Techtite's PC Game Reviews!

Blade of Darkness

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A Techtite Review

Blade of Darkness is not unlike most other single-person RPGs you've played before, though it has its times of uniqueness. As one of a long line of imported games (in this case, from England), it leads to a very different look and feel, to a formula that Stateside has become rather rubber-stamp lately. In other words, this is a good case of a foreign software company making a unique spin of a genre that has often lost most of its uniqueness elsewhere.

The story you've heard before: bad guy with newfound super-magic-powers must be stopped, to save the kingdom. Leading to some DIY story elements is the ability to choose which of 4 possible characters go on this mission. Does this lead to replay value? Yes and no, although there is a totally unique first mission for each warrior, which pits them in an idealistic situation best suited for their particular skills (and getting you used to handling those skills). However, all future levels are exactly alike, for all 4 character types. On the one hand, there may be some instances where one character would handle a level differently, though on the most part, the game is pretty much the same, except for the first mission of each. I would suggest that anyone upon starting the game play the unique first mission for each character, see which character is the most appealing, then play that character for the rest of the game. My personal choice was actually the Amazon, given her qualities that are part Lara Croft, part Rynn (from Drakan). For the purpose of review, other character types were played as well, though as I said, the game is pretty much the same, with any of the chosen characters.

The game engine is superb when it comes to lighting effects and texture handling. The flicker of shadows on the walls is accurate to the character's angle to nearby light, and is even used by the game for effective mood setting. At one point, a shadow of a particularly creepy enemy is seen ahead, as you go up the spiral staircase to the top of the tower. What this strange creature looks like isn't revealed until the end of the level, and you're anticipating it until that time, thanks to the effective use of shadow. Water effects are similarly excellent, with ruined temples damp with small pools of water that subtly reflect the images above. Textures are constantly changing on your character; if they are hit in the right arm, the arm shows signs of injury, while a hit to the chest shows a tear in their clothing (presuming you haven't found armor yet), or something similar. Different armor changes their appearance as well.

Enemies are both a success and a weakness. On the one hand, AI is exceptional, with several enemies unafraid to all attack at once. Their intelligence level is even a bit logical at times; if an enemy carries a health vial, don't be surprised if he uses it on himself, if given the chance! On the other hand, it needs to be said that the enemies themselves are not original in appearance, with skeleton warriors, knights with glowing evil eyes, and so on. Regardless, you'll be too busy trying to stay alive to care whether the enemies look "unique" or not.

Enemies are also used for unique strategy elements. While there aren't many "boss" characters per se, the characters used as "bosses" differ from character to character. Zoe the Amazon, for example, will not come across the toughest of knights (shown in the above picture) until the very end of the game. This is because such extensive hand-to-hand combat is not her field of expertise, making this battle a very difficult one for her character to win. However, this same sword-wielding villain is seen by Sargam, the king's First Knight, in his very first mission. After all, he has the armor, sword, and shield to make very short work of the knight, rather quickly. Comparatively, Sargam will find it harder to deal with long-range combat foes, who Zoe makes very short work of. Such elements of the game --different strategy elements for each character-- enhance the intrigue of the game experience.

The game is divided into surprisingly large levels, which include secret areas that must be obtained to reach (you guessed it) "the best ending." However, I appreciated how the game, prior to the final level, cut you some slack and offered the option to return to the 6 (or less) levels where you forgot to obtain the secrets held within. Is the search for these secrets worth it? Well, not for the ending --which suffers the same limitations of other RPGs elsewhere, and just abruptly ends-- though definitely for the sword received! This ultra-weapon is the best power sword I've seen this side of a He-Man cartoon.

There are the gripes, of course, as in any game. Personally, I would have liked an option a la the classic Four Crystals of Trazere, where all four characters participate at will. Perhaps it also would have been nice, if you could decide who goes on what mission before each mission. Obviously, dividing the characters like they did is to keep you interested in replaying the game, though in a RPG of this size, it's unlikely that a gamer would want to start from the very beginning.

I'll admit, the concept of another RPG with an evil wizard to defeat doesn't scream of originality. However, I did have a fair amount of fun playing this game, due to its approach. The four characters may not lead you to replay the game 4 complete times, and yet they all should appeal to a certain group of gamers: the Tomb Raider/Lara Croft fans, the Duke Nukem fans, the Ultima/"Avatar" fans, and so on. I know it's not exactly Everquest (it's acceptable "Arena" multiplayer option doesn't involve exploration, nor co-op play of the missions...unfortunately). However, RPG fans may still want to give Blade of Darkness a try. After all, the kingdom needs a hero...again.

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