Darksiders Genesis

About Darksiders Genesis

Darksiders Genesis drops players into a top-down Action RPG world created by Airship Syndicate and published by THQ Nordic. Released in December 2019 across PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Stadia, this title stars Strife, the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse. The story picks up after the Nephilim wiped themselves out under orders from the Council, leaving Strife to fight Lucifer and save humanity from total destruction. You control Strife alongside War in a co-operative campaign that blends hack-and-slash combat with puzzle-solving. The game swaps the series' usual third-person view for an isometric perspective while keeping the dark fantasy tone intact. It serves as a standalone adventure that respects the lore while offering fresh mechanics for fans of the franchise.

Gameplay

You control Strife or War in real-time battles against hordes of demons and angels. The core loop involves moving through levels, smashing enemies with swords, casting spells, and solving environmental puzzles to progress. You can switch between characters instantly to use their specific abilities like Strife's ranged attacks or War's heavy melee strikes. Boss fights require pattern recognition and careful positioning within the arena. Multiplayer lets you team up with a friend for the entire campaign, where coordinating attacks feels crucial. The game modes support both single-player and co-operative play on any of the major consoles or PC. Combat feels weighty as you dodge projectiles and unleash area-of-effect spells to clear groups of foes quickly. Exploration reveals hidden loot and upgrades that make your characters stronger over time.

What Players Think

The PlayPile community shows a mixed reception for Darksiders Genesis with an IGDB score of 72.4 out of 100 based on 99 ratings. Players report average completion rates around 65 percent, suggesting some find the puzzle sections or difficulty spikes too frustrating to finish. Average playtime sits at 18 hours for a standard run, though completionists who hunt every achievement spend closer to 25 hours. Community moods swing between "satisfied" and "disappointed," with review snippets frequently mentioning the fun of co-op but criticizing repetitive level design. Many users note that the top-down shift changes the feel significantly from previous entries. Achievement data shows a low unlock rate for the hardest challenges, indicating a steep skill ceiling for certain boss encounters. The multiplayer mode gets higher marks than the solo experience in most feedback threads.

PlayPile's Take

This game works best if you enjoy co-op hack-and-slash titles and don't mind an isometric camera angle. At $39.99 on most platforms, it offers solid value for a 15-hour campaign, though the achievements are tough to unlock without a dedicated partner. The combat shines when playing with a friend, making it worth picking up for that specific experience alone. However, solo players might find the puzzles tedious and the story thin compared to mainline entries. It is not a masterpiece but delivers enough fun moments to justify a purchase during a sale. Avoid this if you need deep narrative or complex RPG systems. Play it only if you want action without the weight of a long commitment.

Storyline

From the dawn of creation, the council has maintained the Balance across existence. Carrying out their orders are the Horsemen, Nephilim (powerful beings spawned from the unnatural union of angels and demons) who have pledged themselves to the Council and been granted immense power. However, this power came at a tragic cost: the Horsemen were ordered to use their newfound strength to wipe out the rest of their kind. What followed was a bloody battle on Eden where the Horsemen, obeying the will of the Council, annihilated the Nephilim.