ameAcDarksiders: Genesis | A Deep Dive
Amazing Twin-Stick Shooter, Good Dungeon Exploration, Decent Hack and Slash
A Note from the Author
I’m a fan of Darksiders series, I love their puzzles and combats. When I heard that Darksiders IV was announced, I decided to play the whole Darksiders series and write deep-dive game review for them. I like Darksiders I and II, but I felt disappointed after Darksiders III released because it became a Souls-Like game. Now I felt a surprise when I play Darksiders: Genesis, the DMC-like combat, Zelda-like dungeon exploration and puzzles, 90s American comic style visuals, all the classic Darksiders mechanics have returned.
It’s also an amazing twin-stick shooter, its shooting feedback is awesome, I think it’s one of the best twin-stick shooter games I played, maybe you will like it. I can’t wait for Darksiders IV’s release.
1. Introduction
Darksiders: Genesis is a top-down hack and slash game blended with action-adventure and puzzles. You play as a powerful swordsman War or an agile gunner Strife, use a great sword or various guns to fight against undead and demon creatures.
Unlike Darksiders III, which abandoned the series’ classic mechanics, Darksiders series’ typical mechanics had all return to Darksiders: Genesis. The hack and slash similar to DMC again, Zelda-like type dungeon exploration has returned, and finally you can ride a horse again (the horse-riding is canceled in Darksiders III).
2. Gameplay Mechanics
Top-Down Hack and Slash
In Darksiders: Genesis, there are two playable characters you can choose: a powerful swordsman War or an agile gunner Strife. If you play alone, you can switch the character you controlled whenever you want. If you play with your friend, you can play two players Co-op Mode, you choose a character, your friend controls other one.
The powerful swordsman War is the protagonist of Darksiders I, and his gameplay experience is also same as Darksiders I but a top-down version. The agile gunner Strife is a new playable character of Darksiders, he first appeared in Darksiders III but only playable in Darksiders: Genesis.
The character War is a typical melee warrior, his health bar is high, his melee attack is medium damage but slow, his movement speed is medium. So, War’s role is tank in Darksiders: Genesis.
If you play as War, your play experience is like a typical hack and slash game: you control a warrior charge to waves of enemies, clash all the enemies nearby, make combos on enemies.
War’s main weapon is a great sword, and his secondary weapon is a ranged cross blade. He has three attack patterns light attack, heavy attack, charged attack, each pattern come with various combos.
The weapon enhancements mechanic has also returned; if you play War, you can choose one of enhancements slot in your weapon. When you slot an enhancement, your every attack will with elemental damage, and your charged attack also change to elemental version. You can switch enhancements whenever you want even in Boss fight.
Here are the six elemental enhancements in Darksiders: Genesis:
· Earth Splitter: Earth element, the charged attack will create an earth splitter.
· Flame Brand: Fire element, the charged attack is a whirlwind attack with fire.
· Death touch: Death element, the charged attack will release a death shock wave, if the death shock wave hit enemy, it will mark enemy a death curse, when the enemy who be cursed is killed, his body will explode, and the dead body explosion will also mark a new death curse. So, you can use this enhancement to make a combo explosion.
· Thunder Clap: Lightning element, the charged attack will create a lightning bolt.
· Vampiric Rune: Vampire element, every hit on enemy will steal his life and heal yourself, the charged attack will spin and release a bloody shock wave.
· Vortex: Wind element, the charged attack will create a vortex.
The most useful enhancement is Vampiric Rune; I can use it to fill my health bar. Flame brand and Death touch is useful for waves of enemies, but other enhancements I felt useless.
Darksiders series’ typical transform mechanic is also included in Darksiders: Genesis. Every time you hit enemy you will get some chaos power, when the chaos power is full, War can transform to a blade demon (Strife can transform to a machine alien) form in a short time. You can do high damage and become invincible during the demon form; it can reduce the combat difficulty.
The block and execution mechanics had also back and same as Darksiders I, if you block enemy hit in right time, you can launch a counter-attack. And you can execute an enemy if his health is low.
