Blackwind (Xbox Series X|S) Review

Take one mech-suit, some decent looks, and mix it all up with isometric hack’n’slash gameplay. That’s pretty much Blackwind.

The summer wind

Hack ‘n’ slash games aren’t all that common these days, so when a good one comes along it’s definitely worth noting. After all, it’s not every day that you see a modern updating of classic isometric action. And at first glance, Blowfish Studios and Drakkar Dev’s Blackwind looks like it could be just that.

Not only does Blackwind look good, but it has a pretty cool sounding hook. The game presents players with robotically-powered action, as they take the fight to aliens invading a human outpost in deep space.

Unfortunately, not everything is as good as I’d hoped when I first saw the game in action. Blackwind is inconsistent from almost every angle, and has few frustrating technical issues and design choices.

Have mech, will travel

When Blackwind opens up, we find teenaged James Hawkins in conversation with his scientist father. Onboard a starship, the duo are heading to a remote human outpost in deep space.

The doc has created a mech suit that’s designed to tackle any situation. But that’s not all, as it’s also got an AI onboard, designated Blackwind. They don’t get much deeper in the discussion however, as the ship is suddenly attacked and crashes.

As it goes down, James is sealed into Blackwind and jettisoned to the ground below. When he comes to, it’s up to the unlikely tag-team of he and Blackwind to find his dad and generally figure out what’s happening.

If you can’t tell, it’s not the deepest of tales, though it’s certainly not the worst either. As a vehicle for the on-screen action, it keep things moving well enough.

Slicing and… shooting

In a way, Blackwind might suffer from offering too much. It’s got both shooting and melee attacks, and variations on both that give players multiple ways to handle combat.

That’s not that strange honestly, as lots of games offer that. The problem, if you want to call it that (I do), is that you can pretty much use either of those tracts throughout almost the entire game and neither feels that much better.

I didn’t really feel like I specifically needed the long-range options or the melee attacks at any point. Most of the time, when I used one over the other it was just because I wanted to mix up the styles. Though when I got into a groove with the light-swords, it was actually kind of annoying to switch to the blaster, which felt clunky in comparison.

Play also includes rockets you can target foes with, and suit upgrades that become available as you go too. The latter adds new abilities. As you can tell, it’s nothing ground breaking, but the gameplay that Blackwind offers is snappy and fast-paced. Though things are far from perfect as I got stuck on pieces of machinery a number of times.

I would be trying to reach something, and jump up on a vehicle or control panel or something, and basically get trapped. The jump button would stop working altogether, and I’d have to restart from the save point since I couldn’t walk off of the offending structure either. Fortunately, Blackwind saves a lot, but it was still aggravating and forced a replay of sections a number of times.

Looking good though

Despite the issues above, I can’t say Blackwind doesn’t look good. Like the gameplay, Blackwind’s in-game visuals are nothing that will melt your face off, but they get the point across (complete with a little flair) and are enjoyable.

Even though the graphics don’t scream current-gen, both the varied outdoor and indoor locales are sharp. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that it has some great lighting effects throughout.

I did find though, that the indoors have a very same-y look to them. When you enter into a base, it’s actually pretty easy to get lost, since things look so similar. Especially once you’ve killed everything in an area, it can be a little tough to find that door you just unlocked. It’s something that the game even mentions early on, advising players to use their maps if they can’t find their way.

The graphics are a stark contrast to the voice acting though. This continues through the game, and can get pretty cringy. That goes double for the ‘catch-phrases’ doled out while performing finishing moves. A few dozen times listening to those and you’ll be turning down the volume.

Overall

Blackwind isn’t a bad game by any means. If you’re in the mood for some retro-styled, classic action gaming, it’s actually kind of great. But if you’re looking for a more cinematic experience, or one that’s more in line with the current generation of consoles, you might find it lacking.

Blackwind
Release date: January 20th, 2022
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S (reviewed), Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC
Publisher: Blowfish Games
Developer: Drakkar Dev
MSRP: $24.99 USD