While the future has become uncertain for the Darksiders franchise, former Vigil Games Creative Director Joe Madureira is shedding light on what could have been. More specifically, Madureira has provided a clue as to where the franchise might have gone in Darksiders 3.
As most suspected, and Madureira now reveals, 4-player co-op was always planned for Darksiders. Obviously it didn't happen with Darksiders 1 or 2, but Madureira suggests it might have been possible with number 3.
But why didn't the first two Darksiders games have co-op? As Madureira explains, it was about the limitations of the consoles. Basically, there was a trade-off between Darksiders' graphical fidelity and the potential for multiplayer.
If Darksiders 3 offered a cooperative element on current gen platforms, the overall look of the game would take a dip in order to keep a steady frame rate. New consoles — which just so happen to be on the horizon — however, would have eliminated that issue, freeing up the franchise to truly make good on a four horseman of the apocalypse premise.
As far as the story goes, Madureira regrets being unable to give Fury and Strife their proper due. Both War and Death, in Darksiders and Darksiders 2 respectively, got their time in the limelight, but the other two did not. Whether or not Fury and Strife would have received their own solo games is unclear, but Madureira did have some ideas as to where the story in Darksiders 3 might go.
"Story wise, we tossed around the idea of the Horsemen attacking Hell to challenge Lucifer. And then taking the battle to the Charred Council to regain their freedom. Epic stuff. There was also an idea to do crazy ‘western’ type story, where the Horsemen are mortals after the rebirth of Mankind, sort of an alternate future. But neither idea got very far.”
It's unfortunate that we've been hearing more about what games could have been as of late, but such is the business of video games. Now, the Darksiders IP is in one place — Nordic Games acquired it in the THQ auction — and most of the Vigil Games team is at Crytek Austin. There's a chance Nordic will follow Vigil's lead, but they certainly don't have to.
Would you have liked to see Fury and Strife get their solo games, or was it a mistake that Vigil didn't jump into co-op from the beginning? How should Nordic Games use the franchise?
-
Source: IGN