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Bound by Flame |OT| Free the fire
- Thread starter cormack12
- Start date
TharpDaddy
Member
GameInformer gave it an 8
http://www.gameinformer.com/games/b...2d00_flame_2d00_review_2d00_gameinformer.aspx
http://www.gameinformer.com/games/b...2d00_flame_2d00_review_2d00_gameinformer.aspx
Get used to the scores for this being all over the place.
Karak
Member
And the thread comes alive.
Can't say I am surprised either way on the reviews at all. It hit me a particular way and I know 5 other reviewers I spoke to hinted it was hitting them in totally different ways each with some wildly different ideas.
Still not posting mine until Focus says its coolio. They have been good peeps.
Can't say I am surprised either way on the reviews at all. It hit me a particular way and I know 5 other reviewers I spoke to hinted it was hitting them in totally different ways each with some wildly different ideas.
Still not posting mine until Focus says its coolio. They have been good peeps.
Karak
Member
Other than a few issues I have to say I was very impressed with the GFX.
9th pic is great by the way.
GavinUK86
Member
LurkerPrime
Member
It can't be Hawke because he doesn't have the horizontal blood stripe over his nose.
GavinUK86
Member
Good point. The blood stripe makes all the difference.
Well that is good to see. It's not bad at all for what it is. As long as you go in knowing that it will have some obvious budget shortcomings, you will start to see some of the bright spots.
KillerIsJed
Member
So can we get the OP updated with reviews? Or is this a promotional piece for the game where we can't have honest feedback on it in the OP?
SlasherJPC
Banned
Fire away. No need for hostility.
KillerIsJed
Member
I meant links to published reviews. The OP is either a big fan of this, bored, or just really thorough. I just worry that NeoGAF will become another Reddit where corporations sneak in their advertising.
Back on subject, I don't really trust a gaming magazine owned and sold by Gamestop, who has the job of selling games. I think it is a bit insane to give this game an 8. One of their pluses is "Dialogue is fully-voiced", yeah with some of the worst voice acting I've heard in a game, and a shit script.
It also makes strong statements like " I recommend the easiest difficulty setting for beginners"
He describes the gameplay as getting tedious for hours." for the latter half of the game, youre fighting the same handful of enemy types for hours. While this gives you the opportunity to become incredibly familiar with their attacks and how to beat them, it is also tedious."
Also some spoilers in the review. I guess I just don't think the number reflects the text, nor do I feel like the game is even close to an 8. Even a 5 would be pushing it. I have to agree with the 4's on this one.
But everyone is entitled to their opinion, as there is no right or wrong.
Basketball
Member
is there a jump button ?
can you learn new fighting skills/techniques ?
are there many armor/outfit sets
im really tempted
can you learn new fighting skills/techniques ?
are there many armor/outfit sets
im really tempted
SlasherJPC
Banned
No jump button.
Yes you learn new skills via leveling up but combat mostly stays the same.
There is a decent amount of armor and weapons but not like a loot based game.
GavinUK86
Member
Streaming at http://www.twitch.tv/gavinuk86 at the moment if anyone wants a look. Might not be online for long though, it's 2am already!
Karak
Member
Ha.TheSpoiler
Member
Glad Travis Touchdown is finally in another game.
SlasherJPC
Banned
I said the same thing lol
I'm right near the end of the game, and the mixed reviews don't surprise me. I think many of the game's elements, like crafting, questing, environments, and even narrative are 'alright', but I did not gel with the combat much at all.
This GameSpot quote is relatively close to how I feel on the game's combat.
I find myself bored whenever I run into a combat encounter. It's basically 'get some hits in before the obvious attack 'tell' of the enemy, guard/parry, get more hits in, repeat'. If you have poor timing with your guards and take a few hits, just use one of the dozens of health potions you can easily make. Or kite the enemy until your regen kicks in (you can lay traps as you do this which the enemies will basically always run into). Some enemies also seem to have an excessive amount of health which doesn't really lead to to any sort of higher challenge, it just make fighting more of a drag. Basically every enemy is fought the same way, there's little variety. There are essentially two attack actions, a normal swing or a wide swing. I know a lot of games have a combat foundation stemming from a 'weak' attack and a 'heavy' attack, but usually they allow for various combinations of those two attack types to create an assortment of attack patterns and animations. Bound by Flame barely has any variety in this regard. The attacks work individually and a 'weak' attack is a 'weak' attack no matter how or when you press the button. Well, there are some slight animation changes depending if you are running or not, but that's about it. And the primary difference between swords/axes/hammers is a slight change in attack speed and how often they interrupt the enemy, but that doesn't truly change much of anything - you can change these relatively easily with crafting anyway (like changing a sword's chance of interrupting or a hammer's attack speed). The animations are still the same, they don't effectively change how combat is approached. Some enemies will be equipped with a shield or whatnot so just add a kick before you swing your sword. And the companions are usually best served as distractions for the enemy (although Edwen has a move capable of stunning bosses, which is nice to allow the player to mash attack for a moment).
