Bastard Bonds

89%
Game Brain Score Based on 586 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Bastard Bonds Game Cover
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"Bastard Bonds" is a tactical RPG set on the criminal-infested island of Lukatt. As an outcast, you must gather a band of misfits, make tough decisions, and navigate over 200 locations with high-end pixel art. The game offers in-depth character customization, including sprite mod support, and more than 1000 character sprites, providing over 40 hours of gameplay. Justice may have failed, but in this game, you have the chance to take control of your own destiny.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 586 reviews
gameplay60 positive mentions
grinding21 negative mentions
  • Engaging and fun gameplay with a unique risk/reward combat system.
  • Extensive character customization options and a variety of recruitable characters.
  • Rich lore and interesting world-building that enhances the overall experience.
  • Combat can become repetitive and lacks depth as the game progresses.
  • The tutorial and explanations of mechanics are insufficient, leading to confusion.
  • Pathfinding issues can cause characters to get stuck, disrupting gameplay.
  • gameplay197 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it both addictive and fun, yet also repetitive and lacking depth. While the risk mechanic adds an interesting layer to combat, the overall mechanics are often poorly explained, leading to a steep learning curve. Despite its flaws, the game is praised for its engaging story, character customization, and unique art style, making it a worthwhile experience for those willing to invest the time to understand its systems.

    • “The gameplay is very simple, but extremely fun and satisfying.”
    • “Bastard Bonds is an engaging tactical RPG with a surprising amount of depth found within simple to understand mechanics.”
    • “The quick gameplay and risk mechanic keep the game from feeling too shallow.”
    • “Gameplay is repetitive and shallow, not to mention poorly balanced, plus the AI is pretty uncreative.”
    • “The gameplay just does not warrant this long of a game.”
    • “The actual gameplay leaves a lot to be desired.”
  • story180 mentions

    The game's story is a blend of humor, seriousness, and character-driven narratives, set against a backdrop of a prison island where players navigate relationships and moral choices. While the overarching plot is straightforward, it is enriched by deep lore and character interactions that require exploration and attention to detail, often necessitating guides to fully appreciate. Overall, the storytelling is praised for its creativity and depth, though some players feel it lacks a more cohesive main narrative and character development.

    • “The story was a great mix of hilarity, seriousness, and sexy behavior that kept me invested in it!”
    • “Unbelievable depth in characters, worldbuilding, lore, and story, with complicated interactions and moral implications, this game stunned me with its intricate depth and detail, all against a backdrop of incredibly gorgeous pixel art and digital portraits!”
    • “The story is complex and fascinating, forcing you to dig for what lore you can find.”
    • “The story has a lot of potential, but it's not realized.”
    • “The lack of a more character-driven story (which I thought was one of the main features, or at least I felt like it was promoted as one).”
    • “The overall story is simple and easy to follow, and the battling system is simplistic enough to get the hang of.”
  • graphics80 mentions

    The graphics of the game are predominantly pixelated, with many users praising the charming and detailed art style that enhances the overall atmosphere. While some players appreciate the unique aesthetics and engaging visuals, others find the graphics simplistic and occasionally detracting from immersion. Overall, the pixel art is well-received, though opinions vary on its impact on gameplay and enjoyment.

    • “The art style is extremely distinct and enjoyable, both in the cutscene views and in the normal pixel views.”
    • “The pixel art style is amazing, with great detail on everything and the layering capabilities when you make your own characters allow for extensive customization.”
    • “The graphics are low-key but the gameplay is both challenging and really well done.”
    • “Fun game, annoyingly bad graphics make it hard to see things.”
    • “Graphics in the game are on the simple side, they are nicely drawn but lack true animation (animation in this game is static sprites given a wobble effect).”
    • “Very basic concept and disgusting graphics.”
  • music42 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its quality, emotional depth, and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere. While some noted a lack of variety in tracks, the soundtrack is often described as fitting and reminiscent of classic RPGs, contributing significantly to the game's charm. Overall, players find the music to be a standout feature that complements the engaging gameplay and beautiful pixel art.

