Darksiders 3 review: Hell hath fury

Gunfire Games, a team composed mainly of ex-Vigil Games developers who worked on the first two Darksiders games, have resurrected the franchise to bring us the long-awaited third installment in the series, Darksiders 3. It’s been nearly six years since Darksiders 2, and now that the third entry in the trilogy is here, many are eager to find out if it lives up to the high expectations set by fans of the puzzle-laden, post-apocalyptic hack-and-slash adventure.

In Darksiders 3, players don the high heels of Fury, a horseman of the apocalypse who is known for her sassy, brazen attitude and sheer confidence in her own capabilities. The game takes place after the forces of heaven and hell clashed on Earth in a world-ending battle for dominance. Fury’s brother, War, is charged with prematurely initiating the apocalypse, and is still serving his century-long prison sentence at the start of the third game.

Fury is tasked with eliminating each of the Seven Deadly Sins, who have taken on physical forms and settled down in various regions on Earth. From the very start of her journey, Fury is warned of the possibility that forces are conspiring against her and her brothers. Not to be deterred from her objective, Fury sets out to complete the task set forth by the Charred Council, subtly hoping to earn the role of leader of the four horsemen.

Weaving its path

The Darksiders games have been known to feature various gameplay mechanics and design elements that were inspired by other games, such as Zelda or God of War. In the case of Darksiders 3, there seems to be some clear inspiration drawn from the Dark Souls series, particularly in terms of its world design and exploration.

Darksiders 3 features a dense map where distinct regions are woven and intertwined with one another, with cubbyholes and passageways connecting one area with the next. Each region is distinguished by certain features that typically reflect the type of Sin who is lurking in the area. For example, Sloth’s domain is littered with egg casings and hostile, bug-like creatures that reflect Sloth’s insectoid appearance.

The developers have opted for a more Metroidvania-inspired world layout this time around, as opposed to the hub-and-spoke model used in the first game or the expansive open world of the second. The interwoven world design of Darksiders 3 is heavily reminiscent of the first Dark Souls, and it would be difficult to believe that the developers didn’t draw some inspiration from the Souls series in this regard.

While you are given the freedom to roam about and forge your own path for the most part, the pacing of your exploration is controlled by various barriers that can only be cleared once you have obtained certain abilities, encouraging you to return to previously explored areas to open new paths.

The distinct features and color schemes of different regions can help you keep track of where you are, though sometimes you may find yourself a bit turned around, especially given the verticality of the world. There’s no map to follow; the only thing guiding your path is a compass at the top that steers you in the general direction of the next available Sin, though this does little in terms of helping you find obscure openings and passages to new regions when all other avenues are inaccessible.

Escaping the dungeon

Environmental puzzles have historically been part of the core Darksiders formula. In Darksiders 3, the puzzles have been integrated more naturally into the world than in the previous games, which can be seen as a good or bad thing depending on what draws you to the franchise in the first place. Rather than having to complete a series of self-contained dungeons that have bosses waiting at the end, Darksiders 3 breaks from this formula a bit by offering smaller puzzle elements sprinkled throughout the world as you search to find each Sin. Think of it more like Breath of the Wild than Ocarina of Time.

The puzzles are few and far between and aren’t overly complex. There are a few sections here and there that require more extensive puzzle solving, but they aren’t the kind of puzzles that will occupy your time for too long. If you’re one of the players who enjoys the Darksiders games for their tough, challenging puzzles, then you should probably temper your expectations a bit when going into the third game.

Soul sister

Vulgrim, a merchant vendor and fan-favorite character from the first Darksiders game, returns not only to offer a means for purchasing new wares and leveling up but also a way to fast travel using Serpent Holes. Vulgrim’s locations act as respawn points upon death, as well as landmarks to orient yourself in the world when trekking back to previously explored areas.

