scheme of things.
The heart of Darksiders Genesis is War and Strife’s good cop and bad cop dynamic. War is comically serious and driven, while Strife is a self-aware goofball, veering close to Deadpool-like humor. Despite their contrasting nature, the characters have enjoyable chemistry together as brothers-in-arms. Genesis is designed with co-op in mind, supporting two players (local split-screen or online). Each controls one Horseman, and the game scales enemy health and difficulty for co-op.
Teamwork shines in coordinated attacks, like War drawing aggro while Strife picks off stragglers. Strife dual-wields pistols (Mercy and Redemption), firing rapid shots or charged blasts. His mobility shines with quick dodges and ranged attacks, ideal for kiting enemies. His “Wrath” abilities, like shadow decoys or caltrops, emphasise tactical play. Strife’s ammo system requires periodic reloads, adding a rhythm and some planning to his combat.
War wields Chaosreaver, his signature massive sword, delivering slow, powerful strikes. His moveset includes wide cleaves, charged attacks, and area-of-effect slams. Fans of the first Darksiders will recognise his “Wrath” abilities, like Blade Geyser, which focus on crowd control and high damage. War excels in close-quarters, absorbing hits with higher health than his mobile counterpart. Both characters can chain light and heavy attacks into combos, with seamless switching in single-player to mix melee and ranged tactics. Co-op enhances this, as War can tank while Strife snipes, or players can coordinate Wrath abilities for devastating combos. The game rewards aggressive play as health drops are tied to enemy kills, with fluid combat, satisfying co-op, and rewarding exploration making Genesis a blast for quick sessions.
The level and puzzle designs are lighter than the trilogy’s Zelda-like influences. They involve environmental interactions like throwing switches, moving platforms, or using character-specific abilities. Using War’s Vorpal Blade to hit distant targets or Strife’s Void Bombs to clear obstacles keeps the action moving forward without much downtime. The simplicity of the puzzles and levels fosters fast-paced momentum during co-op play. While satisfying, they lack the complexity of prior entries.
Compared to the first Darksiders‘ focused combat and puzzles, Genesis is faster paced but less intricate. Darksiders II’s RPG depth and open-world exploration outshine Genesis’ simpler systems, while Darksiders III’s Soulslike precision contrasts with its arcade-like accessibility. The co-op focus and top-down style make it unique, prioritising crowd-clearing chaos over the trilogy’s cinematic single-player depth.
