NOT
Unstable Frame Rates and Visuals
The visuals in Bloodforge might seem phenomenal, but as you play through the game and spend hours on it, you will see it degrade. On a still image, Bloodforge looks phenomenal, but when it comes to a situation where Crom is taking on four or more enemies, the frame rate will drop causing lag. This happens quite often and it will ruin the gameplay experience. Also, there are some slight screen tearing and pop ins.
Repetitive Combat
When it comes to hack and slash games, the vast majority of them are repetitive. While some have unique elements and manage to fight off repetitiveness that change up combat, this is not true for Bloodforge. Granted the game has combos, which makes the combat system somewhat fun, it will still get boring over time. From beginning to the end of the game, you will be doing the same thing over and over again, with no mix of platforming like in the God of War series. The linear and monotonous paths that you will be going through will feel dull and uninspired. Despite having a tolerable story, the motivation to continue will stop right around the middle.
Weird Camera
Another aspect that an exceptional hack and slash game needs is good focus with the camera. In Bloodforge, most of the time the camera will give you a sense of control where you will have a good look at Crom while fighting enemies. However, when several enemies are present, the camera controls can be deemed useless, as it will be impossible to see Crom regardless of how you position the camera. That being said, it makes the game somewhat annoying and lead to several needless deaths.
VERDICT
From the day Bloodforge was announced on Xbox Live Arcade, a lot of people, including critics like us, saw a lot of potential within the game. Anyone who saw the trailer and screenshots might think highly of the title, but when you actually play it, both of the good and the bad within Bloodforge are apparent. Unfortunately, in the end, the flaws like the monotonous combat and the unstable frame rates, will most likely be the reason for gamers to stay away from this game. While the bad outweighs the good, Bloodforge still has its moment and gamers might want to consider it if they have nothing to play on the Xbox 360 or are itching for a hack-and-slash game.
[Editor’s Note: Bloodforge was reviewed on the Xbox 360 hardware. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]
