So, it may have been delayed a bit, but Darksiders II is still very much a thing, and it’s a thing that THQ wants you to be excited about. At a recent press event in London we actually had some more hands-on time with the game, but there wasn’t really enough to generate another preview out of (it was the first 10-15 minutes), so we I figured I’d instead present you with…
RANDOM DARKSIDERS FACTS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW
A mixture of interview snippets, and random bits of information we’ve picked up, this is a list of things you may not know about the game, and we hope it whets your appetite. A lot of it is actually available on the internet in places (we’ve checked), but hey, our job is to save you the hassle. Enjoy!
The Horsemen are part of a race of beings called the Nephilim:
Given that one of the stated goals for Darksiders II was to expand on the lore and the universe, it’s not surprising that you’ll learn more about the backgrounds of the various people’s and places that you encounter, take our protagonists, for example, the last of the Nephilim.
Funnily enough, the ‘Nephilim’ is something that’s also referenced in Diablo III, if any of you have actually been paying attention to the story. The word has several different meanings and interpretations in the real world, but in the Darksider’s Universe they were a race of humanoids spawned from an “unholy union” between Angels and Demons by the Demon Queen Lilith. (Who, if you’re interested, is the person behind the mysterious voice who corrupts Abbadon in the first game.)
Sadly, they got a little too much up in everyone’s grill, and the Charred Council (arbiters of everything) decided that they had to go. The Four Horsemen were spared and given god-like powers in exchange for being the executioners for their own race, and the Nephilim are no more. OR ARE THEY?
Fury is a woman:
It’s more obvious when you play Darksiders II, and the information is available on the official Darksiders Wiki, but the Horsemen Fury is officially a Horsewomen. Who knew.
’Avengers’ model was considered for Darksiders III & IV:
Speaking to Associate Producer Jay Fitzloff, whilst we were talking about Darksiders and sequels, he brought up the fact that since the first, and even the second game (even, in fact, since our last interview with Vigil), the Avengers happened and did rather well – it was apparently brought up as a possibility to do a game per Horseman, and then do the main event that carries on where Darksiders left off.
As we’ve already reported though, some at Vigil don’t think they can get away with it again, and even Fitzloff was quick to point out that games take a fair bit longer to make, so it probably wouldn’t be feasible. Strife and Fury, it seems, are going to have to be content with being ‘side-kicks’ for now.
It means that they do have to have an appearance somewhere in Darksiders II though… we hope it’s done well (and possibly War too – let’s just say we’ve seen him in the game but it wasn’t what it looked like, so whether he makes an actual appearance remains to be seen).
Darksiders II should provide something ‘new’ every 15 minutes:
Moving on to more technical/gameplay related facts, Fitzloff mentioned to us that a gameplay goal was to have something ‘new’ happen/occur/appear every 15 minutes. This was mainly referring to the levelling and loot system, but it’s designed to help feel like you’re getting somewhere, even if the story is proving a little slow to unfold.
“If you’re not getting to a part where you feel you’ve progressed, you can feel that your character has progressed. Whether you have new equipment or whatever… there’s always something new to try or explore. Basically, our goal is about every 15 minutes is to have something new, sometimes something major, sometimes small, but there should always be something ‘new’”
Dungeons are split up into sections:
Felt that the Black Tower level in the first game just went on… and on… and on…? (and on?) Yeah, Vigil hears you, and they’ve decided to do something about it in this game. Dungeons, especially the longer ones, are apparently set up so they allow for ‘breaks’.
Again, this came out of the chat with Fitzloff, these longer gameplay segments will be divided into multiple sections, and when you reach the end of a section, you’re allowed to go off and do other things, even leave the area completely, before coming back and continuing. Should lessen the repetitive fatigue that sometimes set in during the first game. Vigil also wanted to cut down on backtracking as well for anything other than ‘completionist’ tasks.
Possessed Weapons:
Those of you who are wondering what the loot system will do for you towards the rarer end of the scale should be interested in ‘possessed weapons’ – something that the studio hasn’t talked too much about yet.
These rare instruments of destruction level up alongside you, especially when you ‘feed’ them other weapons to help enhance and augment their powers. Neat.
Maybe you knew about some of this stuff, maybe you didn’t – the first Darksiders was a bit of a cult game that perhaps is a bit underrated, and it’s going to take a lot of work to make sure the sequel doesn’t suffer the same fate. Do yourself a favour – whilst you wait for August to roll around, find a cheaper version of the first game and play through it – the ending is fantastic.