The Wrath skill mechanic come back too and a little like to Darksiders I, each character has his own three Wrath skills, you can cost Wrath (like mana in other games) to use Wrath skills, these Wrath skills’ effect will change if you slot some Creature Core.
The War’s Wrath skills are come from Darksiders I:
· Blade Geyser: An area-damage skill, War will summon many swords form earth around him.
· Rampage: Charge to enemies like a rocket, left a lava tails.
· Stoneskin: Make War’s skin become stone and his defense improve in short time.
In my opinion, Darksiders: Genesis’s hack and slash gameplay experience is not good. It has good hit feedback and haptic response, the execution animation is awesome, all the good things that a good hack and slash game should be it also be. But War’s attack damage is too low for elite enemies and bosses, and even with a fully upgraded health bar, War still dies easily in Boss fight. when I play War, I often die in Boss fight and I fell his Wrath skills are useless for elite enemies and boss fight.
I think it’s the game stats design problem, maybe Darksiders: Genesis is design for two player Co-op mode, so all the enemies’ stats and two characters’ stats must be. So, if War is too strong, Strife will be useless to another player.
Twin-Stick Shooter
When you play the character Strife, the gameplay experience is more like a typical Twin-Stick Shooter game.
Unlike War, the character Strife is a gunner, his health bar is low, but his ranged attack is high damage and quick, his movement speed is quick too. So, Strife’s role is DPS ranger in Darksiders: Genesis.
Strife’s main weapon are dual-pistols, and his secondary weapon are dual-knives. If you use pistols shoot enemy many times in a limited time, Strife’s will enter Hot Streak mode. The Hot Streak mode will turbo Strife’s pistols, his every shoot will become a super version in a short time, every ammo has an enhanced version in Hot Streak mode.
Strife can’t slot enhancements like War, but instead, his gun can shoot 7 types of ammo, every ammo makes his pistols like a new type of gun.
Here are the 7 ammos:
· Standard Shot: The default ammo, it has unlimited ammo. Its shoot gameplay is like a typical dual pistol fast gunner; the shoot is very fast but low damage. Its Hot Streak is normal shoot but very fast, the bullets like a bullet storm.
· Charge Shot: A powerful piercing shot. Its shoot gameplay is like a revolver or Desert Eagle; the shoot is strong but low fire speed. It also can be charged up to three levels. Its Hot Streak is every shoot become a full level charged shot.
· Beam Shot: Fire a beam of energy relentlessly until your beam ammo is empty. Its shoot gameplay is like a beam gun than can fire a beam relentlessly. Its Hot Streak is firing a more powerful beam.
· Lava Shot: Fire elemental pistol shoot, hold fire button longer fire speed faster, so if you hold fire button and don’t release, your fire speed will be very fast. Its shoot gameplay is like a grenade launcher, if you shoot hit the enemy, it will explode. Unlike other ammos’ Hot Streak is a super version normal shoot, its Hot Streak shoots out a large amount of flame instead of fire a pistol shoot.
· Static Shot: Electric bolt that arcs and connects to nearby enemies, dealing damage and reducing movement speed, most useful against waves of zombies. Its shoot gameplay is like a mage cast a chain lightning in fantasy games. Its Hot Streak is firing a more powerful electric bolt.
· Gravity Shot: Fire a gravity field that pulls enemies into it. It can be charged up to three levels. Its shoot gameplay is like a black hole gun in Sci-Fi FPS games. Its Hot Streak is every shoot become a full level charged Gravity shot.
· Nature Shot: Fire a multiple shot with green bullets, if your bullets hit enemies, it will have a chance to spawn health orbs (that can heal your health). Its shoot gameplay is like a ranger fire a multiple shot in fantasy games. Its Hot Streak is firing a more powerful multiple shot, if your powerful multiple shot hit enemies, they will be poisoned.
Unlike War’s Wrath skills, Strife’s Wrath skills are more useful for solo game mode:
· Shadow Clone: Create a shadow clone of Strife that can attract enemies. If you play Strife in solo mode, this is the most useful skill.
· Caltrops: Throw a lot of mines on the field, you can use it to deal waves of enemies. If you slot a Creature Core that enhance this skill, you can use this skill to stun enemies, that’s more useful.
