Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition Review Summary

Smooth and engaging combat system: The combat system is described as fluid, satisfying, and fast-paced. Players enjoy the smooth animations and the overall engaging nature of the combat mechanics.

High praise for overall game quality: Players consistently describe the game as excellent, enjoyable, and engaging. Many highlight it as one of their favorite games, praising its gameplay, storyline, and open world.

Outstanding soundtrack and audio design: The game's soundtrack is frequently mentioned as brilliant, phenomenal, and masterful. Players appreciate the haunting and atmospheric musical score, as well as the excellent voice acting.

Improved graphics and visuals: The graphics are noted to have aged well and are described as pleasant and improved. Players appreciate the comic-like graphics and the overall visual enhancements.

Interesting and well-developed characters: Players find the characters in the game to be interesting and enjoyable. The story is rich with good characterization, contributing to a superb narrative experience.

Frequent bugs and crashes: Players report a high number of bugs and crashes, which significantly impact the gameplay experience. These issues range from minor glitches to game-breaking problems.

Excessive and tedious puzzles: Many players find the puzzles in the game to be overly complex, repetitive, and time-consuming. This can lead to a frustrating and less enjoyable experience.

Menu-related crashes and freezes: Players experience frequent crashes and freezes when accessing or exiting menus. This issue severely disrupts the gameplay flow.

Too many fetch quests: The game includes a large number of fetch quests, which players find repetitive and pointless. This can make the gameplay feel monotonous.

Camera and graphical glitches: Players report various camera issues and graphical glitches that affect the visual experience and gameplay.

Puzzle-solving mechanics: The game includes a range of puzzles, from dungeon puzzles to fetch quests and exploration-based puzzles. Some players note a reduction in puzzles but overall enjoy the puzzle-solving aspects.

Combat mechanics and variety: Combat is a significant focus, with players highlighting fast-paced combat, fighting mechanics, and a variety of weapons. The combat system is compared to games like Devil May Cry and God of War, offering a high level of customization and weapon upgrades.

RPG elements and progression: The game features a variety of RPG elements, including progression systems, side quests, talent trees, magic abilities, and randomized equipment. Players appreciate the depth and customization these elements bring to the gameplay.

Open world exploration: The game features an open world with elements of exploration, allowing players to engage in open-world action RPG mechanics and discover hidden areas.

Climbing and platforming mechanics: The game features climbing passages, timed climbing puzzles, and platforming mechanics, adding to the exploration and puzzle-solving aspects.

Game freezing issues: Players report various freezing issues, such as game freezes, screen freezing, and freezing when accessing menus. These problems disrupt the gaming experience.

Frequent crashes and instability: The game experiences frequent crashes, including random crashes, crashes to desktop, and crashes during boss fights. These issues significantly impact gameplay stability.

Framerate and performance issues: The game suffers from framerate instability, uncapped framerates, and performance struggles. Players suggest locking FPS to improve stability.

Audio and sound problems: There are numerous sound-related issues, including sound disappearance, audio loss during long sessions, and glitching sounds. These issues affect the overall immersion and experience.

Optimization problems: The game has poor optimization, leading to unstable performance and technical issues. Some players report improved performance with specific settings.

Recommended for adventure action fans: The game is highly recommended for fans of adventure action games, particularly those who enjoy dungeons, loot, puzzles, combat, and exploration. It is often compared to Zelda games and is considered essential for action-adventure and RPG hybrid enthusiasts.

General recommendations with reservations: Many reviewers recommend the game despite its issues, often citing its lower price and included DLC as reasons to overlook its flaws. Some suggest it is worth playing for its story and gameplay experience.

Positive general sentiments: Reviewers express positive sentiments about the game, calling it legendary and worth every minute. Some recommend it for nostalgic reasons or as part of a bundle.

Not recommended for PC: Several reviews advise against buying the game on PC, suggesting that the console or original versions provide a better experience.

Worth it on sale: The game is considered worth purchasing, especially if it is on sale. Some reviewers suggest getting it on a steep discount during a Steam sale.

Community fair range: $6.00 - $10.00.

Game completion: 25.0h.

Story completion: 20.0h.

Session length: 1.0h.

Endgame: 5.0h.

The game becomes fun as players progress and unlock new abilities and gear, with combat and dungeon crawling being particularly enjoyable. However, repetitive elements and technical issues can initially hinder the experience.

Reported time to anchor: 1h.

Frustrated Technician: Prefers games that run well technically and values performance stability. Motivation: Seeking a smooth and bug-free gaming experience. Stance: no buy.

Nostalgic Franchise Fan: Enjoys action-adventure games with a focus on combat and story. Motivation: Enjoyment of the game's combat, story, and nostalgic elements. Stance: buy.

Customization Enthusiast: Enjoys tailoring their character and playstyle, focusing on combat mastery and achievement completion. Motivation: Customization and mastery of combat mechanics. Stance: buy.

The game exhibits significant performance issues and crashes across lower VRAM hardware, particularly under 8GB VRAM. Higher VRAM configurations show some improvement with workarounds.

Windows <8GB VRAM: negative. Frequent crashes and performance issues reported, particularly during inventory access and cutscenes.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: positive. Improved performance with higher VRAM, though some users still report crashes that can be mitigated with FPS limits.

Steam Deck: The game suffers from significant issues related to localization, frequent crashes, and inconsistent controller support. While it runs decently on Steam Deck with Proton Experimental, the overall experience is marred by these technical problems. The need for specific settings and external software to mitigate crashes and controller issues indicates a high level of friction for users.

Linux and Proton: The game has decent compatibility with Proton on Linux, particularly with Proton Experimental. It runs well on Steam Deck with consistent frame rates, although there are some performance issues reported in specific scenarios. Overall, the game is playable on Linux and Steam Deck with some minor tweaks and considerations.

Monetization: The user reviews highlight issues related to DLC confusion and the perceived value of DLC content. While some users appreciate the integrated content and lower price, others express frustration over the necessity and value of additional DLC purchases. The overall sentiment suggests a need for clearer communication about what is included in the base game and the value proposition of additional DLCs.

External guides: The primary issues highlighted by users include frequent crashes and technical problems, particularly related to alt-tabbing, which severely disrupts gameplay. Additionally, the UI and game mechanics are criticized for lacking essential guides, making 100% completion difficult without external resources. Users also note the need to look up information on legendary weapons, indicating insufficient in-game descriptions.

Related books and graphic novels: Players mentioned related books and graphic novels in their reviews.