Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood Reviews
Playing as a Werewolf should be fun and exciting, simple as that. Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood doesn't come close to offering that. Between the dull and laborious Human and Wolf gameplay and the lackluster Werewolf gameplay, it's difficult to recommend Earthblood to anyone. Above story and visuals, gameplay for this type of game should be king. Instead, Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood ends up being too sheepish.
Cyanide Studios have proven their mettle with previous games in the supernatural genre. Their previous efforts include Styx: Shards of Darkness and the Call of Cthulhu. Both games were well received. Earthblood is a solid effort that should get werewolf fans howling with glee.
As if suffering from some bizarre form of virtual Stockholm Syndrome, I felt nearly compelled to see Earthblood through. The game ended up more entertaining because of the barebones effort put into it, resulting in humorous bugs, glitches, and just plain nonsense.
Absolutely dated in so many ways with crusty stealth gameplay, poor visuals and uninspiring environments, yet showing glimmers of innovation that are in turn bolstered by bouts of super satisfying werewolf combat, Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood is the first proper guilty pleasure of the year.
In a game that bills itself as a choice between stealth and combat, it doesn't take long for the deceit to reveal itself and you realize this is ill-suited and insufficiently-handled for either one of the two gameplay styles.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood is peak mediocrity and lacks any real meat to make it stand out from the rest of the pack.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is an engaging experience that mixes fun combat mechanics with serviceable stealth/RPG elements for a perfect AA package.
Having a hot werewolf can't save Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood from its many problems. A boring story, super reptitive combat, wonky stealth, and atrocious butt rock are just some of the many issues.
A joyful mix of stealth and action, the fun doesn't snag on the rough edges.
The gameplay throughout isn't freighted with moral urgency, which is disappointing given the game's eco-terrorist themes.
This third-person action game is a little rough around the edges and tries a little too hard to be serious, but its premise and combat is compelling enough to get the job done.
A big bowl of comfort food gaming, Werewolf is a game that feels like a throwback to simpler times. It is a welcome blast from start to finish and while ultimately forgettable, it is undeniably fun while it lasts.
You can see Cyanide Studios had good ideas for Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood, so it is a shame to see that potential wasted. Tearing through enemies is undeniably satisfying and Earthblood's stealth mechanics feel rewarding but with poor visuals, a short campaign, and disappointing story, you can't ignore these pressing flaws. Cyanide has faithfully integrated Werewolf's lore here – even if that is a little bare – so tabletop series fans will likely enjoy it, but anyone else would best approach with caution.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is as straightforward as an action-adventure game can be. None of its features are broken, but the shallowness of the entire experience makes it a very hard game to recommend for those who are not into the setting to begin with. It does provide moments of fun here and there, but its linear, derivative experience does not stand out in any way.
It proposes an universe and some attractive ideas, but they are not interesting enough to overlook a crude graphical performance and some really repetitive gameplay mechanics.
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A fun but incredibly flawed hybrid of stealth and hack-and-slash which plays like something dug out from the bargain bin of 2009.
The power you feel upon becoming a half-man, half-wolf monstrosity in Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is its saving grace. There’s nothing else out there that offers a similar experience. Sure, it gets a bit repetitive, but you’re a freaking werewolf, capable of picking up a grown man and ripping his head clean off. Boss fights are a highlight, too, actually putting your combat skills to the test, unlike the majority of battles where soldiers are thrown into the arena like lambs to the slaughter. Like its protagonist, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood has many sides to it that are all rough around the edges, but it’s not totally devoid of charm.
Good voice acting and cool, bloody werewolf fighting sequences could not fully save the rushed story and flat facial animations of this one-dimensional take on the rich World of Darkness universe.
Earthblood unfortunately never raises itself above average, ending up as a thoroughly competent beat-’em-up bogged down in less stellar stealth gameplay and rough RPG elements.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood proudly wears the reverence for White Wolf's lore on its furry sleeve, with a dark-but-interesting universe and a fierce pro-environment/anti-capitalist message. But behind its wild, bloody carnage and well-meant intentions lies a dated and sorely repetitive stealth adventure that, among its contemporaries, fails to stand out from the pack.