REVIEW: ‘Darksiders Warmastered Edition’ Is Still A Great Game Despite Its Age

Darksiders launched as the first in the trilogy of the great fantasy action-adventure series of the same name. The series reimagines the four horsemen of the apocalypse as they try to restore balance between Earth, hell, and the heavens after a series of catastrophic events turns them malicious. Though not without its flaws, Darksiders Warmastered Edition is an excellent initial title in the trilogy that shapes the series as a whole through its several impeccable action-adventure staples. The remastered version, developed by Vigil Games and KAIKO and published by THQ Nordic, is now available on modern consoles and significantly enhances the gameplay experience, though some flaws in the original game still remain.

Darksiders Warmastered Edition follows War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who is accused of bringing about the end of humanity too early. Stripped of much of his power and bound to a mysterious overseer known as the Watcher, War returns to a ruined Earth to uncover the truth behind the apocalypse and clear his name. It is a simple revenge-and-redemption plot setup seen in many games of its era, one that is especially synonymous with and reminiscent of the early God of War titles.

The game embraces an over-the-top comic-book tone, filled with demons, angels, giant monsters, and ruined cities, yet it still treats its world seriously enough to make the journey feel meaningful. War himself is not particularly emotional, but his calm, intimidating presence fits perfectly with the grim setting and the game as a whole.

One of the strongest aspects of Darksiders Warmastered Edition is its gameplay variety.

One of the strongest aspects of Darksiders Warmastered Edition is its gameplay variety. Combat is heavily inspired by stylish action games like Devil May Cry and God of War, with players chaining together sword attacks, aerial combos, dodges, and magical abilities. War’s massive Chaoseater sword feels powerful from the beginning. Players will unlock several new moves and weapons consistently over time, from projectile weapons that can chain attacks to a Scythe similar to that used by Death in Darksiders 2, along with other relics and items that enhance their combat prowess.

All these elements give combat a satisfying sense of progression. Darksiders Warmastered Edition rewards aggression and timing without becoming overwhelmingly complicated. It may not reach the technical heights of the best character action games, but it captures enough of that style to remain consistently enjoyable.

Much of the game revolves around exploring large dungeons, acquiring new tools, and using those tools to solve puzzles or unlock previously inaccessible areas. This influence is extremely obvious, but it works in the game’s favor because the dungeons are genuinely well designed. Each area introduces new mechanics at a steady pace, whether through portal traversal, environmental manipulation, or mounted combat. The puzzles are rarely frustrating, and the game does a good job balancing action with slower exploration segments.

The visual upgrades sharpen the atmosphere in Darksiders Warmastered Edition.

The world itself deserves special praise. The ruined version of Earth feels haunting and strangely beautiful, with destroyed highways, collapsed skyscrapers, and demonic architecture blending together into a memorable visual identity. Characters are oversized, monsters are grotesque, and environments often resemble living paintings. While the game originally launched during the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 era, the stylized visuals have aged surprisingly well.

Darksiders Warmastered Edition also enhances visuals with crisper, more intricate model details and textures, improved lighting and effects, and newly added 4K support. All cutscenes are also notably re-rendered in high quality for the most recent version of the title. The game’s frame rate is also the most notable gameplay improvement, as it runs at a consistent 60 FPS on PlayStation 5.

While it is not a dramatic remake, the visual upgrades sharpen the atmosphere, making it feel more immersive. Darksiders Warmastered Edition generally runs smoothly, which makes combat feel more responsive than in older console versions. Another highlight is the voice acting, which is immaculate, particularly War’s deep, commanding performance. The Warmastered edition adds dubbed audio in several languages, and each of them sounds great.

There are a few aspects of Darksiders Warmastered Edition that leave a lot to be desired.

However, while Darksiders Warmastered Edition is an improvement on the original in many significant ways, there are a few aspects of the game that leave a lot to be desired.

This includes the camera and lock-on system, which still feel archaic and tanky, and the awkward platforming sections, which can feel outdated by current standards. The lock-on system forces the camera in a specific direction rather than the specific enemy, which makes swapping between enemies feel slow and tedious. The camera itself is also unpredictable and hard to control at times. What’s worse, it’s also worth noting that War still feels incredibly slow to move around normally, as the character can still not run freely in the game despite the remaster.

The original Darksiders was designed around a slower, weightier movement style, likely to make War feel massive and powerful rather than agile. However, the game also features large environments and backtracking, so moving around can feel sluggish at times. Thankfully, players will eventually get abilities and traversal options like Ruin and War’s Horse, which is a silver lining.

Additionally, while the pacing is mostly strong throughout the adventure, Darksiders Warmastered Edition does stumble in a few areas. Some enemies also become repetitive later in the game, and the final act lacks the same freshness as the opening hours. Despite this, the core gameplay loop remains entertaining enough to carry the experience forward. The satisfaction of unlocking new abilities and conquering elaborate dungeons keeps the game engaging even during weaker moments.

Overall, while not the most polished action game nor the deepest adventure game, Darksiders Warmastered Edition remains one of the most unique action-adventure games of its era. The game blends fast-paced combat, puzzle-solving, dungeon exploration, and apocalyptic storytelling into a compelling and enjoyable experience. Even years after its release, Darksiders still stands out as one of the most engaging action-adventure games to date.

 Darksiders Warmastered Edition is available now for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.