Bound

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 155 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 81 out of 155
  2. Mixed: 47 out of 155
  3. Negative: 27 out of 155

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  1. SuperDuck23
    May 28, 2017
    5
    Bound is a commendable failure. The game's intriguing and unique art design cannot save its lacklustre story and gameplay, which attempts to pull the player's heartstrings but falls short.
  2. GoodApollo88
    Aug 24, 2016
    7
    A beautiful game with ever changing and shifting level design. With the tap of a few buttons you can perform balletic dancing/movement to progress through each level. Although beautiful to experience and watch the game itself feels like it's missing something. It lacks character and the same emotional intensity of some other indie titles. The story it's trying to tell is fairly vague.A beautiful game with ever changing and shifting level design. With the tap of a few buttons you can perform balletic dancing/movement to progress through each level. Although beautiful to experience and watch the game itself feels like it's missing something. It lacks character and the same emotional intensity of some other indie titles. The story it's trying to tell is fairly vague. There are moments of wonder like the sections where you elegantly slide to the next part of the game. The sections where you have to piece together fragmented memories can become a little tedious. Sometimes the controls can be a little wonky and often you will find yourself falling to your death. A decent first game from Plastic and fair play to them for coming up with something a little bit different, might no be everyone but still well thought out game.… Expand
  3. ourtimehascome
    Dec 8, 2016
    5
    Bound relies too much on its narrative qualities, which might be the most interesting part about this 3-D platformer. Unfortunately, the gameplay is extremely slow and unrewarding, focusing more on speedrun-type gameplay than engaging platforming. It doesn't add anything new to the conventions of gameplay, though it is visually interesting, the levels are geometric in nature and rarely addBound relies too much on its narrative qualities, which might be the most interesting part about this 3-D platformer. Unfortunately, the gameplay is extremely slow and unrewarding, focusing more on speedrun-type gameplay than engaging platforming. It doesn't add anything new to the conventions of gameplay, though it is visually interesting, the levels are geometric in nature and rarely add anything new. The character you play as performs ballet movements which is unique, but everything else falls flat.… Expand
  4. SuperkenGaming
    Aug 19, 2016
    7
    Bound
    beautiful and dull at the same time
    In bound you play as a dancer who has to save the kingdom from a monster… This is a platforming game where you adventure through 6 gorgeous and ever changing levels…. These levels are great to look at and a joy to experience and complete as they unfold in front of you initially but ultimately I found no real substance here… These levels aren’t    Bound
    beautiful and dull at the same time
    In bound you play as a dancer who has to save the kingdom from a monster…
    This is a platforming game where you adventure through 6 gorgeous and ever changing levels….
    These levels are great to look at and a joy to experience and complete as they unfold in front of you initially but ultimately I found no real substance here…
    These levels aren’t very challenging other than when solid platforms will for some reason not be solid causing you to unfairly fall through, good luck with that no deaths trophy.. and I didn’t really find them fun either… just different…
    Your character clearly has grace, and dancing around the levels are such a change from what youre used to that a smile will uncontrollably appear on your face…but once this feeling wears off in about 15 minutes… youll come to realize movement is just not satisfying in terms of functionality… its almost like that running through water feeling….
    Youll occasionally have to dance to stop these shards from slowing down your character which slows progress down even more… and this is really the only obstacle in the game.. dance through pain
    At the end of each level you get more to the story… which is fun to uncover…
    This is one of those games you play once and forget… and unfortunately the developers of this game lack any self awareness as the entire trophy list is one of those forced replay trophy lists…
    Not only is this lack of self awareness made apparent in the trophy list, but in the game itself as you unlock a speed run mode after you complete it…
    This game is only 2 hours long so im not surprised.. but this isn’t the type of game for that…
    During an organic run I only got 1 trophy for finding a secret area in the final level.. final… secret…
    meaning theres a chance you can beat the entire game with a big fat goose egg in your trophy collection which id honestly prefer since I could at least delete it…
    Other than a couple secrets, everything comes down to speed running…
    Beat this level under this time.. beat the game under this time, beat the game in a different order, beat the game without dying… in a game that just isn’t fun to play and feels like youre running through water…
    It’s a garbage list and a garbage package…
    Bound is far from a bad game…
    Its decent.. its just that the experience is better than the game and the developers seem blind to this fact leaving the overall package to feel like a bit of a disappointment..
    I give bound a 7/10    … Expand
  5. pikby
    Nov 8, 2016
    6
    Bound's art style is beautiful, and fans of this genre will surely enjoy the game, however compared to most other games out there, it offers little to truly recommend

