Darksiders III | PS4 Review

Few franchises have been through the ringer quite like Darksiders. The young IP has survived the shuttering of publishers, the closing of studios, and being auctioned off to another publisher entirely. Stranger still is that somehow the same developers (under a new studio name) are behind the newest entry, Darksiders III. Add on the strangeness that somehow a company with THQ in its title put the newest game out, and it’s a small miracle to see the series live.

But live on it does, unabated. It’s as though none of that happened at all, as the feel of the game and its universe adheres closely to the foundation laid before it. While some aspects have aged well, other aspects new and old conspire against it. Most obviously the budget, but we’ll touch on that later.

A Tale of Fury and Rampage

First, it’s important to note Darksiders III doesn’t provide the follow-up to the original game’s ending as some might have hoped. Instead, we see what Fury has been up to during the events of the earlier games. Much as those first games were led by the stoic War or sardonic Death, Fury is a strong character in her own right. She’s hot to temper (as the name would suggest), and more brash than her brothers. Seeing these Horsemen of the Apocalypse will be an utter delight should that game ever materialize.

Fury is tasked by the Charred Council to track and capture The Seven Deadly Sins. Fighting through both the forces of heaven and hell, she is accompanied by the ghostly Watcher. If that all sounds like over-the-top 90’s comic book action, it’s because it definitely is. But rather than fighting it, Darksiders III embraces its inherently ridiculous nature. The tone strikes a terrific balance, and as the characters chew the scenery with ludicrous dialogue, you can tell the actors were directed to do as such. If you can allow the teenager in you to come out, you’ll find many a fist-pumping moment throughout.

Fury is a strong lead, as is her constant back-and-forth with the more cheerful Watcher at her side. Their dynamic is strong throughout the game, leading to several clever and funny moments. In fact, Fury herself goes through a great, if predictable, arc. Though it’s easy to see coming, the ending itself leads to several “hell yeah” moments.

The Inspirations Continue

Darksiders has never been shy of its inspirations. Darksiders clearly took cues from The Legend of Zelda, Darksiders II clearly took its cues from Diablo, and Darksiders III takes cues from Dark Souls. Dying results in re-spawning at far-off checkpoints, you lose all xp upon death and are forced to fight your way back to reclaim it, and the leveling system just has you boosting specific stats. Not a skill tree in sight (thankfully)!

There are many more ways I could go into how this game strives to be Dark Souls, such as the lack of map, but suffice it to say only fans of Soulslikes need apply. As it happens, I am a fan of the genre, but Darksiders III never clicks like the games it aspires to be. Outside of a single area, the world design never loops in on itself as other Soulslike game do so breathtakingly. More pressing an issue than that, though, is the combat.

Heads Will Roll

Outside the inherent silliness of an all-powerful Horseman of the Apocalypse being reduced to half-health by a walking skeleton, the combat struggles in more genuine ways as well. Gone is the combat system of past Darksiders games, replaced by a larger focus on defensive gameplay. You will want to dodge in this game as often as you attack. The issue with this constant dodging is its wholly unreliable invincibility window.

It never feels quite right, as if some enemies attacks last longer than you can dodge, or simply connect when you’re still landing from the evasion. I never quite got my finger on what the problem was, and while it could’ve been my inability to “git gud,”, listeners to our show know that I play quite a lot of games in this genre. This in the only game I’ve had this issue with.

Stuck Between Heaven and Hell

Compounding this aggravation is Darksiders III’s decision to try serving two masters. It may have ditched the combos of past entries, but it kept the flashy and colorful attack animations. There are special attacks that fill the screen with bombast, and it’s as difficult to ascertain what your enemy is doing as it sounds. That can be pretty frustrating when a single hit takes most of your health away.

I know what you’re thinking, why not just stick to the simple attacks then? Well, the mob enemies of hack-n’-slash games remain in the game, despite the focus on one-on-one combat. And any grouping of enemies could contain a mixture of these smaller enemies and the heavy hitters. You’ll need to completely switch your genre headspace mid-battle. Maybe that could’ve made for a great challenge, but here it feels sloppy and disorienting. You will lose significant swaths of health, and it won’t feel like your fault, it will feel like the game’s.

The world looks gorgeous, and invites you to explore it (even, thankfully, being very minimal in hand-holding). The art style of the Darksiders franchise remains as breathtaking here as it did in prior games. The enemies all look gnarly and vicious, the designs of the Deadly Sins are smart, and will even go against your expectations. Even the bright animations that clutter combat are a delight to look at.

A Book of Revelations

Shame, then, that game was clearly unfinished. It’s quite apparent that this game did not receive the same budget or time as past entries. Darksiders III presents a significantly interconnected world to explore, as long as you don’t move too fast. Though the game includes a sprint button, you’ll never have the chance to use it. Every time I did, the game would stop completely within seconds as it loaded the world in around Fury. Turn the camera too fast, and you’ll always catch large white sections where the wall is supposed to be. Add in the consistent framerate issues, and you have the recipe for a sizable headache on your hands.

The one phrase that kept coming to mind as I played was, “Just let me love you.” Gunfire Games has provided plenty to like here, but so much gets in the way. Darksiders III is a continuation of a world and concept I adore, as do many gamers. The franchise was thought dead completely, only to be resurrected with the team intact. It’s a second chance that few, if any, series have had before. It’s a shame, then, that bizarre design choices and technical woes beat the game down. Fury, as well as the world she inhabits, deserved better.