Darksiders II

Darksiders II is a 2012 action-adventure developed by Vigil Games and published by THQ for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows, with later remastered editions on subsequent platforms. A sequel to 2010's Darksiders, it runs parallel to the first game's events but shifts the protagonist to Death, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who undertakes a quest across otherworldly realms to absolve his brother War of blame for prematurely triggering the apocalypse and, in doing so, to restore humanity. The game blends Zelda-style dungeon exploration and puzzle-solving with God of War-style combat and, more than its predecessor, deep action-RPG systems: loot drops, randomised gear, multiple weapon types, skill trees and stat progression give Death a customisable, fast and acrobatic fighting style. Sprawling environments encourage platforming, traversal and exploration alongside boss battles against towering foes. Reception was positive, with critics praising the expanded scope, agile combat, art direction and the loot-driven progression, while noting some technical rough edges and a sprawling length. Darksiders II proved to be one of THQ's final major releases before the publisher's bankruptcy; the franchise and Vigil's assets were subsequently acquired by Nordic Games (later THQ Nordic), which continued the series with Darksiders III and spin-offs.