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Darksiders 2 'The Crucible' mode footage is a test of courage
This video for Darksiders 2 shows off the game's flashy combat in its arena mode. Known as "The Crucible," the mode has players beating down waves of enemies until offered a random prize. Darksiders 2 arrives at retail, ready for battle on August 14 for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.
Darksiders 2 wants you to know Death
Getting to know Death, getting to know all about Death. Getting to like Death, getting to hope Death likes me.
Darksiders 2 New Game+ and arena mode 'The Crucible' revealed
"Continue your life after death," THQ has promised, with the reveal of an arena mode in Darksiders 2 from developer Vigil Games. Dubbed 'The Crucible' in the game, the mode pits the lovable goofball Death against wave after wave of incorrigible baddies.After wrapping up five waves, players can take a prize or continue to fight for an additional five. The greater the wave, the greater the prize until the mode reaches its 100-wave ceiling. "Only the most skilled players will have what it takes to conquer all 100 waves and claim the greatest prizes," a THQ press release says, challenging our video game skills.Your summer of Death-based fun doesn't end there, though, as Darksiders 2 will also feature a New Game+ mode, where players will retain all skills and equipment for subsequent playthroughs. See, death is a giver and a taker.%Gallery-161874%
Darksiders 2 comes a knockin' with TV ad
"Beyond Earth, beyond Hell, Death is our final salvation." What does that even mean? Can we get a theology professor in here to explain that?
Vigil: Darksiders 3 depends on Darksiders 2 sales, could be smaller in scope
Haydn Dalton, lead designer on Darksiders 2 at developer Vigil Games, has some interesting ideas for Darksiders 3 – if THQ decides to greenlight a sequel. If Darksiders 2 is successful, Dalton told VideoGamer, it's unlikely THQ would have Vigil shift development to another franchise.Specifically, if Darksiders 2 manages to sell "4 or 5 million units," he said, THQ president Jason Rubin would likely want a sequel, though he might expect Vigil to "reduce the scope so that we can make it even higher polished." Doing so would give the game more focus, said Dalton.Building a smaller open world with more detail isn't necessarily a bad thing – it worked wonders in Rocksteady's Batman games. A smaller world certainly wouldn't hurt THQ's unstable bottom line. It's also worth noting that 4 million units of any game is no small feat. To put things in perspective, Saints Row: The Third, one of THQ's most successful games, managed to ship 4.25 million units in roughly seven months.Darksiders 2 launches August 14.
Darksiders studio hiring devs with FPS experience
Vigil Games, the THQ-owned developer of the Darksiders games and the now single-player Warhammer 40,000 Dark Millennium, is hiring a "senior gameplay programmer," "senior or principal designer," and other positions with an eye toward FPS experience.The gameplay programmer position seeks someone who "Has previously held a senior programming position on at least one shipped AAA console or PC title (preferably an FPS)," and the principal designer listing looks for "An avid FPS gamer with strong interest in pushing the genre forward creatively." The same listing looks for "Experience designing fighting and/or action adventure games for PS3 or Xbox 360 with at least 2 shipped AAA titles."The primary takeaway from these job listings is that Vigil is likely working on an unnannounced first-person shooter – probably on consoles, and with adventure elements. But we'd also like to point out that this is an opportunity for some of our game developer readers to come live in lovely Austin, Texas.
Darksiders 2 rides in with two-minute in-engine trailer
Death's arrival is only a few weeks away on August 14. Putting live-action trailers aside, here's what the game will look like when it rides into retail.
Go behind the scenes of that live action Darksiders 2 trailer
THQ has released a "making of" video for that live-action, James Cosmo-oriented Darksiders 2 trailer we posted last week, as well as an extended cut version of the trailer, just in case you needed more Scottish actors, bible quotes and Death in your daily routine.
Darksiders 2: Death in the shadow of the colossus
Darksiders 2's Death is apparently not good at the maths. A man runs at 10MPH. A horse can trot at 30MPH. A colossus lumbers along faster than both. Don't kill the colossus, Death! Put out a picnic near the back of one of its shoulders and casually relax to your destination.
Darksiders 2 fashions head to Xbox Avatars
Darksiders 2, which was recently delayed to August, has a collection of premium Avatar gear for the Xbox 360. We're not sure if "adorable" is a word we'd ever use to describe Death, but for 400 MSP ($5) the "Reaper Armor" is just about the cutest outfit (demonstrating demonic power) your Avatar could slip into.Prices on the items and props range from 80 to 400 MSP ($1-$5), but there's also a free T-shirt designed by Joe Madureira available if you "like" the Darksiders 2 page. The shirts are limited by codes, so if you're jonesing for some Avatar swag better click on through to the other side.
Darksiders 2 launch delayed until August
THQ announced this morning that Darksiders 2 has been officially delayed until August 2012. The financially troubled publisher said in February that Darksiders 2 would launch on June 26. According to Vigil, the additional time is meant for "polish and to ensure that all aspects of Darksiders 2 meet the high-quality bar the team is targeting."The word comes a week after THQ EVP Danny Bilson claimed in an interview that Darksiders didn't have an announced launch date and that "the team is working really, really hard." He added, "We're not going to ship it before it's done."
Darksiders 2 launch date in question following THQ remarks
THQ's conviction over Darksiders 2's June 26 launch date is wavering, according to a recent interview and in our follow-up with the publisher. In an interview between RipTen and THQ EVP Danny Bilson, a PR rep interrupts the interview following a question about the game's launch window to say the company "honestly" can't confirm the release date.Pushed further, Bilson responds, "We haven't announced anything... but the team is working really, really hard. We're not going to ship it before it's done."Attempting to clarify the statement, we got in contact with THQ, which told us: "No new announcements have been made at this time."Financially troubled publisher THQ revealed on Valentine's Day that Darksiders 2 would launch on June 26.
