With the hype still flowing hot in my veins, I was very excited to see that THQ Nordic had the sense to trot out some fresh content to help reassure fans who get suspicious when they see cinematic trailers (as they rightly should). It's always a good idea to show that you're more than just a really well-rendered cutscene when it comes to selling the idea of a game to potential players prior to release. Having watched the trailer myself, I had a few opinions to express, starting with their portrayal of Fury. Obviously they're aiming for an agile, quick-footed approach similar to Death from Darksiders II, which is fine by me, given that was my favorite installment of the series. This clashes a little with a statement made by Reinhard Pollice, Director of business and product development at THQ Nordic, who said: There is simply no team better qualified to create Darksiders III, beginning with our unpredictable and enigmatic hero FURY – a mage who is considered the most powerful of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Obviously, being a marketing guy, you can't take everything he says at face value, and that seems especially the case here. Dedicated fans will know that so far Fury has been a very sidereal character, getting little to no development in what supplemental media and lore we've been privy to. However, in what we HAVE seen, she's not exactly someone to be feared. In the prequel comic released around the time of the original Darksiders, she totally fails to restrain War during a murderous rampage by her fellow Horseman, which leads to Death having to step in and subdue his less-angsty brother. If they're serious about her power, then Gunfire Games would do well to try and dispel that image of inferiority right off the bat. In a series with big names such as War and Death, Fury needs to stand apart in terms of design, yet stand shoulder-to-shoulder in terms of how much of a badass she is. Thankfully their claims about her being a mage would seem to indicate they're on the right track. If their goal is to make Fury more of a glass cannon (high damage, low endurance) though, then they need to beef up her abilities, at least in terms of presentation. They could start with the whip, which visually and audibly pales in comparison to the Chaoseater or Death's dual scythes. Darksiders is an inherently 'metal' franchise, and as such, everything needs a certain level of 'oomph' to carry it off. Weapons and attacks should be brutal and visceral, yet her whip, even if it is apparently a bladed chain like in the announcement trailer, lacks the savagery of the weapons of Fury's fellow horsemen. Apart from this discrepancy, the trailer demonstrates that the devs have a pretty good grasp of the series' soul, with dungeon-crawling and Legend of Zelda-like maneuverability and combat both highly in evidence. Also of interest is that much like her brother Death, Fury doesn't appear to have a blocking move, meaning that combat requires fleet-footed dodging and a good awareness of the area around you. This is very promising, and hopefully is a sign that the creators have a firm grasp of the base mechanics, as well as an idea of where to go next. On another note, it looks like Gunfire Games is drawing on both of the previous installments in terms of art style. While Joe Madureira, arguably the 'father' of Darksiders visual identity is no longer on the team, his successors seem to know what they're doing. The ruined cities of Earth that War trod through are present, but combined with a brief shot of Ulthane and his vine-covered, stone-carved forge, hearkening back to the start of Darksiders II with its big semi-celtic totems and primal imagery. THQ Nordic have stated that like War's initial outing, the game will take place on Earth, though probably in the same time-frame as Death's quest to redeem his brother in red. The exact text of their statement is as follows: Return to an apocalyptic planet Earth in Darksiders III, a hack-n-slash action adventure where players take on the role of FURY in her quest to hunt down and dispose of the Seven Deadly Sins. The Charred Council calls upon Fury to battle from the heights of heaven down through the depths of hell in a quest to restore humanity and prove that she is the most powerful of the Horsemen. As a mage, FURY relies on her whip and magic to restore the balance between good and evil. The expansive, Darksiders III game world is presented as an open-ended, living, free-form planet Earth that is dilapidated by war and decay, and overrun by nature. FURY will move back and forth between environments to uncover secrets while advancing the Darksiders III story. While this would seem to suggest that we will remain chained to Earth in terms of setting, much like War was, this also leads me to hope that unlike the first Darksiders, the developers won't be so attached to a single color palate. Also, it provides an interesting insight into the story with regards to what it might be about. Both Darksiders and Darksiders II flirted with developing their characters in some fashion, but Darksiders III might take a more personal approach to how it conducts Fury's narrative. Will it be a case of her ego versus her desire to complete her mission? Given her opponents are the Seven Deadly Sins, that has the makings of some interesting character drama. I just hope if they do go that route they don't take it too far. Remember, these are the Four Horsemen, not weepy teenagers. So long as that distinction remains untarnished, I have no issues.
Back on the subject of the video, the footage sees Fury run around swinging from I-beams, chastising some zombies, demons and even a giant enemy crab or two. After opening a sealed passage and tracking down Beezlebub, a.k.a. Sloth, Lord of the Flies, there's a good old-fashioned multi-phase boss fight, which warmed my heart and lifted my hopes. It also seems like the devs have taken a note from Bloodborne in terms of accurately defining hit boxes, since I'm quite certain I saw Fury dodge under one of her foe's legs as nimbly and narrowly as that GIF that's out there of a person vaulting over a bullet in flight somewhere in Yharnam's sewers. The video ended with my hopes still high and my desire to play still going strong as Fury finished off the pustule-covered bug-beast. I'll keep you updated as more footage emerges. Take heart, fellow horsemen! Our journey has just begun!
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