I'm not seeing the Zelda-ish-ness of Darksiders

So I bought Darksiders during the Steam sales because everyone said it was like a dark Zelda and I am a Zelda fan. I'm 2 or 3 hours in now and I have to admit, I'm not seeing how it's like Zelda in any way except that he's carrying a sword.... 
 
I've been playing Zelda games since the first one was new, I know my Zelda and as far as I can tell this ain't it. I keep waiting for it to become like Zelda, but so far it's God of War; button mashing, traversal, attack combos and weapon upgrades. It may be that my expectations aren't being met, but I can't help feeling a bit let-down by Darksiders, it doesn't remind me of Zelda at all. It could also be that I just finished a few God of War style games recently and I was ready for some Zelda action.
 
Am I missing something or does anyone else feel the same way?

So I bought Darksiders during the Steam sales because everyone said it was like a dark Zelda and I am a Zelda fan. I'm 2 or 3 hours in now and I have to admit, I'm not seeing how it's like Zelda in any way except that he's carrying a sword.... 
 
I've been playing Zelda games since the first one was new, I know my Zelda and as far as I can tell this ain't it. I keep waiting for it to become like Zelda, but so far it's God of War; button mashing, traversal, attack combos and weapon upgrades. It may be that my expectations aren't being met, but I can't help feeling a bit let-down by Darksiders, it doesn't remind me of Zelda at all. It could also be that I just finished a few God of War style games recently and I was ready for some Zelda action.
 
Am I missing something or does anyone else feel the same way?

Have you reached your first dungeon?

I'm in the middle of a bunch of arena fights right now and they're kinda bumming me out, me + a bunch of bad guys, kill them before the timer runs out, meh

Imagine those skulls on the health bar were hearts ;) 
 
Also you'll get a hookshot eventually and be forced to sort of traverse a dungeon using each unique ability/item you pick up. 
 
I guess if you don't see it you don't see it :)

" I'm in the middle of a bunch of arena fights right now and they're kinda bumming me out, me + a bunch of bad guys, kill them before the timer runs out, meh "

" I'm in the middle of a bunch of arena fights right now and they're kinda bumming me out, me + a bunch of bad guys, kill them before the timer runs out, meh "

Missing how each weapon  or item opens access to new areas, and how puzzles use combinations of those powerups, how the whole game is structured like a zelda game...yeah I'd say you're missing some pretty obvious stuff.  The demon who runs 'the store' is right out of a Zelda-esque game. 
 
Darksiders is a lot like Soul Reaver game with more fighting combos. Soul Reaver was, in a lot of ways, a darker Zelda Ocarina of Time clone. Darksider's is VERY Zelda-esque in structure and that's not really up for debate or interpretation.  It just IS.

I heard there is a princess Zelda in the game, but her face looks like they just photo shopped a skull onto it. 

" @ribeye said:

" I'm in the middle of a bunch of arena fights right now and they're kinda bumming me out, me + a bunch of bad guys, kill them before the timer runs out, meh "

Yea, those events turned me off from the game entirely. Bleh.  The progression, exploration, and puzzle-solving is very similar to The Legend of Zelda. Each dungeon also has a huge boss to crush with GLARING weaknesses that you must exploit in order to down them. "

Keep at it until you get to the first dungeon, then it'll click, probably. The game's structure of areas unlocking with new tools you find is essentially the same as Zelda's.

" I heard there is a princess Zelda in the game, but her face looks like they just photo shopped a skull onto it.  "

" @VWGTI said:

" @ribeye said:

" I'm in the middle of a bunch of arena fights right now and they're kinda bumming me out, me + a bunch of bad guys, kill them before the timer runs out, meh "

Yea, those events turned me off from the game entirely. Bleh.  The progression, exploration, and puzzle-solving is very similar to The Legend of Zelda. Each dungeon also has a huge boss to crush with GLARING weaknesses that you must exploit in order to down them. "

I've only killed Tiamat and Griever so far, but Tiamats weakness wasn't so obvious. "

" @LiquidPrince said:

" @VWGTI said:

" @ribeye said:

" I'm in the middle of a bunch of arena fights right now and they're kinda bumming me out, me + a bunch of bad guys, kill them before the timer runs out, meh "

Yea, those events turned me off from the game entirely. Bleh.  The progression, exploration, and puzzle-solving is very similar to The Legend of Zelda. Each dungeon also has a huge boss to crush with GLARING weaknesses that you must exploit in order to down them. "

I've only killed Tiamat and Griever so far, but Tiamats weakness wasn't so obvious. "

It's been a while, but was he the one where you

SPOILER WARNING: Click here to reveal hidden content.

had to shove the cart into him?

