Bound by Flame

 PC
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 437 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 219 out of 437
  2. Mixed: 136 out of 437
  3. Negative: 82 out of 437

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  1. Usser
    May 9, 2014
    7
    Its Good Game
    +Its have very good dark story
    +You feel the weight of your hero when you fight
    +Good Graphic on pc

    -Voice acting
    -Sometimes bugs
  2. Bustardo
    May 9, 2014
    7
    No idea why this is getting such low reviews from people. This is a fun RPG aimed at adults. I'm not very far into it, but so far I've found nothing to complain about. Most of the bad reviews seem to stem from strange complaints such as "Well the combat system could have been more like this other game I like... etc." If you're on the fence and you like RPG's definitely give it a try. I'mNo idea why this is getting such low reviews from people. This is a fun RPG aimed at adults. I'm not very far into it, but so far I've found nothing to complain about. Most of the bad reviews seem to stem from strange complaints such as "Well the combat system could have been more like this other game I like... etc." If you're on the fence and you like RPG's definitely give it a try. I'm going to write a better review once I complete it, but so far I've been having fun.… Expand
  3. johnangel
    May 9, 2014
    7
    A nice and fun game, it isn't skyrim or dark souls but it's a nice enjoyable game and good at what it does.
    Could use a patch or two.
    I don't get all the negativity really.
  4. Drogmir
    May 9, 2014
    7
    This game strikes me as something like a B movie version of Kingdoms of Amalur mixed with The Witcher 1.

    Storywise it's a kind of dark fantasy dark that's reminiscent of Dragon Age's you're the chosen one go save the world. Except that your character is a foul mouthed mercenary idiot, so it's kind of funny watching him spout really strange lines completely inconsistent with the    This game strikes me as something like a B movie version of Kingdoms of Amalur mixed with The Witcher 1.

    Storywise it's a kind of dark fantasy dark that's reminiscent of Dragon Age's you're the chosen one go save the world. Except that your character is a foul mouthed mercenary idiot, so it's kind of funny watching him spout really strange lines completely inconsistent with the atmosphere of the game.

    Your companions have enough character to make them interesting but not really that compelling. At the very least though they're more interesting to listen to than your main character.

    The demon aspect is a little underplayed but what is there works well enough.

    Gameplay wise- it's like an inferior version of Kingdom of Amalur's sort of scrappy skirmishing with deadliness more in vein with Darksouls. It's clear that Spiders didn't really take the time to balance it out as the skill trees are only worth investing into the Ranger mode and Pyromancy since their combat's interrupt mechanic makes anything slow a death trap.

    Graphics: They tend to vary from pretty nice to something cheaply off.

    Music: Actually pretty good, the vocals do a really good job without sounding too generic.

    Overall I liked it for what it is, a cheap B-movie worthy Fantasy fare RPG. It's functional but never brilliant. With a larger budget and a better writing team it could have been phenomenal instead of a good time waster.

    In a lot of ways it really does reminds me of the Witcher 1 before it received an overhaul patch which replaced the dialog to make it less silly and tonally weird. I think that's the kind of thing this game needs along with combat re balancing. If they could deliver it in the form of a patch it would go up 1-2 points easily.

    I only paid about $27 for it and I feel that's a fair price. Any higher though and I might have felt ripped off for the quality delivered.    … Expand
  5. robotnist
    May 9, 2014
    8
    i have the game on PS4, its nice to have an actual RPG to play along with the MMO FF14. so here's the deal, i'm a huge RPG fan, so take my score with a grain of salt. my fave RPGs are PSO, elder scrolls franchise, dragon age origins, basically anything bioware etc. i came to metacritic to check out a review right after my girlfriend bought me a copy today and was freaked out to see a 4 outi have the game on PS4, its nice to have an actual RPG to play along with the MMO FF14. so here's the deal, i'm a huge RPG fan, so take my score with a grain of salt. my fave RPGs are PSO, elder scrolls franchise, dragon age origins, basically anything bioware etc. i came to metacritic to check out a review right after my girlfriend bought me a copy today and was freaked out to see a 4 out of 10 from one of my fave sites, Polygon. (but they also gave ESO a 6/10 so guess i'm not surprised).

    i immediately thought to myself, "maybe i shouldn't open the packaging and take it back?"

    im so glad i didn't!!!!

    BbF is a great RPG!!! the GFX don't "scream" next gen, but they're def NOT old gen!!! in fact i'm very anal about frame-rates and textures/lighting/anti-aliasing, what have you, and i'm very happy with all of the above. it also needs to be noted i'm not one of those RPG, or to be precise, "JRPG" fans who complain about western localization/voice-over as opposed to having the japanese voices that are ultimately the most obnoxious aspects of all RPGs, ever, lol. meaning as long as voices are semi-professional i have NO issue what so ever with them. i mean japan INVENTED obnoxiousness, come one. i say that lovingly, it was japan who delivered me to my love of RPGs in my childhood with the likes of dragon warrior, phantasy star and final fantasy!!!

    the story works great. let me elaborate... when i say works, i'm not a story snob as far as games go. so many people hold their nose up at stories that aren't the next "memento" of games... i feel as though if the story has interesting lore, and it supports the game play, it "works". i play games for the fun of the gameplay, the story works for me if it doesn't interfere with the fun i'm having.

    the combat in BbF is so good. i was, again, blown away at how well this aspect of the game was handled. and the way you advance your character lets you choose whether you want him to be a warrior, ranger (rogue) or mage. and depending on how u spend your points, 2 skill points per level and 1 feat per level makes tweaking your character fun. it kind of reminds me of dragon age here, where in DAO ur skills kind of handle some of the esoteric features of gameplay.

    there are so many times i played this game and felt references to RPGs that have come out in the past few years, and here they are, i hope this helps u make a decision to purchase this game if this is what you enjoy.

    i sensed the new game of thrones RPG right off the bat, now i agree that game isn't as good as it could be, but it had great ideas with simply poor execution. where BbF shares any similarities here i said to myself "this is what GoT the RPG, SHOULD have been".

    another game i felt it resembled early on was DA2s weapon type attacks. but bound by flame has all active combat the really trumps DA2, even though i am a huge fan of DA2 (being a bioware game as well)

    and most importantly, i kept getting a nagging feeling about a game from my past that this game really felt like... i couldn't remember and then it hit me 3-4 hours in, this is a new age Jade Empire!!!

