Blightbound: Generic grind in the test

Blightbound

Blightbound is a prime example of nice graphics and neglected gameplay. Because although it looks great at first glance, it lacks playful quality. This is usually more familiar from mobile games, which also try to convince with stylish graphics. Fortunately, there is no pay wall in the multiplayer dungeon crawler Blightbound as in most graphically polished mobile games. We want to shed more light on why it was still not convincing in this test.

Table of contents

1 The beginning of horror 2 The three musketeers 3 Shredded what it takes 4 Sweet home, happiness alone 5 It doesn't get better in the long run

The beginning of horror

The world in Blightbound is in danger again, because the shell of a defeated shadow titan from days long past releases rot. This gradually spreads like a mist over the lands, consumes everything and everyone with which it comes in contact and transforms every living being into a creature soaked with corruption. Together with two comrades-in-arms you are looking for those who were able to escape the fog and with their help you build a refuge. In the fight against the rot you will be sent to different regions of the world to find a way to stop it.

The three musketeers

characters only have cheap sayings in store. Relationships with one another don't really exist. Source: PcGames In a squad consisting of a warrior, an assassin and a magician, you take control of one of the characters and go out with the AI ​​or friends in the couch-co-op or online to stop the rot. The warrior is the classic tank. With the shield in one hand, he can block enemy attacks. With the broadsword in the other, however, he lets his anger run free. The Assassin is an agile and fragile damage dealer at the same time. True to the motto, hit and run, she would rather not be hit by the opponent. The magician acts as a supporter, can heal and distribute shields. A good magician is therefore indispensable to keep your squad alive.

Slice it up

For each class you can unlock around seven new warriors in the course of the game. But they basically differ only marginally from their colleagues. There are only a handful of active skills per class that are mixed up. Only the passive ability differs - every warrior has his own. After each successfully completed level you can assign three points to the five different attributes, which will make you stronger over time. Equipment can also be found or forged. These do not change the appearance much, but the right item combinations give your heroes a lot of oomph. Fighting takes place in real time. Each player tries to pave the way through the level by using skills and normal attacks. The magician can not only heal, but is the only character who can attack well from a distance. Source: PcGames All heroes have their own story, but it is not really well presented. Depending on which character you play, there are hidden things to discover within the dungeons. For example, you meet new characters or collectable items. But essentially you fight your way through the same level over and over again, the degree of difficulty of which is re-rolled with each attempt. This means that depending on your character level, you can master dungeons easier or harder. So variety comes into play inevitably.

In the individual levels themselves you have to complete tasks in order to progress. For example, you save survivors or you have to stop the corruption. The sections are riddled with the feeble infantry of Corruption, but also with somewhat more powerful monsters. Neither one nor the other offer a real challenge. Only the boss who waits at the end of a level makes your life difficult every now and then. If you commit a mistake against him, this is usually punished with death. This is especially frustrating when you play with AI companions.

Because if the boss has wrestled you to the ground, the bots have problems resuscitating you immediately, for example, or tackle it so clumsily that the next blow the boss sends them into the dust too. This is doubly frustrating, because your characters only level up if you successfully complete a dungeon. If you die, you will be teleported back to the refuge and, despite the time invested, have made almost no progress. If, on the other hand, you are out with friends, you can learn from your mistakes and work better together as a team the next time you try. And therein lies the strength of the game. Because in multiplayer it is really fun to slice your way through the opponents.

Sweet home, happiness alone

Now it's time to upgrade your weapons and go back to the front. Source: PcGames If you have mastered a dungeon alone or with friends, not only your characters become stronger. You also unlock new aspects of your shelter. As you already know from similar titles, little by little traders, blacksmiths and various other NPCs settle in your refuge. But it is annoying that you have to play with all classes in order to forge certain items. Because you can only get the necessary materials if you comb through the dungeons with a certain class. Otherwise, the accommodation is exactly what you expect from it - it is the linchpin for preparation and the start of a new adventure. We take dangerous enemies out of the fight without further ado by locking them up in a ghost cage. Source: PcGames

It won't get better in the long run

Once again we return to the shelter after an unsuccessful run. Source: PcGames But let's come back to the unpleasant moments that really bothered us while playing. We have already addressed the major weak point in terms of progress. Another point that we didn't like at all was the way you move around the levels. Whether gate or door - we always have to wait a short time before we can go through. In addition, most of the levels are set up in such a way that we have to constantly return to the previously visited rooms. Only a few levels are really well designed. For example, an elevator had to gradually reach the basement of a dungeon and fight opponents and avoid lasers. That was really fun and, for once, you didn't have the feeling of having to run from A to B over and over again. Otherwise, the game is and remains very grind-heavy. You have to repeat levels constantly to get better equipment and after a few laps you have already seen everything. The long-term motivation is very limited.

The fact that you are subject to online compulsion is very annoying. If the internet should go down, you can't even play with bots. This shows again that the game design and usability are rather poor. Blightbound could offer a lot more. It's just a shame that the usability issues weren't resolved in the finished version. The basic concept of Blightbound isn't bad. It only fails because of the implementation. You come across flaws around every corner when playing games that make the result appear only mediocre.

Blightbound is available on Playstation and Xbox consoles as well as for the PC. Crossplay is possible between platforms.

My Opinion

By Paul Albert

Author At first oho, at second glance auweia Blightbound brings corruption to all those who think too much of expect the game. The chic art style also seduced me and initially made me believe that it was a really nice game. But after an hour or two of playing time, the air was almost out. Only the possibility that you can even play it with three people in the couch-co-op would make me fight against corruption again for a sociable evening with friends. If you are hoping for a great solo adventure, I would definitely advise against buying it. Blightbound (PC) 5/10

Graphics - Sound - Multiplayer - Pros & Cons Have fun with friends Fancy graphics style Levels repeat too quickly Bad progression system Stupid AI characters are too similar Cannot be played offline Other pros & cons. .. Conclusion Blightbound does not manage to convince playfully. That's a shame, because the art style is really very successful. Blightbound is giving away its potential in many corners. Bad AI, boring characters, and barely relevant story content are just a few things that can bother you while playing.