Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles Review

Let me preface this by saying that I didn’t like Tomas Sala’s The Falconeer almost as a lot as I wished to. Alternatively, Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles, the sequel which we couldn’t have predicted in 1,000,000 years, is a way more pleasurable and shocking expertise constructed inside a wholly completely different style.

A Panzer Dragoon-ish, open-world air fight recreation stuffed with large eagles and set in an oceanic world ought to’ve clicked with me, however it very a lot didn’t. I discovered it clunky to regulate too typically and unengaging when it got here to non-linear storytelling. That stated, I used to be taken with exploring extra of the Nice Ursee, and an experimental RTS appeared like the right alternative for the solo developer to persuade us his off-beat universe was right here to remain.

Described as “an open-world builder with freedom and expression at its core,” Bulwark doesn’t hand-hold gamers for too lengthy, primarily as a result of neither controls nor methods are too advanced and data is stored to a minimal. Outdoors of the frictionless Freebuild Mode, the place sources and warfare aren’t an impediment for creativity, Bulwark is split into three completely different eventualities that principally outline who you play as (with a little bit of background narrative) and your beginning location and circumstances. From that time onwards, it’s as much as you the way to work together with different factions and increase throughout the ocean.

Bespoke building mechanics drive Bulwark ahead and are more likely to entice extra gamers than the extra conventional (and unwieldy) bits. For probably the most half, you possibly can rapidly ‘paint’ over the islands which can be scattered throughout the Nice Ursee so long as you have got the required sources and your major airship can ‘hyperlink’ the brand new base to the remainder to herald and out employees in addition to sources. That is achieved by way of docks and boats that want captains. Airships and squadrons of eagle riders, in the meantime, patrol the sky, in search of new alternatives and defending the cities, outposts, and commerce routes.

Each motion, whether or not it’s shifting the primary airship, constructing, contacting strangers, or appointing new captains to ships and commanders to towers, is completed with little greater than a few clicks. Bulwark is a fast-paced recreation and advantages from being simple to select up for just about anybody. Whereas I performed it on PC, I might see it working with a controller very properly too.

Not every thing about Bulwark’s moment-to-moment gameplay and controls is nice although. The tactic of leaping from one building/node to the following and constructing from there (in just about each path so long as there are not any bodily limits) works properly for the snappy and natural town-building, but additionally defines how the digicam behaves and in the end feels restrictive for no good motive. The common digicam panning present in different RTS isn’t a factor right here, as you’re at all times centered round both the primary airship or a constructing, so rapidly checking what’s fallacious when issues turn out to be hectic could be a little bit of a trouble, and I’m struggling to consider an inexpensive clarification for this choice.

Likewise, fight looks like a remnant from an earlier, way more conventional construct of Bulwark, which can or might not have been a factor. In any case, such a sprawling and anti-micromanagement RTS would’ve vastly benefitted from some automatization to the matter of defending one’s territory and key areas. Whereas the may of your forces is outlined by the robustness of the faction as a complete and the circulation of sources, not lots is resolved by itself, requiring the primary airship to come back to the rescue and awkwardly fly round (there’s not a lot you are able to do) alongside allied eagle riders till they shoot down and/or sink each enemy.

Whereas the primary airship and its supporting fighters will be upgraded, and cities, in addition to outposts, can have defences of their very own, battles are in the end determined by who has the bigger variety of attacking/defending forces, as represented by two bars on the high of the display each time {that a} battle begins. Whereas I get the minimalistic strategy to the remainder of the sport, fight required to be both dialled down or allowed to present the participant extra management (and data) over what’s happening and the way they will impression it. Final however not least, there’s the very fact you possibly can simply open the map and quick journey with the airship to any managed location without charge, capturing down any chance of ever leaving key areas unattended for lengthy. It’s a little bit of a head-scratcher.

The tinkering with every citadel and city’s efficiency and useful resource circulation is a much more participating facet of the sport, as it really works properly in tandem with Bulwark’s signature constructing mechanics. Likewise, I loved venturing into the horizon with the airship to search out potential new residents, arrange new ports and commerce routes, and uncover mysteries that additional flesh out the Nice Ursee in ways in which perhaps The Falconeer struggled with; the open-ended narration and mystique that have been already discovered within the earlier recreation are a a lot better match right here.

Visually, very like The Falconeer, Bulwark appears to be like fairly good more often than not. It’s not simply the sturdy dedication to the already established artwork model, but additionally a strong grasp of which lighting higher fits the tough geometry and moody nature of the Nice Ursee. It creates, along with a really standout soundtrack by Benedict Nichols, an absorbing environment that provides to the addictive, easy-to-pick-up combine that’s been cooked right here. Furthermore, PC efficiency seems to be a non-issue in trendy methods because of the downscaled simulations.

Whereas there are limits in the primary recreation mode to what you possibly can and can’t do, Tomas Sala doesn’t lie when he – because the narrator of some bits of the sport – says that Bulwark is all about experimentation, attempting out new issues, and studying from errors; seeing what works and what doesn’t. As a small reactive sandbox with a powerful visible id, his second recreation in The Falconeer Chronicles Trilogy shines. It’s simply irritating to see some standard components fail to gel with the entire, so perhaps the Freebuild Mode is the place you’ll be spending most of your time.