XSEED’s newest release, Unchained Blades, should be easy to describe. Seemingly just a straightforward first-person dungeon crawler with traditional turn-based battles, the game could very come across to most onlookers as a generic labrynth game that’s best targeted towards a practically non-existent niche.
After digging into it, though, you might start to realize how it differentiates itself. The story, while exemplifying the typical structure of the genre, is nonetheless entertaining. The art style is phenomenal across the board, if you can get passed the bland dungeon designs. The battle system introduces a number of pleasantly unique functions that serve to shake up the otherwise redundant gameplay.
You might have noticed that there’s a negative aspect for each of the compliments above. While Unchained Blades does a number of refreshing things to the genre, it still presents an irritating question: are these changes to the formula enough? All of these things and more come...
Polygon: "Unchained Blades doesn't care about you. This tough-as-nails dungeon crawler isn't looking for respect, and it sure as hell isn't going to respect you."
GR: "One way to kill a JRPG buzz is with another JRPG.
"That became clear to me somewhere around hour 20 of Unchained Blades. With a thirst brought on by the summery, intense, mysterious Persona 4 Golden, I dove into Unchained Blades hoping to find the same kind of catharsis. 75 hours of one JRPG means I'm ready for another, right?
"You don't play that much of a game without having some inner desire to conquer a mountain… or in this case a dungeon. Unchained Blades is another Japanese dungeon crawler but in a decidedly different vein. Are all JRPGs created equal or did my patience wear thin?"
Bosscast: Having spent time on the CES show floor, Jason gives us the first-hand scoop on Project S.H.I.E.L.D. and Xi3′s ‘Steam Box’. We then get into games we’ve been playing, which include Dark Souls, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, Unchained Blades, ZombiU, the God of War: Ascension beta, and Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed. Before calling it a night, we discuss the gaming outlook for 2013 and wildly speculate on what the next consoles from Microsoft and Sony will be like.
