Windbound

 Xbox One
Windbound Image
Metascore
65

Mixed or average reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
5.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 11 Ratings

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  • Summary: Embark on a personal journey and discover the history of the idyllic forbidden islands; each holding the key to a mystery and unexpected revelations. Head towards the horizon, advancing across the islands, each with their own wildlife, landscapes and challenges to face. Scavenge the island'sEmbark on a personal journey and discover the history of the idyllic forbidden islands; each holding the key to a mystery and unexpected revelations. Head towards the horizon, advancing across the islands, each with their own wildlife, landscapes and challenges to face. Scavenge the island's untamed terrain for resources that you can use to craft a full range of tools and weapons to hunt wildlife and upgrade your boat. You must set sail when resources become scarce. Your boat is your key companion on this journey, carefully craft your own custom sailing vessel to take on the treacherous waters, traversing from one island to the next.… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. Impulsegamer
    Aug 31, 2020
    100
    Windbound might come across as repetitive in some ways due to the genre of the game, but the journey is well worth every second. I would have liked to have seen a larger map or more challenges to overcome but I still firmly believe that the current balance of elements within the game is already at a good pace that it doesn’t become over or under whelming. Having completed the game, I can see where there would be room for further updates down the track but right now, Windbound is a brilliantly thought out game with amazing execution. Perfect for gamers of all ages, skill levels, and interests.
  2. Windows Central
    Aug 28, 2020
    80
    Windbound was most definitely inspired by Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but with a much heavier focus on survival and crafting. If you enjoy survival games and want something to scratch that Zelda itch, you should check this game out.
  3. Generación Xbox
    Sep 19, 2020
    78
    In Windbound we will embark on a survival with a great atmosphere and crafteo system. That unfortunately wrecks in their fights and a repetitive development.
  4. AusGamers
    Aug 28, 2020
    60
    A solitary experience, directionless and without contextual form. Gorgeous, yes, and presented as an ambitious and familiar package with an equally resonant soundtrack, but oddly empty.
  5. ZTGD
    Sep 1, 2020
    60
    Windbound is a fantastic adventure wrapped in a questionable package. I remember distinctly being super excited for this game from the trailers. I wanted it to be a Zelda-style adventure in the absence of titles like it recently. The mixture of mystique and survival though just doesn’t work well here. The things that make each of these genres interesting are not combined effectively most of the time. What I wanted to do in discovering Windbound’s mysteries felt at odds with its base mechanics. I wanted to love this title a lot more than I ended up doing.
  6. Press Start Australia
    Aug 27, 2020
    55
    Windbound is a beautiful artistic accomplishment in terms of presentation, but fails to make good on its promise of bringing together an open-world single-player game and typical crafting-survival elements. Despite attempts to make it approachable for all, it is an ultimately frustrating affair that squanders its potential with the same rigid survival mechanics that we've seen in a lot of other games and that's a real shame.
  7. GameSpew
    Aug 28, 2020
    50
    If the gods of random generation line everything up in your favour, Windbound could be a truly captivating adventure. It’s unlikely to happen that way though, and sadly its many frustrations outweigh the beautiful game it could have been.

See all 16 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 3 out of 5
  1. michael6784
    Aug 31, 2020
    8
    its really pretty with a great gameplay loop some bugs but minimal overall pretty good
  2. Xbox_Alive
    Sep 6, 2020
    6
    Windbound : The survival genre has been around for decades, but it seems that the rising prominence of indie game development over the lastWindbound : The survival genre has been around for decades, but it seems that the rising prominence of indie game development over the last decade has led to survival games experiencing something of a renaissance, much like the Metroidvania and roguelike genres. The story of Windbound follows Kara, a silent protagonist who finds herself shipwrecked and alone after a dangerous encounter with a massive Kraken-like creature. Kara’s goal is, of course, to find her way back home, but there’s a bigger narrative at play which is slowly unwound by encountering a series of mysterious magical shrines dotted about the islands of the strange waters she's been cast into. There’s a fairly extensive crafting system at Kara’s disposal, as almost everything in her surroundings - from grass and sticks to animal bones and hides - can be gathered and converted into rudimentary tools like shovels and hammers or enhancements to her boat in order to make sailing speedier. As much as I disliked the act of sailing, I did enjoy the process of building a sturdy boat. In typical survival game fashion, as you find new materials you unlock access to new recipes. There's a thing that actually frustrating me when you on dry island you are literally spending your whole time escaping from the monsters there's only few monsters that probably would ignore you as long as you stay away from their personal space. Windbound was a game that I've been waiting for a long time but it's really making me sad when I play a game that I've been waiting for a long time and after I play it I'm going like oh this so much on my Xbox One.… Expand
  4. LadyAux
    Sep 2, 2020
    3
    Windbound, a game that heavily emphasizes the fact that it wants to be like Windwaker. Which is a false comparison. Windbound is a shallowWindbound, a game that heavily emphasizes the fact that it wants to be like Windwaker. Which is a false comparison. Windbound is a shallow randomly generated survival game in a sea of Raft's and Stranded Deep's. Bizarre and punishing difficulty that detracts from the relaxing quality of semi-realistic sailing. Little to no story elements, NPC's or quests that would make this an adventure game like Windwaker. Hollow crafting and progression, wonky controls and crafting placement on Xbox. Lack of challenge and reason to build the toughest boat you can, as its not needed for any of the final islands. Lack of island variety or progressive changes to environments, size or complexity as the chapters progress. Broken boat physics and glitches, that don't seem to be alleviated by your own construction choices or hull placement to balance things out. Short, far too expensive for what you get and lacking even for a casual survival game. Watch my review here: https://youtu.be/g_1M6FJxfYo… Expand
  5. neomoonsevin
    May 19, 2023
    1
    Another garbage gold game with unity ugly graphics the graphics look budget to throw this garbage in the bin
  6. Broyax
    Oct 15, 2022
    0
    Cet étron indé est du type ‘survie’ exploratoire avec son bateau préfabriqué (et fabriqué à la main, roulé sous les aisselles) : on navigue onCet étron indé est du type ‘survie’ exploratoire avec son bateau préfabriqué (et fabriqué à la main, roulé sous les aisselles) : on navigue on ne sait pas où, on ne sait pas ce qu’on doit faire, à part éventuellement fabriquer des merdes et ramasser des merdes (pour fabriquer des merdes), puis errer comme un pauvre hère dans cet archipel à la petite semaine…

    On s’ennuie vite, très vite, tellement vite qu’on a déjà envie de quitter le jeu (très vite). La répétition de ce merdier et la navigation foirée (ingérable la gestion du vent dans ce sale jeu de merde !) font qu’on lâche l’affaire sans demander son reste. Ou plutôt si, on demande le remboursement !

    Les graphismes sont en 16 couleurs, la modélisation est taillée à la serpe, le bon goût est absent, la direction artistique est sans direction -à part le mauvais goût bien sûr et l’ensemble de cet étron minable coule à pic sans crier gare. Une daubasse indé de plus, c’est du classique en matière d’étrons indés daubés de partout.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

90
#90 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2020