Developer: Tribetoy
Publisher: Tribetoy
Platform: PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One
Tested on: PC
Bow to Blood: Last Captain Standing – Review
Welcome to the brand new game developed by Tribetoy! Bow to Blood – Last Captain Standing. Will you join the battle to gain the Overseer’s favor as you attempt to win challenge after challenge in the Arena? Well then strap in, boost your ships engines to full and let’s head out there to give the people the show they’ve been waiting for!
Story
Bow to Blood puts the players in the shoes of the Freelancer who has joined the arena for fame and glory. You are the captain of your ship joined by two crew members ready to help you get to victory though above all… survive.
The story is simple. Gain the overseers favor by performing in the arena, shoot down enemy ships and drones and rack in the points to become the next champion. Though nothing about becoming the champion is simple as you race for this title against several other captains, each with their unique personalities and situations affecting their performance. The players will be offered choices that will affect your relationship with other captains which in turn may help you or get in your way depending on how you’ve been treating them.
The announcer will happily explain the bountiful ways for you to win, though also the ways you can get killed by trying to achieve victory.
Graphics
The graphics are thoroughly entertaining. There is a fun mix between arcade-type pixels and cartoonesque figures set in a Sci-Fi setting with ships reminding you of the movie Treasure Planet. Everything looks the way it’s supposed to look in these kinds of games and Tribetoy put some treasures in the details such as seeing your crew run around the ship as you give new orders to how the damage on your ship gets represented visually.
The terrains you’re able to fly through are rich and colorful landscapes of canyons and burrows making the whole thing a visual pleasure. Enemies are visible where your standard enemies vary in how they look, so do your other competitors as each ship reflects the theme of the opponent’s character. All in all it’s really well done and we have thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
We were unable to try the VR experience of the game, though with visuals like this we can only assume it would be equally entertaining, if not more.
Sound
As expected there is quite an importance set in the sound as repetitive beeping would annoy you and looping music can get tedious. Tribetoy found the perfect balance of smooth, soft music to cruise around with the upbeat music playing once the action starts. Most of the music is electronic with some more western hints as you do soar in an odd kind of galactic wild west.
Aside from the music, the sound effects are great. Cannons blasting away as your turrets make the stereotypical ‘pew-pew’ noises before your enemy explodes with a satisfying boom.
Finally, your crew talks! They will comment about situations in the fight or bicker amongst one another in really entertaining and believable dialogue which throws the player into a new level of immersion.
Gameplay
To classify this game into a genre is quite tricky though the closest would be an arena flight combat action game. As said before, originally intended for VR though perfectly playable without, there wasn’t a single moment where we felt we were missing out.
You are flying in an arena with your ship and two units that you can place on specific positions in order to boost their potential. The different positions are Weapons which will increase your weapons efficiency and cause the crew member to shoot the front lasers at enemies periodically, the drones which releases a powerful drone to attack opponents, the sensors giving your more information about flying loot while making them more visible, the engines which will boost your speed and maneuverability and finally the shields which will make them stronger and help them regenerate while you’re not getting hit. These positions can be switched dynamically throughout the scene giving you a stable strong point or making you versatile as you move the units around depending on the situation.
Enemies vary quite nicely where you can face turrets, small drones, big drones, boarding drones and other enemy ships each with their unique abilities, threats and damage types to keep you entertained and strategizing throughout the battle. You are fully in control on how you deal with the dangers of the arena, so long as you don’t end up exploding while doing so.
Last but not least, you will have interactions with other competitors who may ask for your help or even demand a bribe to earn their favor. This can be critical if you are to be voted out of the competition. The more favor you have with some, the more disdain you will have from others. So think carefully about how you treat your rivals and who you will leave behind… It will impact your game drastically.
Conclusion
Bow to Blood: Last Captain standing gets a big double thumbs up and if the human body had more thumbs those would point upwards as well. Deeply entertaining gameplay which just the right amount of action and rewarding visuals to boot. This is one to recommend.
Bow to Blood: Last Captain Standing - Review,
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