Since the beginning of time, the kingdoms of Heaven and Hell have been at war. A mediator known as the Charred Council arose to maintain "the Balance" of order and stability. The Council created a warrior brotherhood, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (War, Death, Strife, and Fury) to enforce their rules by punishing transgressors. Foreseeing that humans would become crucial to the Balance, the Council declared them a third kingdom, under their protection. Heaven and Hell agreed a truce and sealed it with the Seven Seals, to be broken only when the kingdom of Man had become strong enough to join the Endwar. Breaking the seals would bring about the Apocalypse, with the breaking of the final Seventh Seal calling the Four Horsemen to Earth.
In Darksiders, players control War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, in a third-person perspective. The world is split into separate locations with many areas initially inaccessible until later in the game. The center of the world, The Scalding Gallow, functions as a hub where War is given new objectives and paths to unlock new areas, many of which require the use of newly-gained abilities to progress. Although War is initially limited to the use of his two-handed signature sword, Chaos Eater, he eventually obtains other weapons throughout the course of the game. He also has a Scythe, which he uses as his other main offensive weapon. Weapons have different combinations of attack that can be obtained throughout the game. Along with combos, players are encouraged to use countering moves, blocks, and swift dodging.