Sevket-Erhat
Member
According to my Raptr profile this is the game I have spent the most time playing in 2012 and I have left it without finishing the game
LTTP: Darksiders 2 aka Vigil tried their hardest to kill Darksiders
- Thread starter Omega
- Start date
Progress in DS1 felt so extremely rewarding -- as you progressed, you got new, awesome mechanics, like a new sort of weapon, or a new kind of world-interaction element.
Then you got a horse relatively late into the game, which was incredible, cause I didn't expect it. Then the game opened up even more.
However, it fell apart after you got the grappling hooks sort of gadget, along with the teleport gadget. The game got very messy and extremely convoluted, progress slowed to a crawl, and offered no real incentive to continue playing.
The early stages of the game were extremely well designed though -- some of the greatest incentive-push/reward design in gaming, in my opinion.
Then you got a horse relatively late into the game, which was incredible, cause I didn't expect it. Then the game opened up even more.
However, it fell apart after you got the grappling hooks sort of gadget, along with the teleport gadget. The game got very messy and extremely convoluted, progress slowed to a crawl, and offered no real incentive to continue playing.
The early stages of the game were extremely well designed though -- some of the greatest incentive-push/reward design in gaming, in my opinion.
schwabdizzle
Banned
Dude, I am playing this game right now too, I am at the Demon temple. This game really pisses me off because I can see the potential, and they just fucked up. The combat sucks there are a lot of cheap enemies and the fact you can't block and only dodge pisses me off. Second, is the speed in which Death moves. He is SO FUCKING SLOW. I litterally dive all the time just to move faster in dungeons. Last, and this is what almost made me quit the game twice, the game has some real bad game breaking glitches. I was about to freak out when I encountered the 1st one 5 hours in. Somehow thankfully it corrected itself once I quit the game and restarted my save.
So GAF, here is my question. Should I just finish the game or quit and play Dead Space 3?
So GAF, here is my question. Should I just finish the game or quit and play Dead Space 3?
I thought the combat was really good in Darksiders 2 -- like, the best of its kind in the adventure/rpg genre Darksider inhabits.
Combat was great.
World 1 was great, and I saw the potential there.
Then it stopped being anything like a Zelda-like with it's dungeons and decided to make the game "bigger" to tick off boxes. Bigger areas, emptier feeling.
Loot was dumb, and the puzzles felt monotonous because the feeling of getting another major item like in any Zelda game is so few and far inbetween that it feels refreshing to get it and try it out and it kind of outlives its welcome. At first I didn't mind the side dungeons or the ones that needed to be done to move on to a major dungeon but then they break out the rule of three to the rule of three and it just gets tedious.
They could've done away with the loot dropping and just let you somehow obtain the various secondary weapons to swap out at will like in DS1.
World 1 was great, and I saw the potential there.
Then it stopped being anything like a Zelda-like with it's dungeons and decided to make the game "bigger" to tick off boxes. Bigger areas, emptier feeling.
Loot was dumb, and the puzzles felt monotonous because the feeling of getting another major item like in any Zelda game is so few and far inbetween that it feels refreshing to get it and try it out and it kind of outlives its welcome. At first I didn't mind the side dungeons or the ones that needed to be done to move on to a major dungeon but then they break out the rule of three to the rule of three and it just gets tedious.
They could've done away with the loot dropping and just let you somehow obtain the various secondary weapons to swap out at will like in DS1.
I seriously don't understand all the complaints this game gets, especially when people say that DS1 was better.
I mean, the story complaints I get. The fact that the last two worlds were much more sparse in content, that I get. The gun level complaint, I get that one.
But everything else? Can't wrap my head around it. People hating the loot? Madness. People hating the dungeons? Say WHAT? People hating the combat? Blasphemy.
Wait hold on.
You were playing a game where you were a Horseman of the Apocalypse.
The horse is on the cover.
And everybody in the game calls you a horseman.
And you never expected that you might ride a horse?
I mean, the story complaints I get. The fact that the last two worlds were much more sparse in content, that I get. The gun level complaint, I get that one.
But everything else? Can't wrap my head around it. People hating the loot? Madness. People hating the dungeons? Say WHAT? People hating the combat? Blasphemy.
Wait hold on.
You were playing a game where you were a Horseman of the Apocalypse.
The horse is on the cover.
And everybody in the game calls you a horseman.
And you never expected that you might ride a horse?
Loot? All about possessed weapons. Unless you were going for some gimmick build (or if they ever fixed ice damage not breaking lock-ons), does it have crit chance? does it have crit damage? does it have wrath on crit? does it have health on crit? It's like Diablo 3 levels of itemization here.
Dungeons were fine in world 1, they were cool in world 2 until it was rule of three to the power of the rule of three fedex'ing. The dungeons in 1 were better because they were more Zelda-like, which is what most people were expecting Vigil got the message about when people said good things about DS1. And then they moved away from that and only really had 3 zelda-like dungeons (and only one had a zelda-like boss, two maybe).
Did you use the combat system right?
Or possessed weapons? Those break the combat if anything.
