It will be facing some stiff release-day competition in Halo 5: Guardians when it launches next Tuesday, but Nordic Games’ Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition might be the most important remaster we’ve seen in a generation. After sales were below expectations for former publisher THQ, the possibility of a third game will likely be based on how well Death’s jump to current-gen resonates with consumers.
While the original game’s comic book-inspired art style somewhat limited its ability to “wow” in the fidelity department, Deathinitive Edition looks damn pretty, as you can see from its official launch trailer.
“Yes … you have overcome many obstacles to stand here before me,” the menacing Samael states. “But sometimes the hero dies in the end. Ask your brother.”
Unfortunately, we can’t really do that in the Deathinitive Edition, as it doesn’t include the original Darksiders, which featured Death’s brother War, but for only $30, that would be asking quite a lot.
Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition was developed by Gunfire Games, made up of many former employees of Vigil Games, the original studio behind the Darksiders series. The rights to the series were acquired by publisher Nordic Games in an auction following THQ’s closure, and Nordic eventually gained ownership over the THQ name itself, telling Polygon last year that the purchase would allow for easier brand recognition.
Darksiders II ended up being one of my favorite games of last generation, with its fast combat system and awesome protagonist — you’re literally Death — setting it apart from other action-RPGs. The original plan for the third game was to include a four-player cooperative mode, and while that’s unlikely to happen with the smaller size of Nordic Games, Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition‘s sales will give the company all the information it needs on whether or not to invest in a third game.
“Interesting. Perhaps you’ll succeed after all. Either way, it will be quite a show.”
Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition releases on Oct. 27 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
