Wulverblade review

Reviewed on: PS4

With the rise of indie games we have seen the return of genres once very popular but somewhat forgotten, as was the case with beat ‘em ups in the 80s/90s. On that principle, the developers at Darkwind Media and Fully Illustrated promote a return to those glory days of 2D side-scrolling brawling, in the mold of Double Dragon, Streets of Rage and Golden Axe, with Wulverblade. But although it draws inspiration from the classics of the past, the game doesn’t use nostalgia as its main attraction. Instead, it invests in a modern look and a polished presentation, in both gameplay and content.

The plot of Wulverblade is set in 120 AD, during the expansion of the Roman Empire through the north of Great Britain. The legendary Ninth Legion (which according to history mysteriously disappeared) marches ruthlessly through the region of Caledonia (present-day Scotland), conquering and subjugating the local tribes, when they cross paths with the protagonists: Caradoc, Brennus and Guinevere, Celtic warriors descended from the legendary Wulver and protectors of the northern lands. From there the trio sets out on a bloody journey, through an eight-stage campaign mode, across the British landscapes, fighting rival tribes and the Roman army, to drive the invaders out of their homeland. Although the story is a simple tale of the struggle for freedom, the creators made a great effort to set the game against a coherent and accurate historical background. There is a great variety of extra content within the stages, such as notes hidden in the scenery and on hidden paths, that help you understand a little more of the historical and cultural context and the places where the game’s events take place. For players interested in history it’s a feast.

While Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice showed a Celtic warrior in a brutal photorealistic world, in Wulverblade the style is much more cartoonish and colorful, which doesn’t stop it from being just as impressive and brutal, since the game doesn’t shy away from showing a large amount of blood, dismemberment and other not-at-all-pleasant ways to die. The characters are well made, with quite fluid animation, and the settings are rich in detail, with several destructible elements and things happening in both the foreground and the background, which helps convey a sense of dynamism and grandeur to the game’s battles. The soundtrack helps compose the game’s atmosphere, with orchestrated tracks for the cutscenes and calmer moments, and more tribal Celtic music for the battle moments. The voice acting does its job well, with suitable voices for the characters, standing out for the use of accents from different British regions to differentiate the characters’ origins. It’s a small detail, but it helps give the game more personality.

Since this is a beat ‘em up, the gameplay received special attention. Each character of the protagonist trio, although they share the same basic moves, has different attributes that slightly change the way you play with them. Caradoc is the most balanced, Brennus is more focused on brute force, while Guinevere trades strength and defense for agility and faster blows. Basic attacks are all done with square, and attacks with heavier weapons are done with triangle, but they are only available after they are picked up from the scenery and have limited use. There is also a dash capable of knocking enemies down, a block button which, if used at the right time, allows devastating counterattacks, and an area special attack that can be used to escape from tricky situations, at the cost of a small part of your health.
For each enemy defeated a bar fills up, and when activated the character enters “fury” mode, which restores health and increases the strength and speed of blows for a short period of time, besides leaving the screen a visceral bright red. In addition, once per level you can summon a pack of wolves to help in the battle and clear the screen of enemies.

Although it seems like a lot to master, it all becomes natural during combat, even if it demands a level of attention and skill, because the game doesn’t go easy on the player. In the more advanced stages getting cornered is a constant and you will need skill to come out of the fights in one piece, and it is in those moments that some of the problems in Wulverblade arise. During combat you can pick up the weapons of fallen enemies, as well as parts of their bodies, and throw them at others. But as fun as it is to throw an enemy’s severed head back at his allies, the animation is slow and the damage caused is small, and since the button to pick things up from the ground is the same as the attack, many times I found myself picking up junk from the floor instead of attacking or picking up food to recover health. The heavy weapon system is also deficient, since they are distributed randomly around the scenery and drop every time the character is knocked down, besides lasting very little, which makes them of little use during the stages.
The game supports local co-op, and also has an Arcade mode, which is nothing more than the campaign mode with limited lives and continues. Outside the campaign there is an Arena mode in which you face consecutive waves of enemies and share your score online. To round out the package, there is an extras section with texts, photos and videos of the historical characters and places that are unlocked as the player progresses through the campaign.

Wulverblade is a find in the nostalgia-dominated indie game market. It doesn’t deny its influences from big names of the past, but isn’t bound only by that, presenting a unique look and a care and dedication worthy of a big title. With a considerable amount of content for a title of the genre, it is easy to recommend the game, whether you are a beat ‘em up nostalgic, someone interested in history or someone who just wants to shout “Freedom!!!” while fighting for freedom.

Story: 7.5

Audio and visuals: 9.0

Mechanics: 8.5

PlayStation 4 version.