Bound By Flame: Initial Impressions

Now, I am going to be honest with you, I was a little skeptical going to get Bound By Flame. A lot of the critics have been tearing the game apart. But, I have been looking forward to an action/adventure/rpg type of game for a while for the PS4. That is why I went ahead and purchased the game.

At $49, I was not expecting a AAA title, but I am looking for an entertaining title. And in my first hours with the game that is exactly what I have gotten. To be frank, the game is actually quite hard. I have died countless times, I don't know if it is because the game is inherently hard or because I am not used to the combat system.

Speaking of the combat system, I have not gotten used to it completely. I am still looking for a way to dodge while using the a sword... But alas, there is none and   you are forced to block or parry. For this reason, I have been using the daggers a lot more than the sword. To explain, you have 2 stances; warrior and ranger. With the warrior stance you use a sword and to mitigate the damage you block or you can time it perfectly and parry an attack and counter it. While in ranger stance  you use your dual daggers and to mitigate the damage you dodge backwards; timing it perfectly will let you riposte and counter the attack. You also have a ranged weapon (my crossbow for now) as well as magic spells. The magic spell  you gain from the demon inside of you.

That is the, let's say, the selling point of the game. You are a mercenary, Vulcan, who in certain circumstances has been 'possessed' by a flame demon. Throughout the game, you are given choices in which you can embrace the demon or not. When you embrace the demon, Ala Fable, your character transforms; to a point where he actually can't wear helmets anymore because of the horns. This concept is what really intrigued me about Bound By Flame. Not to spoil anything, I spent a good 5 minutes thinking what to do when the  first decision decided to present itself to me.

Now, I know gamers think this is all important (which it's not), but the graphics are pretty good. No where near groundbreaking, but they are good. I do notice a slowdown time to time, mostly right before I go into a new area but it is not enough to hinder the entertainment value. It definitely is a pretty game to look at, I will not take that away.

I was not looking for an open-world game, in fact, I kind of hate how everyone expects that now of late. So, I don't mind, but rather like, the linearality of the game, with its defined paths, corridors, and areas. Of course there are side quests to accomplish to give you a break from the story. I can easily see myself sinking 20+ hours into the title, and for that at $49 that is a steal.

Having sunk, only a couple hours into Bound By Flame, I am excited to continue the story of Vulcan and the flame demon. There is much that I haven't really spent time with such as the crafting system and building relationships. But, as of right now, I definitely recommend this game, just don't expect a perfect AAA experience.

First Play: Trine 2 - Complete Story

Yesterday I purchased Trine 2 - Complete Story for the PS4. I was looking for a fun, engaging, and challenging co-op game. These are hard to come by, especially for the Playstation 4. It was between Trine 2 and Tiny Brains; I will inevitably purchase both in the end, but I went ahead and got Trine 2 first. 

Finding a game that my girlfriend will enjoy was the priority for the purchase, and I must say it was worth it. We have only spent about 2 hours with the game, but we are thoroughly enjoying the game. My girlfriend, Kim, loves to play as the Thief, Zoya. Using the grappling hook is her favorite mechanic so far, even if she does complain that the game is a little too hard. See, she is relatively new to gaming, only playing Mario games before; so finding a game she can enjoy is quite difficult. 

Personally, my first impression of the game is that it is stunning. I can not wait to venture forth into the different environments as what I have seen far is breathtaking. The environments feel very organic and alive and I constantly catch myself just staring into the backgrounds as Kim fights hordes of monsters. 

The puzzle elements of the game constantly keep us thinking about how to get to new heights and acquire more XP. Fighting is fun and equally hilarious finding new ways to vanquish the enemies with different combinations from the heroes. Kim and I have vowed that we will platinum the game and earn all the trophies, that is how much we are enjoying the game. On top of beautiful environments, top-notch puzzles, the story pretty engaging as well. We haven't learned the reason why the Trine reached out to us, but we are itching to play more to find out the reason. 

A proper review will come in the future, when we get further into the game. But as of right now, I would totally recommend it to everyone. Especially, for those who want a fun local co-op game to enjoy with friends and significant others.