By Matthew Scott Hunter
‘Darksiders’ (M)
Destroy the world
****
THQ
Xbox 360
A lot of games call upon you to save the world. This time around, you’ll be destroying it. As one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, it’s sort of your job. And you’re very good at it. You play as War, who’s charged with maintaining the balance between heaven and hell during the protracted End of Days, and you’ll accomplish this by plucking the wings off angels and disemboweling demons. All of the horror looks fantastic, courtesy of some absolutely stunning art design by celebrated comic book artist Joe Madureira. The look is completely original. The gameplay, on the other hand, is entirely derivative.
Very early on, you’ll wonder if Kratos is hiding under War’s bulky garments. War’s move-set — and corresponding bloodlust — is clearly inspired by “God of War’s” anti-hero. And by the time you find a boomerang in a dungeon treasure chest and use it to activate a bomb to open a door to a previously inaccessible area, you might actually forget you’re playing “Darksiders” rather than the latest “Legend of Zelda.” There’s no denying that this game is a rip-off of some of the most beloved titles in video game history. You can be outraged at the overt plagiarism, or you can just accept it and see what a “Zelda” game would be like if Kratos were to hack and slash his way through it. I recommend the latter, because it’s pretty awesome.
‘Divinity II: Ego Draconis’ (M)
***
DTP Entertainment
Xbox 360
When it comes to dragon-centric action RPGs, the recently released “Dragon Age: Origins” is a tough act to follow. It doesn’t help that “Divinity II” has more bugs than a dragon has scales. Even when everything works, you’ll spend far too much time slaying identical goblins. But just when you’re ready to give up on the game, you gain the ability to turn into a dragon yourself. The moment you take to the air and incinerate your enemies with one massive, fiery breath, all of your gripes will magically disappear.
‘Call of Duty: Modern Warefare: Reflex Edition (M)
**
Activision
Wii
Seeing “Modern Warfare” on Wii is like seeing an inexperienced Private sprint into combat against unspeakable odds. Such courage! Such spirit! Such — oh, he’s dead. Poor bastard never stood a chance. Wii simply doesn’t have the technical firepower to stand alongside PS3 and Xbox 360 on the battlefield of “Modern Warfare.” The graphics become too drab to distinguish between friend and foe. The remote is too bouncy for precision shooting. Taking on this port was a noble effort, but this game is more first-person shooter than the Wii can handle.
‘Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans’ (E10+)
***
Namco Bandai
Nintendo DS
If you’re not a “Dragon Ball Z” fan, be warned: this RPG is more of a companion piece to the anime TV show rather than a stand-alone story. For all the talking these characters do, they don’t ever manage to give you a better understanding of what’s going on. But if you’re already familiar with the Saiyan warriors and their soap operatic plotlines, then you won’t be left scratching your head between bouts of turn-based combat. Attacks are varied, colorful and extremely over-the-top — just the way “DBZ” fans like them.
