Customer Reviews

Blade of Darkness

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

OK, to say it in a few words.. this is the BEST GAME I have ever played. I really like 1st person games.. and have had a lot of fun with Quake Unreal and the like.. but I was looking for a game with a different environment as I like fantasy better than science fiction so I got this game on an inpulse buy since this game has not gotten half the marketing and advertising of say Diablo. It was a great buy! The graphics and game engine are really impressive... every detail is taken care of.. even the music and sounds are awesome, and the enemies are varied smart and challenging..! If you like 3d action games you should definitely get this game... I really don't understand how a game like Diablo that is a total joke compared to Blade got so much more successful... or better.. I know .. it is just about the marketing.. But don't let that fool you.. this is a great exciting inspiring game and the only problem it will give you is after you are done with it you will be struggling to find something that compares.. The only defect I can think of is that the storyline could have been better. I mean, the game does keep you hooked even if you will find yourself hacking and slashing enemies most of the time.. but I think quite a bit of the ledge jumping could have bene sacrificed to give space to say some interaction with non-players characters or to more investigation... ( a la Baldur's Gate...).
Overall though this is a minor defect... this game is a little masterpiece guys...

I bought this game without much review. I thought it may have been a mistake while trying to install it, but once I found the right resolution and began playing, Blade really started to shine! The game takes full advantage of current graphics card technology and processor speed. This does not mean a less-than-up-to-date system user will not enjoy the game's beautiful mapping and texture, though it would be wise to quit all running programs before playing (this should open up more RAM). Either on low or high detail, Blade is still stunning. Total immersion is inevitable when combining the expertly composed music with chilling sound effects that make your spine tingle. How wonderful to hear the footsteps and gunts of an ogre as he walks up and down the corridor. Try throwing a head or arm (from a shredded enemy, of course), and as he comes to investigate it, suprise him with a deadly and artful melee attack! As I speak of this scenario, one must quickly learn to finesse the controls. I do not find the character difficult to control at all. All the enemies fight different, so tactics used on a slow, lumbering stone golem will most definitely get you killed by a skeleton warrior. Gosh, they move fast! Character movement and control are MADE difficult if want to just run through every level trying to slash everything to pieces. It is not designed to play in this manner. The gameplay is designed for the player to be cautious and wary. Stop running, look all around, and listen to the surroundings (while enjoying the scenery). Listen to enemies lurking in the distance, wind blowing (which, by the way, does carry sounds further), and birds chirping. This may become time consuming, but the save feature can nullify some frustration (if you use it), and the player will appreciate the game much more (along with the fact that it took more than four years to make). One must develop a plan of attack before striking. As we in the military say, "know your enemy better than you know yourself". This strategy will help the player survive much longer. The fighting engine, besides the graphics, is the very essence of the game. Plus it is much more fun this way. Forget the cheats, too. Who would want to cheat on a game so easy to play anyway? Precision movement and attacks are paramount, but are they not in real life, also? I am talking about fighting a lot, but this is what the game is about. If you are willing to study your enemies' and master the art of one-on-one melee combat, this game is perfect for you. Blade is quite straightfoward, so it is difficult to get lost.There are not many secrets and traps, and even those are easily recognized if you pay attention to your surroundings. All things considered, this game is truly an awesome experience to behold.

I have been playing computer games since the dawn of the Commodore 64; and I can safely say this is a special product. In fact, it has been years since I have seen anything this clever and unique in a computer game. If you are a fan of Robert E. Howard and his Conan the Barbarian saga, find a copy of this game. It is already getting difficult to find due to the realistic graphic violence depicted during the gameplay. But I was blown away!

I bought this game a year after it's release. It is now 2005, and it still retains an honorable spot in my collection. Taking into consideration all the breakthroughs in video gaming since it's 1999 release, this game still holds its own. The graphics, animation, gameplay are simply top notch. I even bought another copy when it resurfaced in the reprise bins at my local mall a couple of years ago. Yes, it is that good!

Just bought this game. What a steal!!
The lighting and shadow effects are truly ground breaking but you need a hefty PC to run it (no less than 800 mhz amd or pentium).
The story is forgetable but the gameplay is classic!
Basically, you choose a character (choice of 4) each has its own strengths and weaknesses and then you begin an arduous journey through beautifully rendered landscapes. Your enemies are many and varied with excellent movement characteristics. As you progress you learn more fighting moves with various weapons. this is the main challenge of the game. Memorising the different key combinations for the various attacks. The reward comes when you pull off a combo and behead your foe with crimson blood spurting out of their neck!! Sorry, did I not mention the extreme blood and gore that permeates the gameplay?
Well it's grisley and very exciting!!!
All in all this game is atmospheric and challenging. A real 'hands on affair' that gets your blood pulsing and, at times, flowing!!!