Meatvillain
Banned
Be more hyperbolic. :/
I don't know I'm the opposite. Never played 1 back in the day but for some reason bought 2 on launch and loved it except for the shitty earth level. Recently played and finished 1 because of how good 2 was. Hated most of it. War is too slow, dungeons weren't as good as 2's. Combat is awesome on both though.
Square Triangle
Member
I thought the combat was fantastic. I also liked the prince of Persia style exploration within the dungeons. To me Darksiders was a great game and Darksiders 2 was even better.
It saddens me we will never see the end.
It saddens me we will never see the end.
To be fair, the tepid reception of Darksiders 2 did kill Darksiders.
Notor!ousG
Member
I'm at 3 hours till the very end of the game and just gave up.
I've had so many issues with this game.
- First, DS1 had a great story. Maybe not epic, but I loved the fact the story made (some) sense. The story of DS2 is just ridiculous. It just feels like Vigil made 20 dungeons, and glued the game together with a ridiculuous story.
The whole story involves around Death trying to save his brother War, but it just doesn't feel like you're doing anything useful.
- All of the dungeons look more or less the same. No diversity, same repetitive ways to get to the boss.
- Combat system me not like either. DS1 maybe wasn't as big as DS2, but bigger ain't always better!
- And once again, what is up with the story!?? Tree of Life, Corruption, Forge Lands, Kingdom of the Dead, Angel key, Hell key, Crowfather, ... they made it utterly difficult and it makes no sense at all!
They just had to make a true sequel which begins at the end of DS1...
Sorry Vigil, but in a way I'm glad the Darksiders saga ends here!
I've had so many issues with this game.
- First, DS1 had a great story. Maybe not epic, but I loved the fact the story made (some) sense. The story of DS2 is just ridiculous. It just feels like Vigil made 20 dungeons, and glued the game together with a ridiculuous story.
The whole story involves around Death trying to save his brother War, but it just doesn't feel like you're doing anything useful.
- All of the dungeons look more or less the same. No diversity, same repetitive ways to get to the boss.
- Combat system me not like either. DS1 maybe wasn't as big as DS2, but bigger ain't always better!
- And once again, what is up with the story!?? Tree of Life, Corruption, Forge Lands, Kingdom of the Dead, Angel key, Hell key, Crowfather, ... they made it utterly difficult and it makes no sense at all!
They just had to make a true sequel which begins at the end of DS1...
Sorry Vigil, but in a way I'm glad the Darksiders saga ends here!
Although I have my fair share of complaints (which I will get to), I definitely err on the side of thinking that the vitriolic reaction to this game is a bit too, well, vitriolic. I mean, I understand being disappointed with a sequel that didn't meet the standards the original placed (I've had my fair share of hostile reactions to sequels). However, I can understand and even agree with the flaws people point out, but I still have this feeling people harp on the game just a tad too ferociously.
I really do like the game and playing through it a second time has made me like it even more (while at the same time the flaws just become even more glaring). I love the combat system, which I know most people agree on, and I even like the story. I know the story has been an area of contention but I enjoy what they attempted to do with it. That is, Death being strung along doing menial tasks for everyone he comes across is very intentional and it accumulates until his outburst towards the end and then comes the real meat of the game. Yes, I know that just because it was intentional doesn't make it "good" but it works for me and I actually really ended up enjoying it on a second playthrough.
So the story and combat worked really well for me and even some of the dungeons were really fun to navigate. A lot of the dungeons were incredibly weak and far too "simple" and just too many minor ones vs. having unique and expansive ones. However, and I know a lot of people think I will be crazy for this, but that's why I like the "2nd half" of the game more. The open world nature of the first half is alright but I sort of ended up preferring the second half *because* it has unique 'temples' that have their own flair and puzzle mechanics. I felt the second half was stronger because of it because I thought the first half was just littered with too many "menial" temples.
Ah, but then there's the elephant in the room: the earth section. Yah. It's not great. It's kind of poopy. It's irritating on apocalyptic, let alone tedious and far too long. I don't like it but on my second playthrough I could get through it quickly enough to get to my favorite temple of the game (which is far far faaar too short compared to the really awesome Ivory Citadel).
And then there's my biggest issue with the game (which I didn't really think about until I read Y2Kev's comments on it back in August/September): the loot. I think the loot was a bad way for the game to go and even though I derive some level of enjoyment out of it, I felt the loot just muddled any sense of exploration, achievement, and success from the game. You solve a puzzle? You get some loot. You beat a tough enemy? You get crap loot. You explore and find a cool area? You get some shit loot. It just messed with the entire concept of exploration in this "zelda-esque" title because exploring hardly meant anything. You'd just find some nondescript most likely useless garbage which then you'd either sell or throw to your possessed weapons. The loot was a bad idea. The possessed weapons were cool and could work well in another game but it was not meant for this game. But oh well, I could at least live with it because I do enjoy loot games enough to enjoy the loot to some degree in Darksiders 2.
However that didn't drag the experience down enough to make me resent the entire game. Maybe because that's just how I am with video games. It's hard for flaws of a game to prevent me from enjoying things I do like in a game. So it worked for me. I still really enjoy the game and, as I've said a few times now, even moreso coming back to it for NG+ after a several month hiatus from it.
