What “Darksiders II” lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in execution. Reminiscent of many successful video games, at times “Darksiders II” borrows its style from Skyrim, Dark Souls, God of War, Zelda, Infamous, Prince of Persia and Legacy of Kain, but never to the point of plagiarism. You play as Death, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, on a quest to reach the Tree of Life and resurrect humanity, thus saving his brother War. Long story short, it doesn’t matter. What makes “Darksiders II” great has absolutely nothing to do with its storyline. Where the game shines is the forty plus hours of button-mashing, wall-climbing, barrel-smashing, robot-riding fun.

Death’s weapon of choice is a pair of dual-wielded scythes, but many other weapons abound. There are giant single handed weapons in the form of axes, maces and hammers, some imbued with additional ice, fire or critical damage. Some weapons are possessed and can be upgraded by feeding other weapons to them.

An undead horse that glows with brilliant green flames called Despair can be summoned. If you are unsure of what to do next, the click of a button will call upon a crow named Dust that will fly towards your next destination. Death has abilities as well, spinning himself into a cyclone of blades, tearing enemies apart, even morphing himself into the actual Grim Reaper form, rendering himself virtually indestructible for a short time. “Darksiders II” is more polished than its predecessor, the voice acting is superb and all of the glitches seem to have been worked out. The world that you will traverse is nothing less than a masterpiece in its grand scale.

Boss battles make or break any game, and this game rises to the occasion with some of the most memorable and creative battles ever. Picking up a sticky bomb and throwing it at the Lovecraftian monster before it explodes in your hands, and then shooting the bomb when it sticks to the creature rendering it weakened for a moment of attack is challenging, yet rewarding.

The soundtrack is epic, each song fitting the scene it belongs to. At times, atmospheric flutes tell of a challenging stage, while trumpeting horns proclaim the battle’s over.

This game is loaded with puzzles that become more difficult as the game progresses. After a night of “Darksiders II” you are sure to feel as though your brain is crying, but you will no doubt love it.

Rating: 4 stars