Darksiders
Light and darkness
The story surrounding Darksiders should really be the same as that of franchises such as The Boys, The Walking Dead or Invincible : a comic book series that has long been celebrated in certain subcultures but was completely unknown to the mainstream until it was adapted into a game or film/series. But Darksiders from Vigil Games is a franchise that originated in video game form, quite classically, quite unspectacularly. And yet, due to its stylish comic book look and Christian underpinnings, one almost expects a huge cosmos that remains inaccessible to players due to a lack of prior knowledge.
At least that would explain why I found it so difficult to follow the story, which is praised by many players. What I do remember is that we play War, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, who was sent to Earth to clear his name. Somehow, he is supposed to be responsible for the downfall of humanity. During his adventure, various other figures from the Christian faith appear, either helping him or standing in his way as nasty bosses. The whole thing repeats itself in a similar form in the sequels, in which we control one of the other three hp warriors.
However, the story is the only connecting element, as each of the games follows a different gameplay approach. While Darksiders II is probably best described as a kind of Diablo , the first Darksiders is an action adventure in theZelda-style. As we progress, we acquire new weapons and abilities that allow us to access new areas. The game world is a ruined New York, whose inhabitants passed away over a hundred years ago – although “passed away” is probably not quite the right term, as some of the Big Apple's residents are now roaming around as demonic spawn, which we slash to pieces with our sword, Chaos Eater.
So we hack our way through the post-apocalypse and try to find the reason for the end of the world. It looked damn cool back then, and the graphics have aged relatively well thanks to their art style. Still, I probably wouldn't play Darksiders again, even though there was a Warmastered Edition in 2016. Nevertheless, I can recommend it to those who are unfamiliar with it and fans of hack-and-slash gameplay in the style of the early God of War-games.
The score
The series opener has a lot to offer, and not just visually. The Directors Cut, as the original soundtrack is also known, has been released on all major platforms and comprises 36 tracks on two CDs by Cris Velasco (often mistakenly spelled “Chris”), Michael Reagan, and Scott Morton. Each of these musicians has had some connection to “divine” video game series, whether it be Morton with Titan Quest or Reagan and Velasco, who collaborated on the aforementioned God of Wars series. The latter in particular has earned my respect, as he and Sascha Dikiciyan created the fantastic score for Dark Messiah of Might and Magic.
Considering the musicians' experience and the supernatural conflict in Darksiders the direction of the music for the apocalyptic carnage should be clear: epic. However, a stylistic dividing line quickly emerges between Velasco and Reagan as the rowdy brothers on one side, and Morton as the man for the more sensual on the other. Let's first take a look at the action tracks, which can be recognized by names such as “Battle with” and, of course, by the performers.
In the score for Darksiders Velasco and Reagan remain true to their preference for powerful percussion and driving sounds, which, often combined with strings, evoke the superhuman conflict. To emphasize the separation between god-slayer Kratos and hobby horser War, this score leans more toward the fantastical and leaves the Mediterranean influences of God of War behind. Both scores rely on the use of a choir, but in this case, the dark male voices are sometimes raised or supplemented by female vocals.
This becomes clear right at the beginning in the DarksidersCris Velasco, Mike Reagan theme. Its dark introduction is initially overlaid by the singing of a single child (?), which is somewhat reminiscent of the beginning of Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End . Soon the choir joins in, heightening the epic feel. It sounds a little like Tyler Bates' score for 300, which in turn sounds like God of War ... you know what I mean.
While researching for the score, I came across David Altman's blog vaguely-offensive.com. Like me, this suspected ADHD sufferer has an increased urge to consume and collect, as well as a website about his (more critical) opinions, which probably only interest himself and a select few people. There he posted a review on the Darksiders-score, which beautifully underscores the importance of personal preferences and taste. What I praise, he describes as follows:
The problem, I guess, can be seen from the very beginning, with “Darksiders Theme.” Because I couldn’t identify a theme at all, or the theme is so generic that it doesn’t sound like anything I could pick out of a crowd of similar sounding compositions. So if, with scores, the goal is to pick a theme and then mostly play variations around that theme, this fails for just playing variations on empty space.
[…] some chanting, some pounding drums, some strings building to some more strings and horn lines. It’s total background music; it’s every film score of someone in a non-wartime, non-Western setting marching heroically to a battle. Which is what it should be, I suppose, just vaguely evocative of something but not distracting from the game.
[…] which is why we end up on a 2 out of 5 – this is competent work, and it does build up some appropriate oomph here and there, it just would not catch my ear while playing the game, and doesn’t do anything more than act as background noise even when I’ve got it jacked right into my ears.
Review by David Altman on vaguely-offensive.com
That there is indeed a motive is demonstrated by this musical analysis by Smehur, which also proves that I really don't know much about the subject. Anyway, tastes differ, and what I like doesn't have to appeal to everyone else. So let's move on!
As I am a big fan of the Dark Messiah of Might and Magic-score, similar sounds such as the anarchic Chaos EaterCris Velasco or Combat (Fire in the Blood) reminiscent of MayhemGrant Henry, Stemage immediately catch my ear. For me, however, the gem of the battle tracks remains the ethereal-sounding Battle with AbaddonCris Velasco, which skillfully underscores the battle between heaven and hell, good and evil, through its contrast between angelic and male choirs, overlaid by the vocals from the theme.
In general, the composers manage to create a diverse backdrop despite the orchestra's manageable sound peaks. What do I mean by that? Let's take a look at Earth CallerMike Reagan . I have no idea when, where, or why this track is played, but the name alone reveals that it's about something down-to-earth and primal. This is underscored by the accompanying track with its deep tones and steady beat. At the heart of it are the brass instruments, which create a Lord of the Rings-like feeling of menace.
What Altman describes in his review as the “most generic pieces” are my other highlights of the score, composed by Scott Morton. As mentioned at the beginning, he provides the more sensitive and less brutal tracks of the score, such as the creepy Strange MomentScott B. Morton or the lamenting VulgrimCris Velasco. They are cool, but I don't like them quite as much as his other string pieces: EdenGarry Schyman is soulful, melancholic, and sad, the perfect backdrop for an enchanted paradise—intensified only by its demise in Flight Over Ruined EdenScott B. Morton. Wonderful!
Things get a little more action-packed in War’s ThemeScott B. Morton and Flight PathScott B. Morton, which are reminiscent of Hans Zimmer-esque popcorn cinema – at least here I agree with my fellow critic. Unlike him, however, I would describe the score as more than just “competent.” The music of Darksiders is exceptionally good for a score from 2010, which was created in an environment of other great works. What it lacks in identity, it makes up for in opulence. The duality of grandiose bombast and wistful melancholy works excellently, which is why I highly recommend listening to it.
