Excellent graphics, original combat system but can get repetitive after a while...
Graphics - The game looks gorgeous at first glance. The environments look amazing, the draw distance is excellent and there is a nice variety of different looking areas. Mines, castles, ancient temples, graveyards, caves, snowy fortresses etc. The textures are incredible in this title. Add to this the top notch lighting-water effects, the jaw dropping shadows and the quite good physics engine ( you can throw your weapons, pick up and use a huge variety of items, break items of your environment ->all the above occur in a very realistic manner) and you have a very immersive and visually appealing game. .
However there are a few things that look a bit less spectacular after a few hours in the title. First of all the environments feel a bit empty. Technically speaking they look great -as already said. From an artistic point of view they become a bit repetitive and uninspiring. They don't disappoint but they neither impress (this is also related to the design of the stages -> more on that in the game play section of the review). The physics engine, the texture quality and the effects of the title, help BoD to overcome these obstacles. .
Another disadvantage is the character design. Your enemies don't look as amazing as their environments (even your main characters don't look as impressive). There are a few better looking enemies like the knights or the skeletons. However most of the others are a bit blocky and have a stiff animation. Again the fantastic shadows that those enemy-models cast make everything seem more visually impressive and help the title to overcome these disadvantages. What's more the title has lots of blood and gore since you can even tear your enemies limb from limb and see them dying in countless horrible ways ( you can even use their limbs as a weapon…). .
Sometimes (when you'll have more than 3 enemies on screen at once) the frame rate drops considerably. There are also a few clipping problems here and there + the game crashes rarely but those are very nitpicking comments. .
To sum it up, great visuals but not perfect.
Sound - The epic music sets the mood in the title, the sound effects and the voice acting are good enough to keep everything interesting. However there is nothing really memorable or worth mentioning in the sound department. .
Game play – Before starting the game you‘ll have to choose between 4 different characters: the knight ( uses one – handed swords / maces and shields), the Amazon ( uses spears for attacking and blocking), the barbarian ( uses two handed swords and axes) and the dwarf ( uses one handed axes and shields). Each character has different dodging and jumping abilities (the Amazon and the barbarian are better in these areas since they can’t use shields in order to defend themselves, although they can use their weapons for blocking -just for a moment though). Moreover each character can use effectively different weapons. .
During combat you can use a nice variation of regular attacks by hitting the directional keys and the attack button (there are different simple combinations). There are also special attacks in the game, which are related to specific weapons for each character. These attacks require a complicated key combination, reminding a bit of a fighting game. What’s more these attacks consume energy from your stamina-meter so you'll need to be careful while using them, since if there is no energy left, you‘ll be standing defenseless for a few seconds. .
The combat system is the most innovative feature of the title. You’ll have to choose the right weapon depending on the enemy. For example orcs and trolls are vulnerable to sword attacks, however skeletons and golems can be easily taken down with blunt weapons and their special attacks. You‘ll have to choose carefully your equipment, because there are limitations in the total number of weapons and shields that you can carry and use, and you’ll need to experiment a bit and see which special attack has a better result during combat. .
Another nice feature in the game is that shields take damage each time you block an attack (the two handed weapons take no damage at all while blocking). Before each battle you‘ll have to check your shield’s hit points. If it is too weak (close to zero) you’ll have to change it with another one (you can pick up and carry a maximum number of three shields) since if a shield breaks during combat you‘ll take damage and be stunned for a few seconds. Keep in mind that blocking an enemy hit not only protects you but also gives you the chance of counter attacking. .
After each enemy kill you'll gain experience points depending on the level and the kind of your opponent. Eventually you’ll level-up and that means more hit points for your character, better defense, more energy in your stamina meter and more special attacks for you to use + after each level –up your health will be restored. This adds a RPG element to the title and forces you to kill as many enemies as you can in order to become more powerful. .
Your enemies are smart enough to hear you, see you and cause you troubles. There is a nice variety of them and as already said you’ll need to find the appropriate weapon and the right combos in order to be victorious. What’s more your enemies use techniques similar to yours during combat. They‘ll use their shields or try to dodge in order to avoid your hits. If they are more than one, they’ll try to surround you. Sometimes the battles can become really hard and challenging. Your opponents have also special attacks that can break your shield with one hit or can cause you lots of damage. Other times you‘ll meet enemies which will wait until they see an open spot in your defense in order to attack. They’ll also use equipment with poisonous or magical effects like your character ( life shields that can drain your life if you hit them etc.) + the archers will use their swords if you come next to them. The AI is very well implemented and you get a nice feeling of satisfaction each time that you manage to defeat another nasty enemy. You‘ll have to use your brain and your reflexes in order to survive ( Hint: when you have the chance, try to sneak up on your enemies. It’s fun and very rewarding since you can kill them with one hit and pick up their shields in undamaged form ). .
