Darksiders Genesis will be the next entry into the Darksiders franchise, though it will be a spin-off of the mainline games that will take cues from the top-down action-RPG stylings of games like Diablo. The Darksiders series is one of the most popular franchises at THQ, an ambitious reimagining of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse that usually takes the form of a more action-oriented adventure title with a little less focus on RPG elements.

Darksiders 3 was the most recent entry into the series prior to the announcement of Genesis, and the game reviewed quite well despite struggling to find a core audience to really take off in the way games like God of War managed to during this console generation. The series has cultivated an intensely loyal fan following regardless, however, as the mixture of apocalypse-style lore and satisfying combat mechanics have made it an entertaining franchise to follow. The departure from the core mechanics that have made the game popular is a surprising one, but not altogether unexpected, as rumors had begun to swirl about a Darksiders game that reimagined the series not too long ago—now, at least, fans know it’s a spin-off and not necessarily the only way Darksiders will be made moving forward.

That said, though, Darksiders Genesis looks like an exciting entry into the series that could spawn multiple iterations of the same gameplay. THQ Nordic and Airship Syndicate announced Darksiders Genesis earlier today for a 2019 release (thanks, IGN), and the game will be available on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, and Google Stadia. There’s no pre-order information available just yet, but there are gameplay details. Fans can expect a top-down action-RPG that takes heavy cues from Diablo, which will task players with dungeon-crawling action with a heavy dose of killing mobs of monsters and collecting loot in the satisfying gameplay loops we’ve come to expect from the genre.

According to THQ, fans will also get to play as a new Horseman of the Apocalypse: Strife. Strife has been “called upon to save humankind from certain destruction at the hands of Lucifer”, and THQ also opted to describe what it envisions Darksiders Genesis will feature:

Considering the refinement with which the traditional mainline Darksiders games have come with, getting a look at the series’ take on Diablo’s satisfying gameplay loop is an enticing prospect. According to THQ, Darksiders Genesis will also be playable at E3 2019 this week, which means impressions of the game should be rolling in sooner rather than later. Can Darksiders Genesis surpass Diablo? It’ll be an interesting and inescapable comparison, and one that already begins favorably for Darksiders thanks to the ill-received Diablo Immortal on the horizon from Blizzard.

“Intense combat, exploration, puzzle-solving, epic boss battles and serpent holes from heaven to hell.”

Next: Darksiders: Warmastered Edition Review - A Sloppy Port of An Enduring Game

Source: IGN