War rides again on PS5
By Paul Hunter
Let's get the easy part out of the way. Darksiders is one of the best old-school action-adventure games, so if you've yet to play it, the new PS5 Warmastered Edition is simply must play. It's developed by KAIKO and published by THQ Nordic, and brings back the classic apocalyptic adventured focused on hack-and-slash combat, dungeon-based progression, and silly end-of-the-world madness.
The more nuanced question is if you've played the original, is the PS5 Warmastered Edition enough for a second helping? Well, this version is technically a huge step up from the PS3 game, and has even more improvements and additions when compared to the PS4 Warmastered Edition that released ten years ago. The PS5 version gives the iconic adventure native 4K rendering, smooth and stable 60fps gameplay, a new Photo Mode, DualSense support, and Activities support. It's easily the definitive edition, so if you're clamouring to revisit this legendary trip, this is the version to play. Let's take a closer look!
The Charred Council, the ruling force that enforces balance between the realms, drags War in and accuses him of breaking sacred law. He loses his power, his honour, and almost his life before earning one chance to return to Earth and prove he was set up. That gives the story a strong revenge drive right away, and I liked how personal the story stays throughout.
The best part is how messy the road back becomes. Angels hunt him because they see him as the reason Earth fell, while demons block his path, bargain with him, and point him toward nastier truths. War is not exactly built for diplomacy, so every uneasy alliance carries an ominous “I will deal with you later” vibe.
All considered, the story works because it goes all in on its huge apocalyptic fantasy setup. War’s search for revenge and clearing his name gives the whole adventure a strong purpose from start to finish.
Dungeon tools are a huge reason the interconnected map still works so well. The Crossblade, a multi-target throwing weapon, can tag enemies, stun targets, and hit distant switches inside puzzle rooms.
I had a blast in one dungeon where I used the Crossblade to stun a row of pursuing enemies, interrupt one of the bigger, charging demon, which gave me enough time to close in with Chaoseater for a brutal finish. Intense moments like that are Darksiders working at its best, where a toom teaches you a new tool and the next fight lets you test it under pressure.
Boss fights give each dungeon an epic finale, and War’s powers keep growing through new weapons, upgrades, supernatural abilities, and Chaos Form, his temporary demon transformation for overpowering anything nearby. Ruin, War’s fiery phantom steed, also gives the adventure mounted combat and a welcome change of pace across open spaces.
Native 4K rendering on PS5 makes this the best-looking version of the gane yet. The broken streets and fantasy angel and demon structures, all have better textures, and the big character designs benefit from the extra pixel detail. Photo Mode is a fun addition too, because War spends half the game looking like he just stepped out of a comic panel after ruining someone’s day, making it a blast to capture the perfect pictures of his onslaught.
The voice acting is a big reason the story is so memorable. Liam O’Brien gives War a deep, serious performance, and Mark Hamill’s Watcher, War’s unwanted handler, brings the right amount of smug nastiness. I also liked how the music gives the adventure a grand fantasy feel, while the audio effects make combat hits and finishers sound brutal.
The PS5 version runs at a smooth and stable 60fps, and that helps keep the pace snappy and sharp during fights. DualSense support, which includes haptic feedback and dynamic trigger effects, and Activities support are nice modern additions.
Final Score: 8.5/10 - Great
Developer: KAIKO, Vigil Games
Publisher: THQ Nordic
Genre: Action Adventure, Hack-and-Slash
Modes: Single-player
By Paul Hunter
Let's get the easy part out of the way. Darksiders is one of the best old-school action-adventure games, so if you've yet to play it, the new PS5 Warmastered Edition is simply must play. It's developed by KAIKO and published by THQ Nordic, and brings back the classic apocalyptic adventured focused on hack-and-slash combat, dungeon-based progression, and silly end-of-the-world madness.
The more nuanced question is if you've played the original, is the PS5 Warmastered Edition enough for a second helping? Well, this version is technically a huge step up from the PS3 game, and has even more improvements and additions when compared to the PS4 Warmastered Edition that released ten years ago. The PS5 version gives the iconic adventure native 4K rendering, smooth and stable 60fps gameplay, a new Photo Mode, DualSense support, and Activities support. It's easily the definitive edition, so if you're clamouring to revisit this legendary trip, this is the version to play. Let's take a closer look!
