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

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. HELLruler
    May 9, 2014
    4
    Wish I could give this game a good rating, but I can't.

    So, starting the game, you face some cutscenes that talk about the story. I admit it's not too inspiring, and I felt forced to skip them all. The graphics are outdated, but that generally isn't enough to let me down. Several minutes later you start fighting. Well, that should've been awesome, should have. The combat doesn't flow    Wish I could give this game a good rating, but I can't.

    So, starting the game, you face some cutscenes that talk about the story. I admit it's not too inspiring, and I felt forced to skip them all. The graphics are outdated, but that generally isn't enough to let me down.
    Several minutes later you start fighting. Well, that should've been awesome, should have. The combat doesn't flow well. Sometimes the enemy will block your attack and punish you, but seems unfair that they can recover so fast after getting their attacks parried.
    Let's not forget you can't dodge. Yeah, if two enemies are attacking you at the same time, you will have a hard time repositioning yourself by just wakling.

    Sadly, I just quit the game before finishing the tutorial. The story may get better, but it started so badly that I didn't even bother myself to find out what happens next. And the most important thing for me, gameplay, is flawed.

    In the end, it's just a subpar game in every aspect. I don't like this comparison, but Dark Souls is less expensive and much much better    … Expand
  2. jmhoffer
    Jul 6, 2014
    0
    You can only play this game if you spend most of your life holed up in a black room with no light. While it had the potential to be interesting if more play-testing had been done, there is no way to have any fun with the game. If you make a mistake in your character progression early on, your only option to fix it is to restart the game. When you restart, you are forced to go through everyYou can only play this game if you spend most of your life holed up in a black room with no light. While it had the potential to be interesting if more play-testing had been done, there is no way to have any fun with the game. If you make a mistake in your character progression early on, your only option to fix it is to restart the game. When you restart, you are forced to go through every single cutscene over again.

    A massive waste of time and money.    … Expand
  3. PresCthulhu
    Jul 6, 2014
    6
    I would say the game is medicore in every possible way. Okay graphics, passable story, hard combat system with okay mechanics. The demon possession thing was done before (and I think better) in Dark Messiah. The music is good, but the voice actors are mostly terrible. Since it was done by a small studio and I had some fun with it and since thankfully I waited for a sale I would rate itI would say the game is medicore in every possible way. Okay graphics, passable story, hard combat system with okay mechanics. The demon possession thing was done before (and I think better) in Dark Messiah. The music is good, but the voice actors are mostly terrible. Since it was done by a small studio and I had some fun with it and since thankfully I waited for a sale I would rate it slightly about 5...… Expand
  4. adff500
    May 18, 2014
    5
    Pros:
    + Great Music
    + Companions + Crafting + Graphics are ok on max settings + Stable release day one (very rare nowadays) Cons: - Horrible,clunky and unfair combat system - You cannot knock down enemies - You cannot grab enemies - You cannot roll or jump - Enemies can knock you down in single blow - When enemies knock you down your collision is always on,so you get hit again    Pros:
    + Great Music
    + Companions
    + Crafting
    + Graphics are ok on max settings
    + Stable release day one (very rare nowadays)
    Cons:
    - Horrible,clunky and unfair combat system
    - You cannot knock down enemies
    - You cannot grab enemies
    - You cannot roll or jump
    - Enemies can knock you down in single blow
    - When enemies knock you down your collision is always on,so you get hit again until you die
    - Unbalanced classes (Healer is the best)
    - Unbalanced shop prices (Healing Potion 40 Gold and Mana Potion 150 Gold !! )
    - No Co-op or Multiplayer (Why not? There are six characters)
    - The Replay value is questionable as your decisions dont change the story or levels much.
    - Despite the 7 Ice Lords several times mentioned in the game,you will see only one of them. (I get it, if the base game sells well,we will see DLC with the rest)

    Average Hack-and-Slash game for one player only. If you like games like Hunted: TDF or LOTR: War in the North,this game might be for you. Wait for sale.    … Expand
  5. johnweso
    May 24, 2014
    3
    You are paying 40 dolloars for a 5 or 6 hours' short disaster (thank god~) There is no reason for u to play this game second time because of the boring combat poor weapon armor collection meaningless upgrades boring storyline and there is also nothing to enjoy in the first place.Everything is familiar from other great arpg games u ve played and in this game its much lot worse than uYou are paying 40 dolloars for a 5 or 6 hours' short disaster (thank god~) There is no reason for u to play this game second time because of the boring combat poor weapon armor collection meaningless upgrades boring storyline and there is also nothing to enjoy in the first place.Everything is familiar from other great arpg games u ve played and in this game its much lot worse than u think the way they should be. So plz donate ur money to poor kids who cant afford meals and dont waste ur time and money on this garbage.… Expand
  6. Paulystan
    Jun 2, 2014
    3
    It had real potential. An interesting (ish) story with some okay characters marred by bad screen writing and average voice acting. Graphics are fine although not amazing. I find the gameplay a bit sluggish and to be honest, pretty boring.

