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Darksiders 2 new info! [one month away from release]

Please tell me what is Realistic Female Behavior ty


?

Well, I spend a lot of time around females for whatever reason. I tend to get along better with them. Relatively speaking, stoicism is not a commonly found trait amongst the general female populace. This is not attaching any kind of value judgment to female character; good or bad, its just rough and tumble, gruff, or stoic characters don't match any of my female friends. There is a disconnect there.

That's not to say I dislike playing as a female character. There are some great ones out there; Parasite Eve protagonist, Silent Hill 3's Heather, and Jeanne D'Arc on the PSP. There is just a big disconnect when I see a female character pull a Gordon Freeman. It immediately removes willful suspension of disbelief.

Overly butch femmes just come off as forced cliches from male writing staff.
 

tragic

Developer
Hi all. Been doing a bit of a Q&A on the Combat of Darksiders 2 over at the official forum:

The Combat Thread

However, feel free to also ask anything here and I'll give it a go!

Ben C (Lead Combat Designer - Darksiders 2) - @verytragic
 

DieH@rd

Banned
Hi all. Been doing a bit of a Q&A on the Combat of Darksiders 2 over at the official forum:

The Combat Thread

However, feel free to also ask anything here and I'll give it a go!

Ben C (Lead Combat Designer - Darksiders 2) - @verytragic



OMG combat is so awesome! Delayed attacks, canceling your own attacks, "Just Frame" attacks, launching enemies & jumping with single button, Crossovers attacks [mixing primary & secondary weapons into totally new combos], aerial combat, mounted combat, good&fast enemy grabbing mechanic, and fantastic implementation of dash movement [dash doesent brake combo, movement cooldown only after third consecutive dash, but we can chain dashes into attacks and create almost endless fast movement state]! Woooo, so good!

My question is, is there any way to straight up interrupt enemy attacks [in DS1 we could press block in just the right time]?

edit-
from tragic's link said:
Don't worry, there are tons of things you can do instead! Think about this:

3 Hit Basic Scythe Combo, cancel to Crossover Heavy (Cyclone), Crossover Heavy Special (Hilt Strike), back to Scythe Ender, cancel the ender in the middle with a Flip Kick, Air Dash to the ground (Meteor Strike), Dash Scythe (Harvester Revenge), cancel into Crossover Heavy again, cancel that into Charge Hammer Strike, after Charge Strike hits, backdash, Deathgrip the enemy towards you, juggle with basic Scythe 1-hit, Flip Kick, Aerial 2 Hit Scythe Combo followed by Air Delay Chain (Hellraiser - Reaper appears and lifts opponent into the air even more!), follow-up with 3-hit Air Scythe Combo ending in slamdown, cancel into Flip Saw, land, Teleport Slash through the enemy, Deathgrip again, jump Air Scythe 1-hit, chain to Air Hammer Fall (big slam that brings both you and enemy to ground), upon landing, Just-Frame button press to perform the Widowmaker (mega spinning Heavy Strike), canceled into another Just-Frame button press to perform the Rift Breaker follow up.


Oh... and you'll be doing all that on the first day! Just remember that you don't have to do ANY of that to be able to play and enjoy the combat. But the cool part is... YOU CAN!

ilbq8vgrdzuqznhest.gif


Question #2, you ARE makigng competitive multiplayer game set in the darksiders universe, RIGHT? :D :D
 

tragic

Developer
My question is, is there any way to straight up interrupt enemy attacks [in DS1 we could press block in just the right time]?

Well, since there is no block button, you are going to have to find other ways to get out of your chains. That being said, there are ways to do what you are asking about. One way is to use the Buckler (Melee weapon). It's charge function is a more traditional block mechanic and you can cancel into it where you would have canceled into a more traditional weapon. Generally speaking, however, you'll want to use evade or dash (this is why we don't break combos when you dash).


Question #2, you ARE makigng competitive multiplayer game set in the darksiders universe, RIGHT? :D :D

Darksiders 2 is our focus right now, but that thought definitely sounds super cool!
 

DieH@rd

Banned
Whats the difference between evade and dash? Which of those moves can teleport Death TROUGH enemy bodies (i think i saw that few times in Giant Bomb quicklook)?