This GameSpot quote is relatively close to how I feel on the game's combat.
I find myself bored whenever I run into a combat encounter. It's basically 'get some hits in before the obvious attack 'tell' of the enemy, guard/parry, get more hits in, repeat'. If you have poor timing with your guards and take a few hits, just use one of the dozens of health potions you can easily make. Or kite the enemy until your regen kicks in (you can lay traps as you do this which the enemies will basically always run into). Some enemies also seem to have an excessive amount of health which doesn't really lead to to any sort of higher challenge, it just make fighting more of a drag. Basically every enemy is fought the same way, there's little variety. There are essentially two attack actions, a normal swing or a wide swing. I know a lot of games have a combat foundation stemming from a 'weak' attack and a 'heavy' attack, but usually they allow for various combinations of those two attack types to create an assortment of attack patterns and animations. Bound by Flame barely has any variety in this regard. The attacks work individually and a 'weak' attack is a 'weak' attack no matter how or when you press the button. Well, there are some slight animation changes depending if you are running or not, but that's about it. And the primary difference between swords/axes/hammers is a slight change in attack speed and how often they interrupt the enemy, but that doesn't truly change much of anything - you can change these relatively easily with crafting anyway (like changing a sword's chance of interrupting or a hammer's attack speed). The animations are still the same, they don't effectively change how combat is approached. Some enemies will be equipped with a shield or whatnot so just add a kick before you swing your sword. And the companions are usually best served as distractions for the enemy (although Edwen has a move capable of stunning bosses, which is nice to allow the player to mash attack for a moment).
Well, it's technically the 9th for me (I was never given a specific time), so I went ahead and put my review up - http://totalgamingnetwork.com/conte...for-the-PlayStation-4-by-Total-Gaming-Network
Heh so they caved. So weird having retail be the 15th but digital the 9th. Tempted to grab this as we've already got the review copy claimed, I need an RPG in my life besides TESO and Dark Souls 2.
bronk
Banned
Good review. I still cant make up my mind. If I decide to get it ill go low expectations like u suggested.
cormack12
Gold Member
Wow. Tilt at windmills much?
That first Polygon link in this thread was published here last night at 23:40 local time. Also, as far as was said through the thread, embargo date was today. Some sites may have decided to break that but I'm unsure if it was OK or not.
So yeah, being in work this morning I was already in bed, it's now 07:40am and I'm leaving for work shortly. The OP has been updated with the four links in here and I'll add more a bit later.
You need to calm down dude.
jediyoshi
Member
GAF: <5/10 = Honesty
tringworldso
Member
So does the game even have dialogue choices? Mars:War Logs had them from the beginning of the game but here even after completing the tutorial chapter, I've yet to come across a single one.
right after the first big fight theres's one (take the elf/take the woman into the forest), you can miss a quest with the wrong answer.
cormack12
Gold Member
OK, so after getting this last night. I played through the introduction and tutorial I guess. I played on Buffalo difficulty as I didn't want to max it out straight away - I'm probably going to do two playthroughs anyway with different alignments.
You can tell it's slightly unpolished. It was very strange walking through the first area and seeing NPC's that didn't have any animation attached to them at all. Most notably the two guys on the cliff top. They were just posed, with no breathing animation, movement etc. Obviously done for time/resources I guess but it was noticeable because of what we're used to I guess. Just looked like posed action figures.
I'm not finding combat individually too difficult, the enemies can take a moderate amount of beating but a couple of hits from them are quite punishing to your health. I've also found resources really low (unsure whether this is related to difficulty). Kept checking inventory to make traps/bolts and had none despite looting everything. The combat problems arise when you have a group of enemies hustled together but you have no bolts or traps. It seems difficult to 'pull' or seperate them if you're lacking in equipment. You can revert to an AoE attack but if you try and play 'pure' soldier with no demonic influence I can see it being a challenge.