    it has map setups just like JE. now i know thats not the most promising aspect here, the maps in bound by flame ARE NOT open world. they're not even as large as Dragon Age Origins, but they are very fun to explore and find loot for upgrading, crafting. there's tons of nooks and crannies and the character/item/skill advancement is SO much fun, the maps don't detract AT ALL!!! in fact, they really are large enough in the cities and wilds to keep the combat to explore ratio perfect!!! and you never tire of either, that's probably the best thing i can say about bound by flame!!!

    so for those of you who made it this far, i just wanted to say, i wrote this HUGE obnoxious review because so many times i have been curious about a new game, and i have come to metacritic and been disappointed by a lack of info in the areas I'M interested in. i don't care how the story of a new game starts, how reviews are so apt to talk about them for paragraphs, i want to know how the game "feels" in my hands.

    hopefully, if your an RPG fan like me and your on the fence, you will have enough info to decide if Bound By Flame is the game for you. either way, i hope this all helped, cheers.    … Expand
  6. sauriolb
    May 9, 2014
    8
    Bound by Flame is much better than the "pros" are leading you to believe. It is not perfect by any means, but it is still a damn good action rpg. The combat takes some practice but it is actually very engaging as has a lot of depth that the reviewers are just not bothering to learn before reviewing. The story is decent, but the english localization does lead to some strange dialogue. TheBound by Flame is much better than the "pros" are leading you to believe. It is not perfect by any means, but it is still a damn good action rpg. The combat takes some practice but it is actually very engaging as has a lot of depth that the reviewers are just not bothering to learn before reviewing. The story is decent, but the english localization does lead to some strange dialogue. The visuals are fantastic, one of the better looking games this year.… Expand
  7. MONG
    May 9, 2014
    9
    Bound by Flame could have easily been just another fantasy RPG clone that we see hit the market every few months, which is honestly what I expected it might be. But it wasn’t, instead it’s flames shined brighter than I could have ever imagined it could. Highlighted by a thrilling story and fun strategic combat, Bound by Flame should be a game everyone plays.

    For a little context, The    Bound by Flame could have easily been just another fantasy RPG clone that we see hit the market every few months, which is honestly what I expected it might be. But it wasn’t, instead it’s flames shined brighter than I could have ever imagined it could. Highlighted by a thrilling story and fun strategic combat, Bound by Flame should be a game everyone plays.

    For a little context, The world in Bound by Flame has been forced into chaos and ruin by the Deadwalkers, an army of rotting, deformed, and downright disgusting zombie-like creatures. The Deadwalkers were summoned over 150 years ago by the Lords of Ice, who are hell-bent on conquering the world. The Lords of Ice are a circle of mysterious immortal necromancers who have been successfully leading their legions of undead in the extermination of all other known races.

    By the time your quest begins, most of the sentient lifeforms have been wiped off the map and have unwillingly joined the Deadwalker army. You enter the story as Vulcan, an upstart human mercenary with a bad attitude and a whole lot of sass. Disaster strikes while protecting a group of mages and Vulcan accidentally ends up on the wrong side of a Demon summoning spell and becomes possessed.

    As the fight against the Lords of Ice and their Deadwalker army wages on, Vulcan is constantly tormented by the Demon, tempting him to give up his humanity in order to gain unheard-of levels of magical powers. You are given several chances either take up the demons offer, or preserve your humanity, which can significantly change the story outcome and Vulcan’s appearance.

    Spiders did a fantastic job at establishing both compelling lore and an awesome story. I found myself talking to every single character, while making sure to investigate all dialogue options so as not to miss any of this rich story. Most of the story is told through these dialogue investigations, so if you decide to skip them you will surely miss out.

    One aspect that sets Bound by Flame apart from other fantasy RPGs is that it doesn’t bother overloading you with thousands of meaningless sidequests. I will admit, I was once a gamer obsessed with finishing every single sidequest in every game just to say I did it, but that is not the case anymore. I simply do not have the time or the patience to spend hundreds of hours completing fetch quests and other throwaway chores for characters you will never speak to again.

    I was able to complete both the main questline and the majority of the sidequests available in just over 25 hours. Even if you take your time and dive even deeper into the story that I did, you will still only clock in about 30-35 hours. This is the perfect length for a great fantasy RPG and I commend Spiders for hitting nail on the head.

    Bound by Flame looks absolutely gorgeous. Spiders built a world of incredibly diverse environments. However, when comparing Bound by Flame’s unique art style to that of other games in the genre, it doesn’t quite compare the the photorealism that many games have achieved in recent years.

    The voice acting in Bound by Flame was far better than what I had expected. But sometimes you will be taken out of the experience because the lip syncing is basically nonexistent. This can be annoying if you are paying close attention to a character’s mouth, but honestly it is not that big of a deal when very few studios actually get this right.

    The most common question I have seen asked about Bound by Flame has been, “What is the combat system like?” Well good news, it is fun. However it can be a little difficult and will require strategy to get through most fights. This is not a game where you can run into a large group of enemies and just hack-and-slash your way to victory with no second thought. In fact, that is the easiest way to find yourself dying quicker than the amount of time it took you to run into them.

    The strategy required to defeat the many different beasts and Deadwalkers increases tenfold when you encounter a boss fight. Spiders did a great job when designing their terrifying set of bosses. Not only are each of them horrifyingly creepy looking, but they also all have completely new styles as well. If you are anything like me, you will find yourself dying several times on every boss encounter until you can finally develop a well-oiled strategy.

