Parents' Guide to

Darksiders

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

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

Game PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 2009
Darksiders Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

age 13+

Based on 6 parent reviews

age 14+

Simple to learn and fun to master

Definitely not for younger kids, even though the violence is cartoonish and the enemies are mostly monsters. One of the reviews mentioned killing humans in the game, but I don't recall that happening, unless you count zombies. It's fairly easy to get into this game, as it can be played as a basic button-masher, but the skill progression feels right, and rewards the effort to learn the in-depth systems. Pleasing combat, with slick combos -- fights feel fair, and you usually know why you lost. Generous save points help with the learning.
age 12+

Darksiders Review

Fine. No sex. Very stylized blood. Everything is animated. Trying to bring back humanity.

This title has:

Great messages

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6):
Kids say (12):

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 Details

  • Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: THQ
  • Release date: January 5, 2009
  • Genre: Action/Adventure
  • ESRB rating: M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes
  • Last updated: August 31, 2016

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