However there are a few things in this title that needed a little bit of tweaking. First of all the camera can become a bit disorienting especially in the indoor environments. There is a lock-on feature in the title that’s helpful when the camera is in the right position. Sometimes it wasn’t and the camera control was less than satisfying. .
Another drawback is the lack of adjusting the difficulty setting. The game is already very challenging and there are times that things can become really hectic (especially during the later stages). Having the option of downgrading the difficulty would be a nice choice (the game is mostly for the hardcore audience without this option). .
The fighting system is really unique , however it has its shortcomings. You need to remember lots of combinations and buttons and more importantly to find the right pace in key-hitting in order to perform the special attacks (if your weapon turns red and the enemy glows red after your strike, you‘ll know that you have just performed a special attack successfully). It needs lots of practice and sometimes it isn’t as accurate as it should be (this control scheme would fit better to a console’s controller than the keyboard of the PC). What’s more during all those lengthy button combinations your character (and not only your enemy) sometimes will change position (you have to press many times the directional buttons for a powerful combo) and as a result in your final blow you‘ll miss your target exposing yourself for no reason. .
Another aspect of the title that is underdeveloped is the RPG leveling-up system. Yes it’s ok as long as it lasts. However after level 20 (you‘ll reach it towards the end of the game) the only thing that happens is life restoration (no improvement in hit points, stamina etc.). Now there will be times when you’ll desperately need a few more experience points in order to level up and see your opponents killing each other accidentally ( when they are too close this happens always). This means that you will lose valuable exp ( an enemy has to die from your weapon in order to gain exp points). On the other hand sometimes you can use this at your advantage, when for example you are low on health or want to have some fun with the game. .
The title is mostly about combat. There are a few jumping/ traps-avoiding sequences to make things a bit more interesting. However the title is all-about killing enemies until you find the next key or lever. This can become boring, especially after your first play ( you 've seen all the enemies and know their attack patterns and weaknesses) and while you are replaying the title with another character. The stages are very linear, the 4 different characters aren’t that well balanced (the knight seems to have the most equipment and the best story, the barbarian is more powerful, the Amazon more agile and the dwarf just... sucks), controlling them seems and feels similar and you have an experience that can become repetitive after a few hours. It would be nice to have a few NPC helping you in your quest, or a town with people where you could sell and buy items and weapons or a few nice objectives that would add variety in the game play.But no. There is nothing like that in Blade of Darkness. .
The last thing –is related to my previous comment- that’s really disappointing is the lack of a proper story. With the exception of the knight (there is a basic story behind this character and I suggest to play his campaign first) there is no major story in this game. You‘ll be fighting and killing for just no reason. There is no motivation in your effort … you are fighting just for surviving. And this really hurts the game play experience. Add to that the lack of variety in game play and the linear environments and you have a title that feels soulless and empty during the later stages. .
Value – There are 13 different missions in the main campaign. Each character has a different starting level (a nice differentiation) so there is a reason for trying each one at least once. However the rest of the campaign is exactly the same. After completing some particular missions you’ll have to choose between two different destinations, so the second time playing the title you can finish the stages in a different order (you can have different weapons and fight at a different level the same monsters so this feature makes the campaign easier or harder depending on your choices). There are also 6 runes hidden in 6 specific stages (some of them are hard to be found). If you collect them all you‘ll gain access to a bonus level called “The Abyss” that’s mostly an underground mission with many hard to beat enemies (nothing new here) and a last boss –that is a bit disappointing in comparison to some of the game’s regular enemies or sub bosses. Finishing the game with all the runes and seeing the best finale with the bonus Abyss stage took me about 40 hours. Now if you really like the combat system of the title, you‘ll want to replay the campaign with another character so the game can hold your attention for many, MANY hours. This depends on your gaming tastes. .
There is also a multi player feature that is under developed. This game is all about the single player experience.
Final Thoughts – If you are a fan of hack-and-slash / action / fighting games Blade of Darkness is a must – buy… it may even become one of your all-time favorites. However if you are a gamer that mostly enjoys RPGs and adventure titles or wants characteristics of the above genres in his action games then you‘ll be disappointed after a few hours. The excellent graphics, the unique combat system and the low price of the title are reasons enough to make this game worth buying though, despite its flaws.