Bound by Flame Reviews

Bound by Flame is ranked in the 10th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8.5 / 10.0
May 8, 2014

Bound by Flame is not by any means bad, but it's not spectacular either, falling into the category of good but lacking some elements to make it great. The combat has its issues, some parts of the story feel a bit contrived, but for the most part the game is pretty solid.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
May 8, 2014

Fun combat, customization, and decision making overpower the cliché plot and monotonous enemy lineup

Read full review

8 / 10.0
May 18, 2014

Bound By Flames is a fun and very competent RPG whose pros clearly overshadow its cons. It's not perfect, it's not from a big budget studio, isn't 100+ hours, and it doesn't say Scrolls, Age, or Souls on the box, but any fan of the genre should give it a legit shot -- I think they'll be pleasantly surprised as I was.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
May 9, 2014

Bound by Flame is a game that many will undoubtedly gain a huge amount of enjoyment from. Shortcomings of bad character interactions and weak contributions from NPCs are something that's easy to look past on.

Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
May 13, 2014

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.

Read full review

7.4 / 10.0
May 12, 2014

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.

Read full review

7.3 / 10.0
May 12, 2014

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.

Read full review

IGN
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
May 12, 2014

While parts of Bound By Flame are messy, its combat is strong enough to keep the fire stoked.

Read full review

May 8, 2014

Bound by Flame doesn't put too much weight on the important choices you think you're making, but its rich customization options and smart combat system are sure to give you that power you're looking for.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
May 9, 2014

It's not a long game by any means, requiring about fifteen hours or so depending on how much you decide to explore, but sometimes you just don't need 40 or 50 hours to kick ass and take names. Sometimes you need a set of dull armor, Vulcan's attitude, and a demon to kickstart your hunger for meatier storytelling and content delivery. Bound By Flame is the midnight snack that sates, but leaves you wanting something a bit more savory. But when the snack is this tasty, you may find yourself coming back for a second helping a lot quicker than you might think.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Jun 10, 2014

Bound By Flame was almost made to be divisive. If you love gameplay above all else, then this will be an enjoyable experience for you. But if you're more of a story-driven gamer, then it would be wise to steer clear of this particular title.

Read full review

70%
May 9, 2014

It's an action RPG from Spiders: awkward, sloppy, and too small for its own good, but entertaining enough for what it is.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
May 14, 2014

There are some solid mechanics here that are marred by some significant issues, preventing the game from becoming a classic.

Read full review

Gamers Heroes
Captain Camper
Top Critic
7 / 10
May 30, 2014

The raw nature of the dialogue, the impressive depth of the companions and their personalities, the artistically impressive and varied environments and the typically over-heroic culmination of the story combine to deliver a package that somehow forces you to forget the downfalls and just enjoy a basic, old-school RPG experience that tried too hard at being something it isn’t.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
May 9, 2014

As I'm sure anyone can tell from the discombobulation of words here, I have struggled with my thoughts about Bound by Flame. I have enjoyed it, I really have, but how can I explain it to others? What about it makes it something I must recommend to all of my RPG-loving friends? The sad truth is that there is nothing extraordinary about it to tell anyone Bound by Flame should be on their must-play lists for 2014. Most of the game is very well done, but none of it is that innovative or imaginative. It's fun, but it's a slightly above average RPG.

Read full review

Digitally Downloaded
Matt S.
Top Critic
May 12, 2014

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.

Read full review

65 / 100
May 9, 2014

Ultimately Spider's follow up to Mars: War Logs is a far better effort than its predecessor. You can't help but appreciate the effort put forth, as well as the fantastic concepts and new approach to storytelling. Bound by Flame provides engaging mechanics and choices that actually matter, if you can stomach the horrible voice work.

Read full review

Ken McKown
Top Critic
6.5 / 10.0
May 22, 2014

Bound by Flame is a great, terrible game. Something about it kept me wanting to push through its problems to find the enjoyment buried within. I can't explain why a game that does so much wrong entertained me so much. I couldn't stop playing it despite its issues. There is just something endearing about this game.

Read full review

6.5 / 10.0
May 14, 2014

Bound By Flame strives to live up to its forefathers, and while it doesn't exactly fail, it does make some serious mistakes that drag the experience down.

Read full review

6.5 / 10.0
May 9, 2014

The entire war never appears and most consequences are forgotten. If that doesn't sound fun to you, then don't get it. Yes it did satisfy that a-bit-less-hard-than-Dark Souls-please RPG itch while I played it, but Bound By Flame is not a game I'll be returning to. Shame. Make the corridors a bit wider next time please.

Read full review