Cyanide Studio and World of Darkness bring Werewolf the Apocalypse: Earthblood to your favorite platforms to warm up your winter!
When the snow is flying here in New England I like to hunker down with a little horror gaming. Luckily for all of us Nacon gaming, Cyanide Studio and World of Darkness have provided just that. Werewolf the Apocalypse: Earthblood is a new action RPG with an Arkham Asylum beat ’em up battle style that gives you the best in storytelling and action.
As the developer explains:
You play as Cahal, a werewolf, or Garou, from the Fianna tribe, who is forced to go into exile after losing control of his devastating rage. After years away from his loved ones, fate brings Cahal back to his former tribe, which is in mortal danger. He must fight again to find his family and save Gaia, mother Earth, from Endron International. Controlled from the shadows by the corrupting Wyrm, this multinational oil corporation is relentlessly ravaging the planet’s resources and leaving despair wherever it operates, threatening all living beings.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is a violent beat’em up based on the three forms that Cahal can transform into, allowing for different approaches and varied play styles.
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- Homid Form: Used for stealthily neutralizing guards and hacking into your enemies’ defenses.
- Lupus Form: Ideal for exploration and infiltration.
- Crinos Form: Unleash your rage and sow chaos in the enemy’s ranks.
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You will need to alternate between these three forms to bring Endron down.
I have been playing World of Darkness RPGs for close to thirty years and love these rich and dark settings. If you are new to the setting check out my previous review of the World of Darkness documentary. The flagship of the setting Vampire the Masquerade already has several excellent video games that you can play and enjoy. Werewolf: The Apocalypse is another amazing part of the World of Darkness where you can live out your lupine dreams as a bitter Garou.
The Good
The setting comes to the forefront here as we battle in the world of Werewolf: The Apocalypse which is deep and bleak with close to two generations of lore. The look is amazing and the graphics are first-rate if you are playing on next-gen consoles or a PC with an RTX video card. The transformations from wolf to man and vice versa are also really cool and will remind you of the great changes in American Werewolf in London and The Howling. Stealth can also be a great deal of fun as you crawl through vents and areas in your wolf form. Take out enemies can also be very enjoyable. If you master stealth in Earthblood your character can become quite overpowered and make the game very simple in the regular setting.
The Bad
The AI is lacking in this non-AAA title which is budget-priced at $39.99 so I am a little lenient on that fact but only so much. The action is a bit hampered with the missing block option so be prepared to do a liberal amount of dodging to keep yourself from death. There is also a great deal of repetition in the battle which may wear you down a bit. Most notably if you are new to the lore of World of Darkness games you may feel a little bit left out and have to do some research to get a real immersive feel and understanding of what is happening to you. Though I do love the setting there should be a lot more street dinge and less corporate factory. Factories give games a very generic look as many of us have been battling them in three dimensions since the nineties.
Final Thoughts
Werewolf the Apocalypse: Earthblood makes me very ambivalent since I feel it is a must for fans of The World of Darkness and a wait and see for those not familiar with the lore. It has elements of greatness but it is balanced out with a great deal of mediocre gameplay that may not entertain those that may already be invested in the world or who love the thought of being a rough and tough Werewolf. At $39.99 Werewolf the Apocalypse: Earthblood may be worth a look and definitely a buy when the price is a little more budget-friendly. I myself will continue to play it as the game satisfies my Garou side.
A complimentary copy of Werewolf the Apocalypse: Earthblood was made available by Nacon Gaming
The thoughts expressed in this article are the authors alone and not that of the developer or editorial staff.
