THQ Nordic unveiled the next game in the Darksiders franchise today, giving us some initial details of the game, setting, characters, and a release window of 2018. This IGN First post and trailer served as the first official confirmation of Darksiders III after details had leaked out earlier in the day thanks to this over-eager Amazon listing. A whole host of information was released about the previously unannounced title, which is being developed by Gunfire Games.
Taking a cue from both the previous Darksiders games, the protagonist will be one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. However, whereas Darksiders cast players as War and Darksiders II had us swinging a scythe as a rather buff version of Death, Darksiders III doesn't go with Famine or Pestilence for the lead but puts players in the shoes of an entirely new Horseman (or Horsewoman), a female mage named Fury, who uses magic and a whip to fight her way through the world.
The information from the publisher describes the environment as "an open-ended, living, free-form game world in which Fury moves back and forth between environments to uncover secrets while advancing the story." This suggests that the game will take a similar approach to Darksiders II in which players can freely roam a semi-open world, gradually unlocking new abilities that allow access to harder to reach areas and secrets. This is all but confirmed as further information from the developer's website regarding Fury's magic mentions unlockable traversal abilities, "Harness Fury's magic to unleash her various forms - each granting her access to new weapons, moves and traversal abilities."
Darksiders III may be moving further away from the traditional representation of the Four Horsemen but the themes of Christian mythology are still strong. Fury's enemies will be the Seven Deadly Sins and their minions, who we're told range from mythical creatures to degenerated beings. It's worth pointing out that, while Fury is not a traditional member of the Horsemen in terms of the original mythology, she will be for the purposes of Darksiders' canon. In the reveal trailer, we see her referring to an imprisoned War as "Brother." Further information from the game's official website also refers to her as "the most unpredictable and enigmatic of the Four Horsemen." Interestingly, the scene showing Fury speaking with War also tells us the game is set at roughly the same time as Darksiders II, a fact confirmed by IGN's accompanying article.
Further information from a THQ Nordic press release also gives us some insight into the story of the game, though it is only a brief outline, telling us that in Darksiders III,
Earth is now overrun by the Seven Deadly Sins and the mystical creatures and degenerated beings that serve them. The Charred Council calls upon Fury to battle from the heights of heaven down through the depths of hell in a quest to restore humanity and prove that she is the most powerful of the Four Horsemen.
The publisher was also keen to point out the experience of the developer, Gunfire Games, mentioning that the team is comprised of many of the people involved in the creation of the original Darksiders and beyond. Not only did Gunfire Games work directly on the second game's HD update, Darksiders II: Deathfinitive Edition, the studio is also staffed by many key figures who left former series developer Vigil Games, as their own website confirms.
The information provided by the publisher at this time says no more than 2018 as a release window. The earlier leaked listing on Amazon set the date as the 31st of December but this is merely a placeholder. THQ Nordic did confirm, however, that the game is set to release for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
Are you hyped for a third entry into the Darksiders franchise? How about that decision to make up their own Horsewoman of the apocalypse for the game? Give us your thoughts down in the comments!