Or maybe I just developed Stockholm Syndrome and am being delusional.
I really do like the game and playing through it a second time has made me like it even more (while at the same time the flaws just become even more glaring). I love the combat system, which I know most people agree on, and I even like the story. I know the story has been an area of contention but I enjoy what they attempted to do with it. That is, Death being strung along doing menial tasks for everyone he comes across is very intentional and it accumulates until his outburst towards the end and then comes the real meat of the game. Yes, I know that just because it was intentional doesn't make it "good" but it works for me and I actually really ended up enjoying it on a second playthrough.
So the story and combat worked really well for me and even some of the dungeons were really fun to navigate. A lot of the dungeons were incredibly weak and far too "simple" and just too many minor ones vs. having unique and expansive ones. However, and I know a lot of people think I will be crazy for this, but that's why I like the "2nd half" of the game more. The open world nature of the first half is alright but I sort of ended up preferring the second half *because* it has unique 'temples' that have their own flair and puzzle mechanics. I felt the second half was stronger because of it because I thought the first half was just littered with too many "menial" temples.
Ah, but then there's the elephant in the room: the earth section. Yah. It's not great. It's kind of poopy. It's irritating on apocalyptic, let alone tedious and far too long. I don't like it but on my second playthrough I could get through it quickly enough to get to my favorite temple of the game (which is far far faaar too short compared to the really awesome Ivory Citadel).
And then there's my biggest issue with the game (which I didn't really think about until I read Y2Kev's comments on it back in August/September): the loot. I think the loot was a bad way for the game to go and even though I derive some level of enjoyment out of it, I felt the loot just muddled any sense of exploration, achievement, and success from the game. You solve a puzzle? You get some loot. You beat a tough enemy? You get crap loot. You explore and find a cool area? You get some shit loot. It just messed with the entire concept of exploration in this "zelda-esque" title because exploring hardly meant anything. You'd just find some nondescript most likely useless garbage which then you'd either sell or throw to your possessed weapons. The loot was a bad idea. The possessed weapons were cool and could work well in another game but it was not meant for this game. But oh well, I could at least live with it because I do enjoy loot games enough to enjoy the loot to some degree in Darksiders 2.
However that didn't drag the experience down enough to make me resent the entire game. Maybe because that's just how I am with video games. It's hard for flaws of a game to prevent me from enjoying things I do like in a game. So it worked for me. I still really enjoy the game and, as I've said a few times now, even moreso coming back to it for NG+ after a several month hiatus from it.
Or maybe I just developed Stockholm Syndrome and am being delusional.
Ninja Moomin
Banned
I hated DS 2 but loved DS1.
The issue was pacing... there are sections in darksides 2 where it feels like you are about to experience something epic... and then someone tells you to find ANOTHER three keys.
The issue was pacing... there are sections in darksides 2 where it feels like you are about to experience something epic... and then someone tells you to find ANOTHER three keys.
Disliked (but didn't hate) DS1, liked DS2 quite a bit more, although I can't disagree with complaints about the same-y dungeons and the content bloat. At the very least, DS2 feels like they're trying to do something singular and their own, as opposed to the blatant aping of Zelda with a sprinkle of Portal in DS1, and DS2's vastly superior combat helps a lot.
I would also probably say DS2 was my favorite soundtrack of 2012. Dat Jesper Kyd.
I would also probably say DS2 was my favorite soundtrack of 2012. Dat Jesper Kyd.
I liked the game alot but the ending was definitely rushed. Story sucked ass too.
But the combat was TONS better than the first one. Even calling the second game a button masher after playing the first one is just ridiculous. They removed the block button for one reason only, to accommodate for the more fast-paced gameplay.
But the combat was TONS better than the first one. Even calling the second game a button masher after playing the first one is just ridiculous. They removed the block button for one reason only, to accommodate for the more fast-paced gameplay.
Combichristoffersen
Combovers don't work when there is no hair
Darksiders 1 was rather good. Not perfect, but a good effort. Darksiders 2 improved on the combat, but otherwise it went straight downhill after the first realm, and even before I was done with the second realm I just wanted the game to be over, as it overstayed its welcome far too long. It's a shame, as the game could and should have been much better than what it ended up being.
Cave Johnson
Member
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6YHcf884Dg
This... this is the ONLY reason why I was so excited for DS2.
This... this is the ONLY reason why I was so excited for DS2.
The cover had a very stylized picture -- certainly not from ingame. And just because they called you horseman, that didn't necessarily mean that you'd get a horse. The level design up until the horse didn't seem to indicate any sort of mounted travel would be available.
I thought, at best, that you'd ride a horse in a scripted event or something similar, but certainly not given free reigns. I even expected that the game would remove the horse after the fight when you first got it. But it didn't, and the game opened up to support the faster travel, and it was awesome. Few games have dared to intersperse the entire playthrough with actual, useful mechanics (For the most part in this case.), and this game actually opened up, as opposed to get smaller, later in the game.
