Review – Darksiders III (Switch)

Darksiders III is the latest iteration of the popular action-adventure game series. The game was developed by Gunfire Games, an independent studio founded by former members of Vigil Games (the developers of Darksiders II).

Darksiders III is an action-adventure game that is set in the same universe as the original Darksiders. The game follows Fury, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. She must save humanity from destruction and find out what caused her to be abandoned by God.

Darksiders III is, without a doubt, the most controversial game in the whole series. It’s difficult to agree on which Darksiders game is the greatest (I like the first), but most people would agree that the franchise’s version on soulslike action is its weakest feature. Even yet, I still think the game was quite excellent in its own right, albeit a little rough around the edges at launch. It ran sluggishly on the Xbox One, when I initially played it, but things are much better now. Now we’ll see how well this game works on even less powerful hardware. The Nintendo Switch version of Darksiders III is now available.

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She’s competent, but she isn’t Mark Hamill.

This game, for all intents and purposes, should not exist. This is the sort of game that, like Wolfenstein II, The Witcher 3, and The Outer Worlds, you wouldn’t think of porting to the Switch. It was initially published on earlier platforms with a slew of problems, and it received such mixed reviews from reviewers that we’ve always assumed THQ Nordic simply wanted to move on and forget about it. It’s great that game is available on the Switch, but let me tell you straight away: any prior version of Darksiders III is much superior than this one.

Wasn’t it to be expected? We’re talking about the Switch here. I adore it, but there are certain games that were just not designed for it. It wasn’t even the lowest common denominator that the developers utilized as a starting point back then. As a result, Gunfire Games had to find out how to make this game operate on what is basically obsolete mobile technology by 2024’s standards. It’s a great effort to see it operating on the Switch, but it had to overcome many obstacles.

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Darkisders III has an excellent fighting system. The issue is the jerky framerate, which is particularly noticeable in docked mode.

The framerate, which was the game’s major flaw back when it was released, is still a mixed bag, but it all depends on how you play it. When playing the game on a portable device, it generally maintains a frame rate of 30 frames per second, although with occasional pacing issues. Because of the lower screen size in portable mode, the decreased texture quality and geometry may be overlooked, resulting in a fairly pleasant, although janky, Souls-like experience. On the other hand, it’s not near as excellent as Dark Souls on the Switch.

The issue is with how the game behaves while docked. Sure, you get a little higher resolution, somewhat less compressed sound (enabling you to appreciate Phil Lamarr’s maniacal performance as merchant Vulgrim even more), and better texturing, but all of this comes at the expense of an even jankier FPS. Darksiders III is all about hitting the right buttons and responding to your opponents’ assaults, which makes the game excessively difficult. You’ll soon question why you’re playing this particular version of Darksiders III on a large screen when there are cheaper (and better) versions available for other platforms.

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At the very least, you’re being honest about it.

It’s convenient to have Darksiders III, and therefore the whole series, on your mobile device, but let’s be honest: this isn’t the greatest version of the game. In reality, it’s just the reverse. It has terrible graphics and a framerate that is much more unstable than the game’s initial PS4 and Xbox One versions. Only if you’re a die-hard fan of the series or if you’re into buying these novelty Switch versions of games that should not be able to function on such inferior hardware would you want to purchase Darksiders III on the Switch.

 

When compared to its PS4 and Xbox equivalents, it clearly looks inferior, but I was expecting a lot worse. The framerate is erratic, which is the source of the issue. On docked mode, it’s a complete disaster, but on portable mode, it’s a lot more tolerable (although far from steady).

The Souls-styled fighting system is excellent, but the game’s framerate is inconsistent, so you never feel like your inputs are receiving a quick reaction.

Even if the music is poor at best, I like the voice acting in this game. However, it sounds a little compressed.

You’re just here for the novelty, as much as it’s great to play this game on the move. In every aspect, it falls short of its console rivals.

Final Score: 6.5

Darksiders III is currently available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

On Switch, the game was reviewed.

The publisher supplied a copy of Darksiders III.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Darksiders 3 a good game?

Darksiders 3 is a game that has received mixed reviews.

Should I play Darksiders 2 or 3?

Darksiders 2 is a much more difficult game than 3.

Is Darksiders 3 like Dark Souls?

Darksiders 3 is a hack and slash action-adventure game developed by Gunfire Games. It is unlike Dark Souls, which is an RPG.

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