Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood Reviews
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood comes across like an accidental homage to a time best left to nostalgia. Games back in the PS3 era were excelling despite obvious limitations. This game exists in a time when those limitations are all but removed, yet still feels like it comes up short because while it plays like them, it just wasn’t intentional.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood isn’t a terrible game, but it’s most likely not one that’s going to stick with you long after the credits roll. It’s mindless and repetitive, but if you’re a fan of World of Darkness and feel like channeling your inner wolfman for the weekend, it just might scratch that primal itch. However, if you’re on the hunt for an action-RPG with some meat on its bones, you’re much better off sinking your claws into something else.
Wolf. Crinos. Human. Three forms that render the moment-to-moment gameplay of Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood as unique as it comes. When you aren’t sneaking around in the shadows in Cahal’s wolf form, you are shapeshifting into a human to snap necks or transitioning into a Crinos to wreak havoc on the environment and your enemies. It’s fascinating, yet oh-so-flawed.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood suffers from repetition and terrible stealth-focused gameplay that fails to capitalizes on its potential world.
Besides the prominent pro- or antagonists like zombies and vampires in recent years, Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood positively stands out from the crowd with the rather stepmotherly treated werewolves. Unfortunately, that's almost all that can be said positively about the title. But don't misunderstand - Werewolf isn't a bad game per sé, it's just mediocre: Graphics and story look old, especially in direct comparison with other recently released titles, many parts like the skill tree seem to be seen as a must rather than a real enrichment for the game and the short game duration of about eight hours isn't convincing either. Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood seems to want a lot, but not be able to accomplish that much. At least there could have been more of the heavy metal music.
Review in German | Read full review
I could delve into more, but I'd just be filling space at this point. I did have some nuggets of fun with Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood, but there's too much I can't ignore to recommend it to anyone, especially with the dawn of next-gen systems and titles that execute their concepts much better and simply look like what current games should be.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood is a forgettable and disappointing adventure. The World of Darkness is rife with potential, but Cyanide squanders it with this dated action adventure title.
While Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood may contain interesting ideas, like being able to shift forms in an instant, its gameplay and story are too generic and boring to be worthwhile.
My second foray into the World of Darkness franchise unfortunately has left me wanting for more. There's definitely some fun to be had here, but the majority of the game manages to just feel dated and lazy, which makes even the most fun aspects get old before too long. I truly hoped for more from Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood, but what I'm left with is a game that I don't think I'll be re-visiting any time soon.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood has decent stealth going for it, but its weak story forces you into painfully mediocre combat too often to be worthwhile, wasting the potential of the World of Darkness universe.
Bland, boring, repetitive, tedious, and totally forgettable, Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood is a game that should go back to the doghouse.
WTAE is a prime example of the latter. With its phoned-in stealth, mediocre combat, poor storytelling and rough presentation, calling it a missed opportunity is an understatement, especially on a new generation console. Even die-hard fans of the tabletop game will likely struggle to enjoy this take on the franchise. There's a blueprint here for an interesting concept, but sadly nothing more. Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood is out now for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S|X, Xbox One and PC (via the Epic Games Store), priced £34.99 - £44.99
Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood is peak mediocrity and lacks any real meat to make it stand out from the rest of the pack.
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.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood seemingly tries to bite off more than it can chew. As cheesy as that sentence sounds, it certainly meets that description. There are moments that stand out amongst the mediocrity of it all, that elevate the overall experience, but it’s not enough to justify playing it solely for those moments. The main “selling point” for the game being the ultra-violent combat could actually be its weakest element. So much so that the added inclusion of stealth mechanics is preferable to the main attraction. And it’s this secondary gameplay loop that is left feeling shallow and easily manipulated because of this split focus. Within the stealth systems, there is the potential of something interesting when mixed together with in-universe powers, but the current execution failed to capture the full fantasy.
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 feels like an expansion on a single, promising idea whose repetitive combat, underwhelming presentation, and confused story take away from what makes the original idea interesting.
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.
Despite its original and creative idea, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is a game that after a few hours becomes repetitive and boring. With a fight that could have been better developed and with very poor graphics this is a title that may not meet the interests and expectations of many.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood had a lot of potential. The World of Darkness universe is clearly full of interesting lore, creatures and characters, so it’s a shame that the game drops the ball so hard. While some players may find some surface-level enjoyment in the game’s stealth and combat, the lack of depth or player growth makes them feel old fast. Even if you are a World of Darkness superfan, it’s probably best to skip Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood, at least until it’s heavily discounted.