Darksiders was a successful action-adventure, combat-heavy game released in 2010. Its sequel added some loot aspects and expanded on RPG mechanics in 2012. Now Darksiders III is set to release in November 2018. What does it bring to the series?
Story
The Darksiders series is set in a world where the apocalypse has begun and each game follows one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. War was the protagonist of the first, as he was tasked to find out if you framed him for starting the Apocalypse. In Darksiders II, Death wanted to save his brother, War, reserve the world destruction and restore humanity back to Earth.
Now the third installment sees Fury, the sister of War and Death, enter the fray. Her story runs parallel to the timelines of Darksiders I & II. Fury is asked to track down and capture the Seven Deadly Sins, who now populate the Earth. As we know from the previous games, the Charred Council are behind the asking of this mission, so will they be as trusting as they claim? Have they alternative motives, while manipulating Fury to do their bidding?
Gameplay
I got to play a 20 minute demo of Darksiders III. It was more of the great hack and slash mechanics of the previous games. Tactical combat is needed as you study enemies’ movements and attacks. You have to time your strikes while knowing when to dodge theirs. Fury’s weapon of choice was an extendable chain. It could strike long range, while it was also used to swing across gaps in the environment.
During the demo, I got to take on the first boss, Envy. Envy had direct magical attacks flinging object in your direction and earthquake-esque attacks radiating from her position. You have to use a mix of dodging and attacks until the next stage of Envy’s battle. This sees Fury having to platform her way up to attack Envy before she uses her charged attacks. Rinse and repeat until dead.
It’s certainly more of the Darksiders formula. Its lush yet destructive environments look sharp. Combat is smooth and the game promises epic boss battles. Expect to solve puzzles, unlock upgrades for your moves and weapons and expect elemental changes to Fury herself, giving her benefits in fights. There is a massive loot system, which was present in Darksider II, but there will be plenty to bolster Fury in her fit against the Seven Deadly Sins.
Darksiders III is being developed by Gunfire Game and will release on November 27 on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Art in featured image by Wardenlight Studio
