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Darksiders (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

common sense media says

Game about Armageddon is well made but very bloody, violent.

parents & educators say
  • 50% say violence is an issue
See all 12 reviews | Review it

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Darksiders is a decidedly violent, bloody game, and is not intended for kids. Play involves the killing of demons, angels, and humans via extraordinarily violent means that see players employ variety of bladed weapons to carve enemies into bloody bits. There is also some obvious sexuality, thanks to at least one demon boss who appears to bare her gigantic, deformed bosom.

Educational value: Not applicable.
Positive messages: This game glorifies bloody, brutal combat. The vast majority of time will be spent in vicious battles, and while most of our enemies are easily identified as villainous demons, our hero has no problem hacking his way through other creatures as well, including angels and humans. Indeed, the notion of good and evil takes a back seat to the simpler idea of balance between the kingdoms of men, Hell, and Heaven.
Positive role models: Our hero is one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. His job is to bring about the end of the world, which involves the slaying members of the three kingdoms, including angels, demons, and humans. He doesn’t hate the creatures he is supposed to kill; it’s simply his duty, as per a contract he and his brothers entered long ago. To his credit, when the end of the world is brought about prematurely, he strives to right the balance once shared by the three kingdoms—though via extremely violent methods.
Ease of play: The controls are quite easy to start, but by the game’s midpoint players will have earned enough abilities and weapons that remembering which button combinations perform each move becomes quite challenging. Plus, some of the boss battles are very complex and difficult, even on the easiest skill level.
Violence: Among the more graphically violent games available, players spend their time using a variety of weapons, including a sword, a scythe, and a glaive, to carve up demons, angels, and a few humans. Limbs and heads are severed regularly, with fountains of blood spurting from victims’ stumps. There are also plenty of finishing moves in which our protagonist rips apart his enemies via imaginatively vicious means.
Sex: One demon boss has extremely large breasts that appear to be naked, though they are so discolored and deformed it’s difficult to tell.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
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More on Darksiders

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about how the game depicts the Apocalypse. Given its subject matter, is there anything in the game that might offend religious groups? If your beliefs incorporate the notion of Armageddon, is the hellish world presented here anything like what you have imagined?
  • Families can also discuss violence in games. Clearly, it helps games sell. But why? What is it about seeing blood and gore that excites and satisfies some players?

What's the story?

What's the story?
Based on the biblical notion of Armageddon, DARKSIDERS puts players in the shoes of one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; a burly warrior named War. According to an ancient contract between the kingdoms of Heaven, Hell, and Mankind, War and his three brothers would be summoned to bring an end to the world when seven ancient seals were broken. War arrives on command and begins the end of days, only to realize too late that the seventh seal had not been broken, that he had been tricked and that the Apocalypse had taken place prematurely. His goal becomes restoring balance to the three kingdoms by hacking his way through a decimated world now devoid of humans. Along the way he must slay hundreds of demons (and some angels) in extraordinarily violent ways using a variety of bladed weapons. Its closest analogue would be the God of War games, and it’s easily as graphic. Definitely not for kids.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Darksiders isn’t particularly original -- some players will find the brawling combat and the way in which War slowly earns his abilities via the souls he collects to be quite familiar -- but it is very competently made and should prove quite satisfying for mature players who enjoy intense, over-the-top action. The graphics are excellent, and the contextual environmental puzzles, which involve throwing switches, pulling objects, and finding special keys, are just the right level of challenging.

If we were to nitpick one thing it would be accessibility. War’s abilities are so multifaceted (he can hover, throw a glaive, use a horn, perform a wide variety of combinations that involve both face and shoulder buttons, and much more) that the controls become difficult to keep straight by the game’s midpoint. Plus, players who have little experience with brawlers may find some of the long and complex boss battles a little too hard. Luckily, waypoints at which War can respawn are very frequent. All in all, it’s a fine adult adventure.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Not available online
Genre: Action/Adventure
Developer: THQ
Released on: January 5, 2009
Price: 59.99
ESRB Rating: M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes
Screenshots
This review was written by Chad Sapieha
 
 

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What parents & educators say

11
Based on 4 parent & educator reviews:
  • 50% say violence is an issue
Read the reviews

Most useful reviews by all members

gamerboy296
kid, 11 years old
2
 
1+
bad story its about heaven and hel at war :(:(:(:(:(:(
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Fantasybuff14
adult
13
 
I thought the above review was a little misleading. The Demon Boss they refer to is a giant bat with Rocks on its chest that somewhat resemble bosoms. Not Sexual at all.
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helped me decide (4) | had useful details (5) | read my mind (8)
Risturo
kid, 12 years old
12
 
Blood but no language.
This is a very cool Hack and Slash game that is good for everyone but does introduce Blood and Gore but not as bad as some M Rated games like Dragon Age 2 and Mortal Kombat. Overall a Great Game for 11 - 16. I would not recommend this to young children as some scenes can be Frightening not for Under 10 , Good for Teens.
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prince of ...
kid, 12 years old
13
 
my mom will probably say no even when im 17 because she is cristain and believes that if a game is not for 1 and up its not for no one freaki- strange right
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helped me decide (3) | had useful details (6) | read my mind (6)
lonewlf
teen, 14 years old
12
 
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jgsaw
adult
6
 
rubbish, bad, boring, hard, hateful
I hate this game the reasons the main character looks kind of emo I have never liked hack n slash games. only reason why you should not give it to your kid
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Tom_Gamer_Tom
adult
13
 
Violent but its got non realistic graphics
Darksiders is of course violent. The violence is very high with lots of blood and gore, Decapitations and full of action. But it looks very unrealistic because of the graphics. Ripping demons apart and chopping people in half. Lovely. The sex is only suggestive. This is pretty stupid. Its actually not much of a gory or scary game. It looks moderate. Its not a really good game either.
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narrat0r
teen, 15 years old
14
 
Does CommonSense even play the game to see what's in it?
Yes, it does have foul language. Near the end of the game, you'll hear a character being called a wh*re, and there is some use of "piss off". But that's as far as it goes. Cut long story short - this is a great game. Story is kind of far-fetched and half of the time you won't know what's going on, but it gets pretty clear at the end. The game obviously takes inspiration from such classics as Zelda and Devil May Cry, with some influence of God of War. The violence in this game is accompanied by massive amounts of blood, but nothing that a teenager couldn't handle. Overall, very good and long action-adventure/RPG game.
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Plague
parent
13
 
Darksiders
Really fun game! Very easy to master the controls and awesome battle sequences. A great, fun game for everyone 13+.
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helped me decide (2) | had useful details (2) | read my mind (5)
XeNo123
teen, 16 years old
9
 
What I think
Me and my little sister played this game and it's like a horror flick cuz yeah the demons are scary as hell (no pun intended) and yeah it's gory and ya know it's just my oppinion that 9 year olds are good with it but then again my little sister laughs at the alien popping out of the guys chest in AVP. but any way I think it is a good game with parental supervision oh and the guys who write this site are full of it. there are no bosses with boobs they pulled something out of Dantae's Inferno and put it in Darksiders. So all in all good game for older kids.
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Spudling
teen, 13 years old
13
 
A great but short game.
Darksiders is a fun and occasionally challenging experience that places you in the boots of War. This game is a bit gory and the blood is plentiful, but the blood is very stylised and there is NO language.
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StickDude
kid, 12 years old
11
 
What I think
This is not really that bad, no causing AT ALL. Just it is really violent and bloody.
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