Darksiders Genesis: Our tips will get you perfectly into the game

This guide to Darksiders Genesis shows you:

  • How the co-op works
  • How to get along well alone
  • Which skill is particularly useful

Darksiders Genesis is a spin-off of the series about the four apocalyptic horsemen. On PC & Google Stadia , you will experience the action from an unusual perspective, namely from an isometric view like in Diablo 3. The versions for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch have been available since February 14, 2020.

In addition, for the first time you will not be alone, but can experience the adventure in co-op if desired. Our guide shows you what you need to consider, how you can best get started in the game, and which skills remain enormously important.

Table of contents for the beginner's guide

  1. Darksiders Genesis: Basic game principle
  2. Use the finishers!
  3. Use your wrath skills
  4. Darksiders Genesis: Change characters, use co-op
  5. Return to old areas

1. Darksiders Genesis: Basic Gameplay

If part one was still oriented towards the classic Zelda formula, part two towards action role-playing games and part three towards Darks Souls, Darksiders Genesis takes a mixed path. Visually, the isometric perspective is reminiscent of Diablo, but in terms of content, the title focuses on puzzles and battles - less on pure looting and leveling.

Keyword level: The spin-off has a very modular structure. This means that after the intro, you'll complete one self-contained level after another from a small base. You can even repeat old missions to collect more souls - the currency of the adventure.

In addition, you can play Genesis in pairs if you want. One takes on the role of Strife, who you can control yourself for the first time, and one takes on the role of War, the protagonist of the first Darksiders. If you are alone, you can switch back and forth between the brothers at the push of a button.

From the hub you can travel to the different levels.

Along the way, you'll get creature cores in battles, which you can use to gradually improve your stats, and, as before, you can buy new items and later even new attacks from Vulgrim.

2. Tip: Use the finishers!

The fights in Genesis are very reminiscent of part one - at least if you hit in close combat. However, many enemies hit especially hard, which is why you can and should always shoot comfortably from a distance with Strife.

If the battle arena is not suitable for this, or if you prefer the direct attack, there is one elementary advice: use the finishers whenever possible. When you have weakened an opponent enough, a symbol will appear above his head.

Press the indicated button and the enemy is finished. This is often better than just whittling him away for several reasons. For one, a demon killed by a finisher always drops green and yellow souls (for life and wrath energy, for health and special attacks) as well as orbs. Normally, you will only receive blue souls.

The finisher is extremely useful, so always use it.

In addition, you are invincible for the short time of the finisher, escaping all attacks for a second. On top of that, the special attack drains a bit of life from all enemies in the immediate vicinity - so finishers are really always worthwhile.

3. Use your wrath skills

In addition to strong and normal attacks, War and Strife also have Wrath skills. Use them, as they will help you in many dicey situations. For example, if you can't escape from a melee as a shooter, just use a doppelgangerwhich briefly distracts the enemies and even blasts away a few health points.

War, on the other hand, uses an area attack that knocks back all enemies and deals enormous damage. If you use it in narrow areas with an abyss, you'll easily get rid of even stronger demons.

With War, you'll always have powerful melee attacks with you.

Strife also has a particularly useful skill: when you fill the bar under the ammo, the rider activates a strength mode for a short time. You'll now shoot faster, deal more damage and take less punishment - extremely helpful.

4. Darksiders Genesis: Switch characters or use co-op

As already mentioned, Strife is a much better choice at a distance. This leads us directly to the next piece of advice: switch the two riders when you're on your own. War is ideal for flattening enemies in close combat, while he's not much of a match for shooters.

With Strife, on the other hand, you can even keep the demons at bay if you always run away from the enemy like in a twin stick shooter. There are also special items that only one rider has at a time. For example, only War can use the Vorpal Blade to open certain doors. So you won't be able to avoid switching at all.

Some items are bound to one of the two riders - like the Vorpal Blade.

In co-op, the switch is not necessary. You can start right at the beginning together locally via splitscreen or over the Internet, but only with players from your friends list. You can also call a partner in the middle of the action at statues throughout the levels. You can also jump in and out at short notice.

5. Return to old areas

Nicely, Darksiders Genesis gives you a recommendation before each level on how strong you should be for the section. Take the help, because it applies. To get stronger, buy new attacks and items, as already mentioned. Most important, however, are the creature cores.

From time to time, defeated enemies leave these items behind. In turn, you use them in your skill tree. The cores are divided into attack, fury and health. However, you can put any item in any slot - but you will receive status bonuses if you have the appropriate cores.

The purple cores are from normal enemies, the orange ones from bosses and therefore stronger.

In any case, always use all the items you have. You can always exchange them later without problems. Better status values are, however, without question enormously helpful. Because you can use every core, you should also visit the old levels again.

Here you'll get new and more familiar cores. The latter will cause you to upgrade the specific item - with 30 of them, it will become a level 2 item, for example. In addition, you'll usually unlock new paths in already completed areas, for example through the Vorpal Blade. This means more souls, which in turn means more attacks and items.

More about Darksiders Genesis & Darksiders 3

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