· World Ender: Fire a large wide blast beam that deals massive damage, but you can’t move while firing.
In my opinion, Darksiders: Genesis’s twin-stick shooter gameplay experience is awesome. It has good shooting feedback and haptic response; the shoot sounds are good too. Strife’s shoot damage is high; I can eliminate many enemies in a few times, even the bosses are easy for me. Strife can move quick, and he can dash twice to avoid most of enemies’ hit. So, I always play as Strife. If you like twin-stick shooter games, you can try it.
Zelda-like Level-based Dungeon Exploration
Unlike the other Darksiders, you can’t freely explore the whole world in Darksiders: Genesis. Darksiders: Genesis’s world is split to 16 levels (called” Chapter” in Darksiders: Genesis), there are 12 dungeon levels and 4 levels in Darksiders: Genesis.
Every dungeon level has its own unique visual theme, zone-specific enemies, mini-bosses, puzzles, hidden chests and level boss. The dungeon design is similar to early 2D Zelda, there are many rooms in dungeons, you need to solve puzzles to open the door of boss room in some dungeons.
The puzzle-solver items (called “Abilities” in Darksiders: Genesis) had also return, you will get new abilities from treasure room during your dungeon exploration. You need to use these abilities solve puzzles to reach new rooms or get hidden chests.
Here are the abilities:
· Cross Blade (War): A ranged weapon, you can use it to light candles or turn on switch from a distance.
· Tremor Gauntlet (War): A heavy gauntlet, you can use it to break the crystals that block your way or rocket jump to a new area.
· Void Bomb (Strife): A bomb, you can use it create a portal connect two portal sites.
· Aether Spark (Strife): An angelic artifact, you can use it to solve electrical mazes (play a mini-game)
There also have many collectibles (Wrath skills, War’s enhancements, Strife’s ammo and more) and side contents hidden somewhere of every dungeon. You can upgrade your character by collect collectibles; I will introduce these collectibles later.
3. Progression and Upgrade
Combos Learning and Upgrade
At beginning you only have the basic combos; you can spend souls (drop from enemy) and boatman’s coins (one of collectibles) to learn new combos or upgrade combos. Every time you defeat a new milestone boss (the boss in the boss levels), the merchant will unlock new combos that you can buy.
Health Recovery Item Upgrade
The health recovery item mechanic is very familiar to Darksiders III, the health potion has several use charges and you can’t refill the use limit in levels at beginning. But you can also souls and boatman coins to upgrade the health potions.
You can upgrade the health potions’ use limit, health amount, passive regen, refillable in levels.
Health Bar and Wrath Bar Upgrade
You can collect Heath Stone Shards, mix these shards to a whole Heath Stone, every time you get a new Heath Stone, your chapter’s hearth bar will increase.
If you want to increase your Wrath bar, same as the health bar, you need to collect Wrath Stone Shards.
Creature Cores
Creature Core is the most creative gameplay mechanic of Darksiders: Genesis and the whole Darksiders series. Every monster in Darksiders: Genesis has its own unique creature core, every time you kill an enemy, it will have a chance to spawn a creature core.
Every creature core is unique; they will bring you some special buffs. You can choose some creature cores to slot and get their buffs.
Each creature core has 3 levels, when you get a creature core first, you will get a lv1 version creature core, if you kill the monster and get its creature core again, you will gain 1 XP of the creature core, when exp of the creature core is full, it will level up to lv2 version creature core and its buffs upgraded too.
Some Darksiders series’ classic monsters aren’t appear in Darksiders: Genesis, so if you want get their creature core you can only buy them from the merchant.
There are 67 unique creature cores and slots (30 minor cores slots, 8 major cores) in Darksiders: Genesis. So, you can only choose half of them to build you own customization.
There are 2 tiers of creature cores: minor cores (drop from normal and elite enemies) and major cores (drop from mini-bosses and level boss) in Darksiders: Genesis, major cores are more powerful.
Some of cores can increase your character stats (health, wrath, attack damage), some of cores can change your Wrath skills’ effect or enhance them, some of cores can summon a monster that fight for you.