I stopped playing shortly afterwards - when your journey 'begins' (after the intro) and got my ass kicked by four/five enemies that all came at once. I'm suspecting they are susceptible to fire as a 'hint' came up to check the enemy information database but I'll know more tonight.
As a game it's mechanically sound with flaws, the combat is engaging and paced well in my opinion, which should be most of the game to be honest. The dialogue is awful and Sybil's voice sounds strange like the VA was in a weird room when recorded.
Overall, it seems fun enough. The combat is quick and dirty but weighty with some depth. The VA and dialogue is awful. The art direction is really good imo. I guess the big question most people are asking is 'is it worth full price?' It's not as polished as KoA in my opinion but it is much better than LOTR:WitN.
For those lucky enough to have disposable income enough to take a chance, I'd say as the first RPG-cum-hack-and-slash it's well worth the risk to support devs like this I think. For those who are needing to choose between this and Watch Dogs, I'd be tempted to say Watch Dogs is probably where my money would go at this point in time. I got BbF for £40 on PS4, relative to most other releases it seems a good price point but only relatively. Probably £29.99 on PS4 in the near future which, if you can wait, would be a 'fairer' price point. Again, this is just my opinion. It may change as I play more - will try to post updates as I go along.
You can tell it's slightly unpolished. It was very strange walking through the first area and seeing NPC's that didn't have any animation attached to them at all. Most notably the two guys on the cliff top. They were just posed, with no breathing animation, movement etc. Obviously done for time/resources I guess but it was noticeable because of what we're used to I guess. Just looked like posed action figures.
I'm not finding combat individually too difficult, the enemies can take a moderate amount of beating but a couple of hits from them are quite punishing to your health. I've also found resources really low (unsure whether this is related to difficulty). Kept checking inventory to make traps/bolts and had none despite looting everything. The combat problems arise when you have a group of enemies hustled together but you have no bolts or traps. It seems difficult to 'pull' or seperate them if you're lacking in equipment. You can revert to an AoE attack but if you try and play 'pure' soldier with no demonic influence I can see it being a challenge.
I stopped playing shortly afterwards - when your journey 'begins' (after the intro) and got my ass kicked by four/five enemies that all came at once. I'm suspecting they are susceptible to fire as a 'hint' came up to check the enemy information database but I'll know more tonight.
As a game it's mechanically sound with flaws, the combat is engaging and paced well in my opinion, which should be most of the game to be honest. The dialogue is awful and Sybil's voice sounds strange like the VA was in a weird room when recorded.
Overall, it seems fun enough. The combat is quick and dirty but weighty with some depth. The VA and dialogue is awful. The art direction is really good imo. I guess the big question most people are asking is 'is it worth full price?' It's not as polished as KoA in my opinion but it is much better than LOTR:WitN.
For those lucky enough to have disposable income enough to take a chance, I'd say as the first RPG-cum-hack-and-slash it's well worth the risk to support devs like this I think. For those who are needing to choose between this and Watch Dogs, I'd be tempted to say Watch Dogs is probably where my money would go at this point in time. I got BbF for £40 on PS4, relative to most other releases it seems a good price point but only relatively. Probably £29.99 on PS4 in the near future which, if you can wait, would be a 'fairer' price point. Again, this is just my opinion. It may change as I play more - will try to post updates as I go along.
ref
Member
So I just finished the first I guess, 'boss battle' of the game, in the tutorial section on the hardest difficulty.
So far, not terribly difficult, only encounter I had to redo a couple times was the 'boss'. But the main thing is to not get hit it seems, dodge/block everything, watch attack patterns, learn when to strike and when not to. (Specializing as the Ranger class)
Game looks good on PC, nothing special, but texture resolution is above average. Runs fine maxed out on a 670.
Similar to War Logs though, you can instantly tell it's a budget title. Animations are janky, voice acting is inconsistent, dialogue writing is inconsistent... but so far, not terrible, not fantastic. I have some other games to finish up first, but I didn't have any qualms with the game to the point where I want to stop playing it, so it's definitely something I'll be playing later on.
It's a much more polished Mars: War Logs, aside from the setting of course.