Does charge attack interrupt some enemy combos? Can we stack more than one charge attack?
 

forrest

formerly nacire
Well, since there is no block button, you are going to have to find other ways to get out of your chains. That being said, there are ways to do what you are asking about. One way is to use the Buckler (Melee weapon). It's charge function is a more traditional block mechanic and you can cancel into it where you would have canceled into a more traditional weapon. Generally speaking, however, you'll want to use evade or dash (this is why we don't break combos when you dash).




Darksiders 2 is our focus right now, but that thought definitely sounds super cool!

This is very good to know! Thanks for joining then conversation as there has been quite a bit of discussion regarding the combat mechanics.
 

Maffis

Member
Hi all. Been doing a bit of a Q&A on the Combat of Darksiders 2 over at the official forum:

The Combat Thread

However, feel free to also ask anything here and I'll give it a go!

Ben C (Lead Combat Designer - Darksiders 2) - @verytragic

You guys should totally release a gameplay clip of that amazing combo you described in that post. Would definitely get peoples' eyes open on the new and improved combat :)
 

QisTopTier

XisBannedTier
I have a question, are there any ahem "tricks" to the combat system to let it do things you never could do with out performing those? Glave cancel in DS1 for an example
 

DieH@rd

Banned
Darksiders 2 is our focus right now, but that thought definitely sounds super cool!

Judging by the complexity of the combat engine, you only need an excuse for placing indentical Death models into one arena [custom armors and weapons can create varyety]. But... that is easy. :D
If we ignore the need for good online infrastucture for such gameplay :D

Make a [free] DLC where you can gaze into some crystal [or similar magical device] that can teleport death's soul into some tournament setting. There, online & willing players can enter into matchmaking and be placed into arena for some some structured combat sessions - vs or coop fight against wave base attacks.

Pls doo eet!
 

Mupod

Member
So there's no timed counterattack/parry mechanic? I actually like that kind of thing...although more often than not it was a good way to get yourself punched in the face in the original game, since it didn't make you invulnerable and took a while to animate.
 

DieH@rd

Banned
So there's no timed counterattack/parry mechanic? I actually like that kind of thing...although more often than not it was a good way to get yourself punched in the face in the original game, since it didn't make you invulnerable and took a while to animate.

Those 4 miniboss spiders in the Silitha dungeon in DS1 are the only enemies that really required/promoted parry and counteratack. They are incredibly tough to beat without them.
 

tragic

Developer
Whats the difference between evade and dash? Which of those moves can teleport Death TROUGH enemy bodies (i think i saw that few times in Giant Bomb quicklook)?

They are basically one in the same. Hitting the EVADE button while neutral will cause you to evade back. Holding a direction will cause you to evade forward, but in the direction held (meaning, if you hold left and hit evade, you will evade left, but you will perform the 'front evade' animation). In focus mode, holding left or right and hitting evade will cause you to do an actual left or right evade, respectively. The only real difference is if you hold towards an enemy during focus mode. This will perform a "dash" where Death slides along the ground. The dash has 1/2 the invulnerability frames of any of the other evades. You can absolutely dash into attacks to avoid them if your timing is right... we just reduced the window a bit so it required a little more timing.

Does charge attack interrupt some enemy combos? Can we stack more than one charge attack?

You can definitely interrupt enemy combos. Each attack has a power rating, and the higher it is, the more likely it is to interrupt enemy attacks. Of course, the size of the enemy also counts, as well as the attack they are doing.

Not sure what you mean by stacking more than one charge attack. You can definitely perform a charge attack and follow it with another charge attack, if that's what you are asking. Similar to evades, charge moves typically don't break the combo chain. While the charge-up doesn't "add" any hits (for obvious reasons), it does extend the time in which you have to strike the enemy again and have it still count as a combo.


This is very good to know! Thanks for joining then conversation as there has been quite a bit of discussion regarding the combat mechanics.

No problem, this is what I'm here for! Up until the giantbomb preview, there hasn't been many hints at the true potential of the combat/combo system. Being as unbiased as I can, I truly believe that it's a major step up from the first Darksiders.


You guys should totally release a gameplay clip of that amazing combo you described in that post. Would definitely get peoples' eyes open on the new and improved combat :)

If I can get the clearance, I will definitely put that (or something like it) together!


I have a question, are there any ahem "tricks" to the combat system to let it do things you never could do with out performing those? Glave cancel in DS1 for an example

I like the "tricks" part! Hah! We definitely give players ways to do amazing combos and links on purpose, but at the same time, we tried to eliminate as many of the "tricks" (exploits) as possible. This is mostly due to how involved traversal is in Darksiders 2. Glaive cancel in DS1 was an amazing trick, but it was obviously unintentional. That being said... there ARE some hidden mechanics that allow players to do things that aren't even in the movelist. That, and it's probably safe to say that when millions of players get their hands on the game, they will come up with their own interesting discoveries.

