But there are some serious issues hiding behind all that goodness issues which mean the whole thing starts to fall apart. The twin-stick shooting works really well, the close quarters combat is smooth and solid and the takedowns are fun, if a little repetitive. Premise, set up and combat accounted for, Blackwind certainly has a lot going for it. There’s certainly a clear comparison between areas and when you throw in a fast travel system which tries to counter the need for retreading steps, the world of Blackwind is an interesting one to navigate. We particularly like the complete contrast in the areas that need navigating through though, from the tight corridors of spacebase internals to some wide open forests and the like. The main focus of the action is on the Battle Frame itself and this looks good, as do the numerous types of enemies that come your way – from the big to the small, each one is well detailed and complete with some serious armoury.
Perhaps it won’t be winning any end of year awards or the like, but it’s all neat, tidy and detailed decently. Admittedly it occasionally feels like Blackwind has been warped in from times gone by, with invisible walls and a lack of pixel perfect platforming bringing it down slightly, but it still works okay and shouldn’t ever be seen as too much of an issue.īlackwind looks good too. This is when the puzzling action comes to the fore and whilst beating back enemies is the main focus throughout, there are some well worked puzzle and platforming sections which just about do the job. With its own weaponry and smaller skill trees available, bringing the drone into play is a brilliant little touch – none more so than when you and a friend team up to make the most of the mech and drone as a daring duo. Housed within the frame, when times call for it you can detach this and utilise its small size to skip through barriers, or to be used in conjunction with the mech itself, as one stands on pressure pads to allow the other through a maze. It’s the Battle Frame which is the main source of entertainment here, but it’s not long before you’ll unlock a little secret weapon – a drone. Throw in some other abilities that I won’t spoil and it’s safe to say that Blackwind does the business.
Again, initially these are great, but once you’ve pulled off a few, the same repetitive chat and auto-played takedown moves do begin to see the charm drop off. Light and heavy attacks are commonplace, but so are the opportunities to drain your foes of life before going in for a termination takedown. I also love the clearly geeky passions of the developers, including easter eggs fans will enjoy from Star Wars to Star Trek to Alien and more.When they do get close though, Blackwind still excites with a more than competent close quarters melee system to hand. There are a handful of hidden collectibles in the game trophy hunters will enjoy tracking down. You’re ultimately just going from one arena to another, solving the occasional puzzle and destroying everything along the way.īlackwind does a good job making use of its environments. As with many beat-em-ups, combat can begin to feel repetitive, dragging out the experience. My one big complaint with Blackwind is that it can start to feel a little long in the tooth. This jars the pace of combat but can be a welcome respite if you’re in a tight spot and need to recover health. They freeze other enemies in place while a kill animation plays out. It’s worth noting, however, that finishers feel awkward and out of place. It doesn’t do anything ground-breaking, but between the upgrades you can earn and the variety of locales, things feel fresh enough to see the adventure to its conclusion. Blackwind‘s top-down beat-em-up/shooting actually makes for an enjoyable combat experience.
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