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Review

Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War

7.0

Format Xbox 360

Developer Omega Force

Publisher KOEI

Genre Action, Beat 'em Up

8-Nov-2007 Once more unto the breach dear friends!

1 Comments

My ancestor, Sir John Talbot was one of the most famous men in history to get his arse kicked by a girl. The fact that the girl in question was none other than the brilliant, but ever so slightly crispy, Joan of Arc makes me feel slightly less pissed off.

Simon Schama can go swivel, because he would never have pictures elephants Vikings and ninja in the war between England and France. Koei on the other hand, brightens up history considerably, while still sticking to the fringes of truth.

On top of that, I'm convinced that all the French voices were done by the policeman from 'Allo 'Allo. But this is Koei we're talking about. Maybe you were expecting something serious? I hate the pompous realism of games like Total War. Splattering the King of France with a whirling cyclone attack is much more fun.

On top of that, there's still a fairly detailed strategic simulation to be enjoyed here. It's a re-working of Kessen III with significantly better graphics and an improved control system.

Bladestorm never possesses the depth of a game like Command & Conquer, but there's still a great deal of pride in leading your archers or pikemen into battle. As a mercenary commander, you're able to take control of any field unit you encounter. There's an impressive variety, which gets wider and wilder as you build wealth and reputation.

Easily the most exhilarating moment in the game is charging down the battlefield with a cavalry unit, obliterating enemy lines like a claymore through paper. It's the same kind of joy of battle you find in those old Technicolor movies with Lawrence Olivier. I almost had a tear in my eye as I crushed the French under hoof.

Of course, you can side alongside our continental cousins if you prefer. As an unknown mercenary, your only masters are glory and a wage purse. This is better than it sounds though, because the lack of a solid allegiance makes it hard to root for anyone in particular.

Bladestorm also suffers from some serious pacing issues. It's a gigantic game, and perhaps the subtitle 'Hundred Hours War' might be more appropriate. But this just means that there's way too much capturing castles in between story missions. In the first eight hours play, only three missions contained any kind of sub-mission.

On the positive side, it's a balanced and rewarding war game that doesn't delve too deeply into hardcore strategy. Koei's trademark enthusiasm for rewriting history is also a huge reason to play, and yet despite all this you might still learn something about the 100 years war. Watch out Joan of Arc, I'm coming and England's coming with me.

Ben Talbot

Overview

Verdict

No-nonsense strategy with a sense of humour

Uppers

Flashy, imaginative style

Makes history fun!

Solid game play and extreme longevity

Downers

No multiplayer

Serious pacing issues

Screens

Interactive

Read all 1 comments

Screens

1 / 4 Screenshots

Reviews:

Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War

News:

Bladestorm screens stampede in

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