Darksiders II - Living Death

[Hirmetrium]

While I can't make a thread quite as extravagant as Gorb's Borderlands 2 one, I can at least post a new thread.

Me, Gorb and Obtuse are working on an article, but in the meantime I thought I could get some discussion going.

So, Darksiders II. Sequel to the first game, but running parallel to it, in a different realm. Features Death, the coolest and most... "skilled" horseman.

Have some gameplay:


And some system requirements:

Min Specs:

• OS – Windows XP, Windows Vista SP1 or Windows 7
• Processor – 2.0Ghz Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor or AMD equivalent
• RAM –2GB
• Hard Drive – 20 GB space free (10 GB free after install)
• Video Card – NVIDIA 9800 GT 512 MB Video Card or AMD equivalent
• Online Steam account

Recommended Specs:
• OS – Windows 7
• Processor – Any Quad-core AMD or Intel Processor
• RAM –2GB
• Hard Drive – 20 GB space free (10 GB free after install)
• Video Card – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 512MB Video Card or AMD equivalent
• Online Steam account

I have to say - I have played this and it is awesome. I decree that you all go out and preorder now. My recommendation is the THQShop, which has it on sale, plus the best preorder armour items and the first DLC pack, along with a DLC season pass. You'll save yourself a lot of cash this way. (And every penny goes to THQ to ensure they make COH2). The game will register on Steam at release, so you should have nothing to fear.

EDIT:
Forgot, they just announced the Tome system. You can trade gear with other folks through the system, which is great for boosting others if you like.

Also, its... recommended that you have a Darksiders 1 save file. Go, go, go!

[Sinogrim]

I must say I did enjoy Darksiders 1, but I played it on PS3 first and got a free copy for PC with my copy of Space Marine. However, now I can't decide wether to pick it up on PC or PS3, since the 1st Darksiders port wasn't exactly such a great port if you ask me.

[Shuma]

My recommendation is the THQShop, which has it on sale, plus the best preorder armour items and the first DLC pack, along with a DLC season pass.

You'd have to pay me to order anything through the THQshop, i'm pretty sure everyone has had a problem ordering crap through it, at least, i remember it happening a lot with DoW II. I don't know if this:

The game will register on Steam at release, so you should have nothing to fear.

Means that the problem wont be present in this particular case, but i'd rather be safe than sorry. Anyway, i loved the first one and i don't remember it having a bad port on the PC, although i, like Sinogrim also own it on PS3 and PC i will probably buy this one on the PC.


PS: Fuck THQ and their retailer exclusive pre-order bonus bullshit, god damn this shit pisses me off so much.

Edit:

On second thought, maybe i should just wait until next summer for the game and all it's DLC to go on sale for like 2 bucks on steam.

[Hirmetrium]

I don't recommend waiting. I've played the game and used the DLC and I can tell you it makes bugger all difference (like the Dawn of War 2 gear). Somebody will mod it in within a matter of days, I suspect. (Although I wouldn't be sure of the legality).

Seriously though, ALL DLC for the price of the game? I'm amazed people are passing up on that. I'm pretty sure you just get a code from THQShop, enter it on steam, and your done.

Failing that, preorder through Steam. It's there, and it doesn't seem any worse for it.

[Shuma]

Nope, the THQ store offers you more crap, see:

http://shop.thq.com/store/thqworld/e...oryId.39206600

>Argul's Tomb DLC: Day 30 content pack with additional gameplay

That one you can get by preordering from Steam, but this:

>Darksiders II season pass: Day 60 and Day 90 DLC content packs with additional gameplay, plus the Maker’s Armor and Scythe set

You can't.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/50650/

>Pre-purchase The Darksiders II now and receive the Darksiders II “Arguls Tomb” expansion, the first DLC pack, when it becomes available after launch. The Argul’s Tomb content pack will offer extra gameplay content, including a whole new dungeon to explore, further extending the Darksiders II experience.
>Plus, all users that Pre-Purchase will receive 2 exclusive weapons - the Skeletal Axe of Rending and Dark Talons

Instead you get 2 weapons.

I'm pretty sure you just get a code from THQShop, enter it on steam, and your done.

