''Darksiders'' is a

hack and slash Hack and slash, also known as hack and slay (H&S or HnS) or slash 'em up, refers to a type of gameplay that emphasizes combat with melee-based weapons (such as swords or blades). They may also feature projectile-based weapons as well (such a ...

action-adventure The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a storyli ...

video game franchise This is a list of video game franchises, organized alphabetically. All entries include multiple video games, not counting ports or altered re-releases. 0–9 *''1080° Snowboarding'' *''1942'' *'' 3D Ultra Minigolf'' *'' 3-D Ultra Pinball'' *'' ...

created by

Vigil Games Vigil Games was an American game development company owned by THQ. It was formed by comic artist Joe Madureira and David Adams in 2005. History Vigil Games was founded in 2005 by Joe Madureira, David Adams, Marvin Donald and Ryan Stefanelli. Vi ...

, now developed by

Gunfire Games Gunfire Games, LLC is an American video game developer based in Austin, Texas. The studio was founded by David Adams in July 2014, bringing with him the core team of Crytek USA just before that studio's closure. The company was acquired by THQ No ...

, which consists of some of the original members of Vigil. The series is set on a post-apocalyptic Earth, where mankind faces near-extinction and angels fight a losing battle against the demon hordes for control over the world. Among them are the

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are figures in the Christian scriptures, first appearing in the Book of Revelation, a piece of apocalypse literature written by John of Patmos. Revelation 6 tells of a book or scroll in God's right hand t ...

, the last of the

Nephilim The Nephilim (; ''Nəfīlīm'') are mysterious beings or people in the Hebrew Bible who are large and strong. The word ''Nephilim'' is loosely translated as '' giants'' in some translations of the Hebrew Bible, but left untranslated in others ...

who are tasked to bring balance to the universe.

Games

''Darksiders'' (2010)

The first installment in the franchise, ''Darksiders'' was released in 2010 for

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...

Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...

, and

Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ...

. Originally set in a modern-day Earth, a war breaks out between Heaven and Hell. War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, finds himself on Earth in the midst of the battle. After War is killed in the battle, the Charred Council blame him for destroying the balance and starting the apocalypse. War vows to find the one truly responsible, so he is sent back to Earth, where 100 years have passed, in his search to find them. An enhanced version, titled ''Darksiders: Warmastered Edition'', published by

Nordic Games The Nordic Games were the first international multi-sport event that focused primarily on winter sports, and were held at varying intervals between 1901 and 1926. It was organized by Sweden's Swedish Central Association for the Promotion of ...

, was released on November 22, 2016 for

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 i ...

and

Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...

, on November 29 for

, and on May 23, 2017 for

Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. ...

. It was released on

Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...

on April 2, 2019.

''Darksiders II'' (2012)

The second installment in the franchise set parallel with the first game, ''Darksiders II'' was released in 2012 for

, and

, this time with the protagonist as Death, the second of the

. Believing his brother War is innocent in his crimes, Death sets out to erase the crime War was blamed for as well as to try to resurrect mankind. An enhanced version, titled ''Darksiders II: The Deathinitive Edition'', was released on October 27, 2015 for

and

, and on November 5 for

. A Nintendo Switch version was released on September 26, 2019. It was published by

, who had acquired the rights to the ''Darksiders'' franchise following the bankruptcy of THQ.

''Darksiders III'' (2018)

The third installment in the franchise and parallel sequel to its predecessors, ''Darksiders III'' was released on November 27, 2018 for

, and

. It was later released on September 30, 2021 for the

. The player takes on the role of Fury, the third of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Again set parallel with the first two games, Fury is sent on a quest to recapture all of the escaped

Seven Deadly Sins The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings. Although they are not directly mentioned in the Bible, there are parallels with the seven things ...

. However, she is quick to find her mission to be a snipe hunt engineered to remove her alongside all of mankind from interfering with a much wider web of intrigue perpetrated on all sides.

''Darksiders Genesis'' (2019)

A spin-off prequel of the main series, ''Darksiders Genesis'' is a top-down role-playing game which follows the fourth and final horseman, Strife, who, alongside his brother War, is called upon to save mankind from certain destruction at the hands of Lucifer. The game was released on

and Stadia on December 5, 2019. It was subsequently released on

, and

on February 14, 2020. Unlike the main series games, ''Genesis'' is developed by Airship Syndicate, who previously developed '' Battle Chasers: Nightwar'', and comprises some of the original developers of Vigil Games.

Gameplay

The ''Darksiders'' games feature an

action role-playing An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre. Definition The games emphasize real-time combat where the player h ...

style of gameplay. Players take control of one of the

, from a third-person perspective, each of which characters offer unique play styles and equipment. In the first game, War's method of fighting is using a two-handed signature sword named Chaoseater, though throughout the game the player can equip various other items including a Scythe and a revolver. In ''

Darksiders II ''Darksiders II'' is an action role-playing hack and slash action-adventure video game developed by Vigil Games and published by THQ. It is the sequel to '' Darksiders'' and was released in August 2012 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xb ...

'', Death uses two scythes as his signature weapon, and in ''

Darksiders III ''Darksiders III'' is an Action role-playing game developed by Gunfire Games and published by THQ Nordic for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Stadia. It is the third entry in the '' Darksiders'' series. The game ...

'', Fury uses a

whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally ...

and magic to tear down her enemies. All Darksiders games generally have similar gameplay, as featuring an open world for the players to explore and a variety of puzzles to solve. Players can find chests that contain souls of the dead, which they can use to purchase a variety of items. The game has an emphasis on boss fights, where players need to learn their weak point in order to do vast amounts of damage. Players can also explore the open world by using the protagonists' own horses, War's being named Ruin, Death's being named Despair and Fury's being named Rampage.

Related media

''Darksiders'' creator

Joe Madureira Joe Madureira (born December 1974), often called Joe Mad,Smith, Andrew (May 3, 2002). "Canceled Comics Cavalcade Catch-up". ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1485. p. 38 is an American comic book artist and game developer, best known for his work on ''Dar ...

expressed interest in a possible comic book series and film adaptation for the series. Madureira had been reportedly working on a screenplay, which he intended to sell its rights to a Hollywood studio. A prequel novel set before the events of ''Darksiders'' and ''Darksiders II'' titled ''Darksiders: The Abomination Vault'' was released in 2012. It was followed by a digital-first prequel comic series, titled '' Darksiders II: Death's Door'', later the same year. '' Hunt: Showdown'' was originally intended to be a spiritual successor to ''Darksiders''.

References

{{THQ Nordic Hack and slash video games by series Action-adventure video games by series Dark fantasy video games Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in popular culture Video games about demons Linux games Open-world video games PlayStation 3 games PlayStation 4 games Post-apocalyptic video games Seven deadly sins in popular culture Embracer Group franchises Video games about angels Video games adapted into comics Video games based on the Bible Video games developed in the United States Wii U eShop games Wii U games Windows games Xbox 360 games Xbox One games