Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition

Despite some minor issues, Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition is a great PS4 re-release of an already fantastic action-adventure romp.

Vigil and Gunfire's epic Darksiders franchise began with a bang and its sequel is now available for Switch so sharpen your scythes.

Like most games ported to Switch, if you have a PS4, Xbox One or PC and plan on playing Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition solely in docked mode you may as well get it on another format instead. It’s cheaper, and both looks and plays better. If the Switch is all that you’ve got, however, or you plan on playing in handheld mode, you should definitely pick it up. It was one of the best games released last-gen, and with its enhancements it’s still a great game now.

It feels like it’s been a long time coming and thankfully, any concerns fans may have had ahead of a Switch release can be laid to rest by Death himself. Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition is a visual feast, offering little to those who have already played through elsewhere but holding nothing back for the purists and new players alike. Age-old camera issues remain, but if you’ve been waiting to get on board with Death and his Horsemen, this late-to-the-party package is an easy recommendation.

Darksiders 2: Deathinitive Edition brings the original’s diverse world, interesting dungeons, and great loot system to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Sure, the story is dull, and there aren’t a whole lot of original ideas at play here, but the vast expanse of the adventure should please anyone who missed out on it the first time around.

Overall, Darksiders 2: Deathinitive Edition works as a hybrid of multiple games, but if you've played the original Darksiders 2, playing this game won't be all that different. If you missed out on it, this might be a good thing to pick up if you can ignore the story, lack of difficulty and odd camera controls. If not, it might be best to let Death rest.

Darksiders II has satisfying combat, a terrific variety of puzzles, and great, consistent art design. It starts to wear out its welcome deep into its lengthy runtime, and its story fails to deliver on the original game’s promises, but it’s still an exciting adventure well worth embarking on. Unfortunately, this edition on PC is full of minor technical issues that prevent it from realizing its full potential. Darksiders II is worth playing, but Deathinitive Edition is not worth the upgrade.

It’s not original, and it’s often unfocused, but Darksiders II remains one of the better Zelda clones – even if this slipshod remaster does it few favours.

Death rides onto current-gen consoles with the latest release of Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition. But while the base game and DLC are a lethal combination, the lack of effort evident in the remaster is just on life support.

Update: Nine years later, and Darksiders 2 is back with THQ (Nordic) and re-released on current-gen consoles. You’ll find our original review below.

Darksiders 2: Deathinitive Edition provides all the enjoyment of the original Darksiders 2 and then some. Some glitches and the fact that it does not add all that much to the base game hold it back a little but it is still a solid title

At its core, Darksiders II is a great game. That is what makes Darksiders II: Deahtinitive Edition all the more frustrating. A horrendous frame rate negatively impacts every aspect. Combat feels clunky, and the graphically impressive game ends up looking bad in motion. At least Nordic Games didn't technically call this a definitive edition, as it's really anything but.