Darksiders II Preview

Darksiders fans will maintain that Vigil’s pulse-pounding action extravaganza doesn’t get enough respect. But maybe when the sequel drops, the gaming community – and critics – will be waiting to embrace a top-quality, ultra-entertaining effort. In the first game, we played as War, one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse but this time around, we get a new protagonist: Death. And you know, with Four Horseman, Vigil can easily make four titles…logically speaking, couldn’t we create all new adventures with each member of the clan? Why not? Death, by the way, is a little different than War, which means Darksiders II is no rehash.

Death is faster and sleeker in his combat approach but he’s no less effective. He’ll be able to change his weapon on the fly – can we string combos together across different weapons, ala Devil May Cry ? – and Death can even scramble up vertical walls for a short span of time. Furthermore, the developers are implementing plenty of new twists and upgrades, and in some ways, the additions feel like RPG elements. Death is more customizable than War and they’re tossing in a loot system, too. That’s right, you’ll be able to grab armor, boots, gloves, and weapons from fallen enemies, and you can set up your character however you see fit.

Plus, let’s not forget about the magic spells and the various fantasy-like settings we’ll find in the sequel. In so many ways, the game seems to boast a deeper role-playing feel, but not without sacrificing the heated action moments that made the first game so much fun. The key to your success will involve piecing together your weapons and equipment so that it suits your play style. We’ll encounter many different types of enemies, which will force us to reassess our equipment and strategy on a routine basis. Heck, Death will even have a skill tree! This blend of fast action and RPG-like depth is just the type of structure that should appeal to a great many gamers. I know it appeals to me.

The dungeons will be bigger. The world itself will be bigger. The entire scope and feel will be epic and more dramatic. We will have an entirely new story, complete with plenty of new locales and a bevy of new characters. Death will actually have gadgets at his disposal, such as the ghost hook, which turns him into a platforming master. Just about every aspect of the original game has been built upon or enhanced in some way. If this isn’t enough to convince the fans that Vigil is cooking up something special… We don’t have a release date just yet, but Darksiders II should be available some time later next year.