    • “The music is right out of one of the best parts of the game, the soundtrack feeling like a PlayStation-era RPG title that went crazy cranking up all the bells and whistles they couldn't do yet for the SNES.”
    • “The game has a nice consistent aesthetic and feel alongside excellent music.”
    • “I love the art style, the atmosphere, and the music is really good.”
    • “It's got 1 battle theme and maybe a handful of songs for what feels like a pretty long game honestly.”
    • “The music is solid though more atmospheric.”
    • “The music is not very varied.”
  • grinding21 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding in the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the balanced build-up and challenge it provides, many feel it becomes tedious and time-consuming, especially with repetitive combat and slow progression. The mechanics for recruiting and leveling can also contribute to a sense of monotony, making exploration feel less rewarding. Despite these frustrations, some players still enjoy the game's creative elements and humor, suggesting that it may appeal to those who enjoy grinding as a core gameplay aspect.

    • “The grind build-up is balanced, and that is something to be thankful for, but it does make the grinding a bit of a chore if you have two squads. It can become a bit of a task to build up the worker party who make your base stronger.”
    • “After looking online for the full world map, I got discouraged from continuing. 208 locations and most are just slow, tedious combat; I will not do that.”
    • “Finding out all those people I passed up on the way to the port needed to be recruited... tedious beyond words.”
  • replayability17 mentions

    Overall, the game boasts high replayability due to its engaging story, diverse character interactions, and multiple endings, encouraging players to explore different strategies and choices. While some players noted repetitive elements, many highlighted the depth of character customization and recruitment as significant factors that enhance replay value. The combination of varied gameplay experiences and rich lore ensures that players can enjoy multiple playthroughs without feeling fatigued.

    • “What I got instead was a beautifully crafted story full of wit, interesting yet deceptively simple gameplay, and basically infinite replayability.”
    • “The writing's good, the character recruitment system is great, and there are enough hidden interactions to make it replayable on top of that.”
    • “A rather simple game with a lot of replay value as well as character creation/customization.”
    • “The game is already repetitive enough (especially if you abuse the tank tactic - enemies only attack the closest character to them), and there's virtually no real replay value to the game at all, but this really just puts the icing on the cake.”
    • “There are alternate endings as well, to enhance replayability.”
    • “The writing's good, the character recruitment system is great, and there are enough hidden interactions to make it replayable on top of that.”
  • humor14 mentions

    The humor in the game is a standout feature, blending raunchy jokes with sympathetic character interactions and clever dialogue that balances serious storytelling with lightheartedness. While the adult themes and pixel art nudity may not appeal to everyone, many players appreciate the game's ability to evoke laughter amidst its tactical challenges and engaging narratives. Overall, the humor is described as intentional and well-executed, enhancing the game's memorable experience.

    • “The dialogue is funny and the characters are sympathetic and touching, more than you'd expect for an ostensibly lewd game like this.”
    • “Add on to that the orc Nazar's sweet romance, spicy hookups, and overall funny dialogue, and the game really shines.”
    • “The raunchy humor and casual pixel art nudity may not be for everyone, but I found myself enjoying Bastard Bonds immensely.”
  • character development13 mentions

    Character development in the game is noted for its intriguing designs and potential, but many reviewers feel it falls short of expectations, with limited depth and exploration of characters over the course of the game. While the character designs are visually appealing and reflect the developer's unique style, the narrative and emotional growth of the characters are perceived as underdeveloped, leaving players wanting more. Overall, the game offers a fun experience but misses opportunities for deeper character engagement.

