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Darksiders screenshot

'Jack of all trades, master of none' is a phrase well worn. Tim Schafer's Brutal Legend, which married hack and slash combat with open world exploration and real-time strategy, is a fresh example. Darksiders is yet another game that combines many different types of gameplay. But THQ-owned developer Vigil Games hopes it will be a case of 'Jack of all trades, master of all' when the game's released on January 8 2010.

What are the different types of gameplay? Two shine through: Zelda-like dungeon exploration and puzzle-solving, and God of War-esque hack and slash combat. But could Darksiders have a third trade up its sleeve?

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"I'm sure you're all familiar with Darksiders, but today we're going to show you some really cool stuff," enthuses executive producer Luis Gigliotti as legendary comic book artist Joe Madureira "drives" during a London presentation of the game. "You might see some things that look kind of familiar to you, but you're definitely going to see things that no-one's seen yet, stuff that's hot off the press from the development studio. Hopefully you'll enjoy what you're going to check out." Over to you Luis.

Our presentation begins with an overview of what we already know about Darksiders. WAR, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, is framed for triggering the end of the world. But he is given a chance for redemption. He is stripped of his powers and sent back to earth 200 years after the event to clear his name. There he faces a battle on two fronts, the Destroyer and his demonic legion on one side and armoured angels from heaven on the other.

In-game, Joe is exploring a post-apocalyptic city streets area Luis describes as "Zelda-like". It is his first reference to Nintendo's seminal series, and not his last. Darksiders' city is not open world in a Fallout 3 sense. It is more akin to Zelda's Hyrule field. There are various hubs with dungeons and more linear levels attached to them. Zombie-like enemies shuffle mindlessly in the distance. More powerful demonic creatures spawn at opportune moments. The map screen intuitively directs Joe's warpath. He is free to explore this hub, although many branches are closed off for now.

"One thing you've grown accustomed to in these types of games is a well-scripted linear experience," Luis says. "Darksiders delivers on that. But what Darksiders does that a lot of these other games don't, that we feel evolves the genre, is it opens up to these larger exploratory type levels."

Joe gets to work, WAR swinging his huge sword in sweeping arcs of destruction. Zombies - clear cannon fodder - are effortlessly dispatched with basic combos. He needs a set number of souls - Darksiders' currency - which defeated enemies spit out. We see WAR fight in a subway system, explore a catacomb and even go for a swim as Joe explores the hub's nooks and crannies in pursuit of souls. He picks up cars and chucks them. He switches to his 'crossblade' - a clear nod to Link's boomerang - and takes out multiple locked-on enemies at once. A larger demon with fiery arms turns up, presenting a stiffer challenge. "The smallest boss in this game is four stories high," Luis says with a grin. "In this game bosses aren't just memories. You don't beat them once and then you don't see them again. In Darksiders bosses reappear later on in levels and you interact with them in multiple ways."

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