TheDarksidersfranchise is somewhat of a chameleon of sorts as it has been able to evolve and change its genre with each new release. The first game in the series borrowed heavily from the dungeon exploration aspects ofThe Legend of Zeldafranchise, whileDarksiders 2introduced players to a new lead character and an all new loot system that would have felt right at home withDiablo. Last year’sDarksiders 3changed things up even further with the new Horsewoman Fury, withcombat that took more inspiration from theSoulsseriesof games.
Not to be outdone,Darksiders Genesisonce again flips expectations upside down by removing the familiar third person action and adding an isometric camera and co-op action into the mix. Set as a prequel to its three predecessors,Genesisintroduces thefourth horseman to the series, Strife. Interestingly enough, War is also back and along for the ride this time, letting solo players swap between them when they want, or teaming up with a friend in online or local co-op.
RELATED:Darksiders Genesis Won’t Lose Any Features on the Switch
Considering how different this latest entry appears to be from the more traditional third person action adventure games, fans are naturally wondering if it can live up to past games in the franchise. Thankfully, reviews have started to hit for the PC version of the game, which arrives later this week. Here’s what a few of them have to say aboutDarksiders Genesis.
Game Rant(Dalton Cooper)
The challenging boss fights, engaging combat, and emphasis on co-op in Darksiders Genesis make it still worth checking out despite its technical hiccups. Fans of theDarksiders franchiseworried that the game is too different from the others can rest easy knowing that Darksiders Genesis is a genuine Darksiders experience from start to finish.
Score: 3.5/5
PC Gamer(Luke Kemp)
Given the history of the series, the move to an entirely different genre isn’t as jarring as it might be. Darksiders Genesis is an action-RPG, with all the waves of enemies and grabbing of loot that you might expect. There are plenty of reasons to keep coming back, then, to the simple but satisfying combat. It won’t be long before the levels have given up all their secrets, but what remains is a solid apocalyptic grind.
Score: 81/100
IGN(Mitchell Saltzman)
Darksiders Genesis may lack the polish and flair of its numbered brethren, but make no mistake: this is still a Darksiders game, and it’s one of the best. There’s a really strong balance of great combat, clever puzzles, rich exploration, and excellent progression mechanics that keep its momentum going strong through its entire 15-hour run time. I wouldn’t say I think this new style should be the new standard for the Darksiders series going forward, but I do hope this spinoff isn’t a one-off because there’s a ton of potential here to explore.
Score: 8.7/10
Game Infomer(Ben Reeves)
Overall, Darksiders Genesis fails to take advantage of the series' strengths. Since Darksiders’ inception, fans have imagined what it might be like to team up as the different horsemen. Darksiders Genesis finally offers a co-op experience, but its offbeat design and forgettable story don’t deliver on the fantasy.
Score: 6.5/10
GamesRadar(Mike Epstein)
On the whole, Darksiders Genesis is a fun, but samey hack-and-slash romp. I’ve always admired the Darksiders franchise for jumping to different styles of play from game to game: Darksiders Genesis is its biggest jump yet, and one of its most successful. Though it feels understated, thanks to a pulled-out camera and a less flashy approach than the original three, it’s a well-designed gauntlet of quick, mashy fights and light brain teasers. It’s not going to set the world on fire, but it’s all good fun.
Destructoid(Chris Carter)
I came into Darksiders Genesis expecting nothing and got a fun little co-op dungeon crawler in return. Although the concept of a “Diablo spinoff for the Darksiders series” had the potential to just be a big bowl of wrong, the mad men and women at Airship Syndicate pulled it off. Long live Darksiders.
Score: Unscored
ShackNews(TJ Denzer)
If anything, the similar vibes to Marvel Ultimate Alliance and the built-in aspect of the Four Horsemen make us want Death and Fury in the mix from the get-go with the option to utilize the powers of all of them as we see fit, or shared in a four-player co-op fracas. That said, for its first approach to this style of gameplay, Darksiders: Genesis does a genuinely good job of delivering what makes those games good while keeping its own unique flair about it.
Wccftech(Francesco De Meo)
Darksiders Genesis manages to twist the series' formula successfully, offering plenty of engaging puzzle-solving and treasure hunting, both elevated by the good mission and location design. Repetitive combat, lack of a true loot system and a few other issues prevent the game from being a must-buy for everyone, but Darksiders fans will surely enjoy their time with the game, even more if they have a friend to play with.
Score: 7.5/10
While there may be some room for improvement, the switch in style seems to have been received well by most reviewers overall. One thing that may ultimately help sell people on this game, outside of the well known franchise it is apart of, is the fact that it isn’t launching as a typical full price AAA game. It’ll be interesting to see if thisresonates first with PC fans when it launcheson December 5.
Darksiders Genesislaunches on December 5 for PC and Stadia, and is coming to PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on June 21, 2025. Game Rant reviewed the game on PC.