    Bound by Flame is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise crowded genre. Spiders has achieved what many developers fail to ever do by creating a beautiful world with an incredibly deep and interesting history while also including a rock solid combat system. I was very glad that I didn’t have to be bothered by all of the silly distractions that are in most triple a RPG’s on the market today. Hopefully this is a step forward in getting rid of fetch quests just for the sake of making a game longer. Bound by Flame was everything I wanted it to be and then some.    … Expand
  8. Masatshi
    May 9, 2014
    7
    I thought this game was crap. Thankfully, I did not listen to the bad reviews and played it myself... okay I admit, the graphics suck, technically its a bit of a mess and the voice acting is really bad sometimes, but I like the gameplay, the story and the characters. This is not a hack-n-slay game, you have to think in battle, otherwise you die very quickly. If you think this plays likeI thought this game was crap. Thankfully, I did not listen to the bad reviews and played it myself... okay I admit, the graphics suck, technically its a bit of a mess and the voice acting is really bad sometimes, but I like the gameplay, the story and the characters. This is not a hack-n-slay game, you have to think in battle, otherwise you die very quickly. If you think this plays like DmC or something, go look elsewhere. This game is like a snack if you are hungry. It will not completely satisfy you, but you will be happy until the next big meal comes along...… Expand
  9. EMG
    May 9, 2014
    10
    I stopped caring when the same reviewers who are bashing this game give the likes of every Call of Duty every year a 10/10 and the likes of Diablo 3 a 10/10 praising it for being....fun. I have played 3 hours so far, and honestly it is a bit rough around the edges and is in no way GOTY but it is FUN for me at least, the game is simply enjoyable if you go into it with the right frame ofI stopped caring when the same reviewers who are bashing this game give the likes of every Call of Duty every year a 10/10 and the likes of Diablo 3 a 10/10 praising it for being....fun. I have played 3 hours so far, and honestly it is a bit rough around the edges and is in no way GOTY but it is FUN for me at least, the game is simply enjoyable if you go into it with the right frame of mind..."professional" reviewers are just people except they either have biased towards a game or were not paid enough :) 10/10 for keeping me engaged.… Expand
  10. kurumbu1
    May 9, 2014
    9
    Great game and fun what is most important

    Gameplay-9
    Graphics-8
    Sound-7
    Length-8
    This game do not deserve a score like 20 or 40!
    Really GOOD game, from me 9 because some pathetic score who think that this game want to be comparison with Dragon age 3 or Witcher 3
  11. Proelio
    May 9, 2014
    5
    A mediocre game in all aspects. Visually it is awful. The music is fine, although the voice acting is painful. The story is absurd, childish and poorly led, on the other hand, it seems that the script is written by a 14 year old boy, full of expletives and cheap swagger like something out of DmC. All characters have a cocky, shameless and sassy attitude, like stupid clones.

    Luckily, the    A mediocre game in all aspects. Visually it is awful. The music is fine, although the voice acting is painful. The story is absurd, childish and poorly led, on the other hand, it seems that the script is written by a 14 year old boy, full of expletives and cheap swagger like something out of DmC. All characters have a cocky, shameless and sassy attitude, like stupid clones.

    Luckily, the gameplay gets saved, thanks to a relatively interesting battleplay but burdened by a rough and robotic movements and animations, plus a bad control. The customization system by crafting is simple but interesting. Partners give a little sparkle to the fighting.    … Expand
  12. zombiekilljoy
    May 12, 2014
    8
    while its lip synching and friendly companion a.i. are not very good, bound by flame is still a fun action rpg with fun strategic hack and slash combat with a great crafting system as well
  13. rlilewis
    Feb 5, 2015
    6
    How any self respecting reviewer can give this game a 2 out of 10 (see "VideoGamer") is mind boggling. After just completing my full playthrough (clocked at 16 hours on steam) I think this game is actually worthy of 6/10 and I can easily see myself doing another run to find how the other alignment or combat styles play out.

    I'd like to confirm that I didn't get a single crash through    How any self respecting reviewer can give this game a 2 out of 10 (see "VideoGamer") is mind boggling. After just completing my full playthrough (clocked at 16 hours on steam) I think this game is actually worthy of 6/10 and I can easily see myself doing another run to find how the other alignment or combat styles play out.

    I'd like to confirm that I didn't get a single crash through this game and very few glitches that are even worth mentioning; I once dodged through a wall but didn't get stuck and it didn't impede my play, that's honestly all I can remember and it happened one time. This in stark contrast to games like Battlefield 4 and Rome 2 Total War, no doubt given 9 out of 10s from these idiot critics.

    This game was clearly designed for a controller but you can play with mouse and keyboard and has rebindable keys. I personally used an xbox style controller for my first playthrough and there are definitely some annoyances in the button mappings, the A key especially on the controller gets used far too often for opening doors, sheathing your weapon, picking up loot and even breaking stealth. On the flip side the B and Y buttons are barely used aside from hotkeys in combat. The keyboard/mouse combo has less shared function keys so I will probably use this for my next playthrough.

    I really don't understand why many are saying the voice acting and script writing are terrible; from these 2/10 professional imbecile reviewers I was expecting something on par with a terrible porn movie yet what I actually got was solid and often times humorous dialogue from unique sounding characters; it's such a breath of fresh air not to hear Steve Blum in a video game!

    The story is cliche and nothing amazing but it's serviceable and got me emotionally engaged on a few occasions, certainly more than I could say for the utter snore fest that was Skyrim.

    This game does seem to have a fascination with cut scenes, which can be very annoying especially if you're playing a stealth character that up till that point had remained undetected before suddenly being thrown into a cut scene and having your weapon switched out and stealth blown for no reason.

    Combat can be frustrating at times, but after learning the quirks of the combat system and speccing my character properly I could go for long periods without dying but if you drop the ball you can be very quickly killed. The boss fights are the real annoyances but at the same time they force you to think up strategies on how you're going to handle them using all the tools and skills available to you. There is definitely room for improvement however as the combat can feel clunky. The ranger for example has a dodge ability but they will only dodge backwards meaning you can often get backed into a corner. It would have been nice to dodge around an enemy or when dodging backwards have the ability to go further back in a single dodge. Also the ultimate ability for the range was terrible and I very rarely used it; it takes far too long to cast, doesn't last long enough and is just underwhelming for an ultimate ability.

    Another sticky point in the combat is the companions of which you can normally only have one. I think the game could have been significantly improved had they allowed 2 companions to cover your weaknesses. It doesn't help that the AI for your companions is about as intelligent as the moron that critic from "VideoGamer" that gave this game a 2/10; mage or archer characters for example will often just stand in a single spot getting repeatedly hit by melee attackers and none of the companions use their skills in an efficient manner, most of the time they will just spam the same skill over and over again despite the type of target they are fighting.

    All in all I thought this was a solid yet ultimately deeply flawed 6/10 action RPG game that I would recommend to fans of the genre although if you are a call of duty addled imbecile you may want to give it a pass.    … Expand
  14. Chaeote
    May 12, 2014
    7
    Ok, first off, the game isn't BAD... just...troubled.

    I'm gonna break it down into sections so you can understand easier. Also, gonna draw a lot of comparisons so you can see where this fits within the genre as a whole. Graphics: Pretty damn good actually, not SUPER realistic, but they fit the fantasy vibe, and the textures are GREAT, I'd put it about half-way between Dragon Age 2,    Ok, first off, the game isn't BAD... just...troubled.