Almost every single game that has been released on consoles recently had the typical design of featuring the majority of the content upfront -- even fewer games have increased the scale halfway, or more, through. And this game did it while constantly feeding you brand new mechanics.
I didn't want to create a new thread for this, but I think I'm the victim of a game breaking glitch.
Before I elaborate on what happened to me in my play through, here is a reference on where I am in the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du3Z4VvKwf0&t=0m41s
I've found the first two souls for the Judicator, and pretty much at the start of finding the third soul I have been stopped completely. Where the video picks up at, you see death about to enter a lift. Upon which point a gate closes behind him and he is entered into a mini boss battle. All of this was fine and happened the first time I played, but due to low health going into the boss fight I died which is where I got royally fucked. They started me back in the room right before you enter the lift, but the gate is still closed/up. So I have no way of getting back onto the lift. There are no switches or levers as it is supposed to activate once you get on the goddamn lift.
So I'm pretty much fucked. Bought the game on PSN, made it over halfway through (and I was enjoying game up to this point) and now I can't do a damn thing to continue. I"m not going to play back through this so I guess I'll never know how it all ends. This sucks.
Before I elaborate on what happened to me in my play through, here is a reference on where I am in the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du3Z4VvKwf0&t=0m41s
I've found the first two souls for the Judicator, and pretty much at the start of finding the third soul I have been stopped completely. Where the video picks up at, you see death about to enter a lift. Upon which point a gate closes behind him and he is entered into a mini boss battle. All of this was fine and happened the first time I played, but due to low health going into the boss fight I died which is where I got royally fucked. They started me back in the room right before you enter the lift, but the gate is still closed/up. So I have no way of getting back onto the lift. There are no switches or levers as it is supposed to activate once you get on the goddamn lift.
So I'm pretty much fucked. Bought the game on PSN, made it over halfway through (and I was enjoying game up to this point) and now I can't do a damn thing to continue. I"m not going to play back through this so I guess I'll never know how it all ends. This sucks.
Chairmanchuck
Member
I got all the achievements...
Really hated the loot-system though. And the second world. And the MMO-Quest ala "Shoot all the stones.", "Get all the book-pages".
But I really enjoyed it. The DLC though was totally... short. I finished all 3 of them in under 2 hours. Wonder who buys a Seasonpass for such during release.
What is kinda sad now, that we never get a continuation of the story. At the end of Darksiders
Death and the other horsemen come to help him.
War even says his brothers/sisters are coming to help him.
I really liked both Darksiders for what they are. Had much more fun with DS2 than with the atrocious AC3.
I feel you OP, I only managed to play a few hours and suffice to say it was my biggest disappointment last year. I even paid full price and got it day one, doh!
EDIT: Agree with post above, I had way more fun with a few hours of DS2 then I did with the shit mountain that was AC3.
EDIT: Agree with post above, I had way more fun with a few hours of DS2 then I did with the shit mountain that was AC3.
devonraynor
Member
darksiders 2 started pretty good imo, but like mentioned earlier, the second half of the game is just abysmal and rushed
So I got this on Wii U a couple weeks ago and started playing last week.
Well, it's quiet good, I will not say it's bad (even if I have still to play the second part of the game which by reading all of you, will be awfull) as I enjoy playing it so far.
But man, if there is one thing about DS2, that's it get me to love Skyward Sword even more!
I thought Twilight Princess was empty... whooh DS2 is a new standard of empty. Game design doesn't come close to Zelda's standards, everything seems over complicated and there is not so much ideas, content to explore or to play with.
Examples.
- There is a loot system. But in the dungeons, the ennemies doesn't respawn. How to I improove my odds of having a good loot if the ennemies doesn't come back?!
- There is an XP system in place of the hearts/pieces of hearts from Zelda. You make your way throught the dungeon, killing ennemies if you want (you can just ride on horse and in 5 minutes top you are at the dungeon if you really want to), maybe take a level here or within the dungeon. Then you have a huge bunch of XP after completing the dungeon, or another quest for instance. But as soon as you got those one or two levels, the regular ennemies in the open fields are too weak for you to grind efficiencely! Why over complicating the thing with an XP system, when you can't grind freely? It's like the designers didn't control what they were doing, as a result, they added lots of XP after quests, and now you are stuck in a XP corridor because they want you to be at level 9 for the third dungeon, like the balance of the game absolutely requires this to remain interesting.
There are quiet another things that bother me. Technically, this already been said, there is several problems. I never had a hard lock with my Wii U. With DS2, I had 2 in something like 4 days of playing. First time I put the disk in the system, the game never boot. Other time, hard lock in the main field. I also have artifacts in the upper part of my TV screen. Is that V-sync problem?
The gamepad is... useless, and it's a shame. I never look at it. I didn't even understand it, seems locked on one of the multiples, over-complicated (again) menus. Only good thing, the subwater gameplay is easier with the motion controls. Not optimized, but the idea is good. Overall on the controls, anyone who is thinking that dual analogs is better than the wiimote+nunchuk combo is nuts! It will be a great loss for the next Zelda as well.
