Darksiders: Genesis has only been out for a few days but it seems like an invigorating return to the franchise. Set before the first game, the newest entry gives players a chance to finally play as the fourth horseman, Strife, and his returning brother, War, as they attempt to stop the Demon King Lucifer’s plot to overthrow the balance between good and evil.
Darksiders: Genesis is a hack-and-slash action role-playing game set as a spin-off prequel from the main series. Throughout the game, players can switch between commanding Strife and War. Strife uses his guns, Mercy and Redemption, to blast enemies from afar while War uses his great-sword, Chaos Eater, to tear through foes at close range. While playing solo, the player can switch between brothers with the push of a button as the situation demands. However, there are other ways to fight evil with a partner through the different forms of co-op available.
Online Co-Op
The most straightforward way to jump into Darksiders: Genesis co-op is through online play. A player and their friend should both buy the game and then sync up online together. After joining up, the group can then carve their way through the story by traveling through maps, piecing together puzzles, and besting demons in combat.
Local Co-Op
Alternatively, players can play locally by sharing a screen. The information on Steam for Darksiders: Genesis says that players can opt to play with a friend on the same computer by splitting the screen. After halving the screen down the middle, each player will get their own section and view, allowing them the chance to explore without being anchored to one area or needing the other brother to tag along. Friends can divide and conquer while being aware of each other’s location through an icon and directional indicator.
Remote Co-Op
Finally, the Steam version of Darksiders: Genesis allows players to team up through Remote play, even if a friend doesn’t own the game. To enable this, only the player has to purchase and own the game. Afterwards, they simply need to boot up the game, pull up the friends list, and send an invitation to play. Once completed, the game will act as though the other player had a controller plugged into the host’s device, and similarly stream the game to the friend’s setup.
In the end, Darksiders: Genesis offers many different ways for players to team up with their friends to sow war and strife in this new spin on the series. However, even in the middle of missions, players can opt into a split-screen session. Simply approach purple crystal spires and have a friend click the ‘A’ button when their controller is plugged in.
Darksiders Genesis is available now for PC and Stadia, with a PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One release following in 2020.
