FA+
Shop
"The Jet Gamer" Game Review:Bladestorm The Hundred Years War
10 years ago
It's been awhile, but this game has taken me awhile and I finally got the point that I decided I was done with it as the game really doesn't end in a way. Either way, finally, enjoy another review by me.
Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War
And we are back after an extended break from reviews, however it wasn't because I was not playing games, it is because of how long this game has taken me. I've put in over a hundred hours into this game, so I would say it had me hooked for quite awhile that is for sure. There are just some games that can do that to me, and this was one of them. However, does this game hold up as well as it should, and is it really a good game, or was I just playing the game just to play it? Let's see shall we?
Gameplay
Alright, Bladestorm is another Koei game, so instantly most people think of the warriors series and that this must be another game in that series. However this time, this is not the case at all. Yes, you are fighting another war, but this time, with the hundred years war, they took the game from being you playing as the generals in the army and running around being a one man army, to this time you are playing as a mercenary that takes over squads of units that are on the battlefield and you use them to fight for you. You can fight with the squad, but you are just as strong as the squad you take over. This time, you actually have to have help as going on your own as a single sword soldier will get you killed very fast. This is the main way the game is different, in that you really do live and die based on the squads you pick as each different weapon type levels as its own pace and if you aren't aware of the strength of the squad you are using, what units they are strong and weak against, and also the difficulty of the mission you are undergoing, you will lose your squad and have to run away pretty often, which will happen anyway, so get used to it. Each mission is first going to take place with either the English or French army, so you can choose your side, then the difficulty of the mission which is based on the number of stars the mission has, which can go pretty high. I saw the stars get all the way up to level 14, but I know it can go higher than this. With each star, the levels of the enemy soldiers goes higher and higher, with level 14 having enemies that are in their 80's, which is very difficult to overcome. Still, for the most part, you are going to run around in a normal mission from base to base trying to fight and convert that base to your army of choices color while also trying to capture or defend certain locations which will end the mission for you and earn you a money reward. You have a set number of days, which can range from two to five days normally, or unlimited for main story missions, to complete the mission or else you will automatically fail. You will also fail if you run out of health, so keep this in mind as this will send you out of the mission if you fail. Between missions you are in the tavern where you can do a variety of things between battles. The barkeep can give you more missions to go on first of all. Next, you can look at your squad stats, upgrade them, or change your personal equipment or squad equipment. You can visit the merchant where you can buy weapons and armor for yourself and your squads, and you can also hire units that you can take with you into battle and summon as you need them instead of having to find squads to take over in the field. Then you can also listen to gossip of the various people that come into the tavern as this will give you a lot of the story in the game as only some of it is the missions. So pretty much, you go to the tavern, gear up, and do missions and repeat over and over again. Can be fun, but a tad tedious later on of course when you need to do lots of leveling on certain squads. When they are leveled, missions can be pretty fun if you like this tactical gameplay.
Story
The story of the game is pretty much, you are a mercenary trying to make a name for himself and the mercenaries in general during the hundred years war between France and England. You will see some of the figures of the time such as Prince Edward and Joan of Arc later in the game as they fight for and or lead the troops of their respective kingdoms and the other generals as they work to win the war for their country, be it England trying to take over France or France to fend off England that thinks they have a right to the country now. The mercenaries are around to fight a lot of the battles of the war as there aren't enough soldiers to fight the war on its own, so the countries pay mercenaries to fight a lot of the battle for or with them to supplement their armies. Unlike normal troops though, the mercenaries really are only loyal to money, so they could up and leave whenever they want and they won't stick around for abuse as normal soldiers may do as well. Most of the story really does just follow the story of the generals while the mercenaries look for fame and fortune. It's not the most advanced story and really, since your character never talks other than a few commands during missions, your character only goes through character development in the fact that he is advancing in fame as being a mercenary and the many people that interact with him as he advances and gets more popular with the kindgom's you help. It could be a bit better and the way you get story could be a little more straight forward, but getting bits and pieces of the story from time to time is an alright motivator to keep playing, even after the main story is done. I just wish there was a bit more of it really.
Graphics
They aren't the most wonderful graphics around and there really could be more detail in some of the environments you are running around, but the graphics do the job and that's what is important for this game. The soldiers do all look like carbon copies of each other, so don't expect a lot of variety in what soldiers look like if you get a close look at them. Other than weapons, everyone pretty much looks the same as in the warriors games, except for the generals and mercenaries who are all unique and pretty detailed to look at. Really, the only thing that is lacking is the environments and how they look a bit simple, but really as long as a game gives you enough good looks to understand what you are doing and taking in consideration the time period the game was released, this one seems to stand tall as an early PS3, which it is, so you have to expect graphics that look a little similar to the generation before.
