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THQ took the liberty of running demonstrations of Vigil
Games’ latest effort, Darksiders: Wrath of War, at this
year’s E3 – on playable Xbox360 units. Following the trend set by
 titles
such as
Devil May Cry 4,
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle Of Doom, Conan, Ninja Gaiden II,
Too Human and
Viking: Battle for Asgard, Darksiders: Wrath of War is
a Current-Generation update of the Scrolling Beat-‘Em-Up genre – an
unashamed out-and-out Action title.
The player takes control of war battling through wave
after wave of nasties, and has an extensive arsenal at their
disposal. Scythes, swords and other melee weapons are controlled by
the Face Buttons, with guns mapped to the R Trigger. Each can be
customised with various enhancements collected throughout the game,
which can also be swapped between weapons at a later date. Your
armour can also be upgraded by collecting new pieces and getting a
Blacksmith to forge a new suit.
The title features a HUB world, from which you travel to
various dungeons. On display was an underground tunnel filled with
molten lava. Enemies come in waves and combos can be built with
ease. Doing so fills a Wrath Meter which lets you use Wrath
Abilities – earned by Levelling-Up.
Much like the Devil May Cry series,
 the
title places emphasis on a puzzle element. Much of the exercise on
display featured Platform-influenced set-pieces utilising War’s
double-jump and floating abilities.
Darksiders: Wrath of War simply looks stunning.
Some of the Bosses available in the E3 build were incredible
screen-filling monstrosities worthy of placement in a respectably
established series such as
Ninja Gaiden II. The Camera works
flawlessly and the Control System is balanced well. Not due for
release til 2009, there’s still plenty of time to add a bit more
flair and depth to the title, but even now, things are certainly
looking hopeful. |
