Info about Bound By Flame:

Official game description:
You are a mercenary possessed by a flame demon in a desperate world ravaged by seven Ice Lords and their Dead-Army.  
In this RPG where all your choices lead to consequences, you will have to choose between unleashing the powers of the beast within and rejecting the demonic influence that wants to claim your humanity.  
Freely develop your abilities and combat style through three skill trees: swing the heavy weapons of the Fighter, wield the sneaky dual daggers of the Ranger, or use the devastating flame spells of the Pyromancer.  
Recruit companions who will live, love, hate and fight alongside you against the dreadful creatures of Vertiel, in real-time epic battles based on tactics and reaction.  
The bigger the danger, the greater the temptation to draw on the demon’s power at the cost of your soul… which way will YOU choose?

Release date: May 8, 2014

Categories: Action RPG, Character Progression, Multiple Endings, Choice-based Narrative, Dark Fantasy, Companion System, Crafting

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience reveals significant issues with controller support, which severely impacts the usability and enjoyment of the game. While some users have had positive experiences with keyboard and mouse controls, the lack of proper controller support is a major drawback. Additionally, the lack of detailed lore and background information has been noted as a detracting factor. Overall, the game requires considerable tinkering and workarounds to be playable on the Steam Deck.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging story and world-building (weight 0.94): The game features a rich and complex story with engaging hints and a dark, gritty theme. It includes a character-driven narrative with moral dilemmas and multiple endings based on choices, enhancing replayability.
- Deep and varied combat system (weight 0.93): The combat system is dynamic, challenging, and offers a variety of styles and strategies. It includes different combat approaches such as warrior, ranger, and pyromancer, each with its own skill tree.
- High-quality audiovisual presentation (weight 0.93): The game boasts an excellent soundtrack, atmospheric music, and good graphics for its time. The visuals are crisp at high resolutions, and the voice acting is solid, contributing to an immersive experience.
- Well-designed companions and NPCs (weight 0.88): Companions in the game have distinct personalities and backstories, providing support and adding depth to the narrative. Some companions are particularly well-done and memorable.
- Good crafting system (weight 0.86): The crafting system in the game is solid and well-thought-out. It allows for visual upgrades on weapons and armor, adding depth to the gameplay.
- Challenging boss battles (weight 0.86): The game features challenging and rewarding boss battles. The final boss encounter is particularly notable for its difficulty and well-thought-out construction.
- Interesting moral choice system (weight 0.84): The game features a complex and interesting moral choice system. Players' choices have real consequences, affecting the story and character development.
- Recommended for fans of action RPGs (weight 0.82): The game is recommended for fans of action RPGs, especially those who enjoy games like The Witcher or Kingdoms of Amalur. It offers a good mix of story, action, and RPG elements.
- Worth the price on sale (weight 0.76): The game is considered worth the price, especially when on sale. It offers a good amount of content and replayability for its cost.

Common complaints:
- Unbalanced enemy design (weight 0.19): Enemies are often criticized for being either too strong or too weak, with some taking excessive damage to defeat while others kill the player too quickly. This imbalance makes combat feel unfair and tedious.
- High difficulty and poor balancing (weight 0.09): The game's difficulty is often seen as poorly balanced, with certain sections being excessively difficult while others are too easy. This inconsistency makes the game frustrating to play.
- Final boss difficulties (weight 0.05): The final boss is often criticized for being excessively difficult and requiring excessive preparation. Players find this battle frustrating and unbalanced compared to the rest of the game.
- Poor dialogue and voice acting (weight 0.05): The dialogue is often criticized for being awkward, cheesy, and poorly written. Voice acting is also reported to be subpar, detracting from the overall narrative experience.
- Technical issues and bugs (weight 0.03): The game is reported to have various technical issues, including crashes, frame drops, and bugs. These issues detract from the overall gaming experience and can make the game unplayable at times.

