Wii U Launch - Darksider's 2 Preview: Players Can Play Entire Game off Gamepad

Nintendo's Wii U will launch on November 18 with 23 promising launch titles.

Back in August, THQ and Vigil Games released Darksiders 2 for the Xbox 360 and PS3. The title was met with mainly positive reviews and the PS3 version currently has 85 percent positive ratings on aggregate site GameRankings. The Xbox 360 version's approval rate is 84 percent. It was the best selling game of August 2012 with over 247,000 units sold in the US. Now Nintendo fans will get a chance at the critically acclaimed game and from early reports, it may be the best iteration of the title.

Mobile & Apps is stating that the title will set the precedent for third-party ports to the Wii U while Tapscape notes that the title takes advantage of the Wii U's revolutionary technology and even recommends it highly.

The Wii U's port of the title is interesting in how it not only accommodates the Nintendo Wii U's gamepad, but how it expands it. According to Joystiq, players will have three means of playing the game. In the first manner they can play with their TV and Gamepad as a controller through which they can access inventory, map, or special abilities. This seems to be the most traditional use of the gamepad in most games at this point in the system's life cycle. However, the game also throws an interesting card into the game that could change how people view the Wii U gamepad. If players can't use the TV, then they can play straight off the gamepad screen almost as if it were a handheld title. However, if gamers want a more traditional gameplay feel like that off the PS 3 and Xbox 360, they can plug in the Pro Controller and get that experience.

Gamerfront found this variety exciting and stating that it is impressive that the Gamepad had the technological capabilities of supporting an entire title like Darksiders 2. They even pondered why other ports of titles did not take full advantage of this feature and suggested that it might be the future of the technology.

Wii U owners will also get access to several DLC's for the title including Argul's Tomb with the Death Rides, Angel of Death & Shadow of Death" and "Deadly Despair" packs included. These packs give players a variety of extra quests, items, and armor.

Darksiders 2 launches alongside the Wii U and is slated to be one of the launch games that supports Nintendo's desire to give gamers a wide range of new and traditional experiences.