We really look forward to seeing what the players come up with!


So there's no timed counterattack/parry mechanic? I actually like that kind of thing...although more often than not it was a good way to get yourself punched in the face in the original game, since it didn't make you invulnerable and took a while to animate.

Welllllllll... I didn't exactly say that! There may or may not (re: IS) a way to call the Reaper out to perform a counter attack while allowing Death to freely move around once activated. Just saying... =D
 

Maffis

Member
Another question. Does the new traversal mechanics play a role in the combat? Meaning, is it possible to start climbing a wall and then do, say, a backflip attack from it, or is it possible to run on the wall to do, other, special attacks? Kind of like Prince of Persia in a sense. Or maybe it's purely for platforming?
 

BY2K

Membero Americo
A combo example on video would certainly be cool. I'd gif it and post it whenever someone says the combat looks boring. (If it is cool, that is, which I'm sure it is.)
 

tragic

Developer
Another question. Does the new traversal mechanics play a role in the combat? Meaning, is it possible to start climbing a wall and then do, say, a backflip attack from it, or is it possible to run on the wall to do, other, special attacks? Kind of like Prince of Persia in a sense. Or maybe it's purely for platforming?

I wouldn't say traversal plays a significant role in the combat, but you can definitely attack after a wall jump/backflip. Basically, it puts you into a jump state, so from there, you can do whatever you could normally do out of a jump.

Oh, also, the same applies from Despair. In fact, you can launch an enemy, cancel into Despair, run the enemy over, jump off Despair, perform an aerial slam down, and continue your combo. It's not easy, it's not standard combat, but it's definitely possible. Just make sure you are outdoors!
 

DieH@rd

Banned
Q1 - In original Darksiders, air dash was very... weak, and it moved War across very small distance. Was anything changed in DS2 in this area?

Q2 - Can you describe mechanic of mixing combat and magic elements of the game? Does summoning of ravens or other magic break combo count, can magic be inserted into some elaborate combo attacks?

Q3 - Is this possible: Death stands near a wall > launch an enemy in the air [while death sill remaining on the ground] > vertical wall run > wall jump > continuation of the combo?
edit- beaten for Q3

Q4 - Is Despair available in dungeons? :D

Q5 - Can summoned ghosts launch enemies in the air, knockback, stun, or have any move that can impact our combo tactics?
 

tragic

Developer
A combo example on video would certainly be cool. I'd gif it and post it whenever someone says the combat looks boring. (If it is cool, that is, which I'm sure it is.)

Check out about 2:00 into the GiantBomb EX Preview.

You can see two combos back to back that showcase some of the speed and mix-up options.

The first combo, against the Prowler, was a simple launch into relaunch, into flipsaw.

The second combo, against the Undead Champion, shows a side evade into Deathgrip (pulling him off his feet), launch into relaunch, followed by an air dash down (Meteor Strike), right into a Dash Scythe (Harvester Revenge), followed by a basic Scythe attack (where you can basically go into anything). Unfortunately, the Undead Champion's friend wanted none of that and sidebusts Death with his mace.

Obviously the less enemies you have, the easier it becomes to go wild on single enemies. I'll do my best to put together a few intermediate combos and get them approved for you all!
 

S1kkZ

Member
i really hope the framerate is solid 30.
one german preview said the framerate is really low, which affects the combat in a negative way (because death feels slower than he should), another preview said the framerate is very smooth...
 

QisTopTier

XisBannedTier
I like the "tricks" part! Hah! We definitely give players ways to do amazing combos and links on purpose, but at the same time, we tried to eliminate as many of the "tricks" (exploits) as possible. This is mostly due to how involved traversal is in Darksiders 2. Glaive cancel in DS1 was an amazing trick, but it was obviously unintentional. That being said... there ARE some hidden mechanics that allow players to do things that aren't even in the movelist. That, and it's probably safe to say that when millions of players get their hands on the game, they will come up with their own interesting discoveries.

We really look forward to seeing what the players come up with!

hmm... I'll do my best to break it as fast as possible :p
 

tragic

Developer
Q1 - In original Darksiders, air dash was very... weak, and it moved War across very small distance. Was anything changed in DS2 in this area?