Gameplay feedback:
- Combat system variety (weight 0.6): The game features a combat system with multiple styles, including warrior, ranger, and fire mage. Each style has unique abilities and requires different strategies, such as parrying, dodging, and using various weapons like swords, daggers, crossbows, and magic.
- Story and narrative choices (weight 0.51): The game offers a choice-driven narrative with multiple endings based on player decisions. The story is set in a dark fantasy world and involves moral choices that affect the character's relationships and the game's outcome.
- Dark fantasy setting (weight 0.35): The game is set in a dark fantasy world with a war between humans and ice giants. The atmosphere is enhanced by the game's unique graphics style and soundtrack, creating an immersive experience.
- Difficulty and enemy mechanics (weight 0.17): The game offers a challenging combat system with unique enemy mechanics. Enemies have high health points and can heal, requiring constant attention to their moves. The difficulty is well-balanced but can be frustrating at times.
- Crafting and equipment upgrades (weight 0.16): The game includes a crafting system for weapons, armor, and consumables. Players can upgrade their gear, which changes the design and improves status and effects, but the system is somewhat limited.
- Companion system (weight 0.08): The game features a companion system with distinct personalities and romance options. However, companions can be ineffective and may get stuck in textures, limiting their usefulness.
- Demon possession mechanics (weight 0.04): The protagonist is possessed by a fire demon, and players can choose to fight against or succumb to the demonic possession. This choice affects the character's powers and the game's narrative.
- Special combat abilities (weight 0.02): The game includes special combat abilities such as perfect dodge slow-motion and critical hit slow-motion. These abilities add depth to the combat system and require precise timing and strategy.

Performance notes:
- Animation and movement issues (weight 0.17): The game has clunky animations, with characters getting stuck in textures and stiff facial animations. The movement perspective frequently shakes, causing stress and discomfort for some players.
- Game crashes and stability issues (weight 0.17): The game frequently crashes, with players reporting continuous stutters, game process not closing, and crashes to desktop. Some players experience stable performance, but many encounter frequent bugs and crashes.
- Graphical glitches and poor optimization (weight 0.17): Players report various graphical issues such as outdated graphics, stiff facial animations, dark or overly bright visuals, and poor graphics quality. There are also mentions of high-resolution textures and stable FPS, but overall, the graphical fidelity is considered dated.
- Compatibility and performance issues (weight 0.16): The game has compatibility issues with semi-modern systems and Windows 11. Some players report that the game runs smoothly on low-end systems, but others experience performance issues and frame drops.
- Audio and minor bugs (weight 0.15): The audio can glitch out, causing characters to repeat lines. There are also reports of minor bugs, such as disappearing textures and pop-in, as well as issues with controller support.
- Loading times and technical aspects (weight 0.03): The loading times are reported to be fast, and some players describe the technical aspects of the game as average. However, there are also reports of crashes at zone transitions.
- Repetitive environmental assets (weight 0.01): Some players have noted that the environmental assets in the game are repetitive, which can detract from the overall gaming experience.
- Specific bug with secondary quest (weight 0.01): There is a reported bug with a secondary quest in the game, which can affect the gameplay experience for some players.
- V-sync needed for soft freezes (weight 0.01): Some players have reported that enabling V-sync is necessary to fix soft freezes in the game.