    68%
  6. wesker2012
    May 2, 2018
    7
    Bound's immersive atmosphere is simultaneously beautiful and otherworldly strange. The game plays well in both 2d and VR; but the VR really takes it to a whole other level. The 3d effects really stand and pop out in VR. Gameplay-wise its very simplistic; but it works well here especially in VR. It can get kind of boring gameplay-wise but as an experience, it works.
  7. bane864
    Jan 26, 2019
    5
    a fantastic game visually, the world is dynamic and has a unique artistic style, but everything else lacks. Boring linear gameplay and the story failed to draw my attention. Played it when I couldn't sleep and it helped quite a bit.
    At the end of each stage you have to watch your character slide down a path for what feels like an eternity, and you can only rotate your camera. Then a    a fantastic game visually, the world is dynamic and has a unique artistic style, but everything else lacks. Boring linear gameplay and the story failed to draw my attention. Played it when I couldn't sleep and it helped quite a bit.
    At the end of each stage you have to watch your character slide down a path for what feels like an eternity, and you can only rotate your camera. Then a cutscene plays. Could probably go to the gym, take a shower and go get food before the next stage starts.    … Expand
  8. DanBenevenuto
    Mar 10, 2018
    5
    Bound has pretty graphics and awesome effects at the scenary. The gameplay and the history are both interesting. But at some point in the history I got bored. The game becomes repetitive. But I liked to play.
  9. pacific1
    Feb 7, 2019
    6
    The game looks great in VR but the actually gameplay is not that exciting, it's ok
  10. Armin4
    Jun 29, 2020
    5
    Story is ok not unique
    Graphics and designs are perfect
    Gameplay is boring
    And it's not rewarding
  11. Empidonax
    Apr 2, 2022
    6
    It is a beautiful game, with a beautiful soundtrack. The best part of the game is riding the ribbon at the end of the levels; it feels very good, and you get to see so much of the beautiful art. That is only a small part of the game, though. Unfortunately most of the normal gameplay is quite bland.
  12. BrianDavid94
    Sep 11, 2022
    6
    Quick background on me the reviewer, I tend to like single player games that is heavy on narrative the most. I also play a lot of racing games and use to play multiplayer games in my high school days but now that it's hard for me and my friends to find a good time to link up so now it’s rarer for me to get into a multiplayer game. Up to try any genre of games and sometimes I find somethingQuick background on me the reviewer, I tend to like single player games that is heavy on narrative the most. I also play a lot of racing games and use to play multiplayer games in my high school days but now that it's hard for me and my friends to find a good time to link up so now it’s rarer for me to get into a multiplayer game. Up to try any genre of games and sometimes I find something new that I didn't think I'd like. I own a PC (built by me), Xbox One X, Xbox Series X, PS3, PS4, PS5, and a Switch. I prefer Playstation due to their focus on narrative games. For scoring, I’ll be using the Gameinformer review scale and of course influenced by my personal opinions.

    (6) Limited Appeal. Although there may be fans of games receiving this score, many will be left yearning for a more rewarding game experience.

    Let’s start off on the things this game does well, the graphics and art design are great. It has an organic world that opens up as you dance through it. Has a good message to share about mental health and moving forward in your own way. Now the bad, there is no gameplay here. You just move through the levels while dancing, and since there is nothing for you to do it seems pretty boring until you get to part that has good music, and that is actually quite often. The music is something else this game does well. It’s just, what is the point of this game? Even though it has a good message, there is no narrative or story besides seeing pictures, flashbacks here and there. There is no gameplay, just going through the motions to get your character from point A to point B. I guess if you like Art and Music give this game a try but doesn’t really make sense to make this a video game.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

87
#87 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 62 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 35 out of 62
  3. Negative: 2 out of 62
  1. CD-Action
    Nov 18, 2016
    45
    Mocap team, the dancer and the choreographer did a great job, and it’s a pity their effort was wasted on such a mediocre game. [11/2016, p.58]
  2. Games Master UK
    Nov 9, 2016
    65
    A remarkable visual experience paired with an average game that is sometimes less than fun to play. [Nov 2016, p.74]
  3. games(TM)
    Oct 26, 2016
    70
    As a game, Bound is clearly flawed – its structure, however, is excellent and well realised to support multiple playthroughs with noticeably different experiences – but as an experience, as a piece of interactive art, it’s frequently sensational.
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