Darksiders to usher in New Year, apocalypse

LOS ANGELES--Some number-obsessed people believe the world is going to end in December 2012. THQ is a little less optimistic, as the publisher today announced in an E3 webcast that the apocalypse actually begins January 1, 2010.

That's the release date for Darksiders, the publisher's new action adventure game that casts players as War, first of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. When a war breaks out between heaven and hell, War is (understandably) accused of sparking the conflict, and soon finds himself fighting both sides in his attempt to clear his "good" name and get revenge on those responsible.

THQ has high hopes for the title and is already planning on a sequel. In a February investor's presentation, the publisher listed Darksiders 2 on its release calendar for its fiscal 2012 (which runs from April 1, 2011, to March 31, 2012).

Darksiders will be available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. For more on the game and the rest of THQ's lineup, check out GameSpot's continuing coverage of E3 2009.