Overall it's enjoyable like I said so far, but the game design is nowhere near Zelda. The world doesn't make too much sense, the game is very very linear, not so much things to do, voice acting is funny and cliché... Maybe I have luxury tastes because I'm a fan, but I wanted to see for myself, and I'm just glad to have paid a fair 40 for the game, instead of 70.
I know I forget to say a few other things on it, and probaby need to explain myself better, but this post is already too long for someone to read it entierely ^^"
Well, it's quiet good, I will not say it's bad (even if I have still to play the second part of the game which by reading all of you, will be awfull) as I enjoy playing it so far.
But man, if there is one thing about DS2, that's it get me to love Skyward Sword even more!
I thought Twilight Princess was empty... whooh DS2 is a new standard of empty. Game design doesn't come close to Zelda's standards, everything seems over complicated and there is not so much ideas, content to explore or to play with.
Examples.
- There is a loot system. But in the dungeons, the ennemies doesn't respawn. How to I improove my odds of having a good loot if the ennemies doesn't come back?!
- There is an XP system in place of the hearts/pieces of hearts from Zelda. You make your way throught the dungeon, killing ennemies if you want (you can just ride on horse and in 5 minutes top you are at the dungeon if you really want to), maybe take a level here or within the dungeon. Then you have a huge bunch of XP after completing the dungeon, or another quest for instance. But as soon as you got those one or two levels, the regular ennemies in the open fields are too weak for you to grind efficiencely! Why over complicating the thing with an XP system, when you can't grind freely? It's like the designers didn't control what they were doing, as a result, they added lots of XP after quests, and now you are stuck in a XP corridor because they want you to be at level 9 for the third dungeon, like the balance of the game absolutely requires this to remain interesting.
There are quiet another things that bother me. Technically, this already been said, there is several problems. I never had a hard lock with my Wii U. With DS2, I had 2 in something like 4 days of playing. First time I put the disk in the system, the game never boot. Other time, hard lock in the main field. I also have artifacts in the upper part of my TV screen. Is that V-sync problem?
The gamepad is... useless, and it's a shame. I never look at it. I didn't even understand it, seems locked on one of the multiples, over-complicated (again) menus. Only good thing, the subwater gameplay is easier with the motion controls. Not optimized, but the idea is good. Overall on the controls, anyone who is thinking that dual analogs is better than the wiimote+nunchuk combo is nuts! It will be a great loss for the next Zelda as well.
Overall it's enjoyable like I said so far, but the game design is nowhere near Zelda. The world doesn't make too much sense, the game is very very linear, not so much things to do, voice acting is funny and cliché... Maybe I have luxury tastes because I'm a fan, but I wanted to see for myself, and I'm just glad to have paid a fair 40 for the game, instead of 70.
I know I forget to say a few other things on it, and probaby need to explain myself better, but this post is already too long for someone to read it entierely ^^"
I'm playing through this right now.
I'm in world 2 (about halfway through it, i think, i'm
).
I'm really in disagreement with the complaints in this thread.
I passed on the game (got it for dirt cheap at one of the crazy THQ sales) because Darksiders 1 bored me quite a lot, didn't like the slow combat, didn't like the bland setting and visuals, dungeons and puzzles felt derivative at best, brain dead at worse.
Now i am really sad i didn't give Vigil more of my money for this, because so far i am loving it.
The combat feels great, it's kind of entry-level action game, but it's responsive, fastpaced and lets you play around a lot, plus the counter attack when you time the dodge right is cool as fuck.
The visuals are simply some of the best i've seen this gen, often times i have to stop in awe at some of the environments, that are simply beautiful to look at, close to artworks like few games before (i think in this sense it's even better than PoP2008).
I like the loot system, even though it could use some work, as a lot of cool looking weapons end up not being feasible, due to shit stats, but it exploits that itch for always be looking out for new shit.
Dungeons are kind of weak on the gameplay side of things, with brain dead and repetitive puzzles and too few enemies to fight, but i still enjoy them because i like the platforming and again, they're visually stunning.
Tools also are not as interesting as in D1.
Bosses so far have been hit or miss, most of them do not require any particular method, Zelda like, and you just spam attacks at their feet and dodge at the right moment, so they're kind of a let down, but some of them i had fun with.
The Guardian or Bheithir, for example.
The story doesn't make much sense so far, but it's not a big deal, as i don't follow stories in games anyway, the lore itself looks cool, and that's enough to keep me interested.
Last bad thing i want to mention is the PC port, it's alright, it works, but it's a shame they didn't push it further, i would've liked to see those fantastic textures in HD.
The game still looks stunning downsampled, but it could've look even better.
Also a bit of stutterig here and there.
--
Despite all this, i'm just genuinely enjoying my time with the game, contrary to my experience with D1, which i sold soon after finishing (i got it on steam along with every other THQ game, anyway, so i might give it another shot) and this game is giving me HUGE Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver flashbacks (although admittedly, it's not nearly as good), especially the second world.. and that can only be a good thing.
