Darksiders Preview

‘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?

“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.”

Of course, loads of weapons do not a good hack and slash make. It’s how you use your tools of destruction that counts. Here, Vigil reckons it’s outdone most other titles in the genre. Weapons and artefacts can be assigned to the four buttons of the d-pad, and various d-pad configurations can be toggled. This enables what Vigil calls “orchestrated combat”. You can start off a combo with one weapon, switch to another midway through the death dealing, then end on a special move of your choice. For example, WAR might begin a combo by throwing his crossblade, then, while it’s still flying through the air, switch to his guns for some ranged hits, then switch to his sword for the final blow. This, to our mind, is at least unconventional and at best never before seen in the genre (God of War III’s got it, but Darksiders will get there first). Much of what Joe says during his presentation might be considered hyperbole. “Orchestrated combat”, however, looks like the real deal.

WAR then meets Vulgrim, a demon merchant who exchanges souls for information, upgrades, combos, weapons and artefacts. We’re after one in particular: Earthcaller. The horn allows WAR to open a gate previously locked. We say gate, but in Darksiders, gates are more than meets the eye. Much more.

The gate unravels to reveal its true form: a huge rock monster with a deep, bellowing voice. The gate was a mere spec in its chest. WAR converses with the screen-filling giant. As long as the Destroyer lives, he argues, nothing is free. The “gate” agrees. He allows WAR to pass, then walks off into the distance, every step shaking the foundations of the earth. Darksiders still has much to reveal, but we can confidently say it’s got the best gates ever seen in a game.

Now Joe skips forward to the good stuff. “Something new, something no-one’s seen before. It’s not even officially named yet”, he says. We are now in Anvil’s Ford, a rocky ruin spliced with lush greenery. WAR is fighting a large stone-skinned humanoid called the Smith. He is losing. His sword and guns have no effect on the Smith’s impenetrable skin. But WAR has a trick up his sleeve: Chaos Form.

Luis calls it Darksiders’ “smartbomb”. Once triggered, it turns WAR into his true form – a large fiery demon of awesome power. It doesn’t last long, but it lasts long enough for WAR to force the Smith into submission. A brief conversation follows, and, somewhat miraculously, the two foes become allies. The duo then set out on a co-op path of destruction – Joe controlling WAR and the AI controlling the Smith. Here Darksiders turns into something of a mini-game: both characters’ kill scores are recorded in the top right corner of the screen. The death toll rises as demon upon demon and angel upon angel are dispatched. “You really want to beat him,” Luis explains. “You really want to show him that, hey, you’re WAR, and some big giant fat Scottish evil guy Smith isn’t going to beat you.” It’s a bit like Gimli son of Glóin and Legolas of the Woodland Realm killing waves of Uruk-hai in The Lord of the Rings films, but with less dwarves, elves and… er… Uruk-hai.

As WAR and the Smith fight for bragging rights, they help each other access new areas, WAR by creating bridges out of the city ruins and the Smith by throwing WAR halfway across the level. New weapons reveal themselves: the sticky bomb can be thrown to destroy the environment in predetermined situations, thrown at heavily armoured angels and used to solve some puzzles. But Luis saves the best for last: Redemption – a “frag cannon for angels”. It is at first used against WAR by a mini-boss, an angel that takes some beating. But WAR nabs it and Darksiders turns into a third-person shooter. Redemption is grossly powerful, taking out flying angels in one bloody hit. We’re told a demon version of the weapon turns up later in the game. It comes with exploding shells.

The presentation comes to an end, and we’re left with positive feelings. The focus has been on WAR’s bulging arsenal of weapons and gear, and how they’re incorporated into the combat. If Darksiders can combine genuine strategy with the weapon count, then the combat should stand out. Orchestrating combos sounds ace, but will there be any point in doing so? How are orchestrated combos better than basic sword attacks? Is there a benefit beyond looking cool? If so, Darksiders’ third trade could be its best.

Darksiders is due out for Xbox 360 and PS3 on January 8 2010.