Forged of Blood Reviews

Forged of Blood, Critical Forge’s turn-based tactical RPG with a deep strategic layer and a so-called “Tri-Axis” morality system, launched earlier this month, following over three years in development and a failed Kickstarter campaign. And if you’re curious about the game’s critical reception, you can now check out a few reviews below, most of them at least somewhat positive:

Tech Raptor 5.5/10:

There is a lot to like in Forged of Blood, but it’s not for everyone. It is clearly a game by tactical RPG fans, for tactical RPG fans. The desire to make the game more complex and free form shows great ambition on the part of Critical Forge, but ambition can only get you so far. Critical Forge put everything into Forged of Blood to try and make it synthesize into a coherent experience. Instead, it is a hodgepodge of good and bad ideas in terrible need of curation. For some, that may be enough the scratch that tactical itch in between sessions of Fire Emblem. For most, the wings have melted away, leaving a bloody mess in its wake.

BlueMoonGame 7.7/10:

Forged of Blood is a somewhat unrefined product that shows good potential. It has some flaws, most of which I tried to point out in here, but it is a rough Diamond. It would take some polish before I could recommend this game to everyone. However, if you are a fan of the genre it is worth keeping an eye out for this game. If Critical Forge invests more time and fixes at least some of the issues than the game is definitely worth the time and money investment.

Thumb Culture Gold Award:

Forged of Blood is a very good Xcom-like game, using a lot of different new mechanics. Overall, I like the difficulty of the game, and the art style isn’t hard to look at, making for long sessions of “just one more turn”. A lot of the little things about it, really make it unique, from the spell crafting, to how you can level up using a classless system. The gameplay is very tough, but when you win, you have a feeling of satisfaction. I’m going to give Forged of Blood the Thumb Culture Gold award, as it may not appeal to a lot of people, but fans of tactical RPGs are going to love it.

Softpedia 6/10:

Long story short, Forged of Blood is the best example of a project which was meant to be big but ended up being small. I wouldn’t have been so disappointed if it was a “good” small rather a than “bad” small.

Digitally Downloaded 3/5:

Forged of Blood is ambitious well beyond its means, and it has so many systems at play at once that there are moments where, mechanically, they fall down. Thematically, however, it’s a gorgeous blend of complementary fantasy genres and approaches, and it’s done differently. We need to see more original and different games being made, and it’s great to see something of this vision and presentation coming out of emerging game development nations like Indonesia.

Sick Critic 7/10:

Forged of Blood is a great addition to the turn-based tactical RPG scene. With a few fixes, it could well be on it’s way to greatness. For now, it’s an addicting tactical game with its own flaws and issues.