Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition PS5 Upgrade Review
Summary: A decent (and free) upgrade of a good game that was released many years ago.
3.5
Hammer it out
Darksiders II was released in 2012. In 2015 the game about Death received the Deathinitive (clever wordplay) Edition with some technical upgrades and additional content. And now this remaster gets a current-gen remaster.
Remakes and remasters are a somewhat popular trend of this generation. Sometimes they’re needed, and sometimes not; what we know for sure is that no one wants to pay for (almost) the same thing twice. Not even to mention three times. The good news is that if you already have Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition, you get the current-gen update for free.
I haven’t played this game before. The PS5 upgrade gave me an opportunity to try it for the first time, so it is from this perspective that I’m approaching Darksiders II DE. The sequel expands the story of the original. One of the Four Horsemen, War, is now imprisoned. His brother Death doesn’t like it. Convinced of War’s innocence, Death attempts to get his bro out of trouble. The protagonist embarks on a long journey, during which he uncovers a mystery that puts the entire world in danger.
You traverse a number of areas on horseback and on foot, completing the main and side quests. The plot has some strong points, amongst which are interesting characters and witty dialogues. However, I didn’t focus much on the story itself. What was really attractive to me was solid and engaging gameplay – a sort of fun factor that many modern titles seem to be lacking.
Combat mechanics in Darksiders II are smooth like peanut butter; eliminating enemies with a huge hammer or Death’s blades provides loads of fun and satisfaction. You can customise armour, weapons, and skills. The development system is clear and plain – I’m happy that the devs didn’t overcomplicate things “just because.” In addition, there are quite a few environmental puzzles which I found interesting.
I didn’t expect a 13-year-old game to be so enjoyable. This by no means suggests that the spirit of times gone by is not felt in Darksiders II. The current-gen version obtained a bunch of visual enhancements, such as 4K resolution, ray tracing, and refreshed systems of lighting and shadows. And although all this makes the game look decent, I couldn’t help feeling that the visuals are already past their prime in Darksiders II.
Also, controls feel a bit clunky. The character occasionally gets stuck on obstacles. There are many platforming and climbing sections in the title, and sometimes the mere act of jumping from one point to another proves a real pain in the neck. I’m nevertheless happy that the PS5 version has the DualSense support. The loading times have been shortened as well.
Final thoughts
Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition is a surprisingly enjoyable game with satisfying combat mechanics and intriguing puzzles. With all enhancements released so far, the title looks and works well – even by today’s standards. If you haven’t played it before, the free current-gen upgrade gives you a good chance to do so.
At the same time, if you’ve already played Darksiders II, I wonder if 4K and improved shadows are enough to make you revisit the game. It’s up to you, of course; but if you ask me, in this case I’d try something more recent.
About the Author
Dagmara Sorceress from The Witcher's homeland and Yennefer's classmate (got better grades than Janka). Addicted to the mechanical keyboard clack; always looking for an opportunity to make this lovely sound.
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