As shown off during Google's Stadia Connect, THQ Nordic and Airship Syndicate are working together on Darksiders Genesis. The reveal comes after a leak earlier in the day on Amazon, as well as leaks late in May. THQ and Airship Syndicate were careful to enunciate that Darksiders Genesis is a spin-off, not a mainline game. This is evident in the brief shot of gameplay we were given, which is a top-down ARPG, as opposed to the third-person action of major Darksiders games. This is also our first look at the new horseman Strife, who may or may not end up getting his own mainline game later. There's no release window or preorder information available at this time, but we might see more of Darksiders Genesis at E3, which starts this weekend.
According to the (now official) Amazon page, Darksiders Genesis will star horsemen War and Strife in a battle against Lucifer and his army of demons. After a devastating war between the Horsemen and the Nephilim, a precarious balance exists in the world. Lucifer, seizing the opportunity, seeks to grant various demon lords under his command immeasurable power, and seize control of the world for himself. Now, War and Strife must battle their way through the demon lords while unraveling Lucifer's grand conspiracy.
If the move by Airship Syndicate to work on a series like Darksiders after coming off of the excellent turn-based RPG Battle Chasers: Nightwar seems odd, then a bit of history is in order. Airship Syndicate was formed out of the ashes of Vigil Games after the original THQ went under. The Darksiders properties shuffled around for a bit, but some of Vigils original founders and animators went on to form their own studio. It's now mildly ironic that Airship Syndicate is back working on a different Darksiders game for a reformed THQ, albeit with their own spin on it. Hopefully, we see more of Darksiders Genesis before long.
