Darksiders II is only a couple of days away, but this past week has been filled with new announcements, including new game modes and upcoming DLC.
The first big new is the announcement of a New Game Plus mode, which allows players to play through the game a second time with all of Death’s upgraded weapons and abilities. Like most New Game Plus modes, all enemies and bosses will be more challenging, but players will also have access to much better loot, including new sets of armor and new weapons. The second time around, however, your weapons will do much more than just raise your various stats. New Possessed weapons can be upgraded by feeding items to them, making this mode perfect for hardcore explorers and loot hunters.
The new Crucible mode is an arena-based area of the game that is unlocked at a certain point through the story. The Crucible pits Death against wave after wave of enemies, each one based on enemies you’ve already met during your exploration. After every five waves, you are given the choice to receive a prize, or try and fight another five waves for an even bigger prize. Succeed, and you get some incredible loot that is randomly generated based on the challenge of the waves you defeated. Fail, however, and you walk away with nothing. This approach to the arena-style of combat is a unique aspect of Darksiders II, and provides a nice risk-versus-reward system that is sure to be addicting. When first fighting in the Crucible, only 25 waves are unlocked, but players can search for Tarot cards in order to unlock more. Players are also encouraged to participate, because certain weapons and items can only be received by fighting in the arena.
Being such a massive game based on exploration and character building, Vigil and THQ have announced that several DLC packs will eventually be released for Darksiders II. Vigil has stated that all three packs are entirely new and unique content “not originally intended for the main game.” For those who have pre-ordered at a local retailer, or will by the time the game is released, will automatically be upgraded to the Limited Edition, and will receive the “Argul’s Tomb” DLC for free. A season pass will also be included, allowing those players to purchase the remaining packs at a discounted price. Those who pre-order from ShopTHQ, however, will receive all three packs for free. All three packs will be available for purchase individually to everyone else when the DLC becomes available. Neither THQ nor Vigil have announced the actual release dates, only stating that it will be available “post launch.”
Darksiders II will be available for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC on August 14, 2012, as well as the Wii U later this year. Make sure to keep checking Explosion.com for updates, and look for a full review after the game is released.
