Darksiders got great review scores by taking elements from other great games and executing them really well. That was not a bad thing – because Darksiders was totally awesome.
Okay, let’s think about this for a minute. So, you’re THQ, you’re in a tough financial spot, and you’ve got this promising infant studio in Vigil Games, and they’re pitching ideas to you. The studio heads pitch a game that’s a lot like The Legend of Zelda, but it is set during the Apocalypse and stars Horseman of the Apocalypse War – a version of War that whiffs of God of War’s Olympian-murdering Ghost of Sparta, Kratos. If you’re in charge at THQ, you mull it over for five seconds and then say, “Yes, we want an action-adventure game that plays like Zelda and God of War.”
Was it that dark, brutal and unrestrained Zelda game that many of us always wanted? Well, it was probably the closest thing we will ever get to that vision. That’s much of the reason I liked it. It felt familiar, but it did its own thing through art style – no doubt thanks in large part to comic artist and studio co-founder Joe Madureira, and that whole apocalypse, war-between-heaven-and-hell shtick.
And you know what? It totally worked, because THQ got to make Darksiders II.
The weird thing about Darksiders II is that Vigil isn’t moving the timeline forward. Vigil is actually sidestepping from the original game. They’re introducing another Horseman, in this case Death, and telling his story at the same time as War’s struggle to stop the war between heaven and hell unfurls.
So, THQ has made a name for Darksiders. Where do they take it after the sequel? Could they be setting up for a five-game Darksiders saga? If you finished Darksiders, then you remember that at the end War’s fellow Horsemen fell to the Earth much like the Autobots in Michael Bay’s Transformers.
Think about it: Darksiders (War), Darksiders II (Death), Darksiders III (Pestilence), Darksiders IV (Famine), Darksiders V (4-player co-op). Not sure if Vigil can make two separate games with Pestilence and Famine, seeing how they aren’t nearly as interesting as either War or Death, but, if given a big enough ax, some cool armor and green glowing eyes, I bet Joe Madureira and Vigil can whip up some awesome versions of the lesser-known Horsemen. To be honest, if I could spread The Plague by snapping my fingers, I’d totally be up for a Pestilence game.
So, each Horseman gets his own introductory game, and then they meet up on Earth in the final chapter Fox’s Avengers-movie-style, in which players get to rip through angels and demons in four-player co-op chaos. I would play that game into the early morning regardless of how nauseating Darksiders would seem after four games.
Of course, I’m just speculating here, and with rumors circulating of THQ’s financial woes, we might not make it past Darksiders II. Then again, if Darksiders II doesn’t sell well, then we might not get another Darksiders game either. That’s all we need – buildup but no payoff. I think I just set my expectations way too high. If this doesn’t happen, I’m gonna be so pissed at myself.
So I’ve just thrown this whole idea out there, but, if it does come to that, would you play five Darksiders games? Or should we just skip to the Four Horsemen in Darksiders III and just accept that Pestilence and Famine are there at the end?
Tags: Darksiders II, Gaming, THQ, Vigil Games
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I highly doubt THQ will be able to do this, I am sure someone will buy either vigil studios, Darksiders or both. Also giving the other two horsemen their own game would be pointless, why not put them together in the same game and have it as a two player co op. I hope the Darksiders franchise will not die soon.
after reading this article, i have an urge to get a copy of darksiders and play it in preparation for the sequel. also, i think jumping to 4-player co-op in darksiders 3 would probly be the best idea
U just upped my expectations too, probably too high here comes an epic fail
While an intresting idea, you already said it yourself: the other guys arent just as intresting. I like darksiders and i certainly like the upcoming game , but a trilogy just sounds more awesome to me.
Pestilence isn’t a Horseman of the Apocalypse according to Revelations. The Horsemen are Conquest, War, Famine, and Death. Conquest would be amazing; he carries a bow and wears a crown of victory. Famine might be hard to pull off; he carries scales and charges too much for barley.
I didn’t get a chance to put a lot of time into Darksiders, but I heard it was fantastic. It’s certainly a game I plan on running through a few weeks before Darksiders II is released, so I can get myself tuned up and figure out whether I really want DS II or not.
As for whether it’s a potential franchise, I think THQ is proving their backing by funding a second one. And if only one thing is certain about game companies (THQ being no exception), it’s this: You’ll get so many sequels for a successful game that you’ll eventually forget why you loved the franchise so much in the first place.
Agreed. I have lost a lot of enthusiasm for Assassin’s Creed because Ubisoft has peddled it out there like a show pony. Five Darksiders games might be too much, but THQ will keep making them if they keep selling. Now that THQ is stepping away from games for younger kids, the will have more time to make the … sigh … “core” games. I hate using that word.
I actually got Darksiders (Wrath Of War) the other day after researching it when I considered getting it and let me just say that it was one of the best $17.99 plus tax that I’ve ever paid for in a used game. I’m REALLY glad that it turned out far better than I had expected since I didn’t want to Ruin
the story for myself before getting it. I still have yet to beat it actually, because I’ve been traversing the world looking for the extra stuff for a couple days. But Darksiders II is a game I’m looking forward to a lot and I’ve only very recently gotten into it. I look forward to playing Death since he’s my favorite of the Four, also, I like the double-sickle main weaponry it looks like they’ve given him. I agree with a few of the others on here though, in saying that five games would be a little bit too far and probably burn people out on the series by then. So at the very least, three games and bringing in a multiplayer co-op with the other two (Fury and Strife, by Vigil names) in then because that would make me overjoyed, to be honest.