Fury’s progression revolves around collecting souls from slain enemies and occasionally from shattering various items. These souls are fed to Vulgrim, who in return gives Attribute Points to Fury to be used for leveling up each of her attributes.

Souls are dropped in a floating bundle upon death and can be retrieved by returning to break the bundle at the location where you died. While this mechanic seems very Souls-like in its origins, the mechanic in Darksiders 3 differs in that your dropped souls don’t disappear if you die a second time on the way to pick them up. This less-punishing approach also allows you to farm souls a bit if you strategically find a way to use death to your advantage.

Arcane vengeance

Flashy, combo-driven combat is another one of the core features of the Darksiders games. The first Darksiders featured powerful, sword-heavy combat and executions. The second game focused more on fast-paced maneuvering and combo chains. Darksiders 3 falls somewhere in between and features combat that is considerably more tactical.

Throughout the game, Fury is gifted a series of new magical abilities called Hollows. Each Hollow form alters Fury’s appearance and transforms her weapon, granting her a new set of combat maneuvers and traversal capabilities. Once acquired, Fury can switch between each Hollow form at will, and certain Hollow forms are required for clearing debris that blocks access to new areas and collectibles.

Fury’s Hollow forms are vibrant and flashy, and fit in well within the Darksiders aesthetic first established by Joe Madureira. Fury’s hair illuminates to reflect which Hollow form she has equipped, and each form enables a new set of combat maneuvers that pair well with her default chain whip, the Barbs of Scorn. The combat feels powerful and satisfying, provided you can consistently pull off the Arcane Counter, a strong counterattack that allows you to unleash additional arcane damage to your target. Mastering this maneuver requires precise timing and the ability to predict enemy movements, so don’t expect to button-mash your way through harder enemy encounters. A different Arcane Counter is available for each Hollow form, and this move practically becomes a necessity for defeating mid- to late-game enemies.

The limited weapon selection in Darksiders 3 is much less cumbersome than the random loot drops of the previous game. Improving your arsenal involves visiting Ulthane, a Maker blacksmith who returns in Darksiders 3 to forge new upgrades for your weapons and slotted enhancements. The weapon progression is quite linear–simply collect enough Adamantine to level up each weapon and improve its traits. The most wiggle room you have in terms of customizing your build involves slotting different enhancements into each weapon, which provide bonus effects when the weapon is used.

When upgrading enhancements, you can choose to follow either an Angelic or Demonic path, depending on the benefits you wish to prioritize. The Angelic upgrades, which typically pertain to Fury’s health and survivability, seem like they would be the better choice when playing on higher difficulties. However, the value of each weapon upgrade relies more on the types of enhancements you choose to slot into the weapons you use most, rather than the individual upgrade paths of the enhancements themselves.

Striking a balance

Each horseman of the apocalypse stands apart from one another in terms of combat, strength, and personality, and these distinctions are solidified in each of their respective games. Fury is confident, proud, and ambitious, which are traits that are reflected throughout the narrative as her journey unfolds. However, Darksiders 3 feels much more reserved in the delivery of some of its core features and mechanics. Whether or not this is due to the limitations of a smaller development team is hard to tell, but it’s a possibility that must be considered when judging this game against its predecessors.

Darksiders 3 does seem a bit lacking when compared to its series brethren, at least for those who come in with high expectations. Darksiders 3 is recognizably a Darksiders game. However, the game would have benefited from more risk-taking in areas where it chose to play it safe. Nevertheless, Fury’s story is one worth experiencing, especially for long-time fans who are anxious to see how the next chapter of the four horsemen unfurls.

This review is based on a PC retail copy provided by the publisher. Darksiders 3 is set to release for Xbox One, PS4, and PC on November 27.

Larryn Bell

Contributing Editor

Larryn is a freelance contributor who creates video game guides and reviews for Shacknews and has more than a decade of experience covering games across various outlets. When she's not gaming, Larryn can often be found watering houseplants, playing D&D, or teaching her cats new tricks.