Air Dash/Evade (Meteor Strike) in DS2 actually goes directly down. This is meant to bring Death immediately to the ground where he can either attack again, or quickly evade. We wanted players to feel less vulnerable in the air because, traditionally, not many players do air combos. Also, getting into the air is incredibly easy in Darksiders 2. Damage-wise, Meteor Strike does very little damage, but its combo potential is very high... especially once players discover some of its secrets.

Q2 - Can you describe mechanic of mixing combat and magic elements of the game? Does summoning of ravens or other magic break combo count, can magic be inserted into some elaborate combo attacks?

You can absolutely weave your Wrath abilities into your combos. Some of them (such as Teleport Slash & Harvest) work exceptionally well because of how they strike. Murder (Crows), on the other hand, is less predictable because you are summoning additional entities which have their own behavior. Still possible!

Q3 - Is this possible: Death stands near a wall > launch an enemy in the air [while death sill remaining on the ground] > vertical wall run > wall jump > continuation of the combo?
edit- beaten for Q3

One thing to mention is that traversal options don't have the combo-leniency that evades/charges have. So, if you want to actually start a combo and then go to the wall and perform a move from there, you'll need a filler - something like Murder would work wonders!

Q4 - Is Despair available in dungeons? :D

Horses are outside animals! =)

Q5 - Can summoned ghosts launch enemies in the air, knockback, stun, or have any move that can impact our combo tactics?

When Exhume (Ghouls) is cast, coffins come out of the ground. They will launch certain enemies and you can absolutely use that to your advantage in combos.
 

Maffis

Member
i really hope the framerate is solid 30.
one german preview said the framerate is really low, which affects the combat in a negative way (because death feels slower than he should), another preview said the framerate is very smooth...

In the Giant Bomb QL, the framerate looks really solid. Either way, I'm getting this game on PC, so I'll be enjoying +100 fps :p

Check out about 2:00 into the GiantBomb EX Preview.

You can see two combos back to back that showcase some of the speed and mix-up options.

The first combo, against the Prowler, was a simple launch into relaunch, into flipsaw.

The second combo, against the Undead Champion, shows a side evade into Deathgrip (pulling him off his feet), launch into relaunch, followed by an air dash down (Meteor Strike), right into a Dash Scythe (Harvester Revenge), followed by a basic Scythe attack (where you can basically go into anything). Unfortunately, the Undead Champion's friend wanted none of that and sidebusts Death with his mace.

Obviously the less enemies you have, the easier it becomes to go wild on single enemies. I'll do my best to put together a few intermediate combos and get them approved for you all!

That would be sweet! Thanks!
 

S1kkZ

Member
In the Giant Bomb QL, the framerate looks really solid. Either way, I'm getting this game on PC, so I'll be enjoying +100 fps :p

i think the framerate in that video looks pretty bad. slight constant stutter, looks more like 25 fps, but it could be the video encoding.
 

Maffis

Member
i think the framerate in that video looks pretty bad. slight constant stutter, looks more like 25 fps, but it could be the video encoding.

Hmm well I just remembered they were playing on the PC version with a gamepad anyways, so obviously the video must be the problem in that case. But still, I think the framerate will be very solid on the console versions. The fight with the huge construct, however, looked like it stuttered a little. But that might've been an old build too.
 

Oichi

I'm like a Hadouken, down-right Fierce!
It should, the guy who was the lead designer on combat is none other than tragic, the guy who MCs all of the Evo tournies and is a hardcore fighting game player. :D

I'm just quoting this, cuz it was way back in post #315.... just saying that tragic is LEGIT!
 

Feindflug

Member
i think the framerate in that video looks pretty bad. slight constant stutter, looks more like 25 fps, but it could be the video encoding.

Keep in mind that it was the PC version that it was shown at GB QL...

I really hope there were will be no major frame-rate issues with the console versions and especially tearing on the 360. :(
 
What is the best preorder bonus for this game in all of your opinions?

I am thinking of just getting the Steam version (guide book version) and using a 360 controller to play it with.
 

tragic

Developer
What is the best preorder bonus for this game in all of your opinions?

I am thinking of just getting the Steam version (guide book version) and using a 360 controller to play it with.

I believe getting it off the THQ site directly is the best option due to getting the Season Pass for free. For a fan that just wants the most content possible, you might want to look at that. I mean, it's free!