I could be confusing this with something else, but didn't a lot of people have the problem where they didn't get a code when ordering from the THQ shop with Retribution? And the Relic guys had to send it to them through private messages on the forums?

[Sinogrim]

Well, from what I remember of Darksiders I, the port took a few months to get to PC and when it became available there was basically no retexturing of anything and the graphic options were extremely limited.

[Gorb]

Hi!

I really should start work on those articles. Damn Prince of Persia.

Disclaimer: I have never played Darksiders. I honestly had no kind of Darksiders on my radar prior to the pre-E3 event a month or two back - ironically, to check out CoH 2. Darksiders II popped up and we got to play the first level.

Now I got to play as much of that game as we could in the time allotted. It was fantastic.

Major selling points:

1. The game is roughly twice the size of Darksiders - at least. This includes world size and playing time, I was lead to believe.
2. Death's combat options (and ingame traversal) are an improvement on War (in that people were seen complaining about the repetitive nature of War's moveset).
3. A metric tonne more art assets. Pretty much every category of equipment tier has their own art asset, and unique sets have their own as well. This was allowed thanks to an overhaul of the art/model system from Darksiders (where you had War and a single set of variant armour to unlock - a variant that was, according to the devs, a bit of a pain to get).
4. World design has been designed with Death's traversal options in mind; you get access to his horse (Despair) from the start of the game. This makes for variable open-world design with a tonne of platform-based puzzles (and quite a few bad guys).

Things that not everyone may be fond of:

• Game works best, according to the developers, with a gamepad (and this is really easy to get working with Windows, so go figure). The speed/reaction/skill-tiering of the combat works best with a controller. And, despite being a hardcore mouse/keyboard person myself, I found myself agreeing with this.
• Game isn't set on Earth/ruined Earth anymore. This leads to a lot more freedom with regards to the places you find yourselves in (the first four areas are ice, grassland, lava and darkness/darkvale/corrupted land respectively; a nice set of thematic parallels, imo) which people may or may not like.

You apparently get to revisit Earth as Death, however, later on . . .

Things Gorb really liked:

• The combat. I cannot emphasise how much I liked the combat. As much as I like Space Marine, this kind of combat is what Space Marine definitely could've benefitted from (admittedly, there is barely any ranged focus in Darksiders II which alters the design dynamic significantly). The combat is excellent.
• Enemy spawning/tracking/aggressiveness. Very nicely done, in my opinion. Small groups of enemies at spaced out locations in the open areas (with the odd smattering of single-unit creatures that tend to hang around in loose groups) - makes the enemies feel more meaty. They're not cannon fodder. They all require attention, and they all like to charge at you once you get in a specific radius (which seems to depend on the creature).
  
  • WARNING: to get the hang of bosses you are going to have to use the "lock on" function (with regards to your viewport), I think it was Left Trigger (or Bumper). This focuses vision on your one (usually large) target allowing you to strafe/dodge/initiate various combat moves as required.
  
  
• As a major equipment/RPG whore, I really liked both the equipment drops and the ability system. There are a lot of drops, quite a few of which end up useless . . . but you start picking up stuff that makes you think "ooh, neat" pretty early on. Abilities system is nicely done, albeit with a little lack of impact ingame (or so I felt, though I didn't get to unlock a lot).

So yeah, I would definitely recommend this game to anybody who liked the first one.

If you didn't like the first one? Do you like single-player melee-based RPGs? Do you like the Horsemen of the Apocalypse? If so, odds are you're going to like Darksiders II.

[konfeta]

Ugh, pre-order DLC parade. Yeah, yeah, inconsequential, but I want it all . Also - Deadly Despair Pack-Features an additional speed boost for Death’s horse Despair, that allows players to traverse the world at a much faster rate. Given what I remember of Darksiders 1, something like this would actually be stupid useful.


Now, Darksiders 1 save? Are there specifics? I already beat Darksiders twice quite a while ago, don't feel like doing it a third time.

Oh, also, am I reading this right? Argul's Tomb won't be out for almost a month after the game's release?

