My experience with Keepers of the Void fluctuated between “it’s alright” and downright unplayable. It started off on the wrong foot, with parts of the environment missing and pieces of the game’s code displayed unintentionally. After downloading a patch, I could finally play the DLC, but another bug prevented me from completing its final area. But even when it does work, Keepers of the Void struggles to reach the heights of the main game, let alone its superior predecessors.
To access Keepers of the Void, you don’t need to complete the main story. But you do need all Hollows to access each of the DLC’s areas, which involves completing the majority of the storyline. Once you install the DLC, you must speak with Vulgrim to initiate the quest. Vulgrim needs Fury’s help in dealing with certain intruders within the Serpent Holes. These intruders prevent him from moving freely within the realms and he promises worthwhile rewards for clearing them. Among these rewards is the legendary Abyssal Armour set.
Upon traversing over to The Void, your first task is to complete the Flame Hollow area. Unlike the main game, Keepers of the Void puts emphasis on solving puzzles, though you will fight a fair bit as well. Some of these puzzles are, arguably, more engaging than those found in Darksiders 3, which I felt was lacking in that department.
Most puzzles revolve around manipulating black blocks in order to reach the next room. More often than not, this involves interacting with a nearby orb with one of the Hollows at your disposal. Each of these orbs has runes around it, indicating which Hollows can interact with it. This often limits your options and leads to a quick solution to the puzzle. By striking the orb with the Flame Hollow, for instance, certain blocks move, while striking it with the Force Hollow allows you to traverse the side of the affected blocks. Later areas involve up to all four Hollows in order to solve any given puzzle.
Keepers of the Void follows a simple structure of solving a puzzle, doing battle, and then solving another puzzle. Certain enemies are faster or more powerful, but generally, they’re the same boring golem throughout all areas. Each area culminates in a spectacular boss battle against… a golem. A bigger golem! One imbued with the elemental power of the area it resides in.
Battles take place within a walled-off room and golems themselves are slow and don’t require much of an effort to defeat. After a short monologue from Fury, the battle begins and ends in a matter of a couple of minutes. At most, each boss will take you one or two attempts to defeat. Overcoming them awards Fury with a new weapon to replace the current one for that particular Hollow. And victory also grants you access to the next area in an already predetermined order.
As you progress, puzzles become more complex and slightly more powerful enemies are introduced. Certain interactions in the Storm wing didn’t make much sense and I had to rely on trial and error in order to proceed. But other than that, nothing too challenging; there wasn’t a single instance which kept me thinking for more than five minutes.
Each area contains an optional path which requires you to jump between platforms, use grappling points or defeat unusually powerful enemies. Some of them even require you to change Hollows in mid-air in order to reach the final platform. These paths are often more demanding than simply moving blocks around and reward your efforts with a new enhancement for one of your weapons. I found these short segments way more enjoyable and rewarding than any of the “main” puzzles.
I was also surprised to find many missed items upon returning to previous areas. These were seldom anything more than a bunch of souls for leveling up, but it did make going back worthwhile. Though a bug prevented me from completing the final area, I would estimate the DLC’s length at 5-6 hours. But it largely depends on how much time you spend on puzzles and revisiting already completed areas.
With or without bugs, Keepers of the Void doesn’t provide a memorable experience. Its narrative is very weak and virtually nonexistent, aside from the few interactions with Vulgrim. Enemies lack variety and environments differ only in terms of the colour scheme. Even bosses didn’t feel unique, with the only difference being their elemental affiliation. Some puzzles felt satisfying to complete, but the only reason to see this DLC through is the coveted Abyssal Armour. For that, and assuming you’re a fan of Darksiders 3, it could be worth a try. But if you didn’t enjoy the main story, then Keepers of the Void is unlikely to offer anything substantially new.
