Darksiders 2 is All About Loot, Has a Hardcore Mode

Courtesy of an impromptu Q&A with Haydn Dalton, the lead designer of Darksiders 2, on NeoGAF, we have a lot of new Darksiders 2 info that show how the game is a lot like its predecessor and a lot different at the same time.

The core game design is the same and the game will still play like Devil May Cry in a Zelda world, with the same setting and lore as the first game. It is much bigger, though, with each of the four main playing areas being the same size as the entire world of the original Darksiders. That’s a lot of game. So much so that a fast travel function is now built into the game.

The combat is also much faster paced and with a more agile fighting style. Death is not the powerhouse that War is but he makes up for it with blinding agility and dexterity. Darksiders 2 is also taking a cue from the Diablo series with an RPG-like character building system, complete with skill trees and customizable gear.

Complementing this is the presence of loot throughout the game, including rares and uniques which can be leveled up even further when combined with other items. And since there is a wide variety of equipment Death can use, all the cutscenes in the game are now rendered in real time. There isn’t any multiplayer component but it will be possible to trade items with other players.

And, also like Diablo, there will be a hardcore mode called Nightmare Mode which works exactly as you would expect: one life, one death, no respawns. One would imagine the loot will be much better there as well.

Finally, there will also be a New Game+ mode that will let you keep your inventory, have tougher enemies, and will have better loot to find.

The game will release on August 14th for North America and the 21st for Europe on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms. A Wii U version is expected in the fall. All preorders will get a bonus side-quest DLC “Argul’s Tomb” when it’s available.