Bound by Flame Reviews
For every great thing Bound by Flame does, it messes up critical gameplay components like the combat. There's this sense that the game can't get out of its own way, and only die-hard high-fantasy fans that aren't afraid of getting torched by a budget title should check this one out.
Even with the lack of depth, the game is still fun based on its difficulty and the fighting system.
Whatever caused it, our save was irrevocably corrupted and any chance of playing Bound By Flames beyond our review went down the pan with it. Not that this should be the death knell for your purchase decision too, you probably won't encounter the same game-breaking problem and maybe you haven't experienced the worlds of Westeros, Tamriel and the Northern Kingdoms. Good for you. Not only are you more likely to enjoy all the talking between every fight but there are four seasons of compelling HBO drama and several weeks of exhaustive, back to back playtime across two chart-topping video game franchises, once you're done.
The game appears to be a product of magical thinking, as if throwing together watered-down tropes from games like The Witcher might somehow yield a finished product.
In reality, there isn't much to say about Bound By Flame. It's not a horrendous travesty that all action RPG players should avoid, and similarly it's not a stellar blockbuster that all Dark Souls addicts should pick up. It just feels very mediocre and generic. Nothing stands out about the game and nothing really holds it down aside from its graphics at points. It's a simple fantasy action RPG that won't replace any of the big names out there, but will keep you amused for 10 hours if you have some money to burn.
Bound by Flame is playable, but it lacks anything compelling to keep you invested. When you aren't dealing with poorly balanced design you are yawning at its dull world and uninspired RPG mechanics. Bound by Flame is more akin to Spiders previous efforts rather than the many better action-RPG titles they attempted to borrow from.
Right off the gate, Bound by Flame features a combat and leveling system that shines among the competition, and the crafting side to the game gives RPG fans more than enough to keep them playing. The narrative sees a drop in overall quality, but it's enough to see exactly what developer Spiders has given gamers with its gameplay elements. The future is bright for Bound by Flame.
It sums up Bound by Flame well that although you'll be deciding which end of the moral spectrum to play throughout, you're still presented with the same options by the end of the game. This is a badly planned game that clearly suffered from time, management or technical issues during development and is best avoided.
So much of Bound by Flame induces boredom or irritation that it seemed the best recourse to seek out a style of play that facilitated, if not outright enjoyment, at least an absence of hostility. Well, better that an aggravating game permit you to play around its points of aggravation than to force you to suffer them in earnest. In the case of Bound by Flame, I merrily sheared away until nothing remained.
It really just boils down to one question: Can you ignore the missteps and missed opportunities and simply focus on the entertaining gameplay, or will you be unable to get past those flaws? That's the key. This is why you're seeing such a discrepancy of scores. Some people can get past the flaws and enjoy themselves; others can't.
Ultimately it pains me to say this, but Bound by Flame is B-Grade. I hate calling it that as it means people are going to immediately assume that by saying so I'm saying it's inferior, but that's not the case at all. The game is constrained by budget and underproduced so there are technical and visionary flaws in the game, and it's disappointing that Spiders decided to stay on the safe side of narrative boundary pushing for the first time in its existence. But an enjoyable theme and combat system is just enough to make Bound by Flame addictive enough that it succeeded in holding my attention from start to finish.
Simply by staggering across the finish line first, Bound By Flame may seem to be an attractive proposition for PS4 RPG fans, but don't be fooled. With its shonky cut-scenes, its outdoor sound effects that play indoors and its linear maps, this is in no way a current-gen experience. It's a budget offering at a premium price - and a poor one at that.
Bound by Flame is far from perfect, but underneath a few rough edges, a memorable journey awaits, defined by an unpredictable storyline, and decisions that have a meaningful impact on the story. Not having to just be pure good or pure evil is interesting, the demon is always there even if you want to do the right thing and be a good guy. Hopefully this is just the first step into the icy world of Vertiel.
While parts of Bound By Flame are messy, its combat is strong enough to keep the fire stoked.
Bound by Flame is a generic Western RPG that is steeped in good intentions but plagued by poor execution. It gives the feeling that whatever budget the developer had was spent on the game's abstracts instead of the tangible mechanics that are necessary to make it playable.
Bound by Flame is a rough and dated-feeling role-playing game, but those who can look past its flaws will find a relatively enjoyable experience.
With its awful characters, inconsistent voice acting and combat hampered by problematic enemies, what little there is to enjoy is whittled away. It's something to be tasted when absolutely starved for RPGs and could provide enough sword and sorcery shenanigans to tide one over until something more appetizing comes along, but it's unlikely to prove fulfilling.
A Frankenstein's monster of other people's ideas, that if not for the sleazy script would be laughable in its desperation to include every fantasy cliché imaginable.
Originality is cherished in the video game industry. Just maybe not here
A cold experience