PSA: Darksiders 3 is on Origin Access alongside J:FO, is at least as good

[Burt]

I got Origin Premier for Fallen Order like a week and a half ago. FO was pretty good. I played around 10 hours, starting on Jedi Master, upping it to Grand Master after a bit. My Mouse 5 button definitely broke because of it -- double pressing left ctrl for dodge while WASDing isn't ideal -- but it has a lot of strong elements. The combat is well-designed and distinct. The story seems to be on the better side of functional, and the aesthetic is some grade-A Star Wars. I uninstalled after getting kicked too far back to a not-bonfire after a point where I was comfortable saying, okay, I know what this game is, I know how this game plays, I see where they're going, I like it, I don't regret my time with it, but I don't need to spend the time to finish it.

I started Darksiders 3 afterwards, and honestly, it's probably the better game and the only reason I didn't state it in the thread title is to mitigate drive-bys.

Darksiders 3 and Jedi: Fallen Order are basically the same game. Or, at least, the same Souls-lite genre. I know that's getting a bit too far into the nerd-tastic weeds, but they're much more like each other than they are like any Soulslike, and both are a patchwork of inspiration pulling from at least half a dozen other games. Here's Darksiders 3 compared to Fallen Order:

• More satisfying combat*
• Better puzzles
• No slides!
• Actual RPG(lite) systems
• Better discoverables
• No slides!
• Reduced backtracking with greater value
• Immediate fast travel between not-bonfires
• Vulgrim!
• No slides!

I could write a paragraph for each of those points, but it's 3 in the morning, and really, my point here is to alert people who already have access to DS3 because of Premier. Dive on in, it's free at this point. It's not going to unseat Sekiro as the reduced-Souls champ, but if you liked J:FO, this game is absolutely worth your time.


*with a mouse and keyboard. Being a dodge-oriented combat-system, I can see how the inability to pivot the camera quickly would be an issue on controllers. I remember watching CohhCarnage's playthrough and seeing him struggle at first. Game sings with m+kb though.

 

[AllMight1]

Darksiders 3 and Jedi: Fallen Order are basically the same game.

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So Jedi Fallen order is a lousy follow up from a good previous game in the series?

 

[Zippro]

So Jedi Fallen order is a lousy follow up from a good previous game in the series?

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Even this is giving Darksiders 3 too much credit.

 

[matrix-cat]

That's a bold call, OP, but I have been thinking about giving Darksiders 3 another shot through Game Pass. I played it back at launch and lost interest after a few hours, but it sounds like they've updated the game quite extensively since then. I think I heard something about a whole new mode that changes the control scheme and un-Souls-es it? I can't imagine I'll end up liking it more than Fallen Order, which is one of my favourite games this year, but I'd be willing to try it out.

 

[leng jai]

A Plague's Tale is on there as well and a better game than both.

 

[-Tetsuo-]

No. What? No.

 

[AllMight1]

That's a bold call, OP, but I have been thinking about giving Darksiders 3 another shot through Game Pass. I played it back at launch and lost interest after a few hours, but it sounds like they've updated the game quite extensively since then. I think I heard something about a whole new mode that changes the control scheme and un-Souls-es it? I can't imagine I'll end up liking it more than Fallen Order, which is one of my favourite games this year, but I'd be willing to try it out.

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Even after a year, the game still struggles performance wise.
They introduce the ability of dodging quickly like in previous games ignoring animations, and healing without the animation, but it makes the game too easy, except for one boss that still is kinda hard.

No. What? No.

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Destroy the post with your mind!!

 

[sredgrin]

Plague Tale, They Are Billions, Frostpunk, Judgement Apocalypse survival sim, there's a solid collection of games in there that haven't hit bundle / game pass tier access yet.

 

[Deleted member 8196]

• Actual RPG(lite) systems

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Imagine thinking this is a good thing lol

I like Darksiders III a lot, but JFO is better.

• More satisfying combat*

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Highly debatable, Darksiders III relies to much on the "Bayonetta-witch-time-dodge" and with perfect timing you can spam the dodge and do a lot of damage to enemies until the end of the game, it's so broken.

 

[ArjanN]

Agreed OP.

That said I played Darksiders 3 on PC where it had less technical issues.

I could see Jedi doing more for people if they're big Star Wars fans, but I think DS3 is a more coherently desgined game..

 

[Burt]

Imagine thinking this is a good thing lol

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compared to ponchos



compared to ponchos

 

[matrix-cat]

compared to ponchos



compared to ponchos

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Oh, now this is too far. Ponchos are the secret best feature of Fallen Order. Name a game with better poncho customization. I'll wait.

