Bound by Flame

Overview

TechSpot Metascore

Based on 7 expert reviews

Excellent:

0
Good:

1
Average:

1
Bad:

5

Pros:

Interesting combat system.
Bioware-like focus on characters and relationships.
Simple but robust crafting system.

Cons:

Dull and repetitive quests.
Generic fantasy art.

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Last revision on November 8, 2016

Reviewers Liked

Interesting combat system
Bioware-like focus on characters and relationships
Simple but robust crafting system
A good sense of weight gives battle some initial appeal

Reviewers Didn't Like

Dull and repetitive quests
Generic fantasy art
Awful close-up animation
Unwieldy interface and controls
Dry writing and voice acting fail to bring the characters to life
Weird story and presentation problems make it hard to take anything seriously
Disastrous combat scenarios made even worse by useless companions
Dull, narrow corridors do a poor job of building a fantasy world

Expert reviews and ratings

With its shonky cut-scenes, its outdoor sound effects that play indoors and its linear maps, this is in no way a current-gen experience. It's a budget offering at a premium price - and a poor one at that.

By EuroGamer on May 13, 2014

Granted, its weak storytelling does weigh it down, and its performance on PS4 is a bit of a bummer, but the strong core of its gameplay powers it through to transcend these flaws. Bound By Flame’s combination of progression and action ultimately make it greater than the sum of its parts.

By IGN on May 12, 2014

Sadly, there’s just too much about it that’s generic, unpolished, badly animated, poorly implemented or uninspired. If you must have a fantasy RPG to play on PS4 then this might do, but there will be better around the corner, and this really isn’t an easy game to love.

By TrsutedReviews on May 09, 2014

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.

By GameInformer on May 09, 2014

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.

By GameSpot on May 09, 2014

Bound by Flame is worse than just generic; it's a mess of a game pretending at greater ambitions.

By Polygon on May 09, 2014

With that said, there are some strong customizable aspects to weapons and armor, and the challenging combat can add to the game’s attraction. It’s fortunate that gamers are not bound to this by any means because, while Bound by Flame has heart, it ends up being a forgettable dull experience.

By HardcoreGamer on May 08, 2014