Blade of Darkness (2001)

 PC
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75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 159 Ratings

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  • Summary: Stunning, richly detailed fantasy world. Real-ime lighting casts eerie and terrifying shadows. Unrivaled blood and gore combat. Hack off an enemy's limb, then thrash him with it. Learn devastatingly fluid combo attacks and use them to slice your enemies to pieces. [Codemasters]
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 20
  3. Negative: 1 out of 20
  1. PC Gameworld
    95
    An excellent addition to the third-person genre, incorporating great components of sound, music, and visuals, as well as bolstering incredibly intense melee combat.
  2. IGN
    88
    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.
  3. PC Gamer
    82
    Successfully mixes numerous gameplay styles in one compelling package. [May 2001, p.84]
    All this publication's reviews
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  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. ActionTrip
    49
    Low "immersion factor". Two-bit, two-frame main character animation. Sluggish and awkward combat mode. Completely unoriginal puzzles. RPG elements are nothing more than a decoration - something to put on a box.

See all 20 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 39
  3. Negative: 1 out of 39
  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.. ;) )… Expand
  2. Solaris123
    Jan 3, 2020
    10
    one of the most underrated games ever made, an innovative approach to fighting, I respect in every respect, ahead of its time
  4. TomDeV.
    Apr 4, 2003
    10
    Yes, it's not the ultimate game. But for me, it comes very close. The general atmosphere of the levels, the design of the textures, Yes, it's not the ultimate game. But for me, it comes very close. The general atmosphere of the levels, the design of the textures, monsters etc, make this a great game. On top of that the fighting system that uses wepaon specific combos and a lot of timing your attacks, makes this a VERY great game. While the four characters (Knight, Barbarian, Amazone, Dwarf) only have one different level each, they all have their own set of weapons. The most fun part of the game is training yourself to use a huge combo and apply it to the goblins at hand. I love this game, the closest I can find now is Enclave, but that does not have half the charm or wit that BOD has.… Expand
  5. MoroseTroll
    Sep 8, 2014
    10
    The game is just perfect! Blade of Darkness is one of the best hack&slash games ever created for PC. It has many dozens of special attacks,The game is just perfect! Blade of Darkness is one of the best hack&slash games ever created for PC. It has many dozens of special attacks, dozens of weapons, and thousands of enemies waiting to be killed by you or to kill you most violent ways :).
    The game's engine was the most advanced at the time of release, because it supported dynamic light & shadows much earlier than any other game engine ever. When you see a torch, you'll just stay and watch how beautiful it is.
    The sound tracks is gorgeous, so you'll enjoy it for sure.
    All in all, it's a masterpiece. The disc version of the game is very hard to find these days, but the digital version is available on GOG.    … Expand
  6. RagingPoet
    Feb 12, 2018
    9
    9.5 out of 10
    One of the best PC slashers ever made, Blade of Darkness has amazing and brutal swordplay and dark atmosphere. Visuals look    9.5 out of 10
    One of the best PC slashers ever made, Blade of Darkness has amazing and brutal swordplay and dark atmosphere. Visuals look decent even today, 16+ years after it's release. The only flaw is lack of a plot, but you won't even notice it while decapitating goblins and painting the walls with orcs' blood.    … Expand
  7. DeusXCom
    Aug 5, 2014
    9
    This is a long forgotten gem. I remember struggling with it when it came out back in 2001, fighting hard for my life, learning new combos withThis is a long forgotten gem. I remember struggling with it when it came out back in 2001, fighting hard for my life, learning new combos with unique weapons and fighting my way through the hordes of incredibly hard creatures set in the dark fantasy setting, until I finally reached the end, filled with a huge satisfaction that I went successfully through something truly hardcore. Wait a second, does this sound familiar? Yup, Dark Souls of the previous decade. 9/10… Expand
  8. TowerOfError
    Oct 10, 2021
    2
    I found it was best played with keyboard only configuration, as mouse and turning keyboard commands conflict often otherwise. Considering theI found it was best played with keyboard only configuration, as mouse and turning keyboard commands conflict often otherwise. Considering the time of its release and better games that flanked it several years prior and one year after (Jedi Outcast and Enclave), BoD is a ho hum jankfest by comparison. I couldn't even bring myself to finish the first level because it was so mediocre and boring. Thankfully, I didn't have nostalgia goggles on when playing this game after the GoG re-release recently.… Expand

See all 39 User Reviews

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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

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