[tab:Review]
Even though I didn’t review Darksiders II when it dropped in August, I was hastily playing through the game alongside our reviewer. I loved the new loot system, combat and overall world that this sequel delivered. Though I admit by the end I was done with what it had to offer. Taking over a month off to reflect coming back into the game was definitely exciting. Once again, picking up Death’s scythes and slicing through hordes of enemies was fun once again. Sadly, by the end of Argul’s Tomb, I had once again been given the taste of fatigue, only much, much sooner this time.
I don’t want to give off the wrong impression; Darksiders II is a great game. I have spent 20+ hours in its world so I definitely don’t hate it. My issue with the game is that none of the content feels strikingly unique, and that continues with Argul’s Tomb. This three-dungeon side quest gives you an ice-themed area (similar to the beginning of the main game), strips you of some of your later powers and once again tosses you to the horde. I didn’t find a truly stand-out piece of gear, and I didn’t even level once; granted I jumped in at level 21.
There is a joke in here about MC Hammer, and bankruptcy.
That said Argul’s Tomb definitely has some high points. For example the final boss was both challenging and fun. I enjoyed learning its pattern and the sheer size and scope were impressive. I also enjoyed the straightforward puzzles. While the latter portion of the main game really threw some head-scratching trials at you, these were solidly constructed, and fairly direct. It took me a minute to figure them out, but I never got frustrated at their complexity.
What I didn’t like is the sheer lack of narrative. You start off with a lengthy conversation with the creepy merchant Ostegoth as he explains the power of Argul’s Tomb, then when you complete it he seems rather intent on not explaining what it is you exactly acquired in there. It is also worth noting for those that finished the main game there is another (minor spoilers) shooting segment within Argul’s Tomb, and sadly it isn’t any more enjoyable. This wouldn’t be so bad if when you put down the gun that you had any sort of chance of overcoming the hordes with your blades.
Overall, this DLC is around two hours, which is perfectly reasonable for it’s price tag, but that all depends on just how much Darksiders you want. With the main game dropping at least 40-50 hours if you do it all, this extra dungeon doesn’t bring nearly enough unique aspects to make it seem worthy of the cost considering how much you already got. As a bonus for pre-ordering the game though, it fits it purpose nicely, adding more content to an already outstanding package.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
[tab:Screenshots]
[tab:END]