[Shuma]

This talk about the combat reminds me, i hope there's a game mode where there's more enemies on screen at once on the PC, it's understandable for the console version to only have 4-5 bad guys on the screen at once, but not on the PC. Capcom did it with Devil May Cry 4, there was a special game mode where you had over twice the normal amount of enemies on the screen, and it was really cool. Although sometimes you had so many assholes on the screen swarming you that you couldn't see your character.

[Gorb]

Why would a PC version benefit from more enemies at once?

Honest question, I'm interested from a design pov (considering how well I felt 'mobs' are done in Darksiders II).

[Shuma]

Well, for starters it would be harder, in DMC 4 it was more like an additional difficulty level, but it also happened to be extremely fun to be fighting so many enemies at once, way more challenging since you have so much stuff to dodge, block, counter and attack at the same time. Picture it like this, if in Space Marine you were fighting less orks, it wouldn't have been as fun as it was, and as far as i know, Darksiders II doesn't have a block button like Darksiders I, Death can only dodge? Combat would probably be really hectic with hordes of enemies on the screen, and in my opinion, the faster combat is, the better.

[Gorb]

Fun is subjective, which doesn't necessarily translate to sales (which is the primary motivator, of course). The number of enemies ramps up the difficulty somewhat as (there being no block; only dodge) you have to time your attacks on each combatant before dodging/moving to the next. Dodge also isn't a perma-escape as every third (or so) introduces a slide/falter (I didn't really notice this, mind) that can leave you out of position.

I'm not sure if developers planned a harder difficulty (there are the obvious three; I was playing on Normal and enemies were moderately challenging (before I equipped all the pre-order gear once I hit level 5. That was amusing)); there is a "New Game+" feature this time around - something they wanted to put in Darksiders but simply ran out of time for.

Eight skeletons at once would be pretty tedious, I feel. Three-four at once (as you get through most of the first level) is a pretty nice balance between "fight fun" and "hurry up and die I want to move on a bit".

Space Marine is different in that regard because you have regenerating shields and health tied to Executions. Darksiders II involves health potions, which means prolonged combat is of course only sustainable as long as you have potions (assuming you need them). Space Marine also has a lot of ranged prowess that can thin the horde before melee impact (something that was vitally necessary on Hard, and even sometimes on Normal dependent on enemy type/composition).

I don't know why you feel the PC version requires an additional difficulty that the console doesn't, however.

[Shuma]

Of course, but an additional difficulty level doesn't really affect sales either negatively, if anything it could affect them positively since there's a lot of people(like me) who enjoys a challenging game more than an easy game, and it's not like such a game mode would change the design of the combat system either. I know there's a New game+, it's nice especially since they're saving the best gear for New Game playthroughs iirc, so there's an actual reason to playing it. Finding things tedious is also subjective.

Darksiders II involves health potions, which means prolonged combat is of course only sustainable as long as you have potions

Unless you don't get hit, supposedly Death is fast and nimble, hence the loss of a block button and making it so that Death can only dodge attacks, which is why i would assume that the more enemies on the screen the harder the combat and the more hectic it would get. And i didn't say a PC version would require such a difficulty option, i said it would be nice. And the reason consoles doesn't, is because consoles can't cope with having so many enemies on the screen, hence the reason why Devil May Cry 4 on the PC had such a game mode/difficulty setting while the console versions of the game didn't.

Anyway, all i'm saying is that in my opinion, this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IKu2...eature=related

Is more fun than this:

http://youtu.be/7mt8SbgNIuU?t=1m55s

Of course, i don't expect Darksiders II to have combat as good as Devil May Cry(not that the player in that video is good or impressive), but in my opinion having more enemies at once on the screen would be an improvement anyway, simply because it forces one to be more "skillful". All that said, i obviously haven't played Darksiders II, unlike you and Hirm, so i'm only speaking from my experience from Darksiders I and making assumptions using the videos of Darksiders II i've seen.

[Gorb]

Tedious is of course subjective (as I thought I edited in, my bad), but I was more concerned why a PC version of the game needed an extra dose of enemies compared to the console version. If it is down to rendering problems/maxing hardware capabilities, then fair enough - but then why should we get content that console players do? Why do we get an extra difficulty mode (or simply, an amount of content/immersion - if you adjust difficulty and XP to match the increased number of enemies; less XP per kill and less damage taken per hit, for example)?