Recommendations:
- Worth buying on sale (weight 0.23): Many reviews suggest that the game is worth purchasing, especially when it is on sale. This indicates that while the game has its merits, it might not be worth the full price for everyone.
- Recommended for RPG fans (weight 0.22): The game is highly recommended for fans of RPGs, particularly those who enjoy atmospheric games with moral choices, dark fantasy settings, and engaging stories. It is often compared to games like Dragon Age and The Witcher, making it a good choice for fans of those series.
- Not recommended for novices (weight 0.04): The game is not recommended for those new to the genre. It seems to have a steep learning curve or specific mechanics that might not be beginner-friendly.
- Mixed feelings on recommendation (weight 0.04): Some players changed their recommendation from positive to negative, indicating mixed feelings about the game. This could be due to various factors such as gameplay mechanics, bugs, or personal preferences.
- Not a hidden gem (weight 0.01): The game is described as far from being a hidden gem, suggesting that it does not stand out significantly in its genre or has notable flaws that prevent it from being exceptional.
- Underrated game (weight 0.01): Some players feel that the overall rating of the game is unfair and could be higher, indicating that the game might be underrated or not given enough credit for its positive aspects.
- Support the developers (weight 0.01): There is a sentiment among players to support the developers, Spiders, likely due to their efforts and previous work. This suggests a level of loyalty and appreciation for the studio's contributions to the gaming industry.
- Average game for completionists (weight 0.01): The game is described as an average, passable game for those who enjoy completing games for statistics. This indicates that it might not be exceptional but is still enjoyable for certain types of players.
- Potential with more resources (weight 0.01): There is a sentiment that the game could have been much better with more time and financial resources, indicating that it has potential but fell short due to development constraints.
- Good for casual play (weight 0.01): The game is recommended for casual play, suggesting that it is easy to pick up and enjoy without requiring a significant time investment or deep understanding of complex mechanics.
- Enjoyable gear customization (weight 0.01): The game is praised for its gear customization system, indicating that this feature is well-implemented and adds to the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Appropriate game length (weight 0.01): The game is described as enjoyable and of appropriate length, suggesting that it provides a satisfying experience without being too short or too long.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.24): Players are primarily frustrated with the combat mechanics, which are described as confusing, ineffective, and poorly balanced. The final boss is frequently mentioned as being excessively difficult and poorly designed, leading to significant player frustration. Additionally, technical issues such as game crashes, poor controller support, and repetitive combat mechanics contribute to this frustration.
- Disappointment (weight 0.2): Players express disappointment due to the game's unmet expectations, particularly in the story, characters, and combat mechanics. The rushed or abrupt ending, along with graphical glitches and poor execution of various game elements, also contribute to this sentiment. Many players feel that the game had potential but fell short in delivering a satisfying experience.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.12): Players find satisfaction in the game's engaging story, enjoyable combat system, and character progression. The thematic weight, character-driven story, and successful dark fantasy atmosphere are also highlighted as positive aspects. Additionally, the crafting system, music, and overall gameplay experience contribute to player satisfaction.
- Joy (weight 0.1): Players experience joy from the enjoyable gameplay, engaging story, and interesting customization mechanics. The combat system, character customization, and morality system are also sources of joy. The pleasant music, dynamic combat, and unique story elements further enhance the overall enjoyment.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.06): Players enjoy the game's personality, distinct mood, and fun combat mechanics. The engaging story, smooth combat, and interesting character interactions are also mentioned as sources of enjoyment. The variety in combat modes, challenging gameplay, and good graphics contribute to a fun and enjoyable experience.
- Interest (weight 0.05): Players are interested in the game's universe, engaging gameplay, and progression system. The dynamic combat system, character development, and immersive world also spark interest. The story, inspired by Game of Thrones, and the memorable characters add to the game's appeal.
- Frustrated (weight 0.03): Players are frustrated with the slow combat, which lacks tension, and the final boss, which is described as excessively difficult and poorly designed. The combat system, which seems designed for 1v1 encounters, becomes ineffective and frustrating when facing multiple enemies simultaneously.
- Positive (weight 0.03): Players have positive feelings about the game's storyline, visuals, combat, and character progression. The engaging story and enjoyable combat system are highlighted as key positive aspects. The overall gameplay experience, including the combat and storyline, contributes to a positive sentiment.
- Engagement (weight 0.02): Players are engaged by the game's branching narrative and meaningful choices. The emotional narrative, atmosphere, and dialogue also contribute to deep engagement. The meaningful choices and the game's narrative elements keep players invested in the story.
- Disappointed (weight 0.02): Players are disappointed with the poor animations, wooden combat, and boring character progression. The game's lack of commercial success and failure to meet expectations also contribute to this sentiment. The overall experience falls short of what players had hoped for.
- Excitement (weight 0.01): Players are excited about the rich and complex story, as well as the strategic combat and engaging narrative. The game's intense and thrilling elements, such as the phrase 'QUEIMA TUDO!!!!', evoke a sense of excitement and anticipation.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Players are annoyed by the respawn mechanics, where many things respawn after returning to an area. The combat locking and minor enemies are also mentioned as annoying aspects of the gameplay.
- Excited (weight 0.01): Players are excited about the multiple endings and branching storylines, which offer different choices and routes. The gender-specific achievements and the impact of choices on companions and tasks add to the excitement and replay value.
- Hopeful (weight 0.01): Players are hopeful about the future direction of the developers and express a desire for a sequel. The potential seen in the game's development and the possibility of future improvements contribute to this hopeful sentiment.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Players are in awe of the game's amazing audiovisual elements. The impressive visuals and audio design create a sense of wonder and admiration.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Players are angry about the poorly designed final boss, graphics, and combat system. The frustration with these elements leads to a strong sense of anger and dissatisfaction.}