Blood Alloy: Reborn
- March 1, 2016
- Suppressive Fire Games
- 1h median play time
I have to give it to Suppressive Fire Games; Blood Alloy: Reborn has a great set of guts
Become an ultra-agile cybernetic machine of robot death in the hyper-acrobatic, tactical shooter/slasher Blood Alloy: Reborn! As the cyborg soldier Nia Rhys, blast along the floor, up walls, and across ceilings at breakneck speeds to gain positional advantage on your foes. Survive as long as you can and boost, slice, and shoot your way to the top of the score rankings!
Reviews
- Beautiful art and animations, complemented by a great soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The fast-paced movement and combat mechanics are engaging, providing a fun and challenging gameplay experience.
- The game has interesting ideas, such as wall/ground/ceiling dashing, and offers a solid foundation for potential future content.
- Core gameplay feels incomplete with very little content, including only three levels and limited weapon variety.
- Controls are difficult to master, with bugs and design oversights that hinder gameplay, such as key rebinding issues and unresponsive menus.
- Lacks a meaningful progression system or story, leading to a repetitive experience that can quickly become boring.
- music28 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its brilliance and ability to enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack is considered a major selling point, with players enjoying the ability to unlock and choose songs for different levels. While the visuals and music are noted as strong aspects, some players feel that the core gameplay lacks depth and content, which may affect long-term engagement.
“Fun game to spend bursts of time on for me, brilliant soundtrack and pretty slick combat made it for me.”
“What I would definitely recommend to get this game for is the soundtrack; if you like what you hear in the video, jump on it!”
“You'll be dashing, slashing, running, and gunning your way through waves of enemies, with nearly reckless abandon, all while enjoying the grooves of a killer soundtrack.”
“Getting this game without buying the soundtrack makes little sense.”
“The art and music are sharp, and really suck you into the experience.”
“It's not a game that demands a lot from you and you'll be unlocking new items, levels, and music every couple of rounds.”
- gameplay24 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its beautiful art, animations, and a solid premise, but many players feel it lacks depth and content, leaving the core experience feeling incomplete. While some mechanics, like the mid-air dash, are well-designed and engaging, others, such as the dodge mechanic, are criticized for being cumbersome. Overall, the game offers a fun traversal experience with a modern twist on classic 2D graphics, but players are left wanting more in terms of gameplay variety and clarity.
“A lot of thought went into some gameplay mechanics, and it shows because they are very detailed; a mid-air dash will angle itself up to avoid hitting a ramp, travelling parallel to whatever surface is far beneath you.”
“Throwback 2D graphics with a very modern gameplay twist--it's definitely a game you have to get good at.”
“Blood Alloy offers a solid chunk of content with really fun gameplay for a fair price without any online requirements.”
“Why is there a wave slash mechanic that is never mentioned in the tutorial?”
“There is a dodge mechanic in there but it lingers simply far too long and offers so little control that the invincibility frames are not worth the loss in mobility.”
“"But what about the gameplay depth?" you ask?”
- story8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game lacks a compelling narrative, with players noting that it primarily focuses on score streaks and rankings rather than storytelling. While there is a lore page, it fails to provide a meaningful story or character development, leaving the main character's backstory feeling underwhelming and reminiscent of a generic fan creation. Overall, the absence of dynamic enemies and engaging story elements detracts from the experience.
“There is a page for lore, but no story other than that as far as I found.”
“Why does the main character's backstory feel like some DeviantArt OC?”
“No dynamic enemies demanding my ninja skills' attention or story elements giving me some loose sense of direction to cling to.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game feature a distinctive pixel art style that is either appealing or off-putting, depending on personal preference, with many players praising its stylish and fun aesthetics. However, the game offers limited graphical options, as most settings are managed through the launcher rather than in-game, which some find inconvenient. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, complementing the modern gameplay twist.
“Graphic style: you either like the pixel art or you don't... I did, and I consider it a strong point.”
“Stylish and fun with fantastic aesthetics.”
“Throwback 2D graphics with a very modern gameplay twist—it's definitely a game you have to get good at.”
“Few options in the game (no difficulty settings, time of survival defines the difficulty, no control remap in game, no graphic settings... all done through the launcher which isn't necessarily a bad thing but a bit annoying).”
“The graphic style is divisive; you either like the pixel art or you don't. I personally enjoyed it and consider it a strong point.”
“The throwback 2D graphics feel outdated, and while the gameplay has a modern twist, the visuals leave much to be desired.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to a lack of clarity on unlocks, leading to repetitive gameplay as they grind through the same content without knowing when new features or levels will become available.
“I've unlocked homing missiles at level 3, but the game does not tell you when anything else unlocks, so you're essentially grinding the same content until you reach an unknown, arbitrary level to play something different.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for being part of a broader trend on Steam, where many amateur games are seen as cash grabs. However, this particular game is noted for having some innovative elements that set it apart from the typical low-quality offerings.
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's replayability primarily hinges on its scoring system, which features two multipliers with expiration bars, providing a straightforward yet engaging challenge for players. However, some users feel this system lacks depth and may not sustain long-term interest. Overall, while the scoring mechanics offer a basis for replay, they may not be sufficient to keep players returning consistently.
“The scoring system is the game's primary source of replayability, offering a straightforward yet engaging challenge with its two multipliers and expiration bars.”
“The game's replayability shines through its unique scoring system, which isn't contrived and keeps players coming back for more.”
“With its innovative scoring mechanics, the game provides a fresh experience each time, making replayability a key feature.”
“The scoring system, the game's one source of replayability that isn't contrived, consists of just 2 multipliers with expiration bars, which feels underwhelming.”
“The game's replayability hinges on a scoring system that is limited to only 2 multipliers with expiration bars, making it feel shallow.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is inconsistent, with some players enjoying its fast-paced action, while others report significant bugs and frustrating design choices that detract from the overall experience.
“At its best, it’s a fast-paced run ‘n’ gunner that fails to explain itself; at its worst, it’s dull, buggy, and makes use of cheap techniques to keep players torturing themselves.”
Critic Reviews
Blood Alloy: Reborn Review
If it was only a matter of bug fixes, control adjusting, and overall rebalancing, the final judgment would be much more positive, because, when Blood Alloy: Reborn is at its best, it is truly magnificent, since it seamlessly blends rapid shooting, sword fighting, and platforming, with addictive and challenging high score-chasing - plus it looks and sounds fantastic. Sadly, the problems begin when one realises that there's not really much to do here, with pleasure soon giving way to boredom.
50%Blood Alloy: Reborn (PC) Review
I have to give it to Suppressive Fire Games; Blood Alloy: Reborn has a great set of guts
60%Blood Alloy - Reborn Review
Although fun for a little while, Blood Alloy lacks variety and fails to capture the player’s interests. At its best, it’s a fast paced run ‘n’ gunner that fails to explain itself; at its worst, it’s dull, buggy and makes use of cheap techniques to keep players torturing themselves.
40%