Blade of Darkness (2001)

 PC
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 20
  3. Negative: 1 out of 20
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  1. Game Over Online
    74
    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.
  2. Gamer's Pulse
    73
    I have to be honest. I simply lost interest in this game.
  3. GameSpot
    72
    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.
  5. Cubed3
    Dec 20, 2021
    70
    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.
  6. GameCritics
    Nov 11, 2021
    65
    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.
  7. Spank!
    60
    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.
    All this publication's reviews
  8. Happy Puppy
    60
    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.
  9. Game Revolution
    50
    I just wish it wasn't so mediocre.
  10. GamePower
    50
    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.
    All this publication's reviews

Awards & Rankings

69
#69 Best PC Game of 2001
16
#16 Most Discussed PC Game of 2001
14
#14 Most Shared PC Game of 2001

User Reviews

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User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 159 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 137 out of 159
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 159
  3. Negative: 13 out of 159
  1. asdrubael
    Jun 3, 2011
    10
    I hate those review magazines..THIS WAS THE BEST F*CKIN AWESOME hack and slash 3rd person game of its time.Period.A TRUE LEGEND!!!The shadowsI hate those review magazines..THIS WAS THE BEST F*CKIN AWESOME hack and slash 3rd person game of its time.Period.A TRUE LEGEND!!!The shadows were overwhelming,the music was trully epic,the battles were really hard,the enemies were f*cking awesome and brutal,the fatalities differed if you hit different parts of the body..pure awesomeness!!!Although mainly underrated by the press,i remember PC magazine gave it a 90%!!!Thank god i saw it on the package and bought it immediately!(ps.PC magazine of that time was really nasty on scoring.. ;) )… Full Review »
  2. harney
    Aug 17, 2015
    10
    A true classic for its time and still is very much enjoyable today this game set the standard there is even a cult following for the game.A true classic for its time and still is very much enjoyable today this game set the standard there is even a cult following for the game.
    Such a shame the Spanish company rebel act studios closed soon after ..... this for me was the most immersive and atmospheric game i ever played never mind how difficult it was to play ...that what made it very challenging.....such a shame the game failed because of marketing ..THIS IS A TRUE CLASSIC

    I quote ..

    This game is the first and only game, which can perform water reflection wave effect only using Directx 7.0 hardware (Geforce 2 or Radeon 7500; perhaps even Nvidia Riva TNT is enough to perform water effects at the same quality level like in DirectX 8 or higher).

    However, the game failed to become popular, mainly due to bad marketing. Other reasons for the relatively low sales were the untimely publication (neither the code nor the storyline had been finalized) and the lack of gameplay difficulty levels - the game proved to be too difficult on "factory" defaults for many players. Nonetheless it did establish a large cult following that still exists today.    … Full Review »
  3. KnightSolair
    Feb 7, 2014
    10
    This is one of the rare games that put you in a truly battle for life and death, and give you a real reason the continue to play over. TheThis is one of the rare games that put you in a truly battle for life and death, and give you a real reason the continue to play over. The only games that have such atmosphere is Gothic series and Souls series. This is a game that we rarely seen our days because people have become so nobs and lure for easy games, where you are the only supreme hero with infinite powers that save the world. Such a shame for our future of gaming. If this is the future of gaming, then I choose the old class games like this one.… Full Review »
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