    All in all, a game that really doesn't deliver a strong result.
  7. KrispyRices
    Jun 16, 2014
    2
    This game, while beautiful in some parts, is almost painful to look at in others. This is not only inclusive of the graphics, but of the lip syncing as well. That's just a joke, not to mention the dialogue is terrible to begin with. As for gameplay, it's kind of fun but there is very little variety in it. You primarily invest all of your skill points into the ranger whatever categoryThis game, while beautiful in some parts, is almost painful to look at in others. This is not only inclusive of the graphics, but of the lip syncing as well. That's just a joke, not to mention the dialogue is terrible to begin with. As for gameplay, it's kind of fun but there is very little variety in it. You primarily invest all of your skill points into the ranger whatever category because warrior is too slow and you don't receive nearly enough mana to properly be a mage (your health and mana barely increase over the course of the game). Combine that with a fighting system where you repeat the same hit, hit, dodge, hit, hit, dodge, hit, hit, dodge pattern the entire game, it gets pretty tedious and boring. It's fun, but gets mundane pretty quickly.… Expand
  8. masterchief247
    Oct 31, 2018
    10
    This is one of the most under rated games I have ever played. It has a romance system, choice, consequences, a good combat engine, and good story. Its actually one of my favorite rpg games ever. If you ever have a chance to pick this up cheap, don't pass it up.
  9. nightmarenicoli
    Dec 29, 2015
    0
    other than an interesting story, this game is awful. horrible voice acting, horrible graphics, horrible combat. it may as well have no character creation.
  10. Banhammer0
    Jun 9, 2014
    5
    I had some fun with this game but it's been a drag mostly, with no incentive to finish it.
    I think the worst part is the writing and the story - characters feel flat and silly, including the PC.
    PC is a big problem, because well, he's a dimwit. You usually play smart guys in cRPGs, that are sly and cunning. Well our main hero aka the random mercenary with nopersonal story tries to be as    I had some fun with this game but it's been a drag mostly, with no incentive to finish it.
    I think the worst part is the writing and the story - characters feel flat and silly, including the PC.
    PC is a big problem, because well, he's a dimwit. You usually play smart guys in cRPGs, that are sly and cunning. Well our main hero aka the random mercenary with nopersonal story tries to be as well but (probably unintentionally) he often comes off as mentally challenged compared to other characters that literally have to explain him what's happening. This and other issues made it impossible for me to hook up on the story and actually care. World development was such an issue - do we get a world map, a travel system, some nice books with lore ? No, nothing - just your imagination and best guess to guide you through this shallow world.
    The combat is the strongest part of the game, it requires a bit of thinking, looks good and controls feel responsive. Skill trees are another strong part, they are pretty well designed and you can specialize into 2h weapons, two daggers or fire magic, although you will be able to almost max out two of the trees if you do side quests.
    It has a lot of flaws but some well done parts too, so it would be unfair to say it's a bad game - it's not a good game either, just an average 5/10 title.    … Expand
  11. jseph1234
    Jun 13, 2017
    9
    I am playing this game and having a blast finding out what happens next.
    1. Dialog Choices for your character that MATTER and effect NPC interaction, Game development and outcome
    2. Great action RPG with crafting of weapons, mixing of ingredients for potions 3. NPC have depth as you get further in the game and interact with them 4. 50+ hours gameplay (I am playing "Captain"    I am playing this game and having a blast finding out what happens next.
    1. Dialog Choices for your character that MATTER and effect NPC interaction, Game development and outcome
    2. Great action RPG with crafting of weapons, mixing of ingredients for potions
    3. NPC have depth as you get further in the game and interact with them
    4. 50+ hours gameplay (I am playing "Captain" difficulty, the hardest and it is DIFFICULT!!)    … Expand
  12. Sabatasso
    Jun 5, 2014
    7
    Despite it's rather unflattering reviews I decided to give this game a chance. I'm glad I did, it's fun and pleasing to look at. Is it hard? Well, that depends on your difficulty settings and the difference between easiest and second easiest (couldn't remember the names of the settings at the moment) is huge. I played on the easiest setting because I didn't find the combat as rewarding asDespite it's rather unflattering reviews I decided to give this game a chance. I'm glad I did, it's fun and pleasing to look at. Is it hard? Well, that depends on your difficulty settings and the difference between easiest and second easiest (couldn't remember the names of the settings at the moment) is huge. I played on the easiest setting because I didn't find the combat as rewarding as it easily could've been. By that I mean that the actual combat mechanics is interesting enough, it's the lack of interesting enemies that limits the system completely. The story is fairly decent and the game does have a small degree of replay value. Once or twice, perhaps. I usually play only once and I feel that my decisions matter on the story, on a second playthrough this may change but since that's never going to be an issue for me either way, I'm quite pleased.