    I'm gonna break it down into sections so you can understand easier. Also, gonna draw a lot of comparisons so you can see where this fits within the genre as a whole.

    Graphics: Pretty damn good actually, not SUPER realistic, but they fit the fantasy vibe, and the textures are GREAT, I'd put it about half-way between Dragon Age 2, and The Witcher 2.

    Sound: The soundtrack is GREAT. A bit repetitive when you spend so much time in one area, but what game isn't?, besides it's soothing. The sound effect are passable, though the fire spells could use a bit more bass-level oomph to em.

    Gameplay: Again, not bad. Repetitive combat? Sure, at times, one way around this is to max one of the Melee skill trees and get really good at dodging (daggers), or parrying (2-hander), It feels like a stepped up version of Dragon Age 2. Simple, but with a few little tricks here and there.

    With one problem: It's stupid hard. No, not just "hard", Dark Souls is HARD, this is STUPID. Enemies can make attacks that you can't, can stun-lock you (being knockdown, pushed back, and then clobbered over the head is just dumb when you cant do the same to the enemies).

    I know it sounds like a cheap way out...but just play the game on the lowest difficulty. There's no reason not to, and it seems to actually put the enemy damage on par with your own.

    The crafting system, is great too, everything is upgradable, and changes appearance with each upgrade. You have to pay attention though, cause certain upgrades aren't available on every piece of armor. So you have to decide if you want the armor that you can upgrade to increase your protections, or do you give some up for a piece of armor with bonus fire damage upgrades?

    Voice Acting/Writing: ...... ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

    Ok... The voice actors themselves, aren't BAD, in fact I've noticed a few recognizable voices in the game too (Felicia Day, Claudia Black, a few others). The actual voice acting is... sub-par, it justs sounds like it's lacking production value, and sounds like it's phoned in a bit. People are harping on the female leads voice actor, and yea, it's weird, sometimes she sounds like Laura Bailey (which i can't confirm if it's her or not), but sometimes she sounds....drunk, is the only way I can put it, there's this weird slur she has in random scenes, that just sounds out of place.

    I'd say the biggest problem though, isn't the voice actors, but the writing.... holy **** A lot of the dialog is just FORCED, with meaningless (and weird) swearing. Right in the beginning of the game, the male protagonist will say "Caught with our asses hanging out", which makes sense... but then the female protagonist says "Caught with our asses in our hands"...uh what? Shouldn't it be "...with our dicks in our hands?", or be the same as the male protagonist?

    There's also a LOT of lines, that I know are suppose to be snarky and sarcastic, but the way they come off, is just weird, like when actors take their roles just a bit too seriously, even though they're playing in a comedy.

    The writing is probably the biggest complaint I have, but honestly, if you can put up with the writing and voice-acting from games like Risen, or Dragon's Dogma (which, let's be honest, the voice acting in those games...wasn't very good...) Then you'll be fine here.

    Speaking of which, I'd say the overall feel of the game, is very much Dragon Age 2 crossed with Risen. If you like those, give this a try, the game isn't perfect by any means, and there's definitely some noticeable... errors, in it's production value, but it's not BAD.

    Besides, except for Dark Souls 2, what other Action RPG/ Dungeon Crawler can youn play right now, until Witcher and Dragon Age 3 come out?    … Expand
  15. OutWithTheOld
    Jun 30, 2017
    7
    It's obviously not a high budget masterpiece, but i enjoyed it a lot.
    -Graphics are fine, apart from the speech animations, which seem to throw me back to ps2 era.
    -Story is decent. The whole demon possession is a great concept. The execution is a little lacking however. Some of the voice acting is a little stiff and the humor is hit or miss. -Combat really saves the game, but its not    It's obviously not a high budget masterpiece, but i enjoyed it a lot.
    -Graphics are fine, apart from the speech animations, which seem to throw me back to ps2 era.
    -Story is decent. The whole demon possession is a great concept. The execution is a little lacking however. Some of the voice acting is a little stiff and the humor is hit or miss.
    -Combat really saves the game, but its not for people who want to bull rush through. You're going to get your ass kicked, especially if you're impatient.

    All in all I'd say it's flawed, but enjoyable. Get it in a sale.    … Expand
  16. natural_45
    Jan 7, 2016
    9
    I'm having a blast playing this game! The combat system on this game is awesome! To me, the combat system reminds me a little of Soul Calibur, which is an awesome thing. I gave it a 9 only because the graphics aren't PS4 quality, but that doesn't bother me. I have a bunch of RPG games that are new and I play this game way more than them. If you have a good sense of humor, you'll laugh yourI'm having a blast playing this game! The combat system on this game is awesome! To me, the combat system reminds me a little of Soul Calibur, which is an awesome thing. I gave it a 9 only because the graphics aren't PS4 quality, but that doesn't bother me. I have a bunch of RPG games that are new and I play this game way more than them. If you have a good sense of humor, you'll laugh your a$$ off at the dialouge and voice acting. Some of the stuff they say are funny. I highly recommend this game as long as you're not expecting the game to be like the bigger bugget companies. If Bound by Flame 2 ever comes out, I'll be the first in line to buy it. Great game.… Expand
  17. AbeMC
    Jul 10, 2017
    5
    Bound By Flame is a checklist attempt by a small studio at a BioWare-style RPG. High level of polish, decent story, and some interesting characters, but claustrophobic level design, low-res textures, unexciting voice acting, and a nonsensical final boss make this a “meh” recommendation.
    Total size on my hard drive: 4.7 GB
    - - I’m putting a negative at the top because it needs to be    Bound By Flame is a checklist attempt by a small studio at a BioWare-style RPG. High level of polish, decent story, and some interesting characters, but claustrophobic level design, low-res textures, unexciting voice acting, and a nonsensical final boss make this a “meh” recommendation.
    Total size on my hard drive: 4.7 GB

    - - I’m putting a negative at the top because it needs to be seen, even if you don’t bother with the rest of the review. The final boss is insanely hard, even on easy mode. Search the forums, you’ll find pages of threads asking for help. It is possible to play the entire game a certain way, and be completely unprepared for the final boss. Craft tons of traps and crossbow bolts, they will help. But be prepared for at least a dozen attempts. Given how easy the rest of combat is in the game, the final boss is nonsensical ****

    + The choice and consequence is real. Several choices are mutually exclusive, and actions taken throughout the game can affect certain story aspects prior to the ending fight. Depending on your actions taken in the game, all ending choices may not be available to you.
    + Incredibly high level of polish. The game may have been made by a relatively unknown developer with small resources, but everything from the menus to the sound effects to opening doors all has a high-quality look and feel. Never had a single crash, either.
    + Clean and clear in-game user interface.
    + The story seems fairly standard at first, but once you delve deeper into who or what is “bound by flame,” the narrative drives itself forward at a good pace.
    + While not deep, there is a nice crafting system for customizing weapons and armors.
    + Outside of combat and cut-scenes, manually save or quick-save anywhere, any time. Also has a good checkpoint system.

