Darksiders III

Lore & Background

Darksiders III takes place parallel to the events of Darksiders II and before the majority of Darksiders. Players control Fury, a mage described as the most unpredictable and enigmatic of the Four Horsemen, from a third-person perspective. She relies on whips, swords, flails, daggers, and magic in combat, and can take on multiple elemental forms to enhance her abilities, granting new weapons, attacks, and traversal powers. The combat is more methodical than previous entries, focusing on smaller numbers of stronger enemies to make battles feel personal, and removes the hit counter and gated combat in favor of a contextualized, interconnected world inspired by Dark Souls. Fury collects souls from enemies and objects as currency, and can attach Enhancements to weapons for perks and damage boosts. Exploration involves solving simple puzzles and overcoming platforming obstacles, some using her whip or elemental forms to interact with the environment.

Reader's Guide

Darksiders III is notable for shifting the series' direction toward Metroidvania and Soulslike design, a departure from the beat-em-up style of earlier games. Its leveling system allows upgrades to Fury's damage, health, and arcane damage, while enemies scale with the player's progress. The game's plot involves Fury being summoned by the Charred Council to capture the Seven Deadly Sins, which have escaped imprisonment. She is assigned a Watcher, who later reveals herself to be the real Envy, having manipulated both Fury and the Council. The story concludes with Fury helping humans escape through a Reflecting Pool to another realm, and a disguised Strife is revealed among the defenders. The game's development was shaped by the financial collapse of THQ and the closure of Vigil Games; the IP was purchased by Nordic Games in 2013, and development was handled by Gunfire Games, largely staffed by former Vigil employees. Despite mixed critical reception, the game expanded the series' lore and introduced a new protagonist, Fury, while setting up connections to the first Darksiders.

Did You Know?

• Darksiders III was developed by Gunfire Games, which largely consists of former Vigil Games employees who worked on the first two Darksiders titles.
• The game's protagonist Fury is a mage who can take on multiple elemental forms, granting new weapons and traversal abilities.
• The Watcher assigned to Fury is later revealed to be the real Envy, who manipulated both Fury and the Charred Council.
• A Stadia version and Nintendo Switch port of the game were released in September 2021.