Darksiders 3
HAS THE 16TH CENTURY EVER LOOKED WEIRDER?
$79.95 | PC, PS4, XO | www.darksiders.com
IN KEEPING WITH the trend of the last two Darksiders games, this third instalment marks a transformation for the series. Unlike the semi-open world bloat of the sequel, Darksiders 3 is a lean Metroidvania with pacing similar to Dark Souls. If it weren’t for the critical bugs and performance issues that plague the game at launch, it’d stand among the greatest adventure games of the generation.
As the game progresses, protagonist Fury is able to transform into different guises, each of which offer different benefits: one allows her to perform a fiery double jump, and another lets her glide in the air, to name two. The combat is satisfying and dexterity-driven, though occasionally fidgety and overwhelming when the lock-on function refuses to be tamed.
The familiar post-apocalyptic city setting is the base for Darksiders 3, but the game is surprisingly varied, and unlocking new interconnected areas is satisfying. The world design must be commended: towering ruined churches cower beneath supernaturally large trees, and the game’s mixture of urban ruin and elemental beauty is often breathtaking.
It’s a shame, then, that the game has shipped in a such a poor state. Frequent hitching on a PS4 Pro, combined with environments failing to load in and a rubbly framerate, aren’t even the biggest problems. During one mini-boss battle I was beaten, only for the victory cutscene to play anyway, with each of the onscreen characters suspended in an unloaded world. To make matters worse, my save file then corrupted and I was back to square one. Fingers crossed this will be fixed, but with no guarantee at the time of print that it will be, it’s hard to recommend
Darksiders 3.