Week In PC Game Releases: Darksiders 3 And Artifact Lead The Pack

The final week of November draws to a close, and this week’s feature (November 26 to December 2) will focus on some big hitters that will arrive after Thanksgiving. Both Darksiders 3 and Artifact will launch this week. We’re also going to see the arrival of Ride 3, as well as the introduction of Thea 2: The Shattering as an Early Access title. Lastly, Mavericks: Proving Grounds, the highly ambitious, massive battle royale game will have a pre-release version called The Forge.

For those who want to take a look at future weeks, you can always check out our updated PC game release date list.

Darksiders 3

• Release Date: November 27
• Developer: Gunfire Games
• Publisher: THQ Nordic

The third game in the Darksiders franchise will have players take on the role of Fury, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Darksiders 3 will be the first time that a female character takes on the role, as Fury is also the sister of War and Death (the two previous player characters).

It’s not uncommon for players to discuss the Darksiders franchise in the same vein as other action platformers such as God of War and Devil May Cry. That might also be the reason why its popularity, so far, has not eclipsed the other two. What’s also interesting is that this marks the first time that a new Darksiders game has been released in six years. That’s because the games originally were part of THQ which filed for bankruptcy in 2012, the same year that the second game was released. Since then, Nordic Games have acquired the aforementioned company’s assets, rebranding as THQ Nordic.

So yes, Darksiders 3 is something to look forward to not just if you’re a fan of the franchise or the genre. It’s also something worth looking into depending on the commercial success it would have. This could be something that’s a make or break for THQ Nordic as well.

Artifact

• Release Date: November 28
• Developer: Valve
• Publisher: Valve

Valve rarely creates their own games nowadays. When they do, you know it’s bound to be a classic such as Half-Life and Portal, or it would take the entire online gaming landscape by storm as in the case of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2. To say that people are looking forward to Artifact would be an understatement. It’s not just going to be a game launch but an event onto itself. Valve’s erstwhile dominance of a number of game genres will now be up against Hearthstone, Gwent, Magic: The Gathering, and the like in the CCG department.

There’s just one major quibble — players have complained that the game makes you pay for anything and everything, and is not as consumer-friendly as its counterparts. For instance, many card games nowadays allow players to earn cards by way of in-game missions or activities. You could also play events or join ladder play for in-game currencies. For Artifact, this is simply from buying card packs, paying a fee, or recycling cards to get an event ticket.

As stated, it’s gotten people up in arms because of the expenses you could end up having. At the same time, others have also recounted how this is how card games are like in reality. Given that Artifact will be using the marketplace of trading, you’ll need to be aware of fluctuations in prices, and concepts such as “sniping” and “buying low, selling high” in order to make the most out of the hobby. It could also potentially lead to earnings for collectors who know a thing or two about trading cards.

Whatever the case may be, Artifact’s launch will see just how Valve’s business model and strategy will fare.

Mavericks: The Forge

• Release Date: November 29 (pre-release version for “Founders”)
• Developer: Automaton
• Publisher: Automaton

There’s a pretty good reason why The Forge, the pre-release version of Mavericks: Proving Grounds is included here. That’s because it’s one of those games that tries to capitalize on the battle royale craze kickstarted by PUBG and Fortnite. While core battle royale gameplay is a given, the exception here is that Mavericks will try to do something mindboggling — getting 1,000 players in the same map! Those ambitious and lofty goals seem to have gotten people to raise their eyebrows a bit, and it’s known that the project has had some setbacks in the past.

So yes, The Forge will be something to look forward to not necessarily if you’re one of the “Founders” (backers) of the project. It’s because it will determine how its own player base will find the game at this stage. To that end, we might even figure out if Mavericks: Proving Grounds has the legs to stand on, or if it already failed its proving grounds when judged by its own supporters.

Ride 3

• Release Date: November 30
• Developer: Milestone s.r.l.
• Publisher: Milestone s.r.l.

Milestone has been proficient when it comes to developing motorbike racing games. Yes, it’s a niche genre in an already niche genre, to begin with, but they do have the experience that comes with it. Their yearly offerings of the MotoGP franchise, along with its off-road, dirt bike-focused brother in the MXGP series has piqued the interests of aficionados. They also have Ride 3 which comes out this week. It touts over 230 bikes, 30 tracks, and more customization options than you can shake a stick at.

There is, however, one caveat that bears mentioning. A number of racing games have moved away from tried-and-tested mechanics. From Need For Speed going the more fast-paced and action-oriented style, to The Crew 2’s inclusion of hovercrafts and airplanes. Forza Motorsport also has its Horizon cousin that’s gotten rave reviews due to its open-world approach. So yes, it remains to be seen how Ride 3 fares in this niche market. Will bikers will enjoy the presentation or have they moved on to other games?

Thea 2: The Shattering

• Release Date: November 30 (Steam Early Access)
• Developer: MuHa Games
• Publisher: MuHa Games

Thea: The Awakening made a small splash back in 2015 as an indie darling of sorts. It combined multiple features from other genres and created this mish-mash of ideas for its own presentation. Likewise, it had the hex-based exploration that turn-based strategy/4X fans are familiar with. It also had a slew of events that added flavor to your RPG immersion. Also, it had the intricacies of a rogue-like where you can regret certain decisions you make. It even used cards for its battle system.

MuHa Games hopes to continue with that tradition, taking all the lessons learned from the first game. Early Access begins at the end of this month. Time will tell if the Thea series has awakened an interest in more gamers or if all hopes are shattered.

Next Week

The first week of December 2018 is bound to be busy. Games will start falling like snow from Katamari Damacy Reroll, Battle Princess Madelyn, Edge of Eternity, and Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden. We’ll also see Just Cause 3 launch, the Betrayal expansion for Path of Exile, and the Black Armory DLC for Destiny 2.