The launch ofDarksiders 4is about to make many fans' wish come true: a game that makes all the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse playable. Announced during the recent THQ Nordic showcase, the fourth game is said to be a proper sequel to the originalDarksidersgame and will be an open-world, third-person RPG.
One ofDarksiders 4’s exciting featuresis that players can choose to play any one of the legendary Horsemen in single-player and/or online co-op mode. This gives them the opportunity to experience each of the character’s unique fighting styles and abilities. This will be especially interesting for co-op because presumably players can work together while using different Horsemen. However, there’s also a possible caveat to choosing just oneDarksiders 4character to control throughout the entire story.
Darksiders 4’s Character Selection Shouldn’t Sideline the Other Horsemen
Historically, thethree mainlineDarksidersgameshave all been single-player, and introduced slightly different mechanics to match the protagonists' fighting styles. Only the spin-off prequel,Darksiders Genesis, adopted a top-down hack-and-slash approach, and also introduced co-op as players can switch between Strife and War. What’s great about each single-player game is that it provides a space to tell each Horseman’s story, showing their individual adventures and how their actions contributed to the Endwar-related events during the firstDarksiders.
It’s always been inevitable to make all the Four Horsemen playable. The originalDarksidersgame, which sees War imprisoned after being accused of prematurely starting the Endwar, also shows Uriel summoning the three other Nephilim Riders to help in taking down the powerful forces of Hell and Heaven. It might have taken 15 years before the franchise could pull the trigger, butDarksiders 4adding an online co-op optionis already a step in the right direction. At the same time, this could also mean that players might need to opt for co-op in order to have all Horsemen together in their adventure.
The Four Horsemen of Darksiders
According toDarksiders4’s Steam page, players will have to choose the Horseman they’d like to control in the story. It’s unclear if the three other Horsemen will be AI-controlled in single-player campaigns, or if choosing a Horseman would mean that players only see that Horseman’s POV of the adventure without the others. Whichever it might be, it would be a waste to finally make the Four Horsemen playable, only to have the spotlight on a single character throughout the story.
WhatDarksiders 4could do is create aparty system similar toYakuza: Like A Dragon, where all characters are present to fight enemies and also interact with them during their journey. The game also has an opportunity to come up with unique combat interactions between the characters, especially since each of them has different weapons, fighting styles, and abilities. Solving puzzles could also become easier to manage with all the Horsemen there to help out if needed. This will be the first time that the Riders are together in one game, soDarksiders 4should definitely highlight their relationship and teamwork while fighting powerful enemies in single-player mode. It might be especially crucial now if the fourth mainline gameends up showing the final battle of the entire franchise.
Over the years, there have been manygames with multiple playable protagonists, such as the massively popularGTA 5, which focused on both individual and team missions. However, in the case ofDarksiders 4, it’s all about showcasing the collective strength of the Four Horsemen as they take on Lilith, the Charred Council, and other powerful beings together to protect humankind from the Endwar. Regardless if one is playing a single-player campaign or online co-op, potentially sidelining unselected Horsemen will defeat the purpose of finally bringing them together as a team for a greater cause.
