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Ever wondered what it would be like to be one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, wielding unstoppable power, enforcer of Divine Retribution? Then welcome to the world of Darksiders, the new third-person, single player action/adventure video game from Vigil Games. Inspired by the biblical Book of Revelations, Darksiders reenacts Armageddon, the battle of between good and evil for control of the world. However, this video game is not your typical Sunday School lesson and things are not as they once were.

Assuming the role of the Horseman “War”, your power and influence have been diminished due to an unknown betrayal casting you as the one who upset the balance between Heaven and Hell, thereby destroying Humanity in the process. With War’s prominence reduced, and having been exiled to Earth admist the horrific destruction of Armageddon, you are forced to learn how to survive in this ruined land in order to find the truth behind this treachery.

Vigil Games and THQ have done a great job with Darksiders. The game plays smoothly, features excellent graphics and provides many hours of game play. As is the trend with today’s video games, Darksiders is an open world game with RPG elements, giving you tons of objects to find and upgrades for your weapons. As you explore a multitude of settings, including puzzle dungeons filled with enemy combatants, you will learn new fighting combos to help you deal with even the most powerful dungeon bosses.

Darksiders has garnered much criticism due to the numerous concepts and aspects borrowed from such classic games as Gears of War and Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. But, rather than being a cheap copy, Darsiders features a unique and compelling storyline making it a fun and entertaining compliment to these timeless games. While it does have a sense of familiarity in the way it controls, its basically a slash ‘em up game with some new twists. “Button Mashers” will love it. Gamers wanting a higher degree of skill might find it repetitious. And while Darksiders probably won’t make anybody’s list for best game, it is fun to play and offers many hours of enjoyment.

Available on: Xbox 360, Playstation 3