    +/- Voice acting is hit-or-miss, sometimes within a single role. The protagonist might have a boring delivery of some lines, then be spot on with the next line (for male or female). Most of the supporting voice-acting is well done.
    +/- The graphics have some excellent god-rays. Otherwise, they’re serviceable but nothing outstanding. They look more like 2010 than 2014 (which is when Bound By Flame released). Not saying that’s a bad thing – some games from 2010 have fantastic graphics – but they definitely don’t look like more recent releases.
    +/- Combat is timing-based. If you try to bull through every situation, you might survive, but you’ll go through consumables fast (and you WON’T survive the final boss, no matter how hard you try). Timing block or dodge correctly allows the use of ripostes / counters.
    +/- Characters are generally well-drawn, even if they fit into adventure story cliches. Attempts at humor mostly fall flat.
    +/- Decent soundtrack by Olivier Deriviere, but the looping ambient tracks are either not long enough (they loop too quickly) or there aren’t enough of them.

    - Short, about 8-10 hours. I have so many hours in the game at the time of writing (47) because I rage-quit and completely started over several times before I figured out the "correct" way to play. (The rage-quits were inspired by the final boss.)
    - Some choices have real consequences, several do not. Temper your expectations.
    - Inconsistent language. “Yeah, whaddaya think?” can be heard seconds after a common soldier says, “By your leave, my lord / lady.” Also plenty of f-bombs thrown around to demonstrate that Bound By Flame is a “serious” game.
    - Enemies are endlessly re-used.
    - Warrior can’t tank damage that well, making Ranger the only viable class.
    - The characters might have potential, but there is never enough time to know them. While the curious will click through the dialogue, there’s little reason to do so.
    - Close, claustrophobic levels. Most of the levels are a series of corridors. Sometimes this works in the game’s favor – one of the them feels like a maze – but that close, confined feeling persists throughout.
    - No facial animations. The mouths move correctly when a character is speaking, but it looks wooden and awkward.
    - The romances are short and add very little to the game. Almost as though somebody was following a checklist of things in a BioWare game. “Dragon Age has romance-able characters? Then we need some, too!”

    And, as previously mentioned, that final boss. That final boss and ending is narratively the best part of the game. Resolve things, make an important choice while some fantastic music plays – but the frustration of dying over and over still lingered and completely ruined any chance the ending had to leave a good final impression. When combined with the numerous game design elements that are close to the mark but fail to hit, Bound By Flame can never reach the height of its aspirations.    … Expand
  18. chaosm4rin3
    May 9, 2014
    8
    This game is better than the reviews it gets. I play on PC, the graphics seem fine, not the greatest, but theres certainly nothing that would hinder me. Its true, that the game isnt easy, but it has a unique combat style, you have to plan the attacks, not just run into them (the AI of the companions is a bit strange I agree with that). It also has a nice crafting system with variety,This game is better than the reviews it gets. I play on PC, the graphics seem fine, not the greatest, but theres certainly nothing that would hinder me. Its true, that the game isnt easy, but it has a unique combat style, you have to plan the attacks, not just run into them (the AI of the companions is a bit strange I agree with that). It also has a nice crafting system with variety, skills enough to make experiments and maybe multiple playthroughs for those who wish it(decisions also affect the game, that could make it interesting too).

    Negatives are the chaos how side missions are handled (very little instructions on how to do them), and the map is also hard to figure out sometimes. Characters (at least the protagonist) sometimes wants to be too lazy. I also missed in deep character customization, as I think its vital for a good RPG, to feel the char. as my own.

    All in all, I think its worth a shot, and if its too hard, just drop the difficulty or try to refine your combat mechanics and strategies.    … Expand
  19. op8
    May 9, 2014
    10
    I felt I had to write a user review to shed some truth about this game. (FYI, I've played for 13 hours, not finished yet tho).

    With influences from The Witcher (but with better combat and the ability to walk through doorways without any issues) and with a third of the budget, it manages to string together a very enjoyable dark fantasy. The combat is fast and tactical, not at all like    I felt I had to write a user review to shed some truth about this game. (FYI, I've played for 13 hours, not finished yet tho).

    With influences from The Witcher (but with better combat and the ability to walk through doorways without any issues) and with a third of the budget, it manages to string together a very enjoyable dark fantasy. The combat is fast and tactical, not at all like the Souls games but can be quite punishing on the hardest difficulty.
    The skills and leveling up gives you the satisfying feeling you are getting stronger and more powerful. The crafting (upgrading) and loot is decent and suits the game. It has a good musical score and the voice acting is actually pretty damn good, apart from a couple of unimportant characters (tho the script is a bit dodgy sometimes).
    The only thing that doesnt work well is the lip syncing, but I don't care too much about that. You could say the art style is similar to Dark Souls, and the graphics are fine and exactly what you'd expect from a mid budget game.

    Honestly, its an above average ARPG, and if you luv this type of game you should enjoy this.

    The ultra low scores given by some of the gaming press, are shameful and disgusting considering the stupidly high scores they give out to shoddy AAA games all the frigging time.

    *solid* 7/10 (taken budget into consideration)    … Expand
  20. Stevensan
    May 11, 2014
    9
    I am not a paid journalist, or a member of the programmers, but i can tell you, this is an awesome game.
    We have a very inspired and engaging storyline, and on the top of that, this is the first game after the Mass Effect trilogy, where you starting to care about your teammates. The game is quite challanging even on normal difficulty, so you need to fight with cool head, or you will die    I am not a paid journalist, or a member of the programmers, but i can tell you, this is an awesome game.
    We have a very inspired and engaging storyline, and on the top of that, this is the first game after the Mass Effect trilogy, where you starting to care about your teammates. The game is quite challanging even on normal difficulty, so you need to fight with cool head, or you will die within seconds. I am satisfied with the enemy variations, you need different tactics to win against each type. Sometimes you meet some really evil combinations of them, and... you will die. And die again...