This game, followed by "Die by the Sword" is a unique, Hack-N-Slash 3rd person game. You start the game by choosing from 4 characters, a barbarian, knight, dwarf, or an amazon. Each character has specific qualities, such as defense, attack, and weapon abilities. Each character has a different starting level, but after that, all the levels are the same (that's not necessarily bad). The only problem I have with the game is of the storyline. It is somewhat confusing, and the narrator constantly uses words that throw you off the game. This is covered up by the gameplay, however.

The controls, as many people would complain about, aren't that difficult to master. Everyone considers it difficult, because its a new interface.

Throughout the game, you kill various monsters, and from them you get experience points. With these points you eventually level up, giving you more health, higher stamina, and the abilities to new combination moves for your weapons.

Overall, this game is a MUST for players you like Hack-N-Slash gaming, and anyone who enjoys gore. Even though the storyline is a bit... out there, and the controls are considered hard, the game is worth it.

First off i Have got to say that Blade of Darkness crushes Rune. Blade of Darkness has wonderful combat methods, sound, graphics, and other things that make it a great game. Why I say it is frustrating is that there is no quick save. Also sometimes you just be walking and all of a sudden the walkway you were on will fall in. Automatically you die, and if you didn't save recently your pretty much screwed. Also there are some clipping problems, with characters arms and legs disapearing into walls. But the main problem of this game is it's frustration level, with the hit points. Blade of Darkness become's so annoying and frustrating because when an enemy has over a 1000 or more hit point's than you, than one must usually have to play that character over and over again because they keep on dying. I know it sounds like the game is not that good, from all the stuff above, but truly this is a great game with depth, amazing graphics, and other important attribute's that most game's come without. If you like 3rd person hack and slash action's, then this is for you

With four characters to choose from, and many levels to explore, Blade of Darkness is graphically one of the best games out right now, with lighting effect (the torch shadows are AMAZING), interactive environments, and water reflections. Also, it's got good sound, and everything sounds like "real life." BUT...it falls flat on its face when it comes to controlling your character. In some levels, there is a lot of catwalks and/or platforms to jump onto, and having an extremely tight control makes it so the character changes direction with the slightest touch of the mouse or keyboard, which makes precise movements all but impossible. Plus, if your foot misses a ledge by 0.2 pixels, you will slip and fall to your death.

In Blade of Darkness, you melee opponents with swords, axes, etc. This is the heart of the game, and the idea is great and the attacks look great, but it WILL frustrate you at some point in the game. Here are some of the biggest annoyances: If you push the attack button too many times, you'll just stand there swinging at air while the opponent steps to the side and slashes your back. If you move your mouse too fast, your character will NOT TURN (with an Intellimouse Explorer, at least). If you dodge too many times, you'll actually go back in FRONT of your opponent. There are combo swings and attacks, but those are not worth the aggravation because of the precise timing required to pull them off, and even if you can, the opponents block the attacks anyway. If you swing when you're next to or even near a wall, you will hit the wall and the rest of the swing does no damage, which can be especially annoying in narrow corridors! AND, sometimes, even when you are out of the opponent's range or swing, it will STILL HIT YOU. Must be a shockwave or something! Another thing is that at later levels, the opponents will have rediculously high amounts of hit points, and it takes a VERY LONG TIME to wear them down. Of course, when they do 400 damage to you with each swing, and you have only around 2,300 hit points, it can get especially frustrating. I very nearly uninstalled the game when I kept getting killed because this ONE opponent I was fighting apparently had an extendable sword, because no matter how much I dodge or blocked, it always hit me.

For graphics and sound, I give this game five stars, but the extremely frustrating controls earn it a one star for that part of the game, so overall, I give Blade of Darkness three stars.

this game is great!
you can perform about 20 different moves and combos, you can use about 100 different objects (including chairs and enemies' libms) to hurt people. you can eat cheese and you can set things on fire... also i've never seen game with graphics like this. the shadow almost looks real. blood... that's the best part. you can slap somebody with your bare hand and all floor will be covered with blood. can you imagine what happens when you take a sword? i loved the idea of "flaming/freezing" weapons. (you can set enemies on fire with one hit or you can freeze them and brake with one kick).
deffinitely the bloodiest game after QUAKE3

Best game I've played since Thief. Very immersive. Amazingly detailed and beautiful scenery, great effects with shadows, water, and torchlight. Variety of special weapons to choose from - too many to carry and try out once you have a good combination. Also, each character type has preferred weapon type and special weapons for each type. Enemy AI is cool. Love fighting orcs and goblins they way they scream and yell before you finally lop off their heads! Only used walkthroughs to solve one puzzle and find 2 runes so easy to miss. Ending up modifying character last 2 levels because time to study. Only complaint is certain bigger monsters are too easy once you figure out weaknesses. If I had time I would play the other 3 characters.
All time great game!!