Darksiders: Wrath of War is one of those games that doesn't break new ground in the way it plays, but succeeds in presenting a fun story and entertaining experience in a consistent and competent package.

Players assume the role of War, the wrathful member of the infamous Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The game opens with the horseman standing in the middle of a metropolis as the forces of Heaven and Hell begin to tear each other apart - with humanity caught in between and, of course, on the losing end of the conflict.

As the end-time conflict unfolds in the background, War soon realizes that his arrival on Earth was premature. The Apocalypse has indeed arrived, and the horseman is falsely blamed for breaking the rules - initiating the conflict that leads to the end of humanity.

His punishment for breaking the covenant between Heaven and Hell is to uncover who signaled the false Apocalypse, proving his innocence. He also has to regain the powers stripped from him as retribution for his supposed transgression.

Thus begins an enjoyable trek back to Earth, as well as combat with both the infernal hosts who now control the planet and their heavenly enemies above.

Controlling War feels a lot like controlling Kratos from Sony's God of War franchise. Combat is comprised of a series of button combinations. Players have to defeat foes and destroy objects to reclaim multi-colored souls and to power up special attacks, gain experience and restore health.

War's personality leaves a bit to be desired - he's a typically bland, gravelly voiced hero figure - but he's paired with a sarcastic parole officer, The Watcher, voiced with gleeful spite by Mark "The Joker" Hamill.

Thankfully, the game doesn't employ the overused quick-time events made popular by God of War, but it does include contextual finishing moves in all their gory slow-motion glory. Darksiders sports a colorful and atmospheric design, and while the enemies can be a bit repetitive, the combat is fun.

This combination of tried-and-true action-game elements proves that not every title needs to change gaming as we know it. Sometimes it's enough to just do what's already been done - so long as you do it well and tell an interesting story along the way.

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