After a brief, vague teaser last year for a new Darksiders game, we finally have confirmation that Darksiders 4 is on the way. This teaser is also brief, but substantially less vague, effectively confirming that we're finally going to get the resolution of the long-standing cliffhanger that's haunted the series since its 2010 debut.
I guess I should give a spoiler warning if you're still looking to go back and play the original Darksiders, but the ending is seemingly going to play pretty directly into Darksiders 4's marketing, so your time may be limited on that front. Essentially, the Darksiders 1 finale sees War, protagonist and one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, set to fight against Heaven, Hell, and the Council that governs the war between them.
In the dramatic conclusion, War is asked if he'll wage that fight alone. "No, not alone," he growls out, as three distant shapes appear, burning through the sky: the other horsemen. In the game's hyper-dramatic, over-the-top comic book style, the moment hits in a big way – or, at least, it hit for me back when I first played it on Xbox 360.
The announcement teaser for Darksiders 4 picks up that ending dialogue in full, showing War mount up and take to battle ahead of the other three horsemen. And if there was any doubt about the game's setup, the Steam page makes clear that the story "continues where the original Darksiders game left off."
Notably, Darksiders 2, 3, and Genesis did not pick up where that plot left off, which is a big part of the reason I drifted away from the series over the years – I wasn't really interested in prequels and side stories that sidestepped the most memorable moment of a game I very much enjoyed. The slow drift away from the grimdark take on Zelda was admittedly also a big factor.
We don't know a lot about how Darksiders 4 will play, but that store page does confirm all of the horsemen will be playable, and all will have a unique combat style. Beyond that, we'll "experience fast-paced, visceral action blending melee, fluid traversal, and supernatural abilities," which really could mean anything – but my hopes are high it can deliver on the game I've been imagining in my head for the past 15 years.
Darksiders 4 is set to launch across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, but it does not yet have a release date.
If you're looking for more games like Zelda, you know where to click.