Here are some of the creature cores:
· Armored Flea: Attack power increase.
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· Molten Hound: Stoneskin (War’s Wrath skill) deals damage in an area, Caltrops (Strife’s Wrath skill) suck enemies into the bombs. Drops two bonus Caltrops at level three.
· Stinger: Stoneskin (War’s Wrath skill) returns damage to attacks, Caltrops (Strife’s Wrath skill) drop health orbs.
· Legion: Shadow Clone (Strife’s Wrath skill) taunts enemies, Blade Geyser (War’s Wrath skill) grants war bonus attack damage for a few seconds.
· Trauma: Rampage (War’s Wrath skill) creates a blast when it hits an enemy, World Ender (Strife’s Wrath skill) is wider.
· Phantom Guard: Shadow Clone’s (Strife’s Wrath skill) bullets ricochet, Blade Geyser’s (War’s Wrath skill) radius increases.
So, the Creature Core mechanic make Darksiders: Genesis more fun and replayable. There aren’t any skill tree or equipment mechanics in Darksiders: Genesis, but you still build your own customization.
4. Unique Flavor
Twin-Stick Shooter, Top-Down Hack & Slash, Zelda-like Dungeon Exploration, three gameplay mechanics mix in one game plus 90s American comic visuals, these are the unique flavor of Darksiders: Genesis.
There are many top-down action-adventure games in Steam, but Darksiders: Genesis’ combat and boss fight experience is better than majority of other top-down action-adventure games, and the American comic art style games are few in Steam.
5. Storytelling and World-Building
Main Plot and Narrative Quality
The story of Darksiders: Genesis is a prequel of Darksiders series, it happened in the age of Genesis, a long time before Darksiders I.
At the beginning, two of apocalypse horsemen: War and Strife accept a mission from their master the Charred Council (Ruler of the Darksiders Universe): foil a plot by Lucifer to bring about the downfall of Humankind.
So, they start an epic odyssey across from many demon worlds and Eden. They meet the classic characters of Darksiders series: Samael (important character of Darksiders), Vulgrim (Demon merchant, appear in all games of Darksiders) and Abaddon (Leader of Angel, the final boss of Darksiders I) and a new demon merchant Dis (who sells combos).
They travel to defeat Demon Lords who follow Lucifer or his allies. After fall of Demon Lords, the two horsemen found their homeland Eden had corruption cause Lucifer’s plot, and the horsemen’s kin Nephilim also be raised as undead army.
At the end, after the last one of Demon Lord Moloch has fallen, War and Strife found their epic odyssey is one part of Lucifer’s plot. Lucifer use them to kill these Demon Lords, and he collect the Demon Lords’ souls to create a corruption tool Animus to corrupt the humankind.
Finally, Lucifer’s plot was succeeded, human beings were corrupted, the horsemen come the Earth but they can’t do anything. Thus, Earth is cut from the realms, and a pact forged with Seven Seals locking away the angels, the demons.
In my opinion, the story of Darksiders: Genesis is the best and longest one of Darksiders series. War and Strife travel 12 areas where have various visuals, each area will bring an event that tell you what happened in this area or the things that Demon Lords want to do.
There have many conversations between War and Strife during dungeon exploration, and every time you finished a level, there also has a new conversation between two horsemen and Samael or Vulgrim. Before every important boss fight, there also has a detailed speech to show us the boss’ personality.
So, these things are the reason why I thought the story of Darksiders: Genesis is the best and longest one of Darksiders series. I will not tell you the details of the story in this essay, the fun of this story needs you to discovery.
Characterization Quality
Unlike other Darksiders game only have a few of conversations, as I mentioned Darksiders: Genesis has many conversations, and there only a new character appears in Darksiders: Genesis, other characters are old characters of Darksiders series.
So, these conversations make the characters’ personality feel more depth and life. Especially War and Strife, these two guys are the team like Buddy-Cop.
World-Building Quality
As a prequel of Darksiders series, Darksiders: Genesis expand on the world-building of Darksiders series. It tells us more details about the demon world and Eden, that was only a background in other Darksiders games.