THQ executive explains WAR40K's new non-MMO direction
For those curious about the fate of Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium Online, Ripten recently interviewed THQ executive Danny Bilson regarding the game's future. You'll recall that late last month, THQ announced that DMO would shed its MMO skin and reinvent itself as a single-player title. Bilson says that much of what makes the game unique will remain intact, and most importantly, WAR40K "is still sitting with the people who invented it five years ago, and honestly, they are incredibly excited about the new direction." While you wouldn't expect anything less than positive spin from a bigwig whose company has seen better days, the interview still manages to make the new title sound pretty intriguing. "If you liked Space Marine, you're gonna love this thing. It's much deeper. Space Marine was designed as a console experience. This one has tremendous multiplayer gameplay, and there is a lot going on in this game that's spectacular," Bilson says.
The MMO Report: Shut up about Mass Effect edition
This week on The MMO Report, Casey tells everyone to stop whining about Mass Effect 3's ending, laments the loss of the "online" part of Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium Online, touches on the World of Darkness keynote, and outlines The Secret World's preorder plans. He also reveals the identity of one of TERA's key voice actors: Michael Hogan (of Battlestar Galactica fame), who will play Samael in the final game. Finally, he pulls one measly letter from the mailbag and debates which class he represents in TERA. Enjoy the full MMO Report after the cut!
WAR40K devs laid off, game will no longer be an MMO
The on-again off-again saga of Warhammer 40K is apparently off again, at least in regard to the title's future as an MMORPG. In early February we reported on some rumored THQ financial trouble, but the company later pooh-poohed the concerns and said that WAR40K was still on track. Today, though, our sister site reports that Dark Millennium Online will axe the online portion of its lengthy moniker and the company will be producing the title as a single-player game going forward. A substantial number of jobs have also been cut, with 79 Vigil Games employees and 39 Relic Entertainment employees receiving pink slips.
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium MMO now single-player game, 118 laid off
Troubled publisher THQ announced today that Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium Online will drop the "online" portion of its name and become a solo experience -- with multiplayer aspects. Actual product details will be made later."As previously announced, we have been actively looking for a business partner for the game as an MMO. However, based on changing market dynamics and the additional investment required to complete the game as an MMO, we believe the right direction for us is to shift the title from an MMO to a premium experience with single and multiplayer gameplay, robust digital content and community features," THQ CEO Brian Farrell wrote in a statement.As a result of this change, THQ raises the body count of its collapse, with 79 full-time employees let go at Vigil Games in Austin and another 39 employees at Relic Entertainment.
Darksiders 2 will be a 'day one' Wii U launch title
Darksiders 2 is set to launch on the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 on June 26. The Wii U is slated to launch sometime around the "year-end season." When Nintendo unleashes its newest system on the world, Darksiders 2 will be there.Word comes from Hayden Dalton, lead designer at Vigil Games, who revealed the info in an interview with Digital Spy. "That's been very interesting to see what those guys are doing, and they're making efforts to make sure we do use it in more than a slapdash way," Dalton said in regards to how Darksiders 2 will use the Wii U's unique controller. "It's basically the core game, but then with added abilities to do certain things that you can't do on the other consoles.""We're not basically heavily changing the core game to support the control system, but the control system will be an enhancement of the core game," Dalton said. One example he provided was possibly being able to switch equipment on the fly -- as the player is running, they can tap on the controller and instantly change equipment, rather than having to pause and navigate through a menu. "That's huge, it's not breaking up the game in a way, I'm not going into a menu and assigning it, I'm literally just tapping as I'm playing."
Darksiders 2 asks fans to vote for Collector's Edition cover art
You know that newly announced Collector's Edition for Darksiders 2? Well, aside from your input of money, THQ is also looking for fans to help decide what will be on the cover of the thing. Death? That's our guess.If you want to vote, you'll have to head over to Facebook. One cover features the main character, Death, and two more feature, well ... they also feature Death. He's kind of the star of the game, you guys.Fans are eligible to vote every day. Three lucky Facebook users will win a signed Collector's Edition of Darksiders 2.
Darksiders 2 pre-orders upgraded to 'Limited Edition,' Collector's Edition detailed
Don't be fooled by the fancy-dancy nomenclature, when THQ says "Limited Edition," what it's actually saying is "pre-order bonus." All existing and future pre-orders for Darksiders 2 will be automatically upgraded to the Limited Edition version, which is just the standard version and a packed in DLC voucher.THQ's press release describes the DLC in question, "Argul's Tomb," as "the game's first single-player downloadable content pack." It also states that the Limited Edition voucher can be used "once [the DLC] becomes available," implying that it may not be released on day-one. Furthermore, a $99 pre-order-only Collector's Edition of the game has also been announced, which includes a DLC voucher, life-sized Death Mask with stand, exclusive in-game armor and scythe set with "enhanced stats," a "digital version" of the soundtrack, and a hardcover art book. We can't wait; this is exactly what we need to finish our Casey Jones costume.
THQ 'actively seeking a partner' for Warhammer Dark Millennium Online
Good news! THQ is back to "making decisions regarding the planned MMO" -- like, for example, the decision to look for help. During the Q&A portion of its investor conference call, THQ CEO Brian Farrell revealed that THQ is looking for a partner for the development of the expensive Dark Millennium Online."While the game in development promises to be a high-quality consumer offering," Farrell said, "because of the large financial commitment and associated risks, we are being realistic about our resources and we are actively seeking a partner for this compelling MMO."It would seem that the publisher is trying its best not to cancel the MMO, despite being short of resources.
