Blade of Darkness (2001)

After a fighter has leveled up and gamers have mastered the combos, BoD can be pretty damn cool. The lighting effects are superb, the music is moody and there is plenty of action. Turn up the volume, turn out the lights and you'll have a thick slice of fun.

A pretty darn satisfying experience. The battles are intense, the gore is outrageous, the levels are well designed, the graphics are superb, and there is a save anywhere feature. Thank God for that. So if you are looking for a challenging and beautiful adventure, you'll want to check this one out.

But I could not help but enjoy this program, even with the blood and mutilation modes turned on, because of the ‘feel’ of the game (the nice sense that the world was one where common elements, like light and even gravity – throwing objects is very cool – have meaning).

Successfully mixes numerous gameplay styles in one compelling package. [May 2001, p.84]

There will always be a place for simple violent diversions in gaming, and this is one of those that seems to balance a few contemporary technical features with classic gameplay to create an experience that is quite simply fun.

If nothing else… beating an orc with an arm is enough of a reason to check it out.

Mixing down and dirty hack-and-slash action with some light puzzle solving; Blade of Darkness makes a simple concept work. With enough blood spurting and gib spraying to send Joe Lieberman and his cohorts running for cover, this is slicing and dicing at its finest.

An extremely difficult action RPG with some nice graphics and high system requirements. It's a game of trade-offs that will appeal to a hardcore audience but does not have broad crossover appeal.

Despite the so-so sounds and demanding controls, Blade of Darkness is an entertaining action/adventure game where it pays to keep your wits honed and your sword sharpened.

I liken Blade of Darkness to a popcorn flick. Check your brain at the door, this one’s all about the special effects and boisterous fighting scenes.

I have to be honest. I simply lost interest in this game.

It's got some problems and takes some time to get into, but it should otherwise appeal to players who've enjoyed previous hack-and-slash action games, or those who like the idea of them.

It's definitely a good thing that Blade of Darkness exists, therefore its 2021 update is more than welcome, despite the fact that it is an extremely conservative remaster that hasn't really "fixed" the game. Flaws put aside, though, this is not one of those titles that belong in the past and are best left there to collect dust. It's not a title to recommend to just anyone, especially to those with an aversion to its heavy "retro" sensibilities, but those who can get past the clunky and slightly unreliable controls, and stomach the occasionally repetitive gameplay, will immediately get immersed to the strong atmosphere of this Conan the Barbarian-meets-Dark Souls fantasy land of sword and sorcery. And death. Plenty, and plenty of bloody death.

Twenty years later, Blade of Darkness offers a fine-enough retro-style action experience. The combat system and gory decapitations will be of interest to fans of the genre, but one’s enjoyment will ultimately depend on nostalgia, or perhaps one’s tolerance for repetitive, clunky combat from 2001.

It's hard not to feel some satisfaction from decapitating an enemy with a cunningly timed swipe then watching his headless body loll for a few moments before collapsing in a heap. Or how about this - slice off a baddy's arm then pick it up and beat his mate to death with it. Blimmin' marvellous.

For a budget title, Blade of Darkness ain't so bad, despite its weaknesses. If you've run out of games to play, give it a whirl, just don't expect the world.

I just wish it wasn't so mediocre.

Unfortunately, it seems that Rebel Act might have bitten off more than it can chew. Although the swordplay is Blade Of Darkness' greatest strength, it's also its greatest weakness. The sluggish interface is the main problem.