Two things highlight the apocalypse of Darksiders III. One is the four horsemen member Fury (who leads this Darksiders chapter) continually making snide observations about the human race. While freshman philosophy in terms of depth, the spiteful barbs regarding war and planet-destroying indifference create a character cold, even distant to her cause. That makes an end-game twist a character defining moment.

Then character design. Chasing down the seven deadly sins, each is a figment of their name. While Sloth seems obvious – a fattened, lazy monster – Darksiders III crafts a bright green insect, carried on a rotting throne by crabs. It’s a beautifully off-putting image. Each follows that same tier of creative flourish.

Everything else in Darksiders III comes from a prior generation, as if instead of a PlayStation 4 controller in hand, an Xbox 360 pad deserves the spot. Oddly, that’s almost refreshing with a tight linearity and messy performance indicative of a AA production. Darksiders III’s ambition never feels great, a tepid brawl with familiar countering tactics. But it fits as a whole, sneering at its existence much as Fury does the humans. In execution, Darksiders III, as it sits, appears to come to life through agony. Its worlds struggle to load, the frame rate fighting for stability, this in a game about the Earth determined to fend off it own end. How appropriate.

3/5