Introduction
Basic information
- Developer Name: Gunfire Games
- Full Name: Darksiders III
- Release Date: November 27, 2018
- Released on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
- Cross Play: Not Available
Initial thoughts
After the success of Darksiders 2, which my wife thoroughly enjoyed, I was curious to see what Darksiders 3 had to offer. This time around, it adopts a more souls-like approach with Fury taking the lead as the protagonist. My excitement was tempered with caution, as the shift in genre could go either way for the series.
Story and setting
Plot overview
Darksiders 3 follows Fury, the third of the Four Horsemen, on a quest to defeat the Seven Deadly Sins. While the overarching premise is intriguing, it doesn’t directly continue the story from where Darksiders 2 left off. Instead, it feels like a side-story (again), focusing on Fury’s mission to hunt down the sins, while being unknowingly manipulated by forces greater than herself.
World building and immersion
The game tries to build on the lore established in previous Darksiders titles, but the world itself feels empty at times. While there are moments of immersion, they are fleeting. The world lacks the complexity and depth seen in its predecessors, and there’s little incentive to explore beyond the main path.
Character development
Fury is a strong character, but her development feels shallow compared to War or Death. While her journey does reveal some growth, it’s not as impactful as it could have been. The supporting characters feel more like placeholders to move the story along rather than being truly integral to the plot.
Emotional impact
There are moments of emotional weight, but they are few and far between. The twists are predictable, and while the ending teases the future of the series, the story as a whole feels like it’s lacking in substance.
Rating for story and setting
I have visited multiple aspects of the story and after some thought and objective thinking, I rated the story and setting with an 6
It feels like this game was rushed, it falls short compared to the standards they set in previous games.
Gameplay and mechanics
Core gameplay mechanics
Darksiders 3’s gameplay leans heavily into the souls-like genre, with slower combat that requires precision and patience. While this shift works in some areas, it often feels clunky and unrefined. The combat doesn’t have the fluidity or depth of other games in the genre, and some core mechanics feel underdeveloped.
Difficulty and balance
The difficulty spikes are one of the game’s biggest issues. Some mid-bosses are insanely tough, forcing you to grind or rethink your strategy, only for the game to suddenly drop in difficulty afterward. Strangely enough, the final boss fight is far easier than expected, leaving the climax feeling anti-climactic. The balancing feels inconsistent throughout, which detracts from the experience. This goes beyond the, “Bosses are your thing while others are not.”
Pacing of the game
The game’s pacing is erratic, with long stretches of repetitive combat and exploration broken up by challenging boss fights. The linear design makes the game feel restricted, with little room for exploration or creative approaches to combat.
Innovation and uniqueness
While the souls-like combat is new for the series, it doesn’t innovate much within that genre. There are some interesting weapon mechanics and abilities that Fury gains throughout the game, but they don’t feel fully fleshed out.
Controls and user interface
The controls are serviceable but not as polished as you’d hope. Combat can feel sluggish at times, and dodging doesn’t always respond as smoothly as it should. The user interface is simple, but it lacks the polish needed for a game in this genre.
Microtransactions
Fortunately, there are no microtransactions in Darksiders 3.
Rating
After combing through many of the mechanics, the pacing and other factors of this game, I rated the gameplay and mechanics with an 6.
Maybe they should have stuck to the same genre as Darksiders 2, they handled that much better.
Graphics and art style
Quality of graphics and art direction
One of the game’s standout features is its graphics and art direction. Compared to Darksiders 2, the visuals are a significant step up. Fury’s design is detailed and striking, and the environments, while not as expansive, are visually impressive. The art style remains true to the series, with bold, exaggerated designs that feel appropriate for a fantasy apocalypse.
Technical performances
The technical performance is generally stable, but there are some occasional frame rate drops, especially during busier combat sequences. On console, the game can stutter in larger areas, but these issues aren’t game-breaking.