Oh, another good thing so far is the soundtrack, but that's to be expected from Olivier Derivière, his scores to Remember Me and Alone in the Dark were absolutely sublime.
I think if the game appeals to you or even slightly interests you, pick it up. Do not listen to 'professional' reviews in my opinion, go with your gut, you may end up really enjoying it.
So far, not terribly difficult, only encounter I had to redo a couple times was the 'boss'. But the main thing is to not get hit it seems, dodge/block everything, watch attack patterns, learn when to strike and when not to. (Specializing as the Ranger class)
Game looks good on PC, nothing special, but texture resolution is above average. Runs fine maxed out on a 670.
Similar to War Logs though, you can instantly tell it's a budget title. Animations are janky, voice acting is inconsistent, dialogue writing is inconsistent... but so far, not terrible, not fantastic. I have some other games to finish up first, but I didn't have any qualms with the game to the point where I want to stop playing it, so it's definitely something I'll be playing later on.
It's a much more polished Mars: War Logs, aside from the setting of course.
Oh, another good thing so far is the soundtrack, but that's to be expected from Olivier Derivière, his scores to Remember Me and Alone in the Dark were absolutely sublime.
I think if the game appeals to you or even slightly interests you, pick it up. Do not listen to 'professional' reviews in my opinion, go with your gut, you may end up really enjoying it.
Playfire Rewards have been added for Bound by Flame for the next to weeks, you can earn up to £5 if you get them all
http://blog.playfire.com/2014/05/playfire-rewards-beta-bound-by-flame.html
http://blog.playfire.com/2014/05/playfire-rewards-beta-bound-by-flame.html
Fahrenheit
Banned
Got about 3 hours in so far. Good graphics and a interesting setting are gonna keep me going till the end. The gameplay and writing are not so hot though.
Doctor Hades
Member
The game is a mixed bag, isn't it, but after three hours of playing it on the PS4, I haven't come across anything that strikes me as being truly awful about it. Well, except for the badly-written dialogue maybe that makes me wince at times but I find the voice-acting mostly tolerable (the lousy lip-syncing not so much though!). Combat feels OK...don't like not having a shield though...the story has its moments but is mostly forgettable...I like the upgrade system and the interface is easy to use.
I'm enjoying it so far for the mix of RPG exploration, NPC conversations (there is a surprising amount of it, though as I mentioned, it is at the opposite end to Shakespeare!) and combat. It reminds me very much of Spiders' Of Orcs and Men really and I did like that. One thing I don't like though is the unlocked framerate. Sure, there's no tearing, thankfully, but the way the framerate swings from 30 to 60 FPS and back depending on how much is going on on-screen is distracting. I would much rather have a locked 30 FPS personally.
I'm enjoying it so far for the mix of RPG exploration, NPC conversations (there is a surprising amount of it, though as I mentioned, it is at the opposite end to Shakespeare!) and combat. It reminds me very much of Spiders' Of Orcs and Men really and I did like that. One thing I don't like though is the unlocked framerate. Sure, there's no tearing, thankfully, but the way the framerate swings from 30 to 60 FPS and back depending on how much is going on on-screen is distracting. I would much rather have a locked 30 FPS personally.
Here's my review of Bound By Flame (2 out of 5): http://www.savingcontent.com/2014/05/09/bound-by-flame-review/
I've played the game prior to release on both PC and PS4.
I've played the game prior to release on both PC and PS4.
SlasherJPC
Banned
Great video. I was starting to think I was the only person that really enjoyed this game for what it is, sans a few blemishes or course.
Karak
Member
Thanks. No I really liked it. It is more than the sum of its parts and though I am fairly hard on games I can also see when a games gameplay trumps some of its issues. The dialogue was so bad it was B grade movie but the skills and the difficulty level were just my style. Well the difficulty at times was almost too hard for me which is a rarity.
SlasherJPC
Banned
Yep. I knew I was in trouble when the prologue kicked my ass and killed me about 5 times. No game does that really.
perineumlick
Member
You're definitely not the only one. It's funny; I totally agree with most of the criticisms I've read so far, yet this game has totally won me over regardless.
Karak
Member
Agreed. It won me over enough to play 2 total play throughs which is crazy for me.
Same here. I was insanely frustrated for a moment than realized it was more my fault than anything and then the fun began.