Darksiders

Game review by Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media
Darksiders Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 18+

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

PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 2009
Rate game

Parents say

age 13+

Based on 6 reviews

Kids say

age 12+

Based on 12 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

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.

Community Reviews

Jeremy H.
Jeremy H. Adult
December 19, 2016
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.
Tilly T.
Tilly T. Adult
September 14, 2012
age 12+

Darksiders Review

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

This title has:

Great messages
See all 6 parent reviews

What’s It About?

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?

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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • 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?

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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