Finally a shout out to the AMAZING Jesper Kyd soundtrack, in particular two tracks i want to mention:
1) War vs Death, an early moment of the game that, thanks to this track really got me going and gave me chills.
Before that i was mildly interested, but this is when i raised my eyebrows and gone "ok, this is pretty damn good".
2) The Makers Overworld, simply because other than being an awesome track, it has that strong Soul Reaver vibe.
I'm really sad we won't see a Darksiders 3 now, although it seems i'm in the minority.
I hope the game keeps delivering 'till the end.
I would've definitely loved to see a Darksiders 3 where you get to use all four Horsemen, either one world each in singleplayer or even in co-op Saint's Row 3 style.
I'm in world 2 (about halfway through it, i think, i'm
getting the Generals' ghosts for the King
I'm really in disagreement with the complaints in this thread.
I passed on the game (got it for dirt cheap at one of the crazy THQ sales) because Darksiders 1 bored me quite a lot, didn't like the slow combat, didn't like the bland setting and visuals, dungeons and puzzles felt derivative at best, brain dead at worse.
Now i am really sad i didn't give Vigil more of my money for this, because so far i am loving it.
The combat feels great, it's kind of entry-level action game, but it's responsive, fastpaced and lets you play around a lot, plus the counter attack when you time the dodge right is cool as fuck.
The visuals are simply some of the best i've seen this gen, often times i have to stop in awe at some of the environments, that are simply beautiful to look at, close to artworks like few games before (i think in this sense it's even better than PoP2008).
I like the loot system, even though it could use some work, as a lot of cool looking weapons end up not being feasible, due to shit stats, but it exploits that itch for always be looking out for new shit.
Dungeons are kind of weak on the gameplay side of things, with brain dead and repetitive puzzles and too few enemies to fight, but i still enjoy them because i like the platforming and again, they're visually stunning.
Tools also are not as interesting as in D1.
Bosses so far have been hit or miss, most of them do not require any particular method, Zelda like, and you just spam attacks at their feet and dodge at the right moment, so they're kind of a let down, but some of them i had fun with.
The Guardian or Bheithir, for example.
The story doesn't make much sense so far, but it's not a big deal, as i don't follow stories in games anyway, the lore itself looks cool, and that's enough to keep me interested.
Last bad thing i want to mention is the PC port, it's alright, it works, but it's a shame they didn't push it further, i would've liked to see those fantastic textures in HD.
The game still looks stunning downsampled, but it could've look even better.
Also a bit of stutterig here and there.
--
Despite all this, i'm just genuinely enjoying my time with the game, contrary to my experience with D1, which i sold soon after finishing (i got it on steam along with every other THQ game, anyway, so i might give it another shot) and this game is giving me HUGE Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver flashbacks (although admittedly, it's not nearly as good), especially the second world.. and that can only be a good thing.
Finally a shout out to the AMAZING Jesper Kyd soundtrack, in particular two tracks i want to mention:
1) War vs Death, an early moment of the game that, thanks to this track really got me going and gave me chills.
Before that i was mildly interested, but this is when i raised my eyebrows and gone "ok, this is pretty damn good".
2) The Makers Overworld, simply because other than being an awesome track, it has that strong Soul Reaver vibe.
I'm really sad we won't see a Darksiders 3 now, although it seems i'm in the minority.
I hope the game keeps delivering 'till the end.
I would've definitely loved to see a Darksiders 3 where you get to use all four Horsemen, either one world each in singleplayer or even in co-op Saint's Row 3 style.
batteryLeakage
Neo Member
Just finished Darksiders 2 and really enjoyed it. I'm surprised that so many people here didn't.
Cons:
Pros:
Finishing was kind of bittersweet seeing as how Vigil is gone and the Darksiders IP likely dead. Hopefully someone picks up the IP and some of the key creative staff that worked on the originals. I'd like to see Darksiders come to a proper close.
Cons:
- Story took kind of a weird tangent. Not entirely sure the point
Man no longer extinct I guess
- Didn't really like the secondary weapons (Sword and Scythe combo in DS1 was way better). Stuck almost exclusively to the scythes in combat.
- Zombie shooter section was kind of weak
Pros:
- Combat felt real good with primary weapons
- Dungeons on main quest still provided interesting new items. Loot drops didn't bother me as the Zelda-esque progression of new abilities was still there.
- Traversal Mechanics felt great.
- Absolutely fantastic artwork
- Music and atmosphere was incredible.
Finishing was kind of bittersweet seeing as how Vigil is gone and the Darksiders IP likely dead. Hopefully someone picks up the IP and some of the key creative staff that worked on the originals. I'd like to see Darksiders come to a proper close.
The game just looks absoultely horrible. And I don't refer to "chunky characters lol"-horrible, I never minded that in the first game either. But something about how the characters are lit is just constantly off. When you pan the camera around Death in any indoor location, the way the specular highlights move around makes it seem like the light comes from completely random locations. Behind his head? Inside his feet? There's just no way to tell what the fuck is going on with this engine.
Also, contrasts. Nothing stands out from the background in any way. It's all fading together in one grey-blue-brownish desaturated mess. You may say whatever you want about Darksiders 1's visual style, but at least you had clear visibility of everything important on screen at all times.