    This is not a GOTY contestant in my opinion, but worse games have won before so nothing would surprise me. This game got less freedom than Skyrim but overall Bound by Flame is a better game on every other account. I give Bound by Flame a score of 7.    … Expand
  13. Jojo12
    Feb 11, 2016
    4
    Review from someone playing on Captain difficulty
    Pros:
    Beautiful music Nice graphic style, except for the horrible plant that is shaped like a ... The demon perks and appearance are nice, but it's too bad that if you use them, you're considered "evil" Cons: Bad story where choices doesn't really matter Horrible camera that get stuck in foreground items so you can't see attackers    Review from someone playing on Captain difficulty
    Pros:
    Beautiful music
    Nice graphic style, except for the horrible plant that is shaped like a ...
    The demon perks and appearance are nice, but it's too bad that if you use them, you're considered "evil"

    Cons:
    Bad story where choices doesn't really matter
    Horrible camera that get stuck in foreground items so you can't see attackers hit you anymore
    "Deja vue" dialogues ( good part is that npcs swear and it's hilarious. you almost hear 2-3 in every dialogue.)
    The hitbox is not working well, sometimes the monsters hit you even if you dodge
    When you are attacked by multiple monsters, you have to dodge all of their attacks, which means most of the time you can't riposte at all, and when you try to cast a spell or fall to the ground, the monsters have priority, which means they can hit you again, and then you die.
    Cinematic are "clichés", and sometimes you can see your companion not moving at all, eyes reversed, like if he/she was not supposed to be there. Even if you build your character as a Ranger, the cinematic shows Warrior moves and weapons only.

    Now I'm just playing to laugh at the dialogues.    … Expand
  14. MR67
    Dec 26, 2015
    4
    If you're like me and you like to go for realism in CRPGs and play through the entire game "Ironman" style, i.e. without your character snuffing it and then repeatedly spamming saved games, then this game is going to disappoint you. There is a half-decent storyline there, but the game is let down by poor balance and unpolished production.

    Pros: - Somewhat more interesting storyline    If you're like me and you like to go for realism in CRPGs and play through the entire game "Ironman" style, i.e. without your character snuffing it and then repeatedly spamming saved games, then this game is going to disappoint you. There is a half-decent storyline there, but the game is let down by poor balance and unpolished production.

    Pros:
    - Somewhat more interesting storyline than some other CRPGs out there.
    - Combat is more gritty and realistic than some other CRPGs out there (but see below).

    Cons:
    Where to start?
    - Gameplay is poorly optimised and can be frustratingly difficult. Most enemies can typically kill your character in maybe 5 or 6 hits, so you never really feel powerful, even later in the game. Lack of mana means you have to use your magical abilities really frugally. Some boss battles can have you using up virtually all your healing potions, mana potions and traps, and still only just scraping through. You can only travel with 1 companion at a time, and they contribute almost nothing to most fights, inflicting very little damage to enemies and getting knocked unconscious within a minute or less of beginning most battles.
    - Voice acting is not the greatest and the facial animations are even worse. Dull conversations and poor exposition result in you learning little about the game world so you feel somewhat disconnected from the setting and storyline.
    - Loot in the game is really dull. Most enemies drop components which can be used for crafting, and the occasional ho-hum weapon or piece of armour. You seem to spend a good deal of the game trawling through your inventory to see what upgrades you can make to your gear once you've accumulated a number of different crafting ingredients, which gets tedious.
    - Game is too short (can be finished in about 20 hours or so), but given the frustrating gameplay, maybe this is not a bad thing! The final boss battle is ridiculously difficult - I gave up in disgust after dying about a dozen times, and then uninstalled the game from my PC.