Fallen Order for POTY 2019.

 

[leng jai]

Oh, now this is too far. Ponchos are the secret best feature of Fallen Order. Name a game with better poncho customization. I'll wait.

Fallen Order for POTY 2019.

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The best feature of Fallen Order is the ability to not wear that goofy poncho.

 

[Xiaomi]

Nah, I gave it a go for a few hours but it didn't really do anything for me. Managed to finish JFO on the other hand, warts and all.

 

[Harp]

I really disliked Darksiders 3's annoying checkpointing system that was trying to be Dark Souls, but without the considerations of Dark Souls level design that prevents the bonfires system from being horseshit. Does Darksiders 3's checkpoints ever get less obnoxious?

 

[Shelbyville Milhouse]

Are slides a problem in JFO?
I thought they were kinda fun. Not challenging obviously but fun enough while they lasted

 

[matrix-cat]

The best feature of Fallen Order is the ability to not wear that goofy poncho.

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It's treason, then.

 

[Spleenpoker]

Tempted to see for myself OP. Is it safe to jump straight into D3 without playing the first 2? I am aware of the ending the first game has.

 

[YuSuzzune]

Played it on Plus (D3) and I agree, it's an ok game if you go with the lower difficulty...if you play on Normal or Hard you'll die a lot and the loading times on PS4 were so awful they would kill the experience.

 

[LuckyLinus]

I think Darksiders 3 is one of the most underrated games this gen, the soulslite combat is great (and the slow motion dodging feels spectacular), the puzzles are decent and the metroidvania style maps are extremely good. Finished it twice back to back last year and Im thinking if giving it another run soon. It shines on the higher difficulties.

I really enjoyed JFO but I think Darksiders 3 is a slightly better game.

 

[MJForum Poster]

I really enjoyed Darksiders 3 last year and am glad more people are interested in/giving it a shot after Fallen Order. I don't really fault Respawn for the choices they made, though, as they needed to capture a much larger audience than Darksiders did.

 

[cowbanana]

Darksiders 3 is absolutely the better game. I enjoyed it a lot more than Fallen Order. I played and completed both games on PC.

 

[Buff Beefbroth]

I hate Darksiders 3.

I want desperately to like it, because the setting and visuals are neat, and the first game is an alltime fav.

Darksiders 3 is just aggressively unfun thanks to copying Souls but missing the point entirely. You basically have to spam your dodge move because enemies will just swarm and attack relentlessly, and if you die, there's a very long load time to respawn.

 

[AllMight1]

I hate Darksiders 3.

I want desperately to like it, because the setting and visuals are neat, and the first game is an alltime fav.

Darksiders 3 is just aggressively unfun thanks to copying Souls but missing the point entirely. You basically have to spam your dodge move because enemies will just swarm and attack relentlessly, and if you die, there's a very long load time to respawn.

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It's very short tho.

There's absolutely nothing underrated about Darksiders 3. It's an Ok game. Not the best sequel to Darksiders 2 which was very ambitious coupled with bad fetch quests but amazing combat and progression.

 

[Kromeo]

So Jedi Fallen order is a lousy follow up from a good previous game in the series?

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People didn;t exactly love Darksiders 2

 

[GymWolf86]

It's a better game in my opinion, not just on par.

 

[Buff Beefbroth]

Why didn't they just stick with the really well executed mix of Zelda and God of War?

Why did they have to chase Diablo loot and Dark Souls combat for the sequels?

 

[Y2Kev]

I think I agree with this but I'm not sure. The overall level design of fallen order seems better, but on the whole the game does little with it so I'm not sure how to evaluate. Plus maybe it's not hard to design complex levels when you connect everything with slides. The combat in ds3 is definitely better though. Fallen order feels like drunk Sekiro so I didn't enjoy it much.

Why didn't they just stick with the really well executed mix of Zelda and God of War?

Why did they have to chase Diablo loot and Dark Souls combat for the sequels?

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Here's where people rush in to tell you the dungeons in ds2 that litter the first half of the game are great. Lol.

 

[ciddative]

It's treason, then.

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Bravo sir

 

[Transistor]

You sold me on no slides

Why didn't they just stick with the really well executed mix of Zelda and God of War?

Why did they have to chase Diablo loot and Dark Souls combat for the sequels?

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This person speask the truth. It's what made Darksiders 1 the best in the series.

 

[SparkleMotion]

Having played both, I personally feel Fallen Order is leagues better than Darksiders 3. Darksiders 3 feels broken and exploitable too much.

