A band of mercenaries hired to protect a secretive occult organisation desperate to turn the tide of war against the nefarious Ice Lords who are hellbent on destroying all life. During a fervent magick invocation under the threat of imminent attack, the occultist unwitting unleash an ancient entity who possesses the living body of a mercenary. And so the tale of fire and death begins....but do we care?
Well, this Spiders offering enters the annals of gaming history, being the first RPG on a 'new gen' console. However, with all things new, there are flaws. But on the plus side, there is a pretty good game hidden beneath the numerous low ratings and unfavourable reviews from all the commercial video game review sites.
Bound By Flame is an action RPG very much in the vein of Witcher 2 and Dark Souls. Although far from polished, this game isn't as bad as its made out to be.
Firstly, let us get the horrific script and lousy voice acting out of the way. The games attempt at humor fails miserably and the candid banter sound like it came of the typewriter of Michael Bay. In a word, this is the stinkiest part of the game which is a pity because RPGs rely on good story telling to move the plot along.
The heart of the game lies in the combat system. Our protagonist is a proficient killer. Skilled in two distinct fighting styles that can be switched on the fly to deal with threats of all kinds. On top of this, there is a spell casting ability that vastly improves offensive and defensive manoeuvrings.
Bound By Flame is by no means an easy game. Expect to be overwhelmed by mobs of foes who can shred our hero in no time. Survival only comes through the strategic use of combat techniques like blocking, parrying along with evasion, counter attacks and riposte.
As the characters level escalates so will the scale difficulty and hardiness of the enemies. Power leveling will get you absolutely no where. However, diligent tweaking of armor and equipment will provide an edge filled with stats boosting goodness which can tip the balance in a fight.
Bound By Flame has an excellent crafting system that is easy to use and can be done at anytime and anywhere, that includes in the midst of battle. Cheap, yes. And why not? Being ambushed by a herd of giant ticks is equally cheap.
While the graphics are nothing to shout about, the music deserves special mention here. Pieces composed by the maestro who worked on Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag and Remember Me will delight one and all with an audio sensory assault that dictates the atmosphere and adds tension through out the game.
Bound By Flame isn't going to win any GOTY awards, but it is clearly obvious the developers wanted to provide the best experience within their means and capabilities. While it may not be good enough for some, it is, however an above average effort that will appeal to hardcore RPG fans and casual players might find it to be a pleasant surprise. It will provide a entertaining challenge while we await the much anticipated emergence of Dragon Age Inquisition.
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