BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure
- June 13, 2024
- Mana Brigade
- 1h median play time
Get on Steam"BlackForge: A Smithing Adventure" is a VR weaponsmithing simulator, where you step into the role of a legendary blacksmith, crafting epic weapons in a mystical forge. The game offers a deep and approachable crafting experience, allowing you to shape wood, forge metal, and imbue your creations with the power of the Aesir. Embark on a full campaign, fulfilling requests from townspeople and perfecting your skills in this engaging and immersive adventure. * Immerse yourself in VR weaponsmithing * Deep and approachable crafting experience * Full campaign with requests from townspeople
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique and immersive crafting experience, allowing players to create weapons limited only by their imagination.
- The graphics and sound design are well-crafted, providing a relaxing atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience.
- The tutorial system is intuitive, guiding players through tasks without overwhelming them, and the game features a rich lore and engaging characters.
- The game suffers from significant performance issues, including frequent crashes and bugs that hinder progression and gameplay.
- The smithing mechanics can feel clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult to shape metal accurately and leading to frustration.
- There are issues with controller compatibility and interaction responsiveness, particularly for certain VR setups, which can make the game unplayable for some users.
- story15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's story is rich and immersive, featuring intriguing characters and a well-developed world that encourages exploration and progression through quests. Players appreciate the rewarding quest system and solid voice acting, although some technical issues, such as crashes and delayed feedback on quest requirements, detract from the overall experience. Enhancements in visual and audio storytelling could further boost immersion and engagement.
“The concept is great, the visuals are colorful, the quest system rewarding more advanced materials to build more complex gear is a good idea, and the voice acting is pretty solid from the merchant.”
“There is a lot to explore, I've gotten a bit further than the copper quests and I found that some things that I was thinking of were introduced a bit later down the line.”
“Story: there is a lot of soul in terms of the characters, the background has a lot of intrigue, like there is a world here.”
“The feedback that I, as a player, get from quests is very late when getting quests back for not meeting the requirements. During crafting, the game offers too few visual cues of how well I'm actually progressing through the tasks.”
“There is a lot to explore, but I found that some things I was expecting were introduced a bit later down the line.”
“More visual/audio storytelling would enhance the immersion.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their colorful and detailed visuals, showcasing polished art style and well-crafted character designs. Players have noted improvements in performance, such as smoother chiseling speeds, enhancing the overall experience. The aesthetics are considered fitting for a VR simulator, contributing positively to the game's immersive quality.
“The graphics have been polished; everything feels smoother, and I've noticed some good changes like the chiseling speed, which took quite a while in the demo, but is much faster here.”
“The graphics are detailed and well-crafted.”
“Overall, the aesthetics of the game look great!”
“I have a 3070 and a Ryzen 7; I have attempted to optimize it through my graphics card.”
“In my mind, that graphic is enough for the VR simulator like that.”
“The art style and the characters!”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Users find the grinding aspect of the game to be initially confusing, particularly with shaping metal, but appreciate the freedom offered by the grinding wheel for creating. There are suggestions for improvements, such as the addition of different grinding wheel sizes and the desire for more vibrant colors on the metal after grinding.
“Shaping the metal was confusing at first; I always ended up with an uneven surface because of the hammer and tried grinding the cold piece of metal, which didn't work.”
“Kinda would be nice to be able to shape it more finely like the grinding wheel, which I almost exclusively used for metal creations.”
“The color of the copper metal is kind of just grey/black, but it would be nice to get some color after grinding the copper a bit.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Users have reported issues with gameplay, particularly highlighting a lack of auto-saving features, which can lead to frustration if the game crashes, as experienced after 70 minutes of play.
“It crashed after 70 minutes of gameplay, and of course, the game has no auto-saving.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for its clunky feel and significant performance issues, leading some players to find it unplayable and consider returning only after improvements are made.
“However, this is overshadowed by its clunky feel and lack of optimization, which makes it so I can't play this game at all.”
“No dice; I will return to this game once they address the performance issues.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its amusing and exaggerated mechanics, particularly the comedic element of hitting metal with a hammer, which adds a lighthearted and entertaining twist to the gameplay.
“This game is a hilarious blend of humor and chaos, especially when you hit things with a hammer!”
“The comedic timing in this game is spot on, making every interaction a laugh.”
“I can't stop chuckling at the absurd situations that unfold; the humor is truly top-notch!”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is praised for its relaxing sound design, particularly the soothing sound of rain on a wooden roof while in the forge, which enhances the immersive experience.
“The sound atmosphere is relaxing; I loved the sound of the rain on the wooden roof that you hear when you are in the forge.”
“The immersive environment truly draws you in, making every moment feel alive and vibrant.”
“The combination of ambient sounds and stunning visuals creates a captivating atmosphere that keeps you engaged.”
