While it nabs from other genres, it comes together into a nice action/adventure/rpg - "esque" game.
Darksiders II takes everything that was lacking about the 1st and revamps it, to include loots and a leveling system similar to most RPG's we see today. You'll go out of your way to collect armor and weapon pieces to further improve Death's damage and defense output. The world is double the size of it's predecessor and the inclusion of side quests makes you want to explore every nook and cranny.
Despite the improvements the new guide "Dust", a crow that follows you closely as you explore, is practically useless, often spinning in circles or leading you in the wrong direction. Followed by minor glitches, and even sound issues, these take away from the game but only in a minor sense. As an avid Skyrim and Bethesda fan I find it easy to overlook glitches for the sake of effort in making an expansive game. And I think THQ did a pretty good job despite the similarities from other genres. I easily give it a 9/10 just because I enjoy the franchise so much, and because THQ went out of there way to improve on the game. Which most developers often end up failing to do. But just to save you from burning a hole in your pocket, if you haven't played the first one or you aren't a fan of Exploration games I'd advice you rent it first.