On the topic of getting hit, you will get hit. Short of practising the game for a good amount of time and getting very accustomed to the control set and/or abusing a set of moves, you will get hit. On higher difficulties some of the bosses deal immense damage-per-hit (even early game) - the difference between Easy (which Hirmy wussed out and played) and Normal (hi) was tangible.

I mean, I'm not saying I'm amazing at the game, however I grasped the combat controls pretty swiftly (more on this when I get round to posting the pre-E3 event impressions where Hirmy and I played the first level) and I felt that so far as new players went, not getting hit is something of an impossibility without severe familiarity with the genre and/or excessive practise with stupidly-hard-to-the-point-of-dumb melee combat games

[Shuma]

Because master race obviously , same reason we got better graphics(well i hope we do). Alternatively: For the same reason the WiiU version will supposedly look better than the 360 and PS3 versions and have the whole inventory shenanigans with the tablet controller, because our platform is superior.

Well i'm not really saying "never get hit" more like "don't get hit enough so that you die every 5 seconds", besides, the difficulty setting could be unlockable, lots of games do that so new players wouldn't be an issue. But obviously this is all just wishful thinking of my part, right now my only concern and complain with the game is the bullshit retailer exclusive preorder bonuses and that the THQ store has the best one when we all know it's the one with the most issues.

Edit:

These videos should really be on the OP:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FMuZpCBwTs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58oieUjbov4

[Gorb]

Graphics I'm not sure about, barring the resolution changes. I hope there are; there was noticable pixellation on the massive ~40" screens we got to play the game on the other week (running the console version, so I'm guessing locked resolution). The art is crisp enough that improved resolution should be all that's necessary, in my opinion (barring possible particle effects and shaders? Not sure).

You can die in five seconds against some of the big gribblies - that is the major danger of going up against something Big. It will smack you, hard. Dodge is a lot more skill-based than a simple block, in my opinion, and it opens up some amazing combat much like what I'm currently experiencing in Prince of Persia (for the first time since I played it on the original Xbox years ago). I liked what I felt in Darksiders II, and I like what I am feeling in PoP. They're moderately similar in that regard (in a good way).

[konfeta]

Is there a counter-attack after dodge move? Being able to consistently use that (block - counter) seriously altered the dynamic of combat in the first one, it was absurdly powerful.

Also, quick question to anyone who still has the game installed - in your documents/my games/darksiders saves folder, do you have a folder with the name '31683052' where the actual saves are housed?

I am trying to just use a save file I nabbed from the nets for the transfer bonus, need cross confirmation as to whenever that folder name is universal across all computers. I'd rather not use the bandwidth on redownloading the first game.

[Stingra]

Planning on picking it up at wal-mart or off amazon. I've got a pc that can run it, but seeing as how i have darksiders 1 on console, just going to do it that way.

[Gorb]

There are various dodge-based moves that you can unlock, konfeta, but they require timing (and aim) and not all of them are useful against every foe (there's one that's excellent against single-target gribblies, but it's not so effective against a group as it leaves you wide open).

[Sinogrim]

So, I'm currently intrigued enough to pre-order the game. However, is it better to pre-purchase through Steam or THQ?

[Shuma]

Well, THQ obviously has the better deal, but like i said, i remember pretty much everyone having issues with the THQ store, i personally will wait to see if anyone does have problems. Also i'd assume that if the THQ store gives you a code to activate the game on Steam, you should get the code early to preload the game when it goes up for preloading, so maybe someone here will buy it on the THQ store and tell us "yeah man it's totally fine, i already got my code!"

But i expect something more like "fucking THQ where's my god damn code!? The game came out 3 days ago!"

[Sinogrim]

Well, THQ does sound nice, and I honestly don't erally care about getting my game a few days late cause I got some exams around that time anyway so can't really play.

However, I wonder if you can pay through paypal without linking a creditcard to your account on the THQ shop and does anybody know if you can gift that copy of Metro 2033?

[Langy]

I bought it from the THQ store, but didn't get any code or anything. In fact, it didn't seem to even consider that as being a possibility - it just said that if it was a downloaded game, you'd get a download link, while if it was an actual physical product they'd e-mail you when it ships. They didn't seem to consider it possible to pre-order a downloadable game.

