Action RPG with strong limitations

Most likely, one can compare the game with a limited Jade Empire. It is linear, you can always visit very few areas, in old areas can not return it, and it is actively fought and blocked. The focus is clearly on the fighting and a peaceful game world to explore away from the cut and piercing, there are not basically and who want to discover a new world, let him stop reading now. Because there is not to be discovered. It is the sole intention of a linear story to follow, from time to time to make a decision and to beat the undead.

History

"The evil dark Eisfürsten, ice loving Nekromaten and even not so human mage, overrun the world. Mercenaries and explosives Master Vulcan is a mercenary and protected along with his mercenary colleagues a group Red loving ways with any experiment close to the front. The experiment goes wrong, a fire spirit is caught in Vulcan and / which may now not only to flee at first and later save the world, but also more about worry whether he / she now prefers to remain human or as a monster with fire eyes and horns on his head in the war draws. And you choose in one of the few dialogues even the right words and tells you the right companion, there is at the end even a romance. "

The story is not really creative. She's just a little gloomy, depressive, than one is generally accustomed. But it is nevertheless from time to time a little tension because one does not know at least the first playthrough, whether now really entering the Expected or not. One or two times you will also surprised by an event on the first playthrough.

The presentation of history is acceptable, at least in the prologue and the first chapter. Then there are always cracks, giving an impression that someone the money has gone out for a decent cutscene. Just one is still in the process to open the gate to a few elves soldiers rescue and a little bickering with the Fire Spirit later, is at once the assault on the enemy fortress and do not really know how the battle, on the one just yet participated, ran what this has become really the NPCs and how to be ever come to where you are now, where this may still be?

The conflict with the spirit of fire in the player character is not more than a nice little bonus, important for the history, but outside of cutscenes and a few comments about the game play you quickly forget that your character is possessed, especially when one fights against the obsession and no optical feedback has.

The game world and characters

One learns not really know much about the game world. You can hear a few names to the continent and the one and other city and island, but there is nothing more. There are many plots, which are touched upon, but never completed, and questions asked, but not answered.
The NPCs and companion are all shown very superficial, one learns a few details, get some information about their motivation, but that was about it. That made a lot of other RPGs much better. You will really warm with the attendants not, they do not talk in the fight and perish as well as later to cannon fodder, not even with a normal opponent is ready.

Your character is usually, if one may not intervene, relatively aggressive. Can we intervene, we must choose the degree of aggressiveness. Well, now and then one must it try to be nice. Regardless of the choice of words but does not change much on the course of the conversation, except the dialogue has something to do with the obsession. Where the story dictates, your character meets without influence decisions about life and death, you can not really understand always logical.

Graphics and Sound

The graphics are fine, unless you are Grafikfetischist, then likely a 2D vessels and bottles interfere in the background, and kept in comic style. Compared to the competition Dark Souls 2 the game is but a feast for the eyes directly. The monsters have been pretty created imaginative, at least in the first chapter and a few bosses that are downgraded later to cannon fodder, from the second chapter there are only a few undead that constantly repeat ,, while the rest of the usual fantasy needs are met, even if elves wear beards at once and very human traits. Music and voices are also acceptable. Just do not "Dragonborn" expect and be able to forgive the game when speakers act somewhat unmotivated one another. So the dialogue act at least from time to time. Special mention should be the language of the characters. The language is quite grown up and little medieval, words such as bitch, asshole or hot (or it was awesome), half-naked part should not interfere.

Regulations

It is simple, more complex than Mass Effect 3 and 2, but it is very simple. It improves skills and fighting styles with skill points in 3 very clear trees. In addition, you can, if you have enough done enemies with magic or ax or enough healing potions brewed activate additional bonuses, improve weapon damage, life energy or crafting. Some attributes can be improved even with extensions for weapons and armor.

Fight

The fights are sophisticated, demanding more and for a specific strategy and over time, because the enemy types up from chapter two repeat continually, but for simple, boring routine, as often as you contend for victory and must improvise. Fleißiges levels makes the fights easier, but you can die against the same opponent without problems with Level 5 or 12, if you fight without caution and understanding.

Control

Taxes can be fights usually good. Attacking, blocking and spells works perfectly, it's just a little goofy that you have not allocated all abilities hotkeys. One should not keep pressing when you dodge or want timely escape an opponent's special attack only. But they rely on the automatic focusing in the fight, it's over quickly with the index and the life of the character. The camera control is in this mode, far from optimal.

Conclusion

Is it honest, it's brash with Bound by Flame feels like Mass Effect in a medieval fantasy realm! to advertise. Because that's not it. The game has many weaknesses and constraints, which should be due to a smaller budget as compared to the better and more powerful competitors. Great game worlds, worlds with life and much more content and sidequests are just expensive. It provides a linear campaign, an ever smaller and less varied expectant game world and challenging battles. It starts well and ends less well. The story has a few hours relatively intensively and then loses much of its appeal .. Three stars are, I think, appropriate for more stars it simply lacks more depth, perfection and content. Who Jade Empire was too large, it will be like, who gets along well with less game than in Jade Empire or just like a little fight with opponents who fall not equal to the first hit, the game can safely despite its many weaknesses, the one and other abgewinnen. Perhaps there are also players who prefer linear and minimalist. It is not a Fable, no Witcher and no Mass Effect and looks even compared to Jade Empire of old. In the first chapter, I was personally still fired up for the game, but it did not stop, unfortunately. I had more and no fewer game world awaits.