As for individual bonuses (GameStop, Best Buy, Amazon), I'd just go with whatever you think will enhance your experience the most.

Playing it on PC with a 360 controller is a solid option!

Apparently Jay Fitzloff (Associate producer) is saying the first world alone is 10 hrs long. Good God...

http://www.ps3center.net//news/5384/darksiders-ii-first-world-will-last-at-least-10-hours/

This is absolutely true. Sure, if you speed run through the first world AND skip all side-content, I'm sure you could do it (the first world) in under 10... but why would you do that? If you do every possible thing in the first world before moving on, it will easily surpass 10 hours. Also, if I'm not mistaken, the second world is larger than the first, however, by then, you'll be accustomed to the controls, the travel options, and puzzles.

Either way, you will definitely get your money's worth!
 
Amazon has it for 10% off ($45 us), and its where I bought my copy =)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007FGUFX4/?tag=neogaf0e-20

The Pre-order bonus includes:

Pre-order and Get "Arguls Tomb" Expansion, Plus the Amazon Exclusive: "Deadly Despair Pack"
Place your pre-order for "Darksiders II" and receive the "Arguls Tomb" expansion pack, featuring extra gameplay content, including a whole new dungeon to explore. Ride into battle with increased speed thanks to the "Deadly Despair" pack, available only to Amazon pre-order customers. This unique pre-order offer adds an additional speed boost for Death’s trusty steed Despair, allowing players to travel across the vast world even faster than before. This perk is a permanent increase that will last throughout the game. PC Exclusive: When you pre-order your copy today, you will receive two weapons only available in the PC editioin. You will be able to remove skin from the bone with the skeletal Axes of Rending and tear your foes to shreds with the Dark Talons. These items are best suited for 5th - 10th level characters. Please note these items are NOT included in Season Pass which ONLY includes the Maker Armor Set, The Abyssal Forge, and The Demon Lord Belial. Visit darksiders.com for more details. Pre-order today at 10% off, and once your game becomes available for download, the "Deadly Despair" pack and the "Arguls Tomb" expansion will be delivered to Your Games & Software Library. This bonus content is only available to customers who pre-order, and will apply to all existing pre-orders. Amazon reserves the right to change or terminate this promotion at any time.
 

KorrZ

Member
The information overload we're getting now is driving me crazy! The game is still two weeks away I don't think I can make it that long. Darksiders 2 is shaping up to be my GOTY and savior from this terrible first half of 2012.
 
I'm just quoting this, cuz it was way back in post #315.... just saying that tragic is LEGIT!

I shook his hand in the elevator this year at EVO and we were trying to figure out where the event was, lol. Cool guy and I didn't even know he was working on this. When I saw the GB vid and how crazy the combos were I made the thread comparing it to DMC/Bayonetta so folks could see how awesome it looks.
 

tragic

Developer
I shook his hand in the elevator this year at EVO and we were trying to figure out where the event was, lol. Cool guy and I didn't even know he was working on this. When I saw the GB vid and how crazy the combos were I made the thread comparing it to DMC/Bayonetta so folks could see how awesome it looks.

Oh yeah, sweet! Glad to see you here.

As I mentioned on the official forums, we all love Bayo/DMC at Vigil. One of my personal goals was to recreate the feeling of freedom you get in those games in regards to combo creation but to make sure the game still felt like Darksiders. I'm proud of the end result and I'm very interested to see what the fans have to say.
 
Oh yeah, sweet! Glad to see you here.

As I mentioned on the official forums, we all love Bayo/DMC at Vigil. One of my personal goals was to recreate the feeling of freedom you get in those games in regards to combo creation but to make sure the game still felt like Darksiders. I'm proud of the end result and I'm very interested to see what the fans have to say.

Well, I think you guys did an amazing job. I'm a huge DMC/Bayo fan and 2 mins into the GB vid I was like, "oh shiiiiit!". I'd just completed DS1 like a week prior and while I enjoyed the combat it's obvious there's a huge improvement here. There seems to be a trend recently what with Skullgirls (hopefully that Sony Smash game) and this that western developed fighting/action games can have systems as deep and interesting as their Japanese counterparts.
 

Drewfonse

Member
Any deals ANYWHERE on the console versions? I ain't seeing shit.

Super hyped for the game, though.


Any differences between the console versions, performance wise?
 
Couldn't really tell from the giant bomb preview, but I hope that PC version get high res textures or at least the option to download a pack shortly after the game is released.
 
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