Darksiders Warmastered Edition

Darksiders Warmastered Edition is the technically reworked version of the first Darksiders. This single-player action-adventure combines direct melee combat with dungeons, environmental puzzles and a game world you return to with new abilities. The story, characters and basic structure come from the original by Vigil Games. KAIKO reworked the game for newer hardware under THQ Nordic.

If you expect a new chapter in the series, understand this title as a remaster: the focus is on the existing journey of the Horseman War and its improved presentation, not on a sequel.

The Warmastered Edition launched on Nov 22, 2016 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The PC version followed on Nov 29, 2016, the Wii U version on May 23, 2017, and Nintendo Switch on Apr 2, 2019. On May 19, 2026, standalone native versions were released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

This is a release sequence of the same remaster version, not the chronology of several new Darksiders games. Particularly important when choosing a platform: the 2026 versions are separate native releases and not merely the launch of old console games via backward compatibility.

Officially released native versions exist for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Wii U and Nintendo Switch. Availability varies by platform and release period. For a standalone Nintendo Switch 2 version, the official release information checked contains no evidence.

Native versions have been available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S since May 2026. The Wii U version has a special case: Nintendo stopped new purchases on the Wii U eShop on March 27, 2023. This is a restriction on digital availability, not a new release date for the game.

Combat takes place in real time. War uses weapons and supernatural powers against demonic and angel-like enemies. Between battles, you explore devastated areas, enter dungeons and overcome obstacles that brute force alone cannot handle. This shifts the pace between action-packed encounters and calmer sections with puzzles and exploration.

Progress is tied to new abilities, improved gear and recurring routes through the game world. The Warmastered Edition keeps this mix of combat and adventure.

For the PC version, Steam lists at least an Intel or AMD dual-core processor, 4 GB RAM, an AMD or Nvidia graphics card with DirectX 10 support and 1 GB VRAM, DirectX 11, and 36 GB of free hard drive space. Recommended are a quad-core processor and 8 GB RAM, with the same 36 GB of storage space.

The original specification lists Windows 7, 8 and 10. Separate from this is today's Steam client support: Steam has required Windows 10 or later since January 2024.

War is accused of triggering the war between Heaven and Hell too early. The Earth is ravaged, the demons have the upper hand, and the Fiery Council holds the Horseman of the Apocalypse accountable. He is given the chance to return to Earth and search for the true causes of the catastrophe.

The journey leads through ruined cities, monster-infested areas and dangerous fortresses. Along the way, War finds himself caught between heavenly pursuers, demons and shifting allies. This setup explains the many factions without giving away central plot twists.

War fights aggressively and combines direct attacks with special abilities. His enemies range from demonic foes to angelic warriors. Over the course of the game, the available set of options grows through new powers and upgrades, so later confrontations can be approached differently from early battles.

The game is not a pure arena action game. Combat situations are embedded in a connected adventure structure with paths, puzzles and dungeons.

The arsenal includes weapons and tools of varied origin: from martial melee gear to demonic, heavenly and found tools from the ravaged world. Supernatural powers are also included. The official game descriptions explicitly name weapon upgrades and learnable abilities as part of the progression system.

The appeal of the gear therefore lies not only in stronger attacks. It expands the options for action during the journey and shapes how War holds his own against different enemies.

The dungeons are more than a series of fights. Besides enemies, they pose spatial challenges that must be solved using exploration and the abilities available. THQ Nordic describes the combination of combat, challenging puzzles and discovery as a core part of Darksiders.

Anyone looking purely for a straightforward hack-and-slash should take this adventure element into account. The game repeatedly requires you to explore paths and find the next step away from the immediate battle.

The settings are the remains of the Earth ravaged by Heaven and Hell. War crosses abandoned areas, hostile territories and underground facilities. The world is not merely a backdrop: dungeons and new abilities give exploration a recurring rhythm.

The mount Ruin is part of the protagonist's journey. Alongside the more confined sections focused on combat and puzzles, there are also passages where the route through the destroyed world itself takes center stage.

Ruin is the supernatural horse of the Horseman of the Apocalypse. THQ Nordic explicitly names the mount as part of the Darksiders gear and the journey through the devastated regions. Alongside combat on foot, riding is therefore part of the identity of the first Darksiders.

Ruin is not a separate playable character with its own campaign mode, but part of War's abilities and movement.

During the campaign, War finds relics, upgrades weapons and gains additional abilities. Progress changes his options in combat and exploration. The official product description lists these elements as core parts of character development.

This sets the game apart from a purely reflex-based action title: those who explore the environment and unlock upgrades gain lasting options for the challenges ahead.

The remaster brings higher-resolution textures, reworked rendering methods, improvements to shadows and post-processing, and newly rendered cutscenes. On PC, it offers various graphics options, such as for field of view, anti-aliasing and texture filtering. THQ Nordic mostly cites 60 frames per second for PS4, Xbox One and PC, while the Wii U version was planned for 30 frames per second.

These changes mainly affect presentation and technical implementation. The underlying story and adventure structure remain those of the first Darksiders.

Since May 19, 2026, new console versions have been available. THQ Nordic cites native 4K rendering, gameplay designed for a stable 60 frames per second, and a photo mode. On PS5, the PlayStation Store also confirms support for DualSense features and Activities.

THQ Nordic also distinguishes the upgrade paths: for owners of the PS4 version, a paid switch to PS5 has been announced, and for owners of the Xbox One version, a free upgrade to Xbox Series X|S. The current store terms need to be checked separately from this basic product mapping.

On Steam there are German menus, subtitles and full German voice-over. The same applies to English, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Russian, while some other supported languages offer only on-screen text and subtitles. For PS5, the PlayStation Store also lists a German audio track and German on-screen text.

The language lists of other console versions may differ. If you need a specific dubbed version, check the platform version rather than automatically assuming the PC list applies.

Darksiders Warmastered Edition is a single-player adventure. The Steam version supports, among other things, achievements, cloud saves and Steam Remote Play. These platform features do not change the character of the campaign: according to the official descriptions reviewed, the game contains no cooperative multiplayer campaign mode.

This matters most when comparing with other action RPGs whose multiplayer features often make up a larger share of the play experience.

The original Darksiders game world and the first title come from Vigil Games. For the Warmastered Edition, KAIKO is named as developer of the reworked version. THQ Nordic appears as publisher. The official store credits explicitly separate the original work from the remaster adaptation.

This distinction explains why the game keeps the traits of the classic Darksiders while being technically reimplemented across several hardware generations.

The Wii U version came out on May 23, 2017, but since the purchase option closed in the Wii U eShop on Mar 27, 2023, it can no longer be newly bought through that store. This concerns the digital distribution form on an older Nintendo platform. It does not mean that the remaster has been discontinued as a whole, nor that the same restrictions apply to PC and current consoles.

For the newer versions, the official store pages and their respective platform listings are authoritative. Prices and short-term promotions do not belong in the permanent game description.