Sound
The sound in Bladestorm is actually quite nice to listen to. It's a combination of music that sounds like stuff you would hear from an opera and other similar classical style music that is very pleasant to listen to, even when you are running around a battlefield or are in the middle of a fight. The main drawback here to me is that it really doesn't have a large selection and variety, so you will end up hearing some of the same tracks over and over again as you are playing the game over time. The music you are hearing is good, so you will be humming some of the tracks as they play. You will just be hearing the same ones over and over again instead of constant new tracks. The fact that they are good though is what helps a lot in this area, since if you didn't like the music, the constant playing would be very annoying and would get on your nerves very fast. This isn't something new to Koei games though as the selection hasn't ever been huge huge, but the music you listen to is always pretty good to the ear.
Control
Control really only boils down to how well you can control your squads in battle. Other than that, you are pretty much doing menu navigation. You run around the battlefield and use the controls to aim in the direction you want your squads to attack. This can be a little tricky sometimes with distance attacks, since if you aren't pointing the stick in the right spot, then you will throw attacks in the entirely wrong direction which can easily get indirect attack units killed. Still, for the most part, really you are just running around the battlefield and navigating menu's, so the controls really aren't an issue for this game.
Replay Value
This, as with most koei games, is really the thing that makes or breaks the game for most people. To me, I feel the game has tons of replay value, especially in this ones case the game technically never ends, even after completing the story, little tidbits of more side story will keep being revealed to you from time to time, and there are also more units to unlock as you keep playing. Though there is alot of grinding you can do in this game, the main reason is to take on the higher star difficulty missions that will keep coming your way. There is even hidden missions that are specially meant to be done after the main story is completed, so there is incentive to keep playing and playing, which is how I ended up logging around a hundred hours in this game, even after being done with the story. This can also be what annoys some people with this game as the game is meant to be slow and be played for a long period of time. You need to be sure you are patient and enjoy this type a game, otherwise, the high replay value for some people will be a massive negative for others.
Overall, I would say Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War is a pretty decent series in the Koei lineup. It isn't like the warriors games at all and actually tries something different rather than just being another copy of the warriors games, which already has now I think four warriors series all with the same format running now. This is a very welcome change if you want something different from them. Still, if you don't like how slow this game moves or if you don't enjoy the warriors games at all, then more than likely this isn't for you. If you liked any of the other warriors games, then give this one a try if you want something a little different while still getting to enjoy another historic era of world history.
Overall, in my opinion at least, I give Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War an eight point five out of ten.
Gameplay: 9
Story: 8
Graphics: 7
Sound: 8
Control: 9
Replay Value: 9
Overall: 8.5
Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War
And we are back after an extended break from reviews, however it wasn't because I was not playing games, it is because of how long this game has taken me. I've put in over a hundred hours into this game, so I would say it had me hooked for quite awhile that is for sure. There are just some games that can do that to me, and this was one of them. However, does this game hold up as well as it should, and is it really a good game, or was I just playing the game just to play it? Let's see shall we?
Gameplay
Alright, Bladestorm is another Koei game, so instantly most people think of the warriors series and that this must be another game in that series. However this time, this is not the case at all. Yes, you are fighting another war, but this time, with the hundred years war, they took the game from being you playing as the generals in the army and running around being a one man army, to this time you are playing as a mercenary that takes over squads of units that are on the battlefield and you use them to fight for you. You can fight with the squad, but you are just as strong as the squad you take over. This time, you actually have to have help as going on your own as a single sword soldier will get you killed very fast. This is the main way the game is different, in that you really do live and die based on the squads you pick as each different weapon type levels as its own pace and if you aren't aware of the strength of the squad you are using, what units they are strong and weak against, and also the difficulty of the mission you are undergoing, you will lose your squad and have to run away pretty often, which will happen anyway, so get used to it. Each mission is first going to take place with either the English or French army, so you can choose your side, then the difficulty of the mission which is based on the number of stars the mission has, which can go pretty high. I saw the stars get all the way up to level 14, but I know it can go higher than this. With each star, the levels of the enemy soldiers goes higher and higher, with level 14 having enemies that are in their 80's, which is very difficult to overcome. Still, for the most part, you are going to run around in a normal mission from base to base trying to fight and convert that base to your army of choices color while also trying to capture or defend certain locations which will end the mission for you and earn you a money reward. You have a set number of days, which can range from two to five days normally, or unlimited for main story missions, to complete the mission or else you will automatically fail. You will also fail if you run out of health, so keep this in mind as this will send you out of the mission if you fail. Between missions you are in the tavern where you can do a variety of things between battles. The barkeep can give you more missions to go on first of all. Next, you can look at your squad stats, upgrade them, or change your personal equipment or squad equipment. You can visit the merchant where you can buy weapons and armor for yourself and your squads, and you can also hire units that you can take with you into battle and summon as you need them instead of having to find squads to take over in the field. Then you can also listen to gossip of the various people that come into the tavern as this will give you a lot of the story in the game as only some of it is the missions. So pretty much, you go to the tavern, gear up, and do missions and repeat over and over again. Can be fun, but a tad tedious later on of course when you need to do lots of leveling on certain squads. When they are leveled, missions can be pretty fun if you like this tactical gameplay.
