Darksiders 2 is now available in the U.S. and will arrive in Europe on August 21, 2012. The sequel to 2010's well received Legend of Zelda rival expands on the original game with greater weapons customization and larger dungeons.

Darksiders 2 takes place during the 100-year imprisonment of War, the first game's protagonist, by The Council. As a result, the sequel is not set on Earth, the setting for the original Darksiders. Players follow the horseman Death, who can be customized with 2 skill trees: the melee-focused Harbinger and the magic-centric Necromancer.

The game is now loot-based, so killing enemies and exploring the world will allow players to collect weapons. Weapons have seen an upgrade in Darksiders 2. Possession weapons are rare, available to the player, and can level up by sacrificing other weapons. Stats increase depending on the type of weapon sacrificed. NewGame+ also allows gear to be retained as higher level items are available in a second playthrough. Players see a damage number when hitting enemies to give feedback on weapon performance.

Combat offers greater variation in Darksiders 2, with three layers in play. The main attack is accomplished with a single button press for a basic combo, with unlockable button combinations for advanced players. Secondary attacks are either melee attacks or in the form of a hammer. The former is fast but limited by a short range, while the latter is powerful but slow. The third and final element to combat is the crossover attack: the ability to switch between primary and secondary weapons mid-fight. Players can dodge, jump, grab, and pull enemies (either to the player, or the player to enemies) as well as inflicting damage.

Ultimately Darksiders 2 is a more full-featured game than its predecessor, giving players greater choice.

Darksiders 2 is available August 14 in North America and August 21 in Europe for Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3.