 

[OldDirtyGamer]

Darksiders 3 imo was terrible . I probably only played 5 hours of it and I had to push myself to do that .

Sw is better in every way

 

[LakeEarth]

Darksiders 3 has those stupid puzzles where you have to hit a pillar with a boomerang to make it spin so that you can progress. I fucking hated those things.

 

[ShinUltramanJ]

I haven't played Star Wars, but Darksiders 3 was a lot of fun.
It is a bit frustrating in the beginning with enemies spawning in and attacking you from behind, but you get used to watching your back for incoming attacks. Sticking with it, the game winds up showing you it's decent level design, and fun weapons/powers.

 

[Mesoian]

It's also on gamepass.

Tried playing it over xCloud and it is...the perfect example that not every game will be tuned for game streaming. The audio and visual indicators for attacks and parries are in such a window where the streaming delay makes them effectively useless.

 

[Dringus]

Recently beat Darksiders 3 (gamepass) and actually really enjoyed it. The game started out slow and i questioned it, but once things started picking up i really enjoyed it and found myself hooked. The combat was fun, enjoyed the secrets scattered all over, level design was fun, cool new weapons/abilities, fun boss encounters. Been a while since I played Darksiders 1/2 and while this new one seems to be quite different, I thought it was great and worth playing.

 

[Jaded Alyx]

I played DSIII the day it released on Premier which was about 3 weeks after it launched.

I also uninstalled it within the first hour.

 

[Manu]

Darksiders 3 is really good but flawed, and OP is gonna get a lot of backlash in the replies because of the dumb hyperbolic comparison to Fallen Order.

Congrats OP, you're putting people off from the game now.

 

[Aztorian]

Darksiders 3 must have been the most mediocre game in its genre on the PS2 forever.

 

[Jinaar]

I really enjoyed DS3 and will replay it on GamePass. Haven't played Jedi yet.

 

[Deleted member 46948]

I finished J:FO and basically finished Darksiders 3 (stopped just shy of the last boss and then I let my PSN sub run out), and... you're wrong, OP.
Darksiders 3 is fairly enjoyable, but it's nowhere near the same league as J:FO.

 

[Ascenion]

Why didn't they just stick with the really well executed mix of Zelda and God of War?

Why did they have to chase Diablo loot and Dark Souls combat for the sequels?

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Because each horseman is different. Only War suits gameplay like that. Darksiders 3 is fine, just needed more polish. And honestly it is better than Fallen Order in a lot of ways. But over all Fallen Order is more solid.

 

[Namtox]

For those who want a more traditional Darksiders experience resembling part 1, Darksiders Genesis will be your jam. Currently reviewing it and it's my favorite since the original by a country mile.

 

[CloseTalker]

I can get on board with the idea that Darksiders 3 gets more crap than it deserves, but Fallen Order is a much better game. You should have just made a thread calling out Darksiders 3 on Origin as a hidden gem. The thesis of the thread is too silly, and now skewed conversation in the wrong way.

 

[Rapture]

For those who want a more traditional Darksiders experience resembling part 1, Darksiders Genesis will be your jam. Currently reviewing it and it's my favorite since the original by a country mile.

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Isn't that more of a Diablo game than something resembling Darksiders 1? That was the vibe I was getting from the gameplay videos featuring an over the top isometric camera and co-op gameplay.

 

[Skyebaron]

DS3 is not in the same league as J:FA.

 

[SunhiLegend]

Speaking just on Darksiders 3 I honestly really liked it, mainly because I enjoyed the combat and it was good enough for me to go through and complete the game, and play through the DLC with the new weapons which all felt really good to use. As long as combat feels/looks and plays good it's enough for me to playthrough an action game, can forgive almost everything else that's lacking. There's also some cool boss fights which I ended up replaying I liked them enough.

 

[Bushido]

Darksiders 3 is definitely more fun than I expected it to be (started playing it when it was "free" on PS Plus recently), but after 15 hours in Fallen Order I can confidently say this is the better game of the two. Plus, the checkpoint system is far more egregious in Darksiders.

 

[AbsoluteZ3R0]

Having finished both. I liked darksiders 3 more than fallen order. Overall, I liked the combat and map design in ds3 more. You had multiple differant weapon and could actually combo properly. I really hated the force meter in fallen order, like every special move costs force. As for the metrovania design, I also thought ds3 did it better. In fallen order almost every locked area is either push or jump, like I went to dathimir first only to get stuck in a location where I could not do a simple jump.

 

[cowbanana]

DS3 is not in the same league as J:FA.

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Correct, it's in a league above.