Story
The story of the game is pretty much, you are a mercenary trying to make a name for himself and the mercenaries in general during the hundred years war between France and England. You will see some of the figures of the time such as Prince Edward and Joan of Arc later in the game as they fight for and or lead the troops of their respective kingdoms and the other generals as they work to win the war for their country, be it England trying to take over France or France to fend off England that thinks they have a right to the country now. The mercenaries are around to fight a lot of the battles of the war as there aren't enough soldiers to fight the war on its own, so the countries pay mercenaries to fight a lot of the battle for or with them to supplement their armies. Unlike normal troops though, the mercenaries really are only loyal to money, so they could up and leave whenever they want and they won't stick around for abuse as normal soldiers may do as well. Most of the story really does just follow the story of the generals while the mercenaries look for fame and fortune. It's not the most advanced story and really, since your character never talks other than a few commands during missions, your character only goes through character development in the fact that he is advancing in fame as being a mercenary and the many people that interact with him as he advances and gets more popular with the kindgom's you help. It could be a bit better and the way you get story could be a little more straight forward, but getting bits and pieces of the story from time to time is an alright motivator to keep playing, even after the main story is done. I just wish there was a bit more of it really.
Graphics
They aren't the most wonderful graphics around and there really could be more detail in some of the environments you are running around, but the graphics do the job and that's what is important for this game. The soldiers do all look like carbon copies of each other, so don't expect a lot of variety in what soldiers look like if you get a close look at them. Other than weapons, everyone pretty much looks the same as in the warriors games, except for the generals and mercenaries who are all unique and pretty detailed to look at. Really, the only thing that is lacking is the environments and how they look a bit simple, but really as long as a game gives you enough good looks to understand what you are doing and taking in consideration the time period the game was released, this one seems to stand tall as an early PS3, which it is, so you have to expect graphics that look a little similar to the generation before.
Sound
The sound in Bladestorm is actually quite nice to listen to. It's a combination of music that sounds like stuff you would hear from an opera and other similar classical style music that is very pleasant to listen to, even when you are running around a battlefield or are in the middle of a fight. The main drawback here to me is that it really doesn't have a large selection and variety, so you will end up hearing some of the same tracks over and over again as you are playing the game over time. The music you are hearing is good, so you will be humming some of the tracks as they play. You will just be hearing the same ones over and over again instead of constant new tracks. The fact that they are good though is what helps a lot in this area, since if you didn't like the music, the constant playing would be very annoying and would get on your nerves very fast. This isn't something new to Koei games though as the selection hasn't ever been huge huge, but the music you listen to is always pretty good to the ear.
Control
Control really only boils down to how well you can control your squads in battle. Other than that, you are pretty much doing menu navigation. You run around the battlefield and use the controls to aim in the direction you want your squads to attack. This can be a little tricky sometimes with distance attacks, since if you aren't pointing the stick in the right spot, then you will throw attacks in the entirely wrong direction which can easily get indirect attack units killed. Still, for the most part, really you are just running around the battlefield and navigating menu's, so the controls really aren't an issue for this game.
Replay Value
This, as with most koei games, is really the thing that makes or breaks the game for most people. To me, I feel the game has tons of replay value, especially in this ones case the game technically never ends, even after completing the story, little tidbits of more side story will keep being revealed to you from time to time, and there are also more units to unlock as you keep playing. Though there is alot of grinding you can do in this game, the main reason is to take on the higher star difficulty missions that will keep coming your way. There is even hidden missions that are specially meant to be done after the main story is completed, so there is incentive to keep playing and playing, which is how I ended up logging around a hundred hours in this game, even after being done with the story. This can also be what annoys some people with this game as the game is meant to be slow and be played for a long period of time. You need to be sure you are patient and enjoy this type a game, otherwise, the high replay value for some people will be a massive negative for others.
Overall, I would say Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War is a pretty decent series in the Koei lineup. It isn't like the warriors games at all and actually tries something different rather than just being another copy of the warriors games, which already has now I think four warriors series all with the same format running now. This is a very welcome change if you want something different from them. Still, if you don't like how slow this game moves or if you don't enjoy the warriors games at all, then more than likely this isn't for you. If you liked any of the other warriors games, then give this one a try if you want something a little different while still getting to enjoy another historic era of world history.
Overall, in my opinion at least, I give Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War an eight point five out of ten.
Gameplay: 9
Story: 8
Graphics: 7
Sound: 8
Control: 9
Replay Value: 9
Overall: 8.5
