Bladestorm: Nightmare (Available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS3. Reviewed on PS4)
Developer: Omega Force
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Released: March 17, 2015
When I think back on my time with Koei Tecmo games, it’s actually very surprising I have not really checked out many of their other titles. When given this for review by Koei, I honestly had no idea what this series even was. I had seen the name Bladestorm around just by looking through Gamestop’s from time to time, but never really knew anything about the series. Bladestorm Nightmare is a re-release of 2007’s Bladestorm: The Hundred Years’ War, with upgraded visuals, and game play fixes. I can’t comment on any fixes as I have not played the previous title, but I will give my general impressions after playing the game for around 20-25 hours.
If you come into this title expecting the typical Warrior’s style game play, you will be disappointed as it has a completely different game play feel and style. Many call this a real time strategy game mixed with some Dynasty Warriors elements, and I cannot say it any better myself. Nightmare blends in traditional real time strategy elements with a rather unique squad mechanic. You have many different types of squads ranging from archers, to horse riders. Different styles are stronger than others in certain situations, kind of like a rock-paper-scissors mechanic. Using these squads, you assault other bases and officers, in a similar fashion to Dynasty Warriors. If you are expecting the same game play feel however, think again. Bladestorm: Nightmare is a much slower pace game. There’s no real explanation needed for the controls. Just by looking at the screenshots in the review, you will see how the controls work. No real explanation needed.
There are 2 game modes. The Hundred Years War, and Nightmare mode. Hundred Years War is the traditional game mode you would find with the original release with added graphics and game play tweaks, while Nightmare mode is more of a what if situation if monsters invaded during the war itself. Both modes are sizable campaigns that will take you at the very least 10-14 hours to complete. No story spoilers here, but I will say Nightmare mode has some crazy what if’s that will make you second think the legacy of some well known fighters. I know I haven’t said much about the story and I apologize, but so much essential stuff happens so early that its almost impossible to say anything about the story without including spoilers.
Visually, the game is a mixed bag. I absolutely love the terrain textures. The grass looks very realistic and is probably the best terrain I have seen in a video game. Can’t believe I am praising the grass in a video game, but here I am. Sadly, I cannot say the same about the character models. You can tell this is a re-release by looking at the character models sadly. While it is understandable with a re-release that it will not have the best graphics, the character models are by far the worst thing about the game. They seem so lifeless at times, and the generic soldiers that you most commonly see are the worst looking models in the entire game. Other than the character model woes, overall the game is visually pleasing to the eye, until you see the framerate drops. These are rare to occur however when they do it is staggering how low the frame rate gets. I hear this is a common complaint in the PS3 version, so beware if you shop for that system.
As always, another solid game soundtrack. The ladies and gentlemen over at Koei always deliver a superb soundtrack for their games, and this one is no different. Great guitar riffs, and the music always puts you in the right mood for any given situation. Voice acting is solid, with some very minor moments where the game characters would say something, but the voice actors were not given the memo. Other then that, solid audio work.
Bladestorm: Nightmare is a easy game to pick up and play, but a very hard game to master. The harder difficulty levels are some of the hardest “levels” I have played in a video game. If you want a challenge, I cannot stress enough how you will want to play this game. I am talking controller throwing across the room difficulty. Play the hardest difficulty at your own risk. It offers a lot of play-ability in that aspect, but sometimes I think making something almost impossible to clear does not equal difficulty.
If you want a challenging strategy game that makes you actually think, with some elements of Dynasty Warriors thrown in, in the form of stratagems, this is a pretty good game overall. The character models and frame rate issues does hinder the experience sometimes, but I feel overall that the game is worth the purchase price. With a lot of gameplay to offer, I recommend you check out Bladestorm: Nightmare. If you like RTS games, I do not think you will be disappointed.
