Many of Koei's games are known for the player to take control of a warrior who must go and take bases, fight enemy commanders, and take on missions. Dynasty Warriors quickly comes to mind when listing off those features and even mentioning Koei. Bladestorm is feels like a mixture of Dynasty Warriors and Kingdom Under Fire, but you take roles as a mercenary who is trying to make a living off of the war of France and England.
Story 7/10
While the history behind Bladestorm might sound interesting at first, you start to care less the farther you go into the game about the story. You take the role as a mercenary who is trying to make their way up the ladder to make money and earn fame during the Hundred Year's War. You are take missions at the HQ, help France or England, and upgrade equipment. There isn't much that needs to be known about the game's story. Sure there are missions where you aid the Black Knight Prince of England or the Prince of France, but that is following what the army is doing and has no real perspective of your character.
Gameplay 8/10
The game starts off where you create your mercenary, but customization feels limited allowing about 10 heads for the characters and 3 voices per gender. Once the character is created you are introduced to the mercenaries, how to play, and how to rise in the ranks. You take command of a group of soldiers and use them in battle against the enemy you are fighting. The interesting aspect of this is that each unit has a strength and weakness to other units. This means that using different units in different situations is essential in changing the tides of battle. Fighting in the game is simple enough for anyone to just pick up the game and understand how to play in a matter of moments. The game makes you take on missions where you must take a fort for the most part, but some missions have side quests that make you escort, kill, or deliver. The missions get repetitive after a few hours of gameplay because all you are doing is taking bases. The objectives never really change. Over the course of the game new battlegrounds will become available, new items in the shops appear, and more units will be at your command.
Visuals and Sounds 7/10
I don't really care about visuals in a game as long as the gameplay is fine, but the visuals did seem to be a bit dated on the release. Sound is also alright because you will hear the different battle sounds, but eventually some of these sounds will get irritating and even some of the characters will get irritating to listen to. The music is decent to listen to, but there isn't a big variety of music.
Overall 7/10
I suggest that you rent it or borrow it from a friend, but otherwise if you aren't into games such as this I suggest you stay clear. The game is fun and has some epic moments, but the repetitiveness and some of the dull mechanics will burn your enjoyment pretty quick. Bladestorm cut its way to a 7/10.