Darksiders: Warmastered Edition

Genre: Spectacle Fighter / Action-RPG

Players: 1

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Review:

Darksiders is a Spectacle Fighter with Action-RPG elements that was originally released to multiple platforms in 2010, with the game receiving the “Warmastered Edition” remaster on multiple platforms in 2016, with the Nintendo Switch receiving a port of this version in 2019. This game tells the story of one of the four horsemen, War, who seeks to find out who framed him for the crime of kick-starting the apocalyptic war between heaven and hell early, resulting in the destruction of humanity, and who does so by fighting demons, angels, and other celestial forces to regain his lost powers and fight The Destroyer, who now reigns supreme on Earth.

Like many of the games originally released during the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 era and later remastered during the PlayStation 4/Xbox One era, Darksiders’ release on the Nintendo Switch gains the benefit of being able to take the best of both versions and mesh them into an excellent presentation somewhere inbetween them. While not quite on par with the other current-gen consoles, is nevertheless clearly superior to the previous-generation releases and close enough to the other current-gen releases that you’re not losing too much in exchange for the Nintendo Switch’s portability. This release takes advantage of the improved textures and performance enhancements that other platforms got in their versions of the game, with the main differences being in its resolution and framerates.

When it comes to resolution and framerates, the Nintendo Switch version isn’t too shabby either, thanks in part to allowing players to choose between two different display modes – High Performance and High Quality, with both modes available in docked and handheld play. In High Quality mode, the game plays with an excellent 1080p while running at an extremely steady 30FPS framerate in docked mode, with the game dropping to 540p and retaining that framerate in portable mode. In High Performance mode, the game’s resolution drops to 1440x810p in docked mode, but in exchange the framerates range between 50-60FPS depending on what’s going on in the game, with comparable framerates and a 720p resolution in handheld mode (thanks to Digital Foundry for the numbers). Honestly, I found this game perfectly playable in both modes, and those hoping for a solid Nintendo Switch port of the game will find this to be the best possible outcome, regardless of which they prefer.

Having said that, I’ll be honest, I’ve never personally cared for the art style of this game, particularly its drab post-apocalyptic setting and somewhat repetitive environments. Probably this is just a matter of personal preference, but going from ruined architecture to ruined architecture in a land dominated by so much gray (with occasional splashes of hellish fire-orange and weathered/polluted yellow) just gets tiresome to me, aesthetically. Maybe that’s just me, but I feel I should mention it, regardless.

Also, while I really like this game’s story on a conceptual level, in terms of execution I think the opening of the game is needlessly confusing, introducing us to numerous biblically-inspired characters, factions, and a world of backstory all in rapid-fire fashion without giving players much time to absorb any of it. Players may recognize some of the names being tossed around here like the Four Horsemen or Samael (hey, wasn’t he the demon from Silent Hill?), but of course this story’s conception of these characters and their relationships to one another envisions them differently than any scripture or prior works have done.

As for the gameplay, I’ve heard this game compared to the Zelda series quire a bit, but that doesn’t feel quite right. There simply isn’t the same level of open-ended exploration as you tend to find in a Zelda game. The Soul Reaver games may be a better comparison. The entire world in the game exists in a giant, interconnected map, but players progress through that map in a fairly linear fashion, and unlike a Metroidvania they aren’t likely to wander around looking for new areas all that much, even when their path brings them back to a place they previously visited with new abilities that allow them access to things they couldn’t reach before.

Really, I find this game closer to a Spectacle Fighter like Devil May Cry, God of War, or Bayonetta, as a good portion of this game’s focus is on its combat, with War gradually upgrading his abilities, gaining new weapons, new moves, and new combos as he buys them with “souls” earned from downed enemies and treasure chests.

Here’s the thing, though… combat in this game is satisfying, but it never feels quite as satisfying as it does in those other Spectacle Fighters I mentioned. It’s all very good, but not great. Likewise, those looking for a good Action-RPG will likely find this has some decent elements of that, but those looking to explore the game’s world will find this game a bit lacking, especially compared to the likes of other games on the Nintendo Switch like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. As a result, the gameplay of Darksiders, while all-around solid, nevertheless feels like a “Jack of all trades, master of none” sorta’ situation.

However, while Darksiders: Warmastered Edition doesn’t quite go far enough in any direction to truly excite me, it is without question that this is a solid port of a solid game, and Nintendo Switch players looking for a satisfying action game that runs and plays great on the Nintendo Switch will find this to be an excellent addition to their library.

tl;dr – Darksiders: Warmastered Edition is a Spectacle Fighter with Action-RPG elements that puts you in the role of one of the four horsemen, War, looking to clear his name after the apocalypse gets kicked off early and the blame is placed on him. This is an excellent port of a solid game, and isn’t that far behind other current platforms in terms of performance. While the action here isn’t quite as compelling as other Spectacle Fighters on the Switch, and the Action-RPG elements don’t allow for anywhere near the same amount of exploration, overall this is still a solid title worth playing.

Grade: B

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