EDIT: Wait, what copy of Metro 2033? I didn't see anything like that when I purchased Darksiders II. *shrug* If I do get it, I'll see if I can gift it - I already purchased it on a Steam sale last year. Great game, though.

[Sinogrim]

EDIT: Wait, what copy of Metro 2033? I didn't see anything like that when I purchased Darksiders II. *shrug* If I do get it, I'll see if I can gift it - I already purchased it on a Steam sale last year. Great game, though.

Le jeu Metro 2033 à télécharger gratuitement

Also, for some reason THQ thinks I live in France... *sigh*

[Langy]

Ah - I think that's a Europe/France/Belgium only deal - doesn't appear anywhere on the site I get.

[Shuma]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9K_aSV8UpI

Giant bomb plays Darksiders II with Darksider's II devs, talk about stuff.

[konfeta]

The speed/reaction/skill-tiering of the combat works best with a controller. And, despite being a hardcore mouse/keyboard person myself, I found myself agreeing with this.

Have you actually played Darksiders 2 with the M/KB?

I know people been complaining about brawler style games sucking on keyboard (see Prototype, Darksiders, Wolverine); but personally I found that a quality port (which all 3 of those games were) works very well on M/KB.

[Malachi]

Wolverine I had no problems with, but some parts of Darksiders, namely fighting the Stygian from horseback and more challenging ranged fights when you had to use target locking a lot were a real pain with K&M.

[Gorb]

Have you actually played Darksiders 2 with the M/KB?

I know people been complaining about brawler style games sucking on keyboard (see Prototype, Darksiders, Wolverine); but personally I found that a quality port (which all 3 of those games were) works very well on M/KB.

Have you played Darksiders II at all? I have not played it with the mouse and keyboard, no, but I have played plenty of other games with them.

I'm merely stating what I found worked for me, considering I am traditionally a hardcore mouse and keyboard PC gamer. I do not normally hate on the mouse and keyboard. There is no reason for me to prefer a controller (as I don't even possess one) unless it makes a tangible difference (in my opinion).

The developers also stated that a controller was far easier to work with in their internal playthroughs of the game.

EDIT: and at no point have I stated that the mouse and keyboard sucked.

[Sinogrim]

So apparently there's going to be a 100-wave survival arena in which you can continue to level your character up. There's also going to be a "New Game +" where you can start the game over but keep all your skills and gear.

Pre-ordered the game yesterday through Steam, but still gotta finish Darksiders 1 on PC though. I want those War items =).

[Hirmetrium]

If you want, you can have my DS1 save file. Not sure it will make any difference.

[Sinogrim]

I believe I read somewhere that the game will check your acount for the achievements, not your PC for a savefile. And I'm nearly there anyway, just 2 more bosses to go .

[konfeta]

Oh, so PC users are fucked.

Because Steam stopped registering achievements at about the time I did the flying horse one. This seems a fairly well spread bug.

I also never got the "kill 5 bats without touching the ground" one despite doing it like what, 6 times?

[Sinogrim]

Depends if you got any achievement for completing the game I guess. I've missed some achievements aswell, didn't get the one for killing Tiamat and some others I should've gotten.

[Gorb]

Except that Sinogrim appears to be gaining achievements . . . on the PC.

konfeta, if you're suffering from technical issues, perhaps you should post in the correct subforum instead of employing hyperbole to overly-dramaticise a point you are trying to make?

EDIT: ninja'd. If this is a Steam issue, you should contact Steam Support. However they tend to fob off achievement complaints, citing developer implementation (if so then why does every Steam-based game have achievement issues, Valve?).

[konfeta]

This be a Darksiders game. Nothing here can be called over-dramatization!

And nowhere did I say that "EVERY PC USER DOES NOT GET ACHIEVEMENTS."

[Maktaka]

It's a very common issue, and unfortunately THQ declined to invest in patching it although it was acknowledged. I've played through the game twice and I STILL don't some of the story-based achievements in the first half of the game. I've seen reports that if you alt-tab, bring up the overlay, or just get unlucky the game will stop recording achievements for that gaming session. Some, like the one for taking down a chopper with a thrown car, are almost impossible to get even knowing that.