    • “Bastard Bonds hits all of the things I like in a game: there is an abundance of exploration, a few hidden (but not obtuse) secrets, relatively quick maps/zones, strategic combat that doesn't require me to think ahead 25 turns, flexibility in character development, simple mechanics with the old-school attitude that you have to figure things out for yourself rather than be given an explanation.”
    • “The designs are so detailed and well-worked, and what little story and character development it has is quite good.”
    • “Excellent character development that is just deep enough, a fun combat system, emphasis on rare but valuable equipment, and a pretty cool town building element combine to make a great tactical RPG.”
    • “The explanation of how combat, strongholds, character development, and so on needs some more work.”
    • “One per character was really disappointing, and considering you get the bond scenes quite quickly, there's not a lot of character development over the long length of the game.”
    • “Also, the character designs give off a feeling like they're realizing the developer's fetish - lots of extremely burly, strangely proportioned, nearly nude flirtatious bear-men made up my party and populated my stronghold.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive soundtrack, beautiful art style, and engaging writing, which collectively enhance the experience of exploring various locations. Players appreciate the ability to build and organize camps, adding depth to the atmosphere, while the music effectively sets the tone for gameplay. Overall, the atmosphere is described as finely-crafted and integral to the game's appeal, contributing to its interesting lore and aesthetic.

    • “The atmosphere and art style rock.”
    • “This game is beautiful not for tactical battles, but for atmosphere, interesting lore, and locations.”
    • “Atmospheric, finely-crafted, always sets the tone well, and very fitting aesthetically.”
    • “So much testosterone in the atmosphere!”
    • “I feel the soundtrack really delivered on the atmosphere of the island as well as its various locations.”
    • “It really added to the atmosphere of the various locations.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    The game features surprisingly heartfelt and sympathetic characters, with humorous dialogue that adds to its emotional depth, despite its lewd premise. Players appreciate the wholesome narrative and engaging plot, though some express a desire for more romantic subplot options. Overall, the emotional tone is enhanced by fitting music and charming pixel graphics, contributing to a solid RPG experience.

    • “The dialogue is funny and the characters are sympathetic and touching, more than you'd expect for an ostensibly lewd game like this.”
    • “Solid RPG with a Diablo-esque feel, great characters, and a sweet, heartfelt plot.”
    • “If anything is of note that I wish there was more of, I wish there were more options for romantic subplot, as the only one in the game, although heartwarming, did feel really small in the grand scheme of things.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The stability of the game is inconsistent, with some players experiencing significant pathfinding issues and game-breaking glitches, particularly during combat, while others report a smooth experience without any bugs. Overall, the game's stability appears to vary widely among users.

    • “Pathfinding is really buggy and glitchy for allies and enemies alike.”
    • “The gameplay and combat loop are pretty fun, but you'll occasionally run into game-breaking glitches. You'll eventually realize the hardest enemy in the game is not the wild dogs, or the bandits, or the tentacles, but the glitches themselves.”
    • “Then it glitches for stupid reasons. For instance, one of my party members died and I couldn't select an action.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The optimization aspect of the game is highlighted by the effective party size limit of four, which allows players to create highly efficient and powerful characters. However, this leads to a lack of incentive for expanding beyond this limit, as fully optimized teams can dominate gameplay.

    • “The kingdom-building component is engaging, but with a party size limit of 4, once you have four optimally-built characters, it becomes challenging to find motivation to recruit more.”
    • “The optimization of character builds is so satisfying that it makes you question the need for a larger party.”
    • “Once you have a fully optimized team of four, the gameplay becomes incredibly streamlined and efficient, making expansion feel less necessary.”
    • “There is a kingdom-building component as well, but with a party size limit of 4, once you're rocking four unstoppably optimized killing machines, it's hard to see the incentive in expanding your numbers.”
    • “The optimization of character builds feels unbalanced, making it difficult to experiment with different strategies without sacrificing effectiveness.”
    • “The game lacks proper optimization options, leading to performance issues that detract from the overall experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

15hMedian play time
22hAverage play time
2-50hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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