Darksiders Warmastered Edition: Become War, The First Horseman

Game Overview

Darksiders Warmastered Edition: Become War, The First Horseman is a third-person action-adventure RPG about War, one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Framed for triggering the final conflict between Heaven and Hell too early, he crosses a ruined Earth to uncover the conspiracy and take revenge on those responsible.

Both demons and angels stand in his way.

The core loop alternates between exploring connected areas, entering dungeons, fighting enemies, solving environmental puzzles, and acquiring tools that open previously inaccessible routes. It is not simply a corridor-based combat game.

Observation, navigation, and using the right ability are as important as defeating the next group of enemies.

Developed by KAIKO and Vigil Games and published by THQ Nordic, the game was released on November 29, 2016. It is a single-player title with Steam Achievements, Trading Cards, Steam Cloud, full controller support, and Remote Play on Phone.

Combat and Progression

War primarily fights with the Chaoseater, supported by secondary weapons, special abilities, blocks, and evasive movement. Encounters reward more than uninterrupted aggression: stronger enemies telegraph attacks, while groups can punish a long combo performed from a poor position.

Learning when to stop attacking and reposition makes combat considerably more manageable.

Resources earned during play can improve War's moves and abilities. Each weapon fills a different role, so the combat system gains depth as the available arsenal expands.

The deliberate weight of attacks is central to the experience; players expecting the constant speed and animation freedom of a modern character-action game may need time to adjust.

War also gains access to a powerful transformed state and mounted sequences, giving selected encounters a different sense of scale. These options do not remove the need to read enemy behavior or use the environment.

Choosing the right tool for the enemy and situation remains more reliable than relying on raw damage alone.

Exploration and Puzzles

Dungeon tools serve purposes beyond combat. They may interact with distant targets, activate mechanisms in a specific order, or provide a way across vertical spaces.

New abilities also encourage revisiting areas that previously contained an unreachable path or collectible.

This constant shift between combat and puzzle solving defines Darksiders. Players seeking uninterrupted hack-and-slash action may find some dungeon sections slow, while those who enjoy examining rooms and testing tools receive welcome variety.

When the path is unclear, checking walls, ceilings, distant switches, and the functions of recently acquired equipment is usually more productive than searching only for another door.

What the Warmastered Edition Changes

The Warmastered Edition provides doubled texture resolutions, re-rendered cutscenes, improved shadow rendering, and output at up to 4K. Its PC options include FOV, post-processing effects, anti-aliasing, and other settings that help balance image quality against hardware load.

This edition enhances the presentation and configuration of the existing game rather than redesigning its original structure. It is best approached as a classic third-person adventure presented at higher resolution, not as a remake with entirely modern animation, camera behavior, or navigation assistance.

PC Requirements and Practical Expectations

The minimum specification lists Windows 7, 8, or 10, an Intel or AMD dual-core CPU, 4GB RAM, and an AMD or NVIDIA card with DirectX 10 Feature Level support and 1GB VRAM. DirectX 11 is required, along with 36GB of available storage.

These values are a baseline for running the game and should not be interpreted as a promise of high settings or 4K performance.

The recommended specification calls for an Intel or AMD quad-core CPU, 8GB RAM, and an AMD or NVIDIA card with DirectX 11 Feature Level support and 1GB VRAM. Storage remains 36GB.

The requirements are modest by current desktop standards, but owners of older laptops or integrated graphics should verify Feature Level support, dedicated memory, and driver compatibility.

Rendering at higher resolutions increases GPU demand even when a game advertises 4K output. On borderline hardware, lowering anti-aliasing, shadows, and post-processing before reducing resolution can preserve clarity.

Keeping additional disk space beyond the listed 36GB is also sensible for downloads, updates, and temporary installation files.

Reception and Common Review Themes

Players commonly appreciate the combination of weighty melee combat, puzzle-driven dungeons, and a distinctive apocalyptic art direction. The gradual arrival of new traversal and combat tools gives the campaign a strong sense of progression, while the changes in activity help prevent every section from becoming another identical fight.

Criticism often centers on elements inherited from the original design, including camera behavior, occasionally unclear navigation, and puzzles that interrupt the combat rhythm. Players accustomed to generous objective markers and modern control conveniences may find the early hours less immediate.

Current user sentiment should be checked in the live rating panel or on Steam before deciding.

Who Should Play It

Darksiders Warmastered Edition suits players who want both deliberate melee combat and dungeons built around tools and environmental puzzles. Its dark-fantasy setting, conflict between celestial and demonic forces, and revenge-driven story are also strong reasons to play if those themes appeal to you.

It is particularly suitable for someone seeking a substantial single-player campaign rather than a series of short competitive matches. Full controller support also makes it an approachable choice for players who prefer a gamepad for third-person action.

Caveats and Who May Not Enjoy It

This is not an ideal choice for anyone who wants combat with almost no interruption. Exploration sometimes requires careful observation and experimentation with a newly obtained tool, and the solution is not always marked immediately.

Enjoyment therefore depends partly on accepting occasional pauses and wrong turns as part of the dungeon experience.

There is no cooperative or competitive multiplayer component. The game also contains violence, gore, and demonic imagery, which may be unsuitable for some players.Check the review panel on this page or the Steam listing for the latest user review trend.

Supported languages include English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Czech, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, and Simplified Chinese. Full audio is listed for English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, and Simplified Chinese.