The changes to combat mechanics are a major, major disappointment to me too. I'm still soldiering on, but I don't know how much longer I'm going to care. At least the dungeon design seems decent. Better than the first game in some cases.
Also, contrasts. Nothing stands out from the background in any way. It's all fading together in one grey-blue-brownish desaturated mess. You may say whatever you want about Darksiders 1's visual style, but at least you had clear visibility of everything important on screen at all times.
The changes to combat mechanics are a major, major disappointment to me too. I'm still soldiering on, but I don't know how much longer I'm going to care. At least the dungeon design seems decent. Better than the first game in some cases.
RPGCrazied
Member
I liked it, but the last world needed a ton more work, hell there isn't even any enemies here, just walk/run/ride around. Very boring. Also, there wasn't much story either. The ending was kinda bad also.
Tummi Gummi
Member
Thought both Darksiders 1 and 2 were meh, but quite enjoyed the combat in 2 (despite the usual shitty PC controls). Also, I absolutely LOVE the art style in DS2, despite the low res textures. A really good 3d fascimile of comics.
Haunted
Member
The combat is great, combos are much more varied and expansive than in the first Darksiders. Completely personal preference: I do like the heftier, weightier feel of War compared to the agility of Death; I enjoy parrying and countering an enemy more than evading and countering (strange that you get that ability only a couple hours in; it's absolutely crucial). With all the special abilities you can spec to, I also never thought it was too mashy.
That they've abandoned the Zelda structure to pursuit something else is to its detriment (since Zelda is fucking awesome), but I can't fault them for trying something different. The loot system is implemented ok-ish, the comparison tables aren't great and the OP possessed items devalue the unique lore items you get from bosses. Also a minor thing: the DLC items completely destroy any semblance of balance for the first couple hours since they're just so much better than anything else, real silly.
The game also has terribly uneven pacing, some badly scripted boss battles (clearly chasing other titles with worse execution), and it wears its development troubles on the sleeve as the latter half pretty much falls apart compared to the first two worlds. I also thought the colour filtering was really over the top at times. Deus Ex piss filter has nothing on the hues this one pulls off.
All that said though, it's a lengthy adventure with solid combat, good voice acting and some really cool art pieces. I thought it fell short of what they wanted to do, but nothing offensively bad that deserves hate or anything.
That they've abandoned the Zelda structure to pursuit something else is to its detriment (since Zelda is fucking awesome), but I can't fault them for trying something different. The loot system is implemented ok-ish, the comparison tables aren't great and the OP possessed items devalue the unique lore items you get from bosses. Also a minor thing: the DLC items completely destroy any semblance of balance for the first couple hours since they're just so much better than anything else, real silly.
The game also has terribly uneven pacing, some badly scripted boss battles (clearly chasing other titles with worse execution), and it wears its development troubles on the sleeve as the latter half pretty much falls apart compared to the first two worlds. I also thought the colour filtering was really over the top at times. Deus Ex piss filter has nothing on the hues this one pulls off.
All that said though, it's a lengthy adventure with solid combat, good voice acting and some really cool art pieces. I thought it fell short of what they wanted to do, but nothing offensively bad that deserves hate or anything.
doniewhalberg
Member
Loved it. All the strengths of the first game and more. Particularly liked the world art design more in this one. Shame there won't be another.
SkylineRKR
Member
When I started this game I loved it. But when the credits rolled I was severely disappointed.
The story lacks cohesion. It starts off well, then there is a huge nothing and ultimately it doesn't really tie in well with DS1 at all. You could kill 80% of this game and it wouldn't change anything.
The first world is good, the second world gets tiresome. The areas after that are rushed although the second to last dungeon of the campaign is very good. One area in particular is pure and complete horse shit, yes, that one.
The ending is NOT satisfying in any way. If you already think the first world is kind of meh, i'd finish that, complete the awesome boss fight there and then stop. A lot of games this gen are deemed too short, well, Darksiders 2 is easily a dungeon or 3 and fetch quest or 4 too long.
The story lacks cohesion. It starts off well, then there is a huge nothing and ultimately it doesn't really tie in well with DS1 at all. You could kill 80% of this game and it wouldn't change anything.
The first world is good, the second world gets tiresome. The areas after that are rushed although the second to last dungeon of the campaign is very good. One area in particular is pure and complete horse shit, yes, that one.
The ending is NOT satisfying in any way. If you already think the first world is kind of meh, i'd finish that, complete the awesome boss fight there and then stop. A lot of games this gen are deemed too short, well, Darksiders 2 is easily a dungeon or 3 and fetch quest or 4 too long.
Just started this today after picking it up for $15 at Best Buy last week. I like it so far, but I've been aware that the general impression of this game is that it is not as good as the first one. Maybe I'll just main line it if the side missions lead to rapid boredom.
SkylineRKR
Member
Another problem is that the dungeon design actually sucks compared to the first game. Its no more a case of getting a particular device that can carry you through a dungeon. At least mostly it isn't.
