Players roam the charred landscapes—overrun with demons and monsters—to regain lost powers, seek vengeance for a betrayal, and wrest the Earth from a demon's evil grip. Assuming the role of the First Horseman of the Apocalypse ("War"), players use giant blades and guns to kill angels, demons, skeletons, zombie-like creatures, and undead horses. The melee-style combat can be intense and frenetic: Players hack-and-slash enemies at a constant rate; screams, rending flesh, and swords clashing/slashing can be heard; and "quick-kill" animations depict deaths close-up. This last-mentioned aspect of combat allows players to dismember creatures in dramatic fashion; for example, players can cut off enemies' legs and arms, chop off their heads, snap their necks, or pull off their wings. Dark red blood gushes out of creatures' hearts, necks, and limbs in a fountain-like manner. In one sequence, blood flows out of a statue and forms a river in the grooves of a stone puzzle on the ground. Some female characters—mostly demon-like creatures—are depicted wearing tattered, revealing outfits that expose deep cleavage and portions of their buttocks.