Highlights
- The Darksiders franchise has consistently changed genres with each entry, and the latest game, Darksiders: Genesis, adopts gameplay similar to Diablo and other action-RPGs.
- The development teams behind each game in the series have also changed, with Airship Syndicate handling Darksiders: Genesis, showcasing its skill in developing RPGs.
- Regardless of the genre, a new Darksiders game is expected to meet the series' standard of quality, providing concise and focused single-player experiences that deliver solid gameplay and entertainment value.
Since its debut in 2010, the Darksiders franchise has been a consistent, yet somewhat overlooked, fixture in gaming. The one exception to its trademark consistency lies with a critical component of the series' identity: the genre of each game changes from title-to-title. Beginning with Darksiders 2 in 2012, the series moved on from its obvious God of War influence to become a full-blown Legend of Zelda-style action-adventure game, and the third entry in the series tried its hand as a Soulslike. The latest entry, Darksiders: Genesis, takes the games' connected narrative back to its roots while adopting gameplay and a perspective that make it more in-line with Diablo and similar action-RPGs.
Notably, development duties on each of the Darksiders games have shifted from entry-to-entry as well. While the first two games in the series were developed by Vigil Games, Darksiders III features the development talents of none other than Gunfire Games (developers of Remnant: From the Ashes and Remnant 2), and Darksiders: Genesis' development was handled by Airship Syndicate. Airship Syndicate has proven itself adept at developing classically-styled turn-based RPGs with both Battle Chasers: Nightwar and Ruined King: A League of Legends Story, and it might be the perfect time for the studio to get a second crack at the Darksiders franchise within the framework of a pure RPG.
How Darksiders Could Work as a Classic Style RPG
The Darksiders series has always flirted with RPG mechanics. Even within the context of the first game's nods to God of War were subtle mechanics involving character progression, gear upgrades, and stat allocation that changed how players approached combat encounters or traversed dungeons. Each game in the series has subsequently pushed the franchise closer and closer into genuine RPG territory, helping to make the case for a definitive Darksiders 4 that concludes the series' overarching narrative while making good on the promise of each of its predecessors.
And of course, the party of heroes for this RPG is already readymade within the context of the series' lore. Getting to control all four of the horsemen, finally reunited and concluding the tale that began back in 2010, would be a perfect fit for an RPG in the style of one of Airship Syndicate's other games. In each of their respective games, the four horsemen control differently from one another and have different suites of abilities, making them the perfect candidates for a party of four heroes akin to the Warriors of Light from Final Fantasy. And the icing on the cake is that Airship Syndicate has already delivered an RPG that skillfully translates Joe Madureira's art into digital render with Battle Chasers: Nightwar.
Regardless of Genre, a New Darksiders May Hit the Quality 'Sweet Spot'
The Darksiders franchise has proven that a series can bounce around from genre to genre, switching things up with each new entry while still maintaining a similar standard of quality across each title. Darksiders continues to be one of the rare franchises that doesn't necessarily blow critics away, but still maintains solid aggregate scores in the 70s and 80s. After 2023, there's a strong case for AA and even AAA games that don't swing for the fences but instead try to provide gamers with concise, focused experiences that deliver a solid amount of playtime and entertainment value.
Regardless of whatever genre the next potential Darksiders game tackles, it's safe to say that it will at least meet the standard of quality established by the other games in the series. In the age of live-service, always-online, and massively open-world games that can take upwards of 100 hours to beat, there's an appeal to a linear, single-player experience that provides bite-sized thrills and plenty of fun. The Darksiders franchise has always fit that bill, and the time is nigh for a conclusion to the saga that began 13 years ago.
Darksiders: Genesis is available now for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