Environment and design uniqueness
While the environments are varied, they feel disjointed at times. The areas are linear and don’t encourage much exploration. The lack of an interconnected world makes each section feel isolated from the larger narrative.
Rating
It took me some time to give the graphics and art style an objective rating. There are many things to consider, but ultimately, I rated this section with a 7.5
If they had put more time into the graphical section, it could have been even better!
Sound and music
Music score and how it contributed to the game
The music in Darksiders 3 is decent, but nothing particularly memorable. The soundtrack fits the atmosphere but often feels repetitive or lacking in depth. There are moments where the music fades into the background, which is disappointing for a game that’s supposed to feel epic.
Sound effects quality
The sound effects are well-done, especially in combat, where the weight of Fury’s weapons is emphasized. However, some effects, like environmental sounds, can feel hollow or underwhelming.
Voice Acting
The voice acting is solid, with Fury’s voice actress delivering a strong performance. However, some supporting cast feels flat or overly dramatic, which detracts from the emotional weight of the story.
Rating
After a lot of consideration, I rated the sound and music section with a 7.
Fury’s voice actress does an impressive job at portraying her character.
Replayability
Game Length and content volume
The game is fairly short and can easily be finished in ten hours if you march through the story. If you do explore the small pathways or backtrack, you might be done in about fifteen hours.
Extra Content
There’s not much extra content beyond the main story. Once you’ve finished the game, you can replay it with stronger enemies and some new items, but this doesn’t add much depth to the experience.
Replay value
The replay value is fairly low. The linearity of the game, combined with its short length, doesn’t offer much incentive to revisit it. Once you’ve beaten the main campaign, there’s little to explore or discover on subsequent playthroughs.
Rating
After thoughtful consideration, I decided to rate the replayability and game length of Darksiders 3 with a 5.5
Suggestions and comparisons
Suggestions and feedback
- Better Difficulty Balance: The difficulty spikes need to be smoothed out to create a more consistent experience.
- More Exploration: Opening up the world and encouraging exploration could make the game feel more expansive and immersive.
- Deeper Character Development: More focus on developing Fury’s character and the supporting cast would add emotional depth.
Comparisons
Compared to Darksiders 2, Darksiders 3 feels like a step back in many areas. The open-world design and RPG elements from the second game are sorely missed. Even compared to other souls-like games, it lacks the precision and depth of titles like Dark Souls or Sekiro.
Personal experiences and anecdotes
Despite the game’s flaws, I did enjoy parts of the experience. The ending was satisfying, and it’s clear the series is setting up for a potential Darksiders 4. If the story hadn’t been as engaging, I might have stopped playing, but the narrative moments kept me going. However, the game felt linear, and many parts felt like a slog to get through. The story saved it for me, but without that, it might not have been worth the effort.
Rating
Taking in all the personal experiences with Darksiders 3, I give it a personal rating of 6.5
I am invested in the Darksiders lore, and this game sets up the final chapter perfectly, I think it is time to end this series for the balance once and for all.
Last words
Pros
- Impressive graphics and art direction
- Strong voice acting, especially for Fury
- Satisfying ending that sets up Darksiders 4
Cons
- Erratic difficulty spikes that hurt pacing
- Linear world design with little exploration
- Shallow character development compared to earlier games
- Combat feels clunky and lacks the depth of other souls-like games
- Music and sound design are decent but unremarkable
- Low replayability and short game length
- Lack of memorable boss fights, with some mid-bosses being harder than the final boss
- Frame rate drops during intense sequences
Darksiders 3 is a step back for the series, especially when compared to its predecessor. While the graphics are impressive and the story has its moments, the inconsistent difficulty, clunky combat, and linear world design make it feel mediocre. It’s a decent game for fans of the series, but it doesn’t live up to the potential set by the earlier titles. Hopefully, future installments will address these shortcomings and bring the series back to its former glory.
Final Rating
6
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