    But i think, it is worth it. I like the graphics style, it is exacting, we have a good look overall, however you can see some glitches sometimes. I am very very impressed with the sound design. The voice acting is great. All of the sounds are good, and the game itself sounds very good. But the Music. Okay, it is very subjective, but we have some really great score here. Absolute professional, and very good, in my opinion. This music has so much tension within, and works very well in all combat, exploring, and cutscenes.

    So i am very impressed with this game. The fights are quite challanging, the story is interesting, and the companions are a real individuals with great personalities, imo. The game has a great "feeling".

    It has its fails compared to an AAA product, but hey, it is a 40 USD game, and it is worth it in every aspect. Its defenitley not for the boring COD fans. I like RPG's i played all the BG,IWD,NWN and DA games, and have to say it is a good and interesting RPG for the price, with nice replayability. It is at least one instant replay after you finished.    … Expand
  21. CasualPCGamer
    May 12, 2014
    7
    In Bound by Flame you play as Vulcan, a Mercenary of the Freeborn Blades possessed by a 'Flame' Demon.

    The story is quite well thought out and was compelling enough to keep me playing till the end, now on my second play-through. With a few large-impact decisions to make, the game adds a quite a little replay value to it. There are also a horde of optional side-quests for you to    In Bound by Flame you play as Vulcan, a Mercenary of the Freeborn Blades possessed by a 'Flame' Demon.

    The story is quite well thought out and was compelling enough to keep me playing till the end, now on my second play-through. With a few large-impact decisions to make, the game adds a quite a little replay value to it. There are also a horde of optional side-quests for you to complete; which I completed all that I could find, i probably clocked around 17-18 hours of gameplay. I will not elaborate on this any further for risk of spoilers, but it does keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what's going to happen next.

    The graphics is beyond a doubt, quite beautiful, despite minor glitches, such as NPCs (Non-Playing Characters) disappearing prematurely or even whilst talking to them, but we have to keep in mind their limited budget for this game and it isn't exactly game-breaking. The layout of the map isn't always convenient or elegant, but it's not too linear or dull either. My only complaint is on Act III, when you find yourself in a labyrinth of corridors and continuously running up and down to reach your destination, having no town portals or anything related to quick-travel. Having to constantly check your map to navigate to certain areas can give you a small headache. Luckily, Act III appears to be the shortest.

    With a compelling and engaging storyline and decent graphics, comes the game's downfall: Gameplay and Combat. Despite the default and standard UI (User-interface) which is pretty easy to understand, the combat and camera can be just dreadful at times. With a lock-on system that annoyingly seem to miss some targets after one is killed, having to keep locking on can be tedious. Among that keeping an eye on targets can be difficult with the way the camera controls. It can take some getting used to, especially for those without patience; but after about 2 hours you'll be dodging and parrying like a pro; which can be repetitive at times but still; the addition of slow-motion effects for critical hits makes up a little. The Warrior Stance seems to be completely useless as it feels so slow and out of place I immediately switched to Ranger. Annoyingly, dodging is also limited to the Ranger's class, which makes the Warrior Stance an even more bad choice. In my experience, the Crossbow is also irrelevant as later on it does very little damage, even after upgrading it. The game also suffers from some imbalances, as just after the Prologue I was shooting fireballs like there was no tomorrow, one hitting all enemies from close range through Act I and even most of Act 2. I was able to get most of the Pyromancer spec just by playing the Prologue. Despite these quirks and issues, once you get the hang of the Combat it can become mildly addictive and fun.

    The game has quite an elegant crafting system, in which you can use ingredients looted from enemies and chests to craft exploding traps (which i rarely used), bolts for your crossbow, and health and mana potions. You can also combine certain ingredients which can then be used to upgrade every piece of equipment you own, except your helmet afaik. Gear can also be dismantled for certain ingredients, which I personally felt was more fruitful than selling them. Upgrades on gear are also seen visually on your character. All in all a nice addition to the game.

    NPC's are a huge part of the game, as it should be in an RPG. Hundreds (if not thousands) of voice-recorded dialogues are available should you care to listen to them. I, of course with my OCD, exhausted nearly every option there is. Companion NPC's don't exactly have the highest DPS, but they serve as a decent distraction which can sometimes allow you to get in that killing blow from behind. They have their own spells which they cast autonomously, some heal and some damage. You have the ability to configure their behaviors somewhat, but I found that it doesn't really matter all that much.

    The soundtrack, if I'm not mistaken, changes between Acts, although if you listen to every dialogue like me, listening to the same ambient sound can drive you mad. So a little repetitive, it still captures the environment to a point of satisfaction.

    I would have hoped for a longer and more concise ending cinematic, but considering all the other cinematics throughout the game I can't complain too much. The animations in the cinematics are really good, seeing Vulcan busting out some Bruce Lee moves is really entertaining to watch. The speech animation is awful, however. I find that every time someone speaks I'm yelling "Enunciate!!". Still the rest of the animations are pretty decent.

    So despite some quirks and problems with the Combat system, Bound By Flame throws you into an entertaining and beautiful world with a decent plot and quite memorable characters. If you are an RPG fanatic like me, and still waiting for Dragon Age: Inquisition, I would definitely recommend Bound By Flame.    … Expand
  22. mberserk
    May 12, 2014
    10
    Bound of Flame is a mix of The Witcher, Dragon Age, Kingdom of Amalur.
    These low scores do not match Bound By Flame.
    The only problem with this game is coming at the wrong time. To go up against Dark Souls II is difficult. The graphics are very good as well as sound and music (dubbing a bit weak). The gameplay stands out for crafting system. The fights are cool too. We can not take    Bound of Flame is a mix of The Witcher, Dragon Age, Kingdom of Amalur.
    These low scores do not match Bound By Flame.
    The only problem with this game is coming at the wrong time. To go up against Dark Souls II is difficult.
    The graphics are very good as well as sound and music (dubbing a bit weak).
    The gameplay stands out for crafting system.
    The fights are cool too. We can not take the merits of the game by making comparison to the Kingdom of Amalur combat system, since the proposal of the game is much higher than that of Amalur.    … Expand
  23. Jason999
    May 12, 2014
    8
    Pros:

    Combat - whether it's with your 2-hd. weapon, or daggers, it's a riot to parry/riposte, or block your enemies. Crossbows, traps add some variety to the melee and of course the Pyromancy skills are good fun to use. Dialogue - love it, there's a lot of humour in this game and the voice acting is actually well done. Music/ambience - love it, sets the mood nicely. Thankfully    Pros:

    Combat - whether it's with your 2-hd. weapon, or daggers, it's a riot to parry/riposte, or block your enemies. Crossbows, traps add some variety to the melee and of course the Pyromancy skills are good fun to use.

