It’s been a while since we’ve seen a B-Grade game that’s been any good. Without the budget and polish of their triple-A brethren, great ideas tend to be executed poorly. Despite hopes to the contrary, Spiders’ Bound by Flame doesn’t break tradition. Here’s what critics have to say about the ambitious, but flawed RPG.
Let’s start with the good, and work our way down to the bad.
GameInformer – 8/10
A skilled player doing no sidequests and blowing through dialogue can complete the game in about 10-12 hours, but this is sacrificing a ton of content both in the quest, exploration, and relationship-building categories. When you invest the time to master the challenging combat and explore the world, Bound by Flame is a solid romp with rewarding tactical action supported by rewarding boss battles and plenty of ways to see your choices reflected in the world around you.
GamesRadar – 3.5/5
Bound by Flame doesn’t put too much weight on the important choices you think you’re making, but its rich customization options and smart combat system are sure to give you that power you’re looking for.
Incgamers – 6/10
A solid RPG experience offering everything you’d expect – but not enough surprises. Many enjoyable features but feels like playing part one of a two parter.
Doesn’t sound too bad right? And now it all starts falling apart.
Gamespot – 4/10
By RPG standards, Bound by Flame isn’t a very long or expansive game. If you don’t consider the battles you must repeat, the adventure is around a dozen hours long, and there is no world to explore, unless you consider a few medium-size levels made up of twisting hallways to be a world. Bound by Flame shoves too many ideas into its cramped boundaries, thus giving none of them the room they deserved to blossom, and thereby allowing the flames to burn the joy away.
Polygon – 4/10
I tried everything I could think of to get myself to care about Bound by Flame, but eventually I tired of doing all the heavy lifting myself. Between a stale plot that goes nowhere, poorly handled characters and a clunky, boring combat system, there was nothing left for me to hang onto, no momentum left to help propel me. Bound by Flame is worse than just generic; it’s a mess of a game pretending at greater ambitions.
Videogamer – 2/10
The narrative is not passable. It’s a mess, and it’s delivered via a script that is at once intentionally juvenile and unintentionally stupid. A script which has an unhealthy fixation on the words “whore”, “bitch”, and “slut”. A script in which a character describing having non-consensual sex with his catatonic wife is served up as comic relief. This actually happens. Bound By Flame is an embarrassment on all fronts.
It’s starting to sound like the game should be set on fire itself. We had hopes that this would be a worthwhile play for RPG fans waiting for Dragon age and the Witcher – but it certainly doesn’t seem it. Especially not for the price. It’s going for R699 at Kalahari on the PS4, – which s what better, more polished games sell for.
Here’s the first 15 minutes on PS4 (via GamesHQ) – to help you decide for yourself
Last Updated: May 9, 2014
Admiral Chief in Space
May 9, 2014 at 12:01
Wow, really mixed
Hammersteyn
May 9, 2014 at 12:02
If Polygon says it’s crap then it must be good….. right?
CAE9872
May 9, 2014 at 14:10
They obviously see themselves as the American EDGE.
Hammersteyn
May 9, 2014 at 14:15
lol
Admiral Chief in Space
May 9, 2014 at 12:02
Sidenote:
A friend of mine is selling his WiiU, with 2x remotes, 5 games, let me know if you are interested.
Super Mario Bros, NintendoLand, NFS Most Wanted, ZombiU and CoD Blops2
Hammersteyn
May 9, 2014 at 12:04
Wow that’s like the entire WIIU library 😛
Admiral Chief in Space
May 9, 2014 at 12:05
XDXD
Umar Returns
May 9, 2014 at 12:09
LOOOOL
Rincethis
May 9, 2014 at 12:29
BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURN!
Admiral Chief in Space
May 9, 2014 at 12:29
Hehehe, poor poor Nintendo
Rincethis
May 9, 2014 at 13:03
No one to blame but themselves 😛
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 9, 2014 at 13:14
Get to da ambulance!
Rincethis
May 9, 2014 at 13:17
WIII UUUUUU WIIII UUUUUU
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 9, 2014 at 13:17
Yes, that’s what the picture says 😛
Rincethis
May 9, 2014 at 13:18
🙁 No refresh before ;(
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 9, 2014 at 13:20
I guessed as much hehe
Rincethis
May 9, 2014 at 13:21
And now I see it. NOW I SEE!
MakeItLegal
May 9, 2014 at 13:50
o/…………………..o/……………..o/
Cat
May 9, 2014 at 12:30
Is he selling it for cheap cheap?
Admiral Chief in Space
May 9, 2014 at 12:30
Indeed, barely uses it
Umar Returns
May 9, 2014 at 12:06
Deadly Premonition. What you can do with a tight budget…..I think you were right when you said this was trying to be too ambitious
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 9, 2014 at 13:12
That’s what I was thinking of playing once I’ve slogged my way through LA Noire.
Jonah Cash
May 9, 2014 at 12:07
Thank you for the round up Geoff!! Sad, really hoped this would be a good game!!
Hammersteyn
May 9, 2014 at 12:11
Agreed 🙁
CAE9872
May 9, 2014 at 14:13
Well those are very mixed reviews. So who knows you may end up enjoying it. Seems to a trend recently – have seen quite a few newer releases with quite mixed reviews – none AAA to be fair.
Personally it makes the review scores seem “correct” in that one man’s (sorry person’s!) great game is another’s pile of s**t.
Jonah Cash
May 11, 2014 at 09:43
I agree with you. I have played many a game that had crap ratings and enjoyed it!! I think reviewers should first learn what they are reviewing. Reviewing a Bgrade game should not be compared to a Agrade game. They should review the Bgrade game for what it is. With them saying the voice acting is bad, obviously it would be!!
Rincethis
May 9, 2014 at 12:29
Set IN Fire? So… Set ON Stone?
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 9, 2014 at 13:12
Shut off!
Rincethis
May 9, 2014 at 13:13
Oh shut down!
Nikola
May 9, 2014 at 12:51
I got this game today haven’t played it yet, depends what expectations people have for me it’s just something to play until Watch Dogs comes a fun rpg I was not expecting to be anything close to the Witcher as long as it’s not anything like Dragon Age 2 I am sure it’s alright!!
Ratch
May 10, 2014 at 04:14
Dude you couldn’t have said it any better. This game is not going to be RPG of the year, or anything close. BUT, it is a fun and solid game and has so far been good the whole time. I personally wanted something exactly like this; A decent RPG to tie me over till a better one comes along. Maybe the only thing that this game suffers is the 49.99 price, but if it was 29.99 it would be a great deal. Still I am absolutely enjoying it, and I am usually the person that’s judges the heck out of a game. Enjoy:)
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 9, 2014 at 13:11
That Videogamer review… SOLD! (honestly, it sounds a touch hyperbolic & makes me think it’s not an opinion worth listening to)
Rincethis
May 9, 2014 at 13:12
Oh I don’t know, sounds like they had mixed feelings…
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 9, 2014 at 13:16
I suppose hatred & loathing are technically different feelings.
Uberutang
May 9, 2014 at 13:30
Looks bland
Axl Creed
May 10, 2014 at 10:41
So far so good. Your fault if you thought this game would be more then sub-par. The lack of character customization should have tipped you off to lower your expectations. Yes the voice acting isn’t great but I was expecting a silent hero based off the toned down customization. As for the focus on swearing and seemingly morbid humour, well everyone has their own kind of humour.