Darksiders II Deathfinitive Edition review for PS5: Death returns again

Darksiders II Deathfinitive Edition review for PS5

As a sequel to a popular action role-playing game, Darksiders II had a lot of goodwill to live up to. The first game appeared in 2010 and its progeny arrived in 2012, notable for being one of the most expensive games to develop of all time. A remaster, called Darksiders II Deathfinitive Edition, came out a few years later, in 2015, for Wii U, PS4, Xbox 1, and PC. The Nintendo Switch version hit the port in 2019. Now, almost ten years later, the game is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Whether it was worth the wait and whether Darksiders II still holds up are legitimate questions. The best news might be that owners of the PS4 or Xbox One versions will get a brilliant free upgrade for their recent console. There is no problem with that.

A rude horseman of the Apocalypse

The narrative of Darksiders II is a complicated amalgamation of characters from the Bible, mythology, and pure heavy metal fantasy. The story sends one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Death, to rescue his brother War from unjust imprisonment. Ultimately, Death's goal is to reach the Tree of Life. There, he will rid the world of Corruption and free humanity from the Well of Souls. It's a winding story. Death travels through several vast landscapes, from beautiful forests to the City of the Dead. Many familiar characters make cameo appearances, including Absalom, Uriel, and the omnipresent evil demon Lilith.

When it was released, many critics and players commented that Darksiders II's side story was not as impactful as the first game. That may be true. Darksiders' narrative was a bit more compact and operatic. That being said, the sequel's story is well written and acted and holds up well.

One of the most sadly forgotten aspects of Darksiders II is its musical score by Jesper Kyd. It is beautifully orchestrated and often filled with melancholic, Celtic-influenced moments. The action and combat cues are exciting. Kyd's music is a rare soundtrack that rewards independent listening.

bring me something

We can argue about the story of Darksiders II but, like most action RPGs, the narrative is there to propel the character from one encounter to the next. While Death's mission is linear overall, there are quite a few open-world areas with side paths and secrets. There are also plenty of environmental puzzles to solve, most of them ranging from tolerable to rewarding. Death has a horse to speed up the journey and of course the title contains plenty of platforming, wall running and a grappling hook. My biggest complaints are that wall running can be a bit finicky and imprecise, and that the camera speed and narrow vision can't be adjusted. These small problems occasionally resulted in a bit of disorientation and frustration.

For a game first released in 2012, Darksiders II's combat holds up extremely well. Death has a fast two-bladed attack and can use a variety of slower heavy weapons to deal heavy damage. The player has an ever-growing list of combos to master, special attacks and skill upgrades to play with. Anyone familiar with Devil May Cry or God of War will recognize the moves and mechanics, but they're still a lot of fun and the combat can be challenging. The DualSense controller's haptic feedback also works well. Adds even more power to the action. Heck, even mounted combat is effective. The only thing on my wish list? A soul type lock mechanic.

It's not new, but it's shiny anyway

As with previous Deathfinitive releases, the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S ports include a substantial amount of DLC, including additional missions, weapons, and cosmetic items. The Deathfinitive edition rebalanced the combat and revised the graphics and textures, increasing the resolution to 1080p. Thanks to its stylized and timeless graphic novel art direction, Darksiders II doesn't feel dated, although there are some pretty chunky models here and there, even in 4K and with added ray tracing. The game looks incredibly sharp, crisp and vibrant. . However, even with the power of the PS5, there were some pop-ins in larger areas. Accessibility features and settings in general are pretty lacking for a high-profile game in 2024, and there's virtually no control over how the game looks or controls aside from some basic basics.

While I wouldn't say Darksiders II is underrated, sales notably underperformed in 2012. Since then, many players have taken the opportunity to enjoy the game on a variety of platforms in the excellent and expanded Deathfinitive edition. Any fan of recent action RPGs will almost certainly enjoy the combat and world of Darksiders II. It looks great on the PS5 and anyone who has the PS4 version gets a free upgrade. The new version is definitely worth diving into again or for the first time.