I couldn't remember why I quit playing this game way back when I grabbed a retail copy of it, but after less than an hour, now I sure do. Darksiders isn't a bad game by any means - it's just not that good.

What should be originality is hampered on many fronts. Graphically, the game looks like something from five to six years ago, except for the cutscenes, some of which are so cutting-edge they actually harm the rest of the game. Controls are solid, but the mouse seems to have a little lag when sending commands, causing the player to get hammered by an enemy at times where you had the upper hand by all appearances. The story, what there is of it, is quite bland and mostly forgettable - the "it gets better" moment is too far along for me to have hit it, if even there is one.

The latest patch seems to have introduced much lag, to the point where it has started detracting from the experience. Darksiders didn't get a decent porting job by a long shot, but it used to run way better than it does now. No amount of rooting around on various forums has turned up a fix, so it seems like the lag is just another "feature".

The combat is good when it works, but you still feel detached from it, like you're just clicking to watch animations play out. Those comparing Darksiders' combat to that in Kingdoms of Amalur are sorely mistaken, as that title has immensely better mechanics.

For a game that many think of as the next Zelda, I found Darksiders to be lacking in all things that make a solid hack 'n' slash. Three hours of play until my recommendation is short, but daydreaming while playing the game says it all...