[konfeta]

It also seems to be chain dependent. If you accidentally miss a story based achievement, it seems to not grant you any of the ones after it even if you restart the game.

Meh, people are right, no need to worry about it. None of the various exclusive DLC thing looks like the are anything that isn't replaceable by playing the game (except the faster horse but w/e).

BTW, is Nightmare unlocked from the start? Hmm, guess it isn't.

[Obtuse]

Mm, Nightmare seems to be unlockable after completing the game.

We've gotten some of our interview with Vigil up here: http://www.relicnews.com/archives/20...s-part-1-of-5/

It's not really super in-depth, but it's hopefully interesting to get a bit of their thought processes, it goes into greater depth later on.

/whoring

[konfeta]

So it's up on Steam for pre-load. Anyone knows if THQ will release the codes early for the preloads?

[Shuma]

No idea! I'm waiting to know that myself before pre ordering, i saw Sledgehammer say on the Darksiders II forums that people who bought the game through the THQ store would get their codes before the game releases, but i don't think anyone has gotten them, and considering THQ is still using digitalriver or whatever they're called, chances are that people will get them later rather than sooner. I'll wait until the 13th to buy the game, if the codes went out i'll buy it on the THQ store, if not, on Steam.

[Afoxi]

So this girl i know, right? We were looking at games right? And she wonders what this is about. So i tell her that my knowledge on the subject matter isn't 100% accurate, that this is the story of the four horsemen of the apocalypse during... well, the apocalypse. And you play Death. That's his actual name. In the previous game, you played War.

She asks what are the other two called?

So i tell her, "Pestilence and Famine?"

Reply: "Man, who writes these things..."



/me kekekekes.

[Maktaka]

I'll wait until the 13th to buy the game, if the codes went out i'll buy it on the THQ store, if not, on Steam.

Greenman Gaming is already issuing the keys and they have it for cheaper than Steam (if you use the code PCGMR-GREEN-SUMMR during checkout), so if you're going to buy at the last second you might as well get it from them. That code's good through the 16th.

[konfeta]

THQ is still the most efficient one if you are planning on getting the DLC.

So i tell her, "Pestilence and Famine?"

Reply: "Man, who writes these things..."

But it's Fury and Strife in Darksiders..

[Shuma]

Yeah i'm not concerned about the price, i'm concerned because THQ is the worst store and it has the best deal(3 DLCs for free). Actually, i guess that means i'm concerned about the money since i'd buy those DLCs anyway, but you know what i mean.

[Croaxleigh]

After the experience of ordering one of the DoW2 games through the THQ store, I'll never preorder anything from there again (unless they ditch Digital River as the company that runs the store.) They simply didn't deliver preorder bonuses for a lot of people, and when contacted either sent out a form letter with the game's product key or said "It's not our problem, contact THQ." It took 2 weeks or longer for some people to get their preorder content. I'd hate to see how they'd handle something that wasn't in the game at launch.

[Stingra]

So this girl i know, right? We were looking at games right? And she wonders what this is about. So i tell her that my knowledge on the subject matter isn't 100% accurate, that this is the story of the four horsemen of the apocalypse during... well, the apocalypse. And you play Death. That's his actual name. In the previous game, you played War.

She asks what are the other two called?

So i tell her, "Pestilence and Famine?"

Reply: "Man, who writes these things..."



/me kekekekes.

Oh god I lol'd so hard.

Also the more marketing media I see for this game (trailers and shit excluded since I go media blackout on things early on when I decide to buy them because to me following stuff and getting spoilers is the same as reading the last chapter of a a book and then buying it anyway) the more dread I feel about it. I know THQ is banking on it selling big, but it seems like it's been a bit watered down storyline wise from when I last checked it.

[Sinogrim]

I'm pre-loading right now, but still gonna have to wait 9 days. Why can't we have a worldwide launch?

[Afoxi]

Gonna be playing for a few hours.
http://livestream.com/theaoieffect

[konfeta]

http://www.facebook.com/Darksiders/app_412080318827801

Free DLCs.