Darksiders 3 (so far)

I was almost certain my first real post would be about a game, but I didn't think I'd have to use English (yeah, there are no rules on about this blog, so hate all you want, I don't care). What I didn't think would happen though was picking Darksiders 3 as the first topic, considering I've been planning on reviewing Thronebreaker (Witcher-related) since it's related to a series of books. It seems, however, that after reading through some not-so-happy reviews of D3, some things MUST be said, so here goes!

Like many others, I've been waiting for this game ever since the first Darksiders, when it became apparent that we'll be getting to play as one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in each installment. If you aren't familiar with the series, let me just say that it's GREAT and you should definitely try it! Even if you aren't a fan of the jump n' run action genre like Soulreaver or, in some respect, Tomb Raider, where you have a lot of exploration and puzzle-solving to do, the story and visuals are just worth it. Basically, as mentioned, you play as a badass Horseman (or woman in this case), facing angels and demons who want your head. But there's a lot more than that! All games take place more or less at the same time, with each character trying to make sense of the prematurely-triggered Apocalypse and what / who was behind it, the purpose of it all and the part they themselves play in it. It is so complex that I couldn't possibly detail it for you, but - trust me - you want to see it and experience it for yourself! Needless to conclude that I am a huge fan and I think that this is one of the names that prove that the fantasy genre is very much alive and kicking.

That said, and after two very successful games, it seems that the third one isn't doing so great. And I would agree in part, but not with the (I would say) stupid criticism out there. 

First of all, I'm really annoyed by the fact that even if the developers mentioned they were inspired by the Dark Souls games, this is NOT a Dark Souls-type of game (even though you die a lot). It may seem so in the beginning but, as I've progressed along, it becomes quite clearly that D3 is designed just like its predecessors (or any other game where leveling up is a thing), meaning that you SHOULDN'T go to high-level areas and just expect to beat up a monster with no difficulty. This, even if it's just common sense, I can understand to a certain degree being that D3 does neither warn you about the dangers you may face in a particular area, nor does it direct you to where you SHOULD go.

And speaking of directions, here's the other (rather big or at least frustrating) problem with this game - that, by the way, I've not seen much said about: the lack of a map being replaced by some sort of "radar" that helps you find the big baddies. While there is a fast travel system in the game to just skip to a certain location, and while the devs removed the actual traveling (like War had to do in Darksiders I), you have no idea where the checkpoints are! It is confusing for sure, and the only way to figure out vaguely which one's closer to where you want to go is a picture of the area where the checkpoint is. This wouldn't be a real issue if not for... this next part.

The said "here's where you need to go, dumbass!" indicator. Yes, there is a tracker for the bosses you must kill, yet sometimes - as areas change after certain encounters (boss fights, destroying certain items in the environment etc.) - the directions you get are basically pointless as you find yourself staring at a dead end. There is no clue, neither in dialogue or playthrough, as to what you must do to get where you need to and the fact that you must read something like this review to figure it out is certainly what got D3 on the gamers' shitlist. I do mean finding Gluttony and, without giving any spoilers, all I will say is go back to where you fought Lust and explore that area. I can understand why the developers didn't think traveling would be such a pain in the ass, but missing just one detail like that can send you - like it did me - wandering around for 2 hours and cursing the gods. 

And while you're wandering, you might remember that in the previous games, there was this thing called the Abyssal Armor. Oh yeah! That really cool set that gave great stats to both War and Death! Well, though luck with this one: it's not here. Not yet at least, 'cause the only way to get it is to wait for the DLC story pack and buy it. It will only be available in... the future. No, they didn't give a release date for it.

Another aspect of D3 that has not been mentioned is the graphics' issue. I've tried all possible combination of settings and, considering this is barely a 19GB game and while I've had no problems running Shadow of the Tomb Raider (60GB+) in a decent way, how the hell can it look like something you'd run on a Pentium II? The texture and character details look normal in the first few minutes of the game, then the settings somehow revert to something so basic, it feels you're playing an alpha version of it. If anything, D3 needs a patch to fix this A.S.A.P.

Overall though, and concluding, even if you're faced with all of these inconveniences, as a fan or not, I still think this game is worth it. Once you get the hang of it and understand the rules of the world you were thrown into, the story flows easily. The plot is as interesting as the others, and even though Fury (our protagonist) seems quite unlikable at first, she transforms gradually, understanding more about not only Creation, but herself and her purpose. Yes, the whole environment may confuse you, but isn't that the cool thing about it? You get to explore, you get to find a TON of secret areas and ingredients you can use to upgrade your weapons and powers, and I really have nothing against it. Even if the combat is quite difficult at times, the Story mode allows you to get through while still pinning you against some pretty hard opponents - enough for a bit of a challenge. So, to end, the other opinions don't matter; after 15 hours of gameplay and not even finishing it yet, I can say that  Darksiders 3 is still a kick-ass game and you should for sure play it!