It’s Been 13 Years Since The Cliffhanger, When’s The Darksiders Finale Coming?

What’s something that’s both exciting and frustrating at the same time? It’s a cliffhanger. All the buildup to the most hyped moment gets you on the edge of your seat, and then it suddenly pulls the seat underneath and you fall into restlessness and frustration, not knowing how it will end. This is the same for any entertainment medium and is found in gaming as well. Imagine you sit through a blast of an adventure and it ends on a cliffhanger, leaving you craving for more.

What’s more, a cliffhanger ending makes the wait for the next entry even more difficult. You know you have to wait for the sequel before, but once you experience the ending the mind becomes even more restless. Let me share one of my experiences. It happened back after I completed the first Darksiders. After sitting through the intense story, the game builds up to an epic team-up moment, and then boom, the credits roll. I’ve been waiting for closure ever since.

Darksiders 1 — An Underrated Gem With A Brutal Cliffhanger

To be honest, I also happened upon this series by chance, and it turned out much better than my expectations. Fresh off Devil May Cry 4, I was looking for something similar and gave this game a try, and the rest is history. In a way, this game is very similar to the Devil May Cry series. Action hack-and-slash combat, unique abilities, level design featuring enemies spawning at set positions and puzzles, secret items, etc. 

The game and the series as a whole present a fantasy setting and story based on the concepts of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and Angels and Demons. In the first game, you control one such horseman, War. The horsemen are 4 very powerful individuals who maintain the balance between humans and these supernatural beings. It may seem like a cliched fantasy setting at first, but trust me the game is worth your time and the story is enough to keep you entertained.

What makes this game so attractive is primarily the combat and level design. Thrashing around enemies with unique powers, solving puzzles to proceed, and then some more combat, it’s a simple yet effective and satisfying loop. Moreover, as we discover the underlying conspiracies, War soon realizes he was framed and has to fight against impossible odds. At that moment, we see the epic scene of the other three horsemen coming in and War says “No…Not Alone.” For me, that moment is yet to be surpassed.

No. Not alone. I don’t think there is another cliff hanger I want to see resolved as much as this one.
byu/Justin9054 inDarksiders

The Sequels Opted To Explore More Lore First, And I Respect That

It might not seem much from just my description, but trust me in the game’s context and the continuous buildup throughout the game, it was a pretty big deal, but the game cut off at the best part. That ending was the thread that connected me to this series 13 years ago. The sequel had me excited, but before THQ Nordic gave that epic finale, it decided to explore the story and the overall game world in more depth, from the perspectives of the other horsemen.

Thus came Darksiders 2, and then Darksiders 3. Both these games run simultaneously with the first one in chronology, albeit from a different perspective. As War is framed and continues his quest to uncover the truth, Darksiders 2 follows Death, the second horseman as he learns of this. He knows his brother is innocent and takes some measures on his side. The purpose was to explore the other sides of the lore and make the world feel more connected.

Darksiders 2 is a severely underrated gem. I absolutely love this game.
by ingaming

A similar case happened in Darsiders 3. It follows the third horsemen, Fury, as she is sent on a quest to capture some escapees. However, throughout the game, we see how this was a ploy to sideline her from the real ongoings and conspiracies. Although I was even more frustrated the big payoff was still late, I completely agree with this approach and find it quite logical. If we get to know each horseman and the overall game world in depth, the final team-up will be even more exciting and meaningful.

Darksiders Genesis; The Last Horseman In A Refreshingly Distinct Game

One thing that happened frequently in this series is that every subsequent game tried something new while keeping the core formula intact. Darksiders 1 was a level-based game, while 2 opted for an open-world design with the same combat and gameplay mechanics. Similarly, Darksiders 3 tried going towards the “Souls-like” route in terms of its combat only. While I consider 3 to be the weakest entry, it is still an enjoyable adventure I commend for bringing novelty.

Darksiders 3 was significantly better than the mixed reviews led me to believe
byu/wretched_cretin inpatientgamers

When Darksiders Genesis started surfacing with the last horseman Strife, I expected some sort of change here as well. However, to my surprise, the game was entirely different from its predecessors. First, it is not a simultaneous-running game in terms of chronology, it’s a prequel to the ongoing story continuity. Second, it features two horsemen: War and Strife, and is a co-op (split screen and online both) game. 

Last and most surprising was that is a top-down action RPG, designed to incorporate War’s melee and Strife’s ranged combat. I was skeptical of this, but to my delight, the game is a breath of fresh air and an extremely fun adventure to play, especially in co-op. Teaming up with a friend is the true essence of the existence of 4 playable characters, and honestly, it opened up new horizons and desires for the epic finale.

Just beat Darksiders Genesis and loved every minute.
byu/Scarr64 inStadia

The Preparations Are Done, Bring In The Finale Now

What started as a chance encounter became one of my most cherished experiences. Over time I’ve grown to love the series as a whole, but the first title still has a special place in my heart. Especially that ending, I can’t wait to see the epic finale. We didn’t know enough about the world before, but now we do. We weren’t familiar with the other horsemen before, but now we are. Everything is done, it’s time to deliver the payoff we were promised years ago.

I Can’t WAIT For A Darksiders Game With All 4 Horseman. LET’S GOO!!
byu/Ion0X inDarksiders

There’s an argument circulating that Strife hasn’t got a solo game yet and Genesis was just a spinoff. However, I think Genesis was a solid entry and it did more than enough to cement Strife as a solid, lovable character. Thus, it’s time to focus on the glorious moment. And since we’ll have the four horsemen together, why not make the best of it and make it a Genesis-style co-op adventure? Teaming up with both your in-game and real-life buddies to take on the world would be the best feeling ever. 

A Four Player Online Cooperative Game?
byu/Speed-Smart inDarksiders

Of course, split-screen co-op might be difficult unless the game is of the same design as Genesis. I genuinely don’t have any issues with this approach, and in fact would prefer a co-op game to be in the Genesis style. But, if the game is to be in the original, I think a single-player experience where you can switch characters freely or at specific locations would be the best approach. Please don’t make it a senseless multiplayer with no ingenuity.

Embracer Needs A Hit And We Want More Darksiders, It’s Not A Bad Deal

Almost everyone who was excited by the first game’s ending has been demanding a continuation to complete that story. Now that all the horsemen have been explored, the demand to finish the saga is even more logical. A cliffhanger ending is a pretty hard-to-swallow pill, the anticipation is lethal, but we’ve persevered for years now, and it’s time for the reward. What’s more, it might be the breakthrough Embracer Group needs right now.

How does Embracer come in all this? Darksiders was originally a THQ IP which was acquired by Nordic Games back in 2013. Subsequently, Nordic Games became THQ Nordic and then Embracer Group, when it expanded to the present state. Thus, Darksiders is essentially an Embracer Group IP now. And recently, the massive company has been going through a crisis owing to some of its poor financial decisions.

Open letter by Embracer Group CEO on restructuring programhttps://t.co/WFFWziY3v5

— Embracer Group (@embracergroup) June 13, 2023

In this time of crisis, a solid game can be pretty beneficial for it. And what’s better than the payoff of something that’s been building up for years now? I was eagerly looking forward to the last THQ Nordic showcase solely because of Darksiders, but sadly there was no sign of it. Although it was a major disappointment, I’m still hopeful for closure to a saga I’ve eagerly followed all this time. I hope Embracer considers the benefits of this project and gives it a go.