Darksiders II for PlayStation 3 Reviews by Gamers

"Darksiders II" takes place alongside the first game, though this time we follow Death instead. Death is a more likeable character than War, doling out wisecracks to those he meets on his journey. The environments are much bigger this time around, so it helps Death has his trusty steed Despair to aid him in his travels. As you progress through the game, you will unlock fast travel, though it won't always be accessible to you. Death moves quicker than War, so combat and platforming is a bit more fluid. Even still, controls may fail you on occassion, usually at an inopportune time. RPG elements are introduced, and there is plenty of loot to be found, ensuring that no two Deaths will look alike. Switching out weapons and apparel isn't always the best, as not every new item improves your stats completely. In fact, most improve part of your stats while lowering others. The menus are a little clumsy to use, but not so bad as to be game breaking. Same with switching between abilities- you need to bring the wheel up each time to switch between those mapped to the R2 button (like your gun and you Deathclaw, a hook shot that enables you to grab points from a distance, either for retrieval or moving about a room). This is awkward, but not so bad. What's more frustrating are the glitches that do raise their head from time to time. These include locking the game up, NPCs not appearing when and where they should, and NPCs not performing as they should (I had a ghost who was supposed to help me in combat who merely stood in a corner instead). the camera also can be very unhelpful, especially in tight quarters, and leads to some cheap deaths and falls. The story is very good, so it's enough to keep you going, even when the fetch quests and combat begin to feel tedious. The environments are huge and nicely detailed, but fairly empty. Voice acting is especially good, even for minor characters. If you enjoyed the first, you should like this one, but you may not love it. 7.5/10 stars