First Game Beated of the Year
The problem with Darksiders is not that is a shameless Zelda rip-off, the problem is that Darksiders is a shameless Zelda rip-off.
There are not near enough Zelda games in this world. And none at all in HD. Also none with buckets of blood. Which is what Darksiders is. There's a boomerang, a hookshot, you find these things in dungeons and have to use them to defeat the respective bosses of said dungeons. Theres a horse. Doesn't just rip off Zelda, rips off Ocarina. If you're going to steal, steal from the best.
But while they were ripping off Zelda's tropes, tricks, items and conveyances, they could have also ripped off its polish. There are some definite rough spots in Darksiders. The camera goes wonky from time to time. It's sometimes hard to tell if you are actually doing any damage to some of the bosses. There are way more buttons on the PS3 controller than a Wii-mote but it seems even more cumbersome to switch your items in this game. There's a slight delay in the jump. The game doesn't do a good job of explaining all sorts of things, like what you use empty bottles for.
None of these are are major problems, but they add up. Compared to all the other Zelda-ish games available on PS3 or 360, Darksiders is fantastic. Compared to actual legit Zelda games, Darksiders is near the bottom of the bunch.
Compared to all the other games on PS3/360, Darksiders is average in looks and sounds. Its nice that it is bright and colourful. And that it is not post-Apocalyptic, but actually Apocalyptic. But some of the models are a bit plain, and others are overly ornate. It kinda looks like what a current gen Dreamcast game would look like, if that makes any sense.
And the sound? A slightly less angry God of War.
The gameplay? Zelda's item enhanced exploration mixed with God of War's light/heavy/ranged/magic/spend your orbs on new moves slashy slashy.
There is not a lot in Darksiders that isn't in other games. That's not a bad thing. But if you're going to 'borrow" ideas from other games, make sure they're just as good in your game as in the game you "borrowed" from. Sure, give your hero a gun, just like Dante in Devil May Cry, but make sure it doesn't feel as powerful as a wet fart on a humid day. Give War a portal gun, as long as you realized that the reason it worked so well in Portal is because that game was played from a first person perspective and you're going to have some serious camera issues if you're not careful.
I guess what I'm saying is that Darksiders steals great ideas and such from great games and mixes them all up to make a very good game.
There are not near enough Zelda games in this world. And none at all in HD. Also none with buckets of blood. Which is what Darksiders is. There's a boomerang, a hookshot, you find these things in dungeons and have to use them to defeat the respective bosses of said dungeons. Theres a horse. Doesn't just rip off Zelda, rips off Ocarina. If you're going to steal, steal from the best.
But while they were ripping off Zelda's tropes, tricks, items and conveyances, they could have also ripped off its polish. There are some definite rough spots in Darksiders. The camera goes wonky from time to time. It's sometimes hard to tell if you are actually doing any damage to some of the bosses. There are way more buttons on the PS3 controller than a Wii-mote but it seems even more cumbersome to switch your items in this game. There's a slight delay in the jump. The game doesn't do a good job of explaining all sorts of things, like what you use empty bottles for.
None of these are are major problems, but they add up. Compared to all the other Zelda-ish games available on PS3 or 360, Darksiders is fantastic. Compared to actual legit Zelda games, Darksiders is near the bottom of the bunch.
Compared to all the other games on PS3/360, Darksiders is average in looks and sounds. Its nice that it is bright and colourful. And that it is not post-Apocalyptic, but actually Apocalyptic. But some of the models are a bit plain, and others are overly ornate. It kinda looks like what a current gen Dreamcast game would look like, if that makes any sense.
And the sound? A slightly less angry God of War.
The gameplay? Zelda's item enhanced exploration mixed with God of War's light/heavy/ranged/magic/spend your orbs on new moves slashy slashy.
There is not a lot in Darksiders that isn't in other games. That's not a bad thing. But if you're going to 'borrow" ideas from other games, make sure they're just as good in your game as in the game you "borrowed" from. Sure, give your hero a gun, just like Dante in Devil May Cry, but make sure it doesn't feel as powerful as a wet fart on a humid day. Give War a portal gun, as long as you realized that the reason it worked so well in Portal is because that game was played from a first person perspective and you're going to have some serious camera issues if you're not careful.
I guess what I'm saying is that Darksiders steals great ideas and such from great games and mixes them all up to make a very good game.
posted by Tyler at 7:21 PM
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