6. Visual Experience
Art Style
One of Darksiders series’ features is its classic 90s American comic art style, it was removed from Darksiders III, but it had return to Darksiders: Genesis.
When I first play Darksiders: Genesis, I was glad for its American comic art style, I felt the old things that I like finally return. The art style of Darksiders: Genesis is very similar to Darksiders I.
The visuals of buildings and environments are all comic style like Darksiders I but more epic and colorful, and the character are comic style same as Darksiders I, it like an enhanced version of Darksiders I.
Unlike Darksiders I, which only featured 5 main dungeons with unique themes, Darksiders: Genesis features 12 exploration-heavy dungeons and 4 dedicated boss arenas, each with a distinct visual environment.
Every dungeon of Darksiders: Genesis is a microcosm of its own, these dungeons split into sub-zones that even have their own style. Even in 2026, an action-adventure game that offers 16 hand-crafted, visually unique locations is not common on Steam.
Visual Consistency
Even there have Darksiders: Genesis features 16 locations with unique themes, all environments and characters are unified by the same comic style. There’s nothing make me feel inharmonious.
Visual Details
For a Top-Down comic style game, Darksiders: Genesis’s environment and monsters’ models are simple, but their textures are full of details. Even the character look small in top-down view, the characters’ models and textures are more complicated to show us the details of the clothing and equipment.
All of these things made Darksiders: Genesis made look beautiful and epic, it has some of the best visuals in the top-down games that I played.
7. Controls and UI
Controls
The classic control of Darksiders series had return, but something has changed.
The Parkour elements have returned too, so we need to jump between pillars or run along with walls, but there only a few Parkour area in dungeons.
The Combat controls is more like Darksiders I’s DMC-Like control, but the usage of button Y is used for heavy attack instead of used for secondary weapon. Now, button X for light attack, button Y for heavy attack, just like other hack & slash games.
The combo’s list is more complicated than other Darksiders games, but for a hack & slash game, it still easier than other hack & slash games on Steam.
UI
The combat UI is simple, clean and useful.
The collection UI will tell you how many things you have collected, and the things that you don’t collect.
The creature cores UI will tell you if the effects of creature core if you slot it.
The map UI also return and more useful now, dungeon map UI will tell you how many collectibles in the whole dungeon and the number of collectibles that you have got. If you have visited some area of dungeon, the location of collectibles in these areas will mark in dungeon map UI, it’s very helpful to me to find collectibles.
8. Difficulty
Normal and Elite Enemies Combat Difficulty
The combat against normal and elite enemies’ difficulty is more like Darksiders I, our attack damage is high and enemies’ damage is low, you can easy handle majorly of enemies, especially you play as Strife you can kill enemies form far and don’t get hurt.
The Boss Fight Difficulty
Darksiders: Genesis’s boss fight is the most challenging one of Darksiders series. Unlike Darksiders I and II’s boss fight, which need to use some special mechanics deal damage on bosses, you can use any weapon or skills to deal damage on bosses in Darksiders: Genesis.
The bosses’ attack damage is high, and many bosses like to use AOE damage skills, so if you’re not a hardcore player and didn’t upgrade your stats (by collect creature cores, health stone and wrath stone), you will feel hard when you fight against bosses.
Explore and Puzzles Difficulty
The main quest puzzles are very easy to all players; most of time you just need to use a bomb to break a block or use a Crossblade to light candles.
But if you want collect some hidden items, you need to solve hidden puzzles that hidden somewhere of dungeons. There hidden puzzles are not very hard if you find them, the true difficulty of hidden puzzles is to guess which one is a puzzle and how to solve it.
There is not any iconic sign that can notice these candles (or anything that you feel one of environment) are part of a puzzle and you need to light all of them. So, I often missed puzzles during my first playthrough, and then I revisited every location of dungeons to find collectibles, so I found these hidden puzzles.
9. Side Content
Side areas, quests and bosses
If you just want to defeat the dungeon boss and finish the level, you may only visit about 60% — 70% areas of dungeons.
The side areas of dungeons have many collectibles, chests, hidden puzzles and side-bosses, some entrance of side areas hidden somewhere you don’t think it’s an entrance (for example, an entrance is a pipeline hole, if you jump in and you will arrive in a new area.)