    Worth picking up on Steam if heavily discounted (75% or so), otherwise steer clear. In any event, you would have to be something of a masochist to be able to put up with more than one playthough.    … Expand
  15. zimmer600
    Aug 19, 2017
    4
    Spiders are tagged very high. But a modest budget, a small team, short terms of development and a lack of skill do not allow the game to become something more than a passing and rather dubious entertainment.
  16. Panica3643D
    Jun 16, 2018
    7
    Очередная коридорная RPG от Spiders, только в другом setting. Немного лучше, чем Mars: war logs и Of Orcs and Men. В некоторых моментах даже затронуло (музыкальное сопровождение классное).
  17. Mobile
    Sep 30, 2018
    3
    ENG RU
    Disgusting level design that cuts at the root of the whole idea of the plot and the game as a whole.
    Отвратительный левел дизайн, который рубит на корню всю идею сюжета и игры в целом.
  18. Misfit209
    Dec 5, 2017
    8
    This isn't the best game. It isn't the predecessor to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It is a good game though in the same vein as the Witcher games. It has a lot of style and pretty nice graphics for it's age. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this game. I beat it in around 20hrs, not sure the exact time. I would recommend this game for a price tag of $15 US.
  19. Luka1998010
    Jul 30, 2018
    9
    The game is good,it has potential but it lacks in story,narrative and character choices.
    The graphics are top,i love the effects.
    One part of every fantasy RPG game i am excited about is the character creation. In this game,it disappointed me a lot. There are almost no options.You can only choose from a certain number of faces,and hair styles. One of the things that is good and bad in    The game is good,it has potential but it lacks in story,narrative and character choices.
    The graphics are top,i love the effects.
    One part of every fantasy RPG game i am excited about is the character creation.
    In this game,it disappointed me a lot.
    There are almost no options.You can only choose from a certain number of faces,and hair styles.
    One of the things that is good and bad in the same time is the difficulty.
    The game is hard like dark souls at some point,even on recruit difficulty,its crazy.
    The creatures in the swamp,at the very beginning of the game kill me a lot,in order to kill them i have to be very patient and give orders to my companion in order to succeed.
    The game is very challenging.
    There is no in depth customization.
    Also,after changing the characters name,he/her keeps getting called the name that the game has set as default.    … Expand
  20. Nerp47
    Aug 17, 2018
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Much Like Spiders' previous game, Mars: War logs. Bound by Flame is a good game held back by a small budget.

    Pros:
    +Combat is slow,tactical and enjoyable.
    +Combat animations are well made.
    +Music quality is top tier but isn't used to it's full effect
    +The game succeeds in presenting a dark and gritty world in which most of everyone is dead or dying.
    +The Crafting system is well made and incentivises exploring and looking for Materials.
    +Materials are almost never hard to come by, and if you're like me, you like to explore every nook and cranny looking for something.
    +The game offers a wide range of weapons and armour and all of them are made differently. As far as i remember, not once did i come across a weapon that looked exactly like another weapon.
    +Character personalities are a huge step up from Spiders' previous games with a handful of characters really standing out.
    +Boss battles were surprisingly well done most of the time.

    Cons:
    -Once again,while the story is not bad, it's still not good. The story feels (again) like a book poorly implemented into a videogame. The only difference is that this time the pacing is better
    -Voice acting is mostly bad around the board with a handful of characters sounding right sometimes,while other times it's really bad.
    -Combat can feel quite unfair depending on how you use your skill points. Making some parts of the game downright impossible at harder difficulties unless you make your character perfect.
    -The game stresses your role in the Freeborn Blades quite a few times but falls flat, because the only weapon relating to your role is a mine that,unless made in bulk and spammed, becomes pretty useless later on.
    -Throwing in a new companion character so close to the end of the game, only to have that character be the most interesting one in the game.
    -Vulcan always sounds like an **** even when doing good things which feels really out of place, and sometimes feels like the developers wanted you to play the game as an evil character. Still a massive improvement over Roy from Mars War Logs.

    In the end. Bound by Flame is a mediocre game made by ambitious people but held back by a small budget and maybe even inexperience. Here's hoping we get a game set in the same universe with a bigger budget in the vein of The Technomancer.    … Expand
  21. kabskannar12
    Apr 19, 2020
    7
    === [Audience to Address] ===

    To Standard RPG Players. === [Sounds and Music] === Average === [0 Graphics Quality] === Normal === [$ To Buy? ] === Wait for a discount and buy only if you have free time. === [ System Requirement and Optimization] === Plays a Midrange computer. === [ Gameplay Mechanics] === Average === [ Difficulty Level] === It depends    === [Audience to Address] ===

    To Standard RPG Players.