    Dialogue - love it, there's a lot of humour in this game and the voice acting is actually well done.

    Music/ambience - love it, sets the mood nicely. Thankfully there's no rock/roll or hard metal crap, to get in the way of a good game.

    Cons:
    Camera - at times, the targeting and/or camera can be a little wonky, however it's brief and you'll manage and worth with it. I'm sure patching could help here. Minor actually.

    Maps - Ok, could use some more variety here just to change things up. Although pretty in areas, at the same time, it can be bland.

    Graphics - this game has it's own art style and while the aliasing could be better, you'll have so much fun with the combat you won't really notice. The character modelling is pretty good. Yet the rocks/ground etc. could be touched up.

    -Keep in mind, I got a decent sale on this game, to bring the price down a good notch and considering I've spent over 30 hrs. thus far, I also expect to do another play-through using a different fighting style.

    -Give it a try, I'm sure you can find a discount somewhere. Like I said the combat and dialogue,ambience is really good.

    Ignore those who score the game incredibly low, they're either just trolls, or they live and breathe every video game ever created, and hold this game accountable for every minor flaw. And believe me - the flaws are minor.
    I hope they make DLC or another Bound by Flame sequel, I enjoy it that much.    … Expand
  24. L00nie
    May 15, 2014
    8
    I hoped that this game was going to be good, but didn't dare... I was positively surprised by Spider this time. The game is not a AAA game, so if you were expecting that you need to look elsewhere. If you are a person that can look past a few tech faults like lip-sync then this is the game for you.

    The characters are fun, the voice acting is moderate but good for a game of this    I hoped that this game was going to be good, but didn't dare... I was positively surprised by Spider this time. The game is not a AAA game, so if you were expecting that you need to look elsewhere. If you are a person that can look past a few tech faults like lip-sync then this is the game for you.

    The characters are fun, the voice acting is moderate but good for a game of this caliber. The story is interesting, the impact of having a Demon inside you and how much of your humanity you want to sacrifice for power is well done, and you will die a lot more that you first thought you would. It's not evil to its players like Dark Souls, but it doesn't make it easy for you, tactical combat becomes important.

    I like RPG games and this has annoyed me in later years since there are som many being pumped into the marked and most of them are mediocre to appalling. This is NOT one of those games.
    I had great fun playing it and i think most of you will enjoy playing Bound by Flame.    … Expand
  25. hazzzen
    May 10, 2014
    9
    First off I'd like to say that the critics seem to be viewing this game all wrong. It's not meant to be a triple A title. It's made and sold by a studio that isn't a huge power house developer. Mars War logs got bad reviews, but was unwarranted also it was very good for what it was.

    Now BBF is made very well game. I would describe the game to be a low-budget Witcher 2. I'm not the    First off I'd like to say that the critics seem to be viewing this game all wrong. It's not meant to be a triple A title. It's made and sold by a studio that isn't a huge power house developer. Mars War logs got bad reviews, but was unwarranted also it was very good for what it was.

    Now BBF is made very well game. I would describe the game to be a low-budget Witcher 2. I'm not the first to make this comparison, so you can imagine it's relatively accurate. I'm playing on the PS4. While it does have some issues with its graphical fidelity; it still stands out as being a very beautiful and detailed game. The fighting system could have been better if a combat roll had been introduced, but even without that the game still excelled at what it is.

    If I had to put a numerical evaluation of the game I would say 7.5 - 8. I say that, qualifying it first by giving my score of the Witcher 2 as a basis. (8.5 - 9) so take that for what it's worth.

    Before you pass judgment for the game, go out and try it for yourself...    … Expand
  26. Anionix
    May 10, 2014
    10
    These so called professionals are starting to become a bad influence and are ruining the gaming industry with their dismissive and arrogant analysis. A lot of good small developers are getting hurt by these reviews, as you can see by the user score 7.1 is a good score, and to the critics who give it a 4 out of a ten really are a joke and haven't got a clue obviously what a fun game is andThese so called professionals are starting to become a bad influence and are ruining the gaming industry with their dismissive and arrogant analysis. A lot of good small developers are getting hurt by these reviews, as you can see by the user score 7.1 is a good score, and to the critics who give it a 4 out of a ten really are a joke and haven't got a clue obviously what a fun game is and always looking to try and be clever and balanced, but instead come across extremely pretentious and fussy, ridiculing something if it's not up to their so called expert standard.

    I wish people wouldn't trust their opinion so much, as like with this game, people are missing out on a lot of fun. That is why we play games is to have fun right? Trust me this game has its flaws, but it's also has a lot of good in it. We're not reviewing a new strategy to successful language learning or finding ways to combat road congestion. we're talking about a game, which you play in your spare time. Don't let these reviewers ruin your fun people, check out some YouTube videos and speak to people and judge for yourself because these gaming critics can no longer be trusted to do something so easy as writing a game review.    … Expand
  27. cizzlebot
    May 9, 2014
    7
    It's disappointing to see so many negative reviews, which clearly stem from a lack of patience and unrealistic comparisons to other, higher budget games. Bound By Flame is it's own game, with plenty of fun and charm. When you go in with an open mind and enjoy the game for what it is, you'll be happy you did.

    The story is interesting and not entirely unoriginal, like many would have you    It's disappointing to see so many negative reviews, which clearly stem from a lack of patience and unrealistic comparisons to other, higher budget games. Bound By Flame is it's own game, with plenty of fun and charm. When you go in with an open mind and enjoy the game for what it is, you'll be happy you did.

    The story is interesting and not entirely unoriginal, like many would have you believe. There is nothing dull or stale about it. You feel like you want to stop the bad guys, because it's important. What's even more interesting is HOW you stop them, based on decisions that will impact your character, and the story itself.

    The variety of NPCs and companions is also really nice. There's a huge range of personalities and the unfiltered conversations/banter is refreshing. Some of the voice acting leaves something to be desired, but overall it's done well enough, and seems more realistic in it's raw, unrefined state. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments, which I highly appreciate in these types of games. A little humor goes a long way.

    The combat is fluid and feels "right" when you get the hang of the controls. Don't expect to blindly button mash your way through the game -- you'll die, a lot. The three skill trees are all useful, but definitely consider going heavier in one over the others for your main play style and damage output. The more you play and develop your skills, the more you'll feel like you're actually getting stronger.