There also have several side quests in every dungeon, most of side quests are easy: the quest asks you to kill 10 demons hidden somewhere of the dungeon, if you spend time to search them, you will finish this quest and get reward (souls or creature core)
If you kill the side-bosses, they maybe drop a boss tier creature core, that is the reason why I replay these levels I finished.
Collectibles
There are many collectibles in Darksiders: Genesis, each dungeon has at least 7–8 collectibles, all the collectibles are not just a thing show your collection but also can increase your character’s stats:
· Shards of Health Stone: increase your character’s max health bar
· Shards: of Wrath Stone: increase your character’s max wrath bar and wrath power
· Shards of Abyssal Armor: increase your character’s max health bar, if you collect all the shards, you will get Darksiders series’ iconic armor: the Abyssal Armor.
· War and Strife’s Wrath skills: at beginning, War and Strife didn’t learn any skills, every skill learning item is hidden somewhere of dungeons.
· War’s enhancement and Strife’s ammo: As Wrath skills, you need to explore the dungeons to get War’s enhancement and Strife’s ammo, every enhancement will increase War’s attack damage, and every ammo will increase Strife’s attack damage.
· Boatman’s coin: use to buy combos upgrades or some rare creature core.
· Trickster Key: every dungeon has a hidden treasury with collectibles locked by Trickster Door, you can use the key to open the Trickster Door, if you open all the doors, you will meet a hidden boss.
In my opinion, Darksiders: Genesis’ collectibles mechanic is the most useful of the games with collectibles mechanic I played. If I want to increase my characters’ stats I don’t need to slash enemies again and again to get XP and new equipment in Darksiders: Genesis, I just need to explore the whole dungeon and search for collectibles as my best.
These collectibles mechanic make my dungeon exploration time more meaningful; I mentioned I dislike the equipment random loot mechanic of Darksiders II cause it broken my dungeon exploration reward, so I feel funny every time I solve a puzzle and find a new hidden chest.
The Crucible
The Crucible is an arena challenge, it’s one of Darksiders series’ iconic gameplay feature, you need to beat numerous enemies by 10 waves every level, each wave come with different types and numbers of enemies.
There are 20 arena challenge levels with 10 waves of enemies, if you defeat all waves of enemies of a level, you will finish this level and get a score. If you finished all 20 arena challenge levels, you can enter an endless waves arena challenge level, you can get higher score as your best.
If you get a new highest score record and reach a milestone, you will get a reward: souls, boatman’s coin or creature core. But if you just finish an arena challenge level and don’t get a new highest score, you will not get any reward.
The Labyrinths of Void
There are three labyrinths hidden somewhere the Void (a safe base where every time you finish a level you will return to) , there is no any sign notice you it’s an entrance of a labyrinth, and if you enter one of the labyrinths, you will not get a dungeon map like your exploration in dungeon levels, so everything need you to discovery by yourself.
There also have several puzzle and parkour areas in the labyrinths, so finish all labyrinths are difficulty, but if you want to meet the hidden boss, you need to finish the last labyrinth and open the Trickster Door in it.
10. Conclusion and Score
Overall Impression
Darksiders: Genesis is a Co-op top-down hack & slash game blend with twin-stick shooter and dungeon exploration.
Its shooter part is awesome, but the hack & slash part is decent. If you play with your friend, you and your friend maybe get a good adventure experience.
The puzzles are not hard, and you can increase your characters’ stats by dungeon exploration instead of kill enemies.
The visuals are beautiful and comic style, if you are looking for some unique art style game or dungeon exploration games with puzzles & boss fight, it maybe for you.
Pros:
- Awesome twin-stick shooter experience.
- 15+ hours dungeon exploration with puzzles content.
- Beautiful comic style visuals.
Cons:
- Unbalanced characters stats for solo mode.
- Unbalanced skill design, some useful, other useless.
Target Audience:
Darksiders fans, fans of action dungeon exploration game.
Rating:
- Gameplay: 8/10
- Story: 7/10
- Visuals: 8/10
- Controls: 8/10
- Overall: 8/10