This means that the first dungeon that introduces new gameplay is cool, but its followed by a few dungeons in a row that require no new approach to puzzling and gameplay, which in turn makes it a drag. They are just there to extend the game time, and on top of that there are some nasty fetch quests inside fetch quest to extend this even further.
This means that the first dungeon that introduces new gameplay is cool, but its followed by a few dungeons in a row that require no new approach to puzzling and gameplay, which in turn makes it a drag. They are just there to extend the game time, and on top of that there are some nasty fetch quests inside fetch quest to extend this even further.
Dr_Boris_Goltz
Banned
I really enjoyed DS 2 with the notable exception being (late game spoiler)
.
the entirety of the shooting mechanics on Earth
enigmatic_alex44
Whenever a game uses "middleware," I expect mediocrity. Just see how poor TLOU looks.
I loved DS2, one of my favorite games of 2012. Like it so much I just picked up the Wii U version to play through again with it's superior item management on the gamepad. Everything besides the ending was better than the first game for me.
GravityMan
Member
I've only put about 90 minutes into Darksiders 2 so far...it's not bad, but it hasn't really grabbed me. It has much better combat and art direction than Darksiders 1, but that's about it. I was bored at times. I'll come back to DS2 a bit later.
It's not like the first Darksiders was a stellar game, though. Snoopeasystreet's "jack of all trades" comment earlier in this thread is spot on. A good but not great game.
It's not like the first Darksiders was a stellar game, though. Snoopeasystreet's "jack of all trades" comment earlier in this thread is spot on. A good but not great game.
truestatic
Member
Loved DS2. Picked it up on launch, was super excited to play it, then saw the horrible auto follow camera when I started it up launch day. Due to that and the tearing I didn't touch it for like three months, but when I finally gave it a second shot they'd fixed both issues and I tore through the whole game pretty quick. The story deserves all the complaints it gets, the "find three more things" moments definitely got a little repetitive, but the combat, the environments, the navigation, the dungeons, the art direction all absolutely floored me. I loved every moment of the game (with the exception of that poorly conceived shooting section on earth.)
Probably my biggest single love were the awesome mini dungeons that were sprinkled throughout the game. They were lightweight and missable, and they made it feel a bit more like a world, rather than a path between main quest areas.
Probably my biggest single love were the awesome mini dungeons that were sprinkled throughout the game. They were lightweight and missable, and they made it feel a bit more like a world, rather than a path between main quest areas.
spleenpoker
Member
I have DS2 in my backlog. Going to give it a shot after finishing DS1 a few years back
Been playing about 5h. And I love it. Do not understand how people can bash the combat, its great! Playing on apocalypse and buttonmash is a no-no. You really have to watch tells on enemies. Only bad thing is when they bunch up on you, Id rather fight 1 or 2 very powerful enemies.
Gfx is great on PC I really like the style of this game, lots of effects, lightshafts etc., 60fps VSynced but some stutter when I turn the camera :/
Also dat soundtrack goddamn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WNDEiaKsD0&list=PLD33F8952B1D71E45
Gfx is great on PC I really like the style of this game, lots of effects, lightshafts etc., 60fps VSynced but some stutter when I turn the camera :/
Also dat soundtrack goddamn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WNDEiaKsD0&list=PLD33F8952B1D71E45
Off-Kilter
Banned
Loved DS2. More so than the first game, even.
I liked the combat immensely. Way more visceral and fluid, although not quite as near Devil May Cry levels, but still pretty sweet as you dodge, teleport slash (a fully upgraded TS hits like a goddamn truck), and combo into gigantic hammers/maces/axes with ease, if you play that way of course. Ripping apart foes on Apocalyptic was extremely satisfying for me, and yes, Apocalypse or bust.
The light platforming sequences weren't bad either; Death controlled tightly, at least compared to War. The puzzles were fine as well, and some of the later ones were quite inventive once you unlocked some more abilities.
I will concede however that the loot system wasn't as developed as it could've been. Once you get some possessed weapons there's little reason to get anything else. And once you get a health steal weapon, for all intents and purposes you're invincible. I also wish that the game wasn't so front loaded. Each world was progressively smaller than the last, and the last two worlds weren't as interesting as the first two. And I could've lived without the Earth segment.
I liked the combat immensely. Way more visceral and fluid, although not quite as near Devil May Cry levels, but still pretty sweet as you dodge, teleport slash (a fully upgraded TS hits like a goddamn truck), and combo into gigantic hammers/maces/axes with ease, if you play that way of course. Ripping apart foes on Apocalyptic was extremely satisfying for me, and yes, Apocalypse or bust.
The light platforming sequences weren't bad either; Death controlled tightly, at least compared to War. The puzzles were fine as well, and some of the later ones were quite inventive once you unlocked some more abilities.
I will concede however that the loot system wasn't as developed as it could've been. Once you get some possessed weapons there's little reason to get anything else. And once you get a health steal weapon, for all intents and purposes you're invincible. I also wish that the game wasn't so front loaded. Each world was progressively smaller than the last, and the last two worlds weren't as interesting as the first two. And I could've lived without the Earth segment.