    The music in this game is actually one of my favorite things about it. It's absolutely beautiful, and gives the game a very good vibe.

    The graphics are good. They're nothing crazy or jaw dropping that will push your PC over the edge, but it would be somewhat trivial to ask for anything better. There is plenty of variety in environments, characters, equipment, and weapons -- plenty to look at and enjoy.

    Overall, I simply do not understand how anyone can think this is even remotely a bad game. If they gave it a real chance and took their time playing, I believe they'd have a very different opinion after a few hours. Anyway, if you're still on the fence and ABSOLUTELY need some kind of comparison, I'd say it's like a mix of Risen, The Witcher, and Dragon Age 2. Although seriously.. It really is it's own game, and it's a lot of fun! Don't let the bad reviews scare you away. I truly think it's worth the purchase, especially if you can get it at a discount, which we all know there are plenty of these days. :)    … Expand
  28. trollkiller
    May 9, 2014
    8
    Game is fun for RPG fans. Music is amazing....still, the game has a lot of faults--perhaps the most bewildering is Spiders decision to have major characters talk like drunkn frat boys with bewildering frequency. Combat is hard, but not in a good dark Souls way. Just poorly designed. And yet...its clear Spider loves the spirit of RPGs and really tried to infuse this game with as much RPGGame is fun for RPG fans. Music is amazing....still, the game has a lot of faults--perhaps the most bewildering is Spiders decision to have major characters talk like drunkn frat boys with bewildering frequency. Combat is hard, but not in a good dark Souls way. Just poorly designed. And yet...its clear Spider loves the spirit of RPGs and really tried to infuse this game with as much RPG love as they could. Personally, I'm enjoying it.… Expand
  29. lowlife
    May 10, 2014
    10
    I guess new trend is giving low scores to non AAA games. Yes, it's not a great game, there are some problems but NO WAY it deserves a score like 40-50. Graphics, musics, dialogs are fine, not great but fine. Characters and story are not bad too. Ofcourse after playing Dark Souls 2 you don't like combat system but how many games features a combat system like Dark Souls? None, Dark SoulsI guess new trend is giving low scores to non AAA games. Yes, it's not a great game, there are some problems but NO WAY it deserves a score like 40-50. Graphics, musics, dialogs are fine, not great but fine. Characters and story are not bad too. Ofcourse after playing Dark Souls 2 you don't like combat system but how many games features a combat system like Dark Souls? None, Dark Souls have the best combat system and most of the RPG games including games like Witcher and Skyrim is bad at combat too. I mean Skyrim, it sucks at combat, Bound by Flame's combat system is much better than Skyrim's and no one talks about Skyrim's combat. Don't get me wrong, Skyrim and Witcher are great games, GREAT GAMES but they have their flaws too.

    Usually i really care about reviews but this time i ignored those and bought this game and i'm glad i did. Don't worry about reviews, if you like RPG games, buy it. Ofcouse it would be better if you wait a little after playing Dark Souls.    … Expand
  30. PEnchan707
    Mar 23, 2020
    6
    I've mostly enjoyed my time with this game. Though it's ambitious, overstretches its reach in places and also rough around the edges, it's still one of the better rpgs out there.

    The graphics are decent enough to provide a good atmosphere, with a more adult, gritty feel than say, Kingdoms of Amalur. Animations are good as well as the combat effects, magic etc. The voice acting is    I've mostly enjoyed my time with this game. Though it's ambitious, overstretches its reach in places and also rough around the edges, it's still one of the better rpgs out there.

    The graphics are decent enough to provide a good atmosphere, with a more adult, gritty feel than say, Kingdoms of Amalur. Animations are good as well as the combat effects, magic etc.

    The voice acting is inconsistent with a handful of decent ones and the rest ranging from bad to mediocre. The script itself is also of varying quality, but is good enough to be genuinely funny at times and also of a decent enough level of quality to keep yo engaged when it matters most. The style is more Game of Thrones than Lord of the Rings though, so be aware there's bad language to be heard everywhere.

    The soundtrack is, overall, very good, with some atmospheric ambiance tunes as well as some decent pieces of more dramatic music.

    The combat system itself is above average, with two main fighting styles supplemented with traps and magic (again, somewhat like The Witcher) and requires you to switch between them based on the type of enemy you are facing and their numbers. You'll probably need to play a higher difficulty setting to enjoy this facet fully though since an easier setting will allow you to simply click your way through. As with the rest of the game though, it can be rough around the edges.

    There's an upgrading system for weapons and armour which is nice and adds some customisation both in effects and visualisation but it's not particularly deep. Still, it adds rather than takes away from the game so it's definitely good to have.

    The U.I and menu's are straightforward and easy to use.

    The story is a blatant melange of a currently popular fantasy tv show and other recent movies but is delivered sincerely enough, with enough heart and backstory to hold your interest, even if it doesn't last long in the mind. The choices you make also feel as though they matter, even if the actual impact within the game world isn't particularly strong.

    The more I write, the more I realise how much it reminds me of the original Witcher in terms of game mechanics, style and ambition. It's a game which is very good despite needing a bit of forgiveness for some of the design elements and uneven quality, though it must be said I still enjoyed the original Witcher substantially more.

    Surprised at some of the really low, 4/10 or worse, reviews out there. I'll be cheeky and make an assumption and say that if it was a game from a big publisher you could add 2-3 points to those low scores.

    As for myself, I couldn't find a way to do decimals and 7 seems just a bit too low. A 7.5 rounded up then :)    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

48
#48 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
66
#66 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 42 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 42
  3. Negative: 13 out of 42
  1. CD-Action
    Jul 25, 2014
    65
    There is potential in Bound by Flame but I can’t review this game without using some harsh words. It’s linear and clichéd, combat should be better and many elements could be more complex. Still I believe that with more money, people and time Spiders would be able to play in the major league. [07/2014, p.54]
  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Jun 12, 2014
    70
    French indie developer tries to engage adult audience with this RPG. Too bad the world is generic and script is dull as a wooden blade. If you show a few tits and curse like a sailor, that don't translate to a game for adults. On top of that the game mechanics are dull and repetitive. You don't challenge Witcher with this kind of setup. [June 2014]
  3. Hyper Magazine
    Jun 7, 2014
    30
    Ugly, stupid and riddled with cliche, Bound by Flame has car crash fascination but little else to recommend it. [Issue#249, p.62]
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