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I Want Darksiders III So Bad, It Hurts

I didn't really care much about the original Darksiders . It was okay; just not anything special.

But Darksiders II was an altogether different beast and I loved it. It really ticked me off when THQ went down the tubes because it meant this IP would have a new home, and there was no knowing what would happen to it.

I have no idea what new owner Nordic Games is going to do with it. I know we're getting the Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition at the end of October, which is nice, but we really need news of a true sequel. And it had better retain the action/RPG structure of the sequel and not revert back to the original. The sequel was just so much bigger and more ambitious in every possible way.

What other game out there gives you such a balanced blend of action, role-playing elements, puzzle-solving, platforming and a little exploration to boot? This meld of diverse mechanics came together beautifully in Darksiders II and man, was it fun . This is precisely the kind of game I can get behind, provided it's not too gigantic. I'd be plenty satisfied if Darksiders III was only about 20-25 percent bigger than its predecessor.

I'm not sure if there's much of an outcry for this project, though. I'd like to think there is but I don't exactly have my finger on the pulse of the gaming community anymore.

Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition Dated

Publisher Nordic Games refuses to issue an official announcement but the project is inevitable.

Earlier this year, thanks to an Amazon leak , we heard about a special PlayStation 4 version of Darksiders II , dubbed the "Deathinitive Edition."

Now, multiple U.S. retailers have listed the special version of the well-received 2012 action/RPG, and they all seem to agree on the date: October 27. You can find listings at GameStop and Best Buy ; the price is $30.

Furthermore, we know it's in development at Gunfire Games, which is "almost entirely" comprised of those who worked on the first Darksiders at Vigil Games. The Deathinitive Edition will display at 1080p on both PS4 and Xbox One and as the team said on their website :

"This isn't a simple port. We've put a lot of time to improve both the visuals and gameplay to make it on par with current releases. It's been fun adding more polish to a game that is near and dear to our hearts."

This was one of our favorite games of the previous generation, so if you missed out, make sure to try the updated version!

Related Game(s): Darksiders II

Nordic: THQ Spent $50M On Darksiders II; We Can’t Afford That

Those who fondly recall Darksiders II should probably understand how much it cost to make.

Sure, it was a great game, but according to what Nordic Games boss Lars Wingefors told MCV (as cited by VideoGamer ), the amount of money THQ spent on the project was just ridiculous: $50 million.

"THQ spent $50m making Darksiders 2. We can produce a product of the same quality but for a lower cost. $50m is ridiculous, I can't afford that."

After THQ went kaput, Nordic Games picked up several of the former publisher's biggest IPs, including Darksiders , Red Faction , Destroy All Humans , etc. But perhaps even more importantly, Nordic acquired the THQ brand earlier this year, which Wingefors says was a darn good deal:

"The THQ deal was the best I ever made. I spent $5m from my own bank account. It was a lot of money for me, but we got the money back very quickly."

That being said, he's still not prepared to spend $50 million to produce a third Darksiders . While he's convinced he can produce a similar-quality product for much less, we'll have to see it to believe it. Unfortunately, as is often the case in this industry, you have to spend it to make it.

But you never know. Great games are often rewarded even if their production values aren't through the roof.

Related Game(s): Darksiders II

Who Else Wants Bloodborne To Be Just Like Darksiders?

Let me explain:

As much as I respect the Demon's Souls and Dark Souls games, they're not quite my thing. They're just a little too brutal for me in terms of difficulty.

Call me names if you like but I play games to relax. If I consider them a chore, I'm not really interested. One of the games I really loved was Darksiders II . It had the structure and bones of a role-playing game, but the more simplified action approach. The combination was absolutely fantastic; I just couldn't stop playing. There were some challenges, the game was a great length, and the depth and streamlined action/RPG-type gameplay just worked.

That's exactly what I'm hoping for from Bloodborne . I'm seeking a more action-oriented premise in the gameplay videos – as opposed to Dark Souls , for instance – and while I don't want Devil May Cry , I do want an action/role-playing experience that's very similar to DSII. There's no telling when we might see Darksiders III ; Nordic Games is the new owner of that IP and the future is sort of hazy. Therefore, I'm looking to From Software to scratch this particular itch.

Darksiders “Not Dead,” Might We Get An Announcement Soon?

After THQ went down, everyone wondered what would happen to great franchises like Darksiders .

Last year, the new owners – Nordic – said they fully intended to keep the IP alive, but they couldn't offer any further information. Now, we get a hint that perhaps Darksiders III could be in the works soon…

The clue comes from the creative director for the first two titles, Joe Madureira, who posted the following encouraging statement on his Facebook page :

"[Darksiders] is not dead!!! The new owner, Nordic seems very committed to continuing the series."

Nordic snagged quite a few THQ IPs in a $4.9 million auction last April. The company also owns Red Faction , MX vs. ATV , Full Spectrum Warrior and others. As for whether or not Maduriera will be involved with the third Darksiders :

" …I can't say at this point. Hopefully we will all have exciting news about the franchise soon!!!!!! "

Darksiders II was one of the absolute funnest games of the previous generation. If you haven't played it yet and you enjoy action/RPGs, you should definitely give it a shot.

Nordic Games Knows Darksiders Is “Big,” Seeks A Partner

After THQ went down, we just wanted to know one thing: Where will Darksiders end up?

Well, it ended up at Nordic Games, a company that spent $4.9 million to gather up Darksiders , Red Faction , MX vs. ATV and Titan Quest . They intend to "carefully select" which of those franchises will get a sequel or new installment. But as Nordic's Reinhard Pollice told Joystiq , his company is "just the middle man." They don't have internal studios or the resources to generate AAA sequels:

"Darksiders is really big. We know we need a partner for that. An established development team that can pull out such a big action adventure. We obviously talked to former team members and, if they are free, we want to somehow involve them. If they are allowed to because, you know, some of them found other jobs or are with Crytek now."

Yeah, well, don't bring it to Crytek. It'll become a FPS overnight. Anyway, Pollice made it plain that Darksiders is the one franchise they don't want to screw up. That's good to hear but at the same time, it means there will be a significant chunk of time before we see the third entry. Like over two years from now. But hey, we can deal with that provided the end result is awesome! This is one series that definitely shouldn't die.