Bound By Flame

The game crashes when opening doors that connect to other sections of the map, like from Valvenor to the swamps. This also causes you to be unable to continue from your save as it will load the game at the moment you opened a door. I'm playing on a Predator Helios Neo 16 so my specs can't be the issue. After looking through the technical support forum on Steam, it seems similar issues have been reported by other players with no solution provided. Can't seem to find anything on the web either. Good thing I got it for $1 on a discount, won't bother asking for a refund. I'll pay for the 3 hours gameplay.

I guess I was too busy playing the first Dark Souls game when this gem was released, and I regret that! The world this game built is interesting, the characters are a bit high fantasy cliche but still charming, and the combat gameplay is hard but engaging. Yes, this is a soulslike game just three years before the first Dark Souls game came out. Such wasted potential here! It deserves a remake or at least a sequel.

I'm a big fan of spiders. Their games are always way too ambitious for their own good and they can be incredibly janky. I got to a point in this game when playing it where if I didn't spam magic attacks I could not reasonably progress but there is just something about this studio. I'd like to call it charm but I don't know if that is quite right. As long as Spiders keeps making RPGs I'll keep buyin em.

Refuses to launch...

Tried multiple troubleshooting.

Out of the hundreds of Steam games I have in library this is the only one who won't launch lol.

So give it a try if it launches.

🔹 What is this?

A 2014 action RPG from the French mid-budget developer Spiders, operating in the AA or B-segment of game development.

🔹 How I played?

I played around 12 hours to finish the main campaign, completing about 60-70% of the side quests. Expect a total of 10 to 15 hours of content, depending on your playstyle.

🕹️ Gameplay

This game sticks closely to the classic RPG formula, borrowing heavily from the Bioware model: companions, a combat system with a tactical pause, looting, crafting, upgrades, and dialogue-heavy interactions. While the core mechanics are solid, there are noticeable limitations.

Combat is enjoyable but lacks variety with only three fighting styles and three basic weapon types, plus magic. Boss encounters offer a good challenge initially, but the novelty wears off fast. Facing five similar "Concubine" bosses within two hours or recycled early-game bosses as common enemies later on becomes repetitive and frustrating.

I used a keyboard and mouse, which worked well. However, the game's balance, especially at higher difficulty levels, is flawed. The final boss, particularly on Buffalo (Hard), feels unbalanced, capable of one-shotting you even with an expanded health bar. On harder difficulties, playing as a Ranger offers a significant advantage due to superior dodging mechanics, whereas Warriors feel underpowered due to ineffective blocking.

Enemy health bars are disproportionately large, dragging out fights unnecessarily, even as your character grows stronger. Pyromancer abilities are underwhelming early on, becoming viable only by the third act. I enjoyed the gameplay for the most part, but the repetition and balance issues occasionally detracted from the experience.

📖 Story and Characters

The story follows a fairly standard fantasy formula, without much in terms of innovation. While serviceable, it’s not particularly engaging or memorable. It starts with promise—introducing a world ravaged by a 10-year war, with humanity on the brink of extinction and the looming threat of seven Ice Lords. The first act gives a sense of scale and epic adventure, reminiscent of the first village in The Witcher 3, setting the stage for a potentially grand RPG. However, as the game progresses, it shrinks in scope, becoming overly localized and small-scale.

Spiders attempts to create a feeling of vastness but falters in the details. For instance, an Elven King without guards or armies appears more like a stranded wanderer pretending to be royalty, breaking the immersion. The world could have benefitted from focusing on a smaller, more vibrant story—similar to Gothic 1—instead of attempting an epic they couldn't fully realize.

As for the characters, they fall into typical fantasy archetypes and, while functional, don't leave a lasting impression. You'll encounter the good witch, the bad witch, an old wise skeleton, an elf-archer, and a mercenary.

The protagonist, Vulcan, can romance some of these companions, but the romance feels so underdeveloped that you might not even realize the opportunity is there. It’s far from the meaningful relationship-building seen in games like Dragon Age: Origins. You can only take one companion with you at a time, and the game occasionally forces predefined companions on you for certain sections.

Dialogues and quests are middling, with occasional moments of above-average writing. Finally, the game offers three endings, but only one feels like a true epilogue with a satisfying conclusion.

🎨 Visual

For a game released in 2014 with a mid-budget, the graphics are acceptable but nothing outstanding. However, the art design is where the game falters. Most of the game is spent in uninspired locations like swamps, a small village, icy landscapes, and a castle. These areas are narrow, linear, and small, offering little exploration. There are no true open-world elements, and the overall visual design lacks any distinctive identity, leaving a very generic fantasy feel.

Minor frustrations with level design cropped up, including moments where I got stuck due to unclear navigation. It doesn’t break the game but interrupts the flow.

🎶 Soundtrack

The sound effects are basic, sometimes repetitive, and often lacking in variety. Occasionally, there’s an absence of audio feedback where it’s expected. However, the music stands out as a positive. While the tracks aren’t revolutionary, they are well-composed and set the mood effectively. The main menu theme, in particular, is memorable and creates a good first impression.

⚙️ Performance

The game runs smoothly with very few performance issues. It’s not demanding on hardware and should run well on max settings if you have at least a 2GB GPU and 8GB RAM, maintaining over 60 FPS. I did encounter some minor bugs, including issues with companions and the map, but nothing game-breaking. Cutscenes feel under-polished.

Optimization: Excellent for a mid-budget title.

🔄 Replayability

This is very much a one-time experience. The plot, character development, and limited gameplay options don’t encourage multiple playthroughs. There’s little to no variation in terms of story choices, and unless you’re a hardcore fan of action RPGs, there’s not much reason to revisit the game after completion.

💡 Conclusion

If you're a fan of action RPGs and enjoy the tactical pause combat system, you might find some enjoyment here, especially if you can overlook the repetitive elements and balance issues. However, if you're looking for a more in-depth narrative or varied gameplay, this might not satisfy you. It’s a game that gets the basics right but doesn’t excel in any particular area, making it more of a solid, yet forgettable experience.

Gameplay: 26/40
Story: 13/20
Visuals: 14/20
Soundtrack: 8/10
Personal Enjoyment: 7/10

FINAL SCORE: 68/100 - Recommended for fans of RPGs, but not a must-play. Look for it during a sale.

what's the use of making a game where you have to choose between embracing a demon or not but you recover health by drinking the blood of undead creatures and the protagonist can't stop using profanity?! smh.

Cons

- Combat is terrible, takes 3 minutes to kill a foe just left mouse clicking and regularly pressing Q to dodge attacks
- Foes are pretty dumb, you can just run past them and continue to your objective
- Voices don't match the scenario, there is a battle and characters talk to each other like if they were on Sunday late night when everyone is asleep
- Turns out this flame bound given by this mighty demon which makes my characters special is just another skill tree for magic spells.

Pros

- Story seems to be interesting
- I have just unlocked a few skills and they look nice