Parents' Guide to

Darksiders II

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Violent action RPG tracks gallons of blood spilled.

Game PlayStation 3 , Windows , Xbox 360 2012
Darksiders II Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • Darksiders II Game: Screenshot #1
  • Darksiders II Game: Screenshot #2
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Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Jeremy H.
Jeremy H. Parent of 9, 13 and 15-year-old
December 19, 2016
age 14+

My fave game

This one certainly isn't for everyone, but I've played it more than any other game. Gorgeous art style, great voice acting, amazing combat, compelling upgrades, menacing enemies and tight controls in a massive environment that is fun to explore for its own sake. Dark and gloomy, yet with bits of humor and intensity that always keep you moving forward. It can also be buggy, and there are sections that seem rather empty, but those are nitpicks. The loot system and skill tree are surprisingly robust, but you don't have to spend much time on them if you don't want to.
mwe
mwe Parent of 9-year-old
November 24, 2014
age 10+

Fun questing game without bad language

Cartoonish violence with oversized weapons and enemies that quickly disappear after being destroyed. No bad language. The game is a typical fantasy quest for magical objects and goals. Don't let the Grim Reaper theme fool you. There's nothing evil or inappropriate here for a moderately mature kid. A good part of the game is figuring out how to open doors and get through secret areas. There's not enough fighting to call this a full blown action game. However, the fight sequences are fun and are cartoonish - not graphic or scary. If you have a mature 10+ year old who likes to think and solve puzzles with his/her fighting games, this game is totally appropriate. If your kid has no attention span and needs hyper-action stimulation, this isn't' your game.
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What’s It About?

DARKSIDERS II, sequel to 2010's Darksiders, continues the exploits of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. War was the star of the original, but players shift into the skin of his brother Death for the series' second installment. He's on a journey to prove War innocent of prematurely initiating the apocalypse. His travels take him to planes beyond Earth, where he meets, among others, the mammoth-sized Makers of worlds (not to be confused with the grand Creator), who help guide him on his quest. As in the first game, players spend most of their time exploring monster-infested areas while undertaking a variety of missions, leveling up, and upgrading their weapons and armor as they carve their way through hordes of fantastical opponents. Other parts of the game involve some tricky parkour-like antics, with players climbing walls and leaping between pillars.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (6 ):

Grown-up gamers will appreciate the enormous size of Darksiders II's world, the sophistication of its character growth and combat systems, and the high quality storytelling, which includes talented voice actors and a twisty, compelling narrative that sinks its hooks into players in the first chapter. The visual presentation lacks the sort of polish seen in other high-profile fantasy games -- object surfaces lack sheen and detail, and the world seems a little flat at times. However, what's here is more than sufficient to create believable, otherworldly environments in which it's easy to lose oneself for hours on end.

It's not the sort of game that pushes many boundaries, but older players looking for a lengthy, well made, and just plain fun adventure filled with plenty of hacking and slashing are unlikely to go away disappointed.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about violence in media. Do you see any difference between gory, bloody fantasy violence carried out against non-human creatures and gritty, realistic military violence set in more familiar environments?

  • Families can also discuss the inclusion of religious iconography in games. Is there a proper place in interactive entertainment to depict spirituality, or should games simply stay away from the world of religion?

Game Details

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