    === [Sounds and Music] ===

    Average

    === [0 Graphics Quality] ===

    Normal

    === [$ To Buy? ] ===

    Wait for a discount and buy only if you have free time.

    === [ System Requirement and Optimization] ===

    Plays a Midrange computer.

    === [ Gameplay Mechanics] ===

    Average

    === [ Difficulty Level] ===

    It depends on the difficulty chosen.

    === [Playability Time] ===

    +20 hours over side quests

    === [Story] ===

    One of the fantastic stereotypes

    === [Bug] ===

    There are a few.

    Score: 10/7

    Note:

    Average graphic quality. Optimization is good. The story is ordinary, but the processing in the game has been very bad. At least we have more say in the course of the main story and side missions compared to skyrim. We can be really good and bad. But the game has a soulless mood that repeats itself.    … Expand
  22. TheTownDrunk
    Jan 16, 2021
    6
    BOUND BY FLAME is not a bad game, but don't expect triple A game quality: graphics upon its release were OKish at best, with pretty poor animations and voices reach from cringe-worthy to downright atrocious. Also don't expect an open world: levels are mazes that make you maneuver several detours which are mostly empty spaces until you you reach your destination.
    Enemy designs and world    BOUND BY FLAME is not a bad game, but don't expect triple A game quality: graphics upon its release were OKish at best, with pretty poor animations and voices reach from cringe-worthy to downright atrocious. Also don't expect an open world: levels are mazes that make you maneuver several detours which are mostly empty spaces until you you reach your destination.
    Enemy designs and world designs are hit & miss: the skeletons at the beginning were genuinely creepy looking and among the best in any game, while the swamp creatures (and level) were rather poorly designed. Don't expect much of a reward for exploring - only dead-ends with nothing to see.
    Your character is a rather unlikable person and I did not like some of the dialogue choices you pick don't match up what he/she actually says.
    What BOUND BY FLAME does right is it's story: you play as a female or male mercenary who can be slightly customized at the beginning (don't expect many options though). Early on you are possessed by a fire demon and how much control you allow the demon to take of you depends on you and your decisions. The more control you allow the demon the more powerful your pyromancy gets and you'll even change visually.
    Combat is fun for the most part and offers customization by leveling and picking perks among skill trees that range from two-handed melee, sneaky dual-daggers, ranged weapons and pyromancy magic. A bit more combat depth however really would have made a difference and some enemy constellations are not very well balanced. It did remind me a bit of the very first WITCHER game's combat, not as bad, but reliant on timed paries and attacks.
    Overall BOUND BY FLAME is not a bad game. If you can live with its weaknesses the dark story can be a breath of fresh air, also that you can tackle the quests head-on without the distraction of an open world.    … Expand
  23. aecsuter
    Aug 17, 2022
    6
    This game divided my opinion a lot, if there was the option I would give it as neutral.
    The game started very interesting, with a nice combat to play and a very promising story.
    But the story is getting more and more shallow, it seems that they wanted to do something big and then the money ran out. The combat ends up getting a little repetitive at the end, mostly because they are the    This game divided my opinion a lot, if there was the option I would give it as neutral.
    The game started very interesting, with a nice combat to play and a very promising story.
    But the story is getting more and more shallow, it seems that they wanted to do something big and then the money ran out. The combat ends up getting a little repetitive at the end, mostly because they are the same enemies.
    I liked the Weapon system, but there is not a powerful weapon in late game, so i ended up with one from the middle game.
    The secondary quests add little or nothing to the narrative.
    I finished the game very disappointed. The gameplay isn't bad, but it could be better. The story that could be incredible ended very disappointing. As I said at the beginning, if I could I would give a neutral.    … Expand
  24. PenetratorGod
    Aug 20, 2023
    6
    Bound by Flame is a fantasy RPG about a mercenary captured by a flame demon. It's up to the player to decide whether the main character, writhing in the demon's clutches, chooses the demonic power within him or the human side. Other than that, there's not much else to say. I finished the game, but I had an extremely ordinary and average experience. If you have no other games to play andBound by Flame is a fantasy RPG about a mercenary captured by a flame demon. It's up to the player to decide whether the main character, writhing in the demon's clutches, chooses the demonic power within him or the human side. Other than that, there's not much else to say. I finished the game, but I had an extremely ordinary and average experience. If you have no other games to play and you have a lot of free time, it is playable, otherwise there are many games much better than this.… Expand
next
Page:

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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]
See all critic reviews »