"

I also haven't seen what makes this game in particular so much like LoZ, seeing as Zelda had a pretty significant influence on just about every action-adventure game released in the last decade and a half.  When a game impacts an entire genre so heavily, it's kind of hard to avoid comparisons.

"Missing how each weapon  or item opens access to new areas, and how puzzles use combinations of those powerups, how the whole game is structured like a zelda game...yeah I'd say you're missing some pretty obvious stuff...."

The Zelda paradigm becomes more apparent when you get further into the game and the items and abilities you unlock start having obvious parallels. However, I think there's some influence from the Soul Reaver games there, even if nobody else seemed to pick up on it. 

Keep playing. First item you get is a boomerang, which you can throw through fire to light bombs (which grow from plants btw).

"Keep playing. First item you get is a boomerang, which you can throw through fire to light bombs (which grow from plants btw). "

Go into dungeon. 
Use item in a series of puzzle/combat rooms. Find keys. Jingles for successful puzzle completion. 
Fight mini-boss. Unlock new item. Use new item to finish dungeon.
Fight boss with new item. Heart container. 
Explore world with new item. Use item to get into dungeon. 
Repeat.

" @Butano said:

"Keep playing. First item you get is a boomerang, which you can throw through fire to light bombs (which grow from plants btw). "

haha, nice! i can't wait, my hope in Darksiders is renewed, i'll click on it again tonight "

" The Zelda paradigm becomes more apparent when you get further into the game and the items and abilities you unlock start having obvious parallels. However, I think there's some influence from the Soul Reaver games there, even if nobody else seemed to pick up on it.  "

This game is only Zelda-like in structure, not in quality.

Well keep looking.

I hope you are seriously like 5 minutes into the game otherwise you have no idea what you are talking about.

And to top it off, you'll eventually get a horse.

You throw a boomerang through torches to light bomb plants.

I have no idea what was wrong with that game. I am a huge Zelda fan but something about Darksiders didn't click with me. I ended up quitting around the Stygian boss. 

" This game is only Zelda-like in structure, not in quality. "

I got the platinum trophy in this and loved it, trust me it does become a lot like Zelda.

Took me a bit to see why people call it a Zelda.  I felt the Zeldaness when I hit the first "dungeon" of the game.

" @LiquidSaiyan3 said:

" This game is only Zelda-like in structure, not in quality. "

It's better "

" I have no idea what was wrong with that game. I am a huge Zelda fan but something about Darksiders didn't click with me. I ended up quitting around the Stygian boss.  "

" @laserbolts said:

" @LiquidSaiyan3 said:

" This game is only Zelda-like in structure, not in quality. "

It's better "

I disagree. 
 
@nickux said:

" I have no idea what was wrong with that game. I am a huge Zelda fan but something about Darksiders didn't click with me. I ended up quitting around the Stygian boss.  "

I'm with you.  This is not a bad game. I liked it at first, but after a while the game got in the way of me having fun with it. "

Once you get to the church where Tiamat is,  you'll start to see where the game turns from god of war  -> Zelda.

Are you blind or have you not reached the first dungeon yet? The gameplay systems(not the story or characters) are about 80% the same as the 3D Zelda games.

It's a mature Zelda with less polish and better combat. Also a portal gun. 

Play it for more than an hour and you'll see

Yeah you have to start doing the dungeons then it will click.  I hated the Arena battles too, but you only have to do a few, and only the first ones are difficult.  As you get more heart containers and better equipment the game gets less about combat (you just crush everything) and more about exploration.  By the end of the game you're so powerful you actually kind of feel like War - just stride in super confident and smack fools. 
 
I loved Darkstalkers, I also picked it up on the steam sale.  It's the best Zelda game I've played since Ocarina of Time.   The combat only resembles a character action game in presentation, don't worry it gets to be less and less the focus.  Check it out - if you hold the L button (can't remember if it was trigger or not) you get a very Ocarina-like lock on.  

I guarantee that the game feels more and more like Zelda as it goes on, and near the end, it slaps you across the face with it. I actually let out a little laugh at how far they were taking it.

there's a god damn boomerang, bomb plants, a hook shot and those skulls for your health bar = hearts.