Story and Narrative
War, the first Horseman of the Apocalypse, gets one hell of a bad deal in Darksiders. He is deceived into triggering the apocalypse before it is meant to happen, which throws Heaven and Hell into open war while humanity gets crushed in the middle. After demons overrun Earth and the angels lose ground, War becomes the obvious target for blame.The Charred Council, the ruling force that enforces balance between the realms, drags War in and accuses him of breaking sacred law. He loses his power, his honour, and almost his life before earning one chance to return to Earth and prove he was set up. That gives the story a strong revenge drive right away, and I liked how personal the story stays throughout.
The best part is how messy the road back becomes. Angels hunt him because they see him as the reason Earth fell, while demons block his path, bargain with him, and point him toward nastier truths. War is not exactly built for diplomacy, so every uneasy alliance carries an ominous “I will deal with you later” vibe.
All considered, the story works because it goes all in on its huge apocalyptic fantasy setup. War’s search for revenge and clearing his name gives the whole adventure a strong purpose from start to finish.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Darksiders Warmastered Edition is one of the best old-school action-adventure games, mixing The Legend of Zelda-style dungeons with God of War-style hack-and-slash combat. War starts with the Chaoseater sword, his main blade, and I loved how much force every hit carries. Cutting through demons, launching enemies, and triggering brutal finishers gives combat visceral payoff right away, while spending souls through Vulgrim, the demon merchant, makes each upgrade feel like another step toward turning War back into a one-man apocalypse.Dungeon tools are a huge reason the interconnected map still works so well. The Crossblade, a multi-target throwing weapon, can tag enemies, stun targets, and hit distant switches inside puzzle rooms.
I had a blast in one dungeon where I used the Crossblade to stun a row of pursuing enemies, interrupt one of the bigger, charging demon, which gave me enough time to close in with Chaoseater for a brutal finish. Intense moments like that are Darksiders working at its best, where a toom teaches you a new tool and the next fight lets you test it under pressure.
Boss fights give each dungeon an epic finale, and War’s powers keep growing through new weapons, upgrades, supernatural abilities, and Chaos Form, his temporary demon transformation for overpowering anything nearby. Ruin, War’s fiery phantom steed, also gives the adventure mounted combat and a welcome change of pace across open spaces.
Presentation and Audio
Visually, Joe Madureira’s comic-book art direction gives Darksiders Warmastered Edition a mesmerizing look, especially through War’s oversized armour and huge weapons, along with the ruined Earth environments where angels and demons now reside. I love how the angels, demons, ruined Earth and War himself all push the same apocalyptic mood.Native 4K rendering on PS5 makes this the best-looking version of the gane yet. The broken streets and fantasy angel and demon structures, all have better textures, and the big character designs benefit from the extra pixel detail. Photo Mode is a fun addition too, because War spends half the game looking like he just stepped out of a comic panel after ruining someone’s day, making it a blast to capture the perfect pictures of his onslaught.
The voice acting is a big reason the story is so memorable. Liam O’Brien gives War a deep, serious performance, and Mark Hamill’s Watcher, War’s unwanted handler, brings the right amount of smug nastiness. I also liked how the music gives the adventure a grand fantasy feel, while the audio effects make combat hits and finishers sound brutal.
The PS5 version runs at a smooth and stable 60fps, and that helps keep the pace snappy and sharp during fights. DualSense support, which includes haptic feedback and dynamic trigger effects, and Activities support are nice modern additions.
The Verdict
Darksiders Warmastered Edition is a killer PS5 revisit for anyone who loves retro action-adventure games with attitude. I had a blast with War’s story, the heavy combat, the dungeon-based progression, and the detailed comic-book apocalypse art style that makes the series stand apart. Native 4K rendering, smooth and stable 60fps gameplay, Photo Mode, DualSense support, and Activities support make this the definitive edition of this classic. It's stylish, satisfying, and one of the easiest recommendations on PS5.Final Score: 8.5/10 - Great
Darksiders Warmastered Edition details
Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|SDeveloper: KAIKO, Vigil Games
Publisher: THQ Nordic
Genre: Action Adventure, Hack-and-Slash
Modes: Single-player