Crying at the moon
There are a lot of video games vying for our time. Having seen nearly every generation, one thing that always crops up among my circles is the desire for the AA game to return. Prevalent during the 360/PS3 era, this type of game can sometimes spawn some hidden gems that players talk about for years. Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood would slot right into that type of game, but I don’t feel like we will be talking about it next week. It attempts to combine visceral action with a hint of stealth, all tossed into a familiar world. While it might attempt to fit into the universe it never really compliments it with its generic action and half-hearted mechanics.
The story follows Cahal as he attempts to find his daughter, who has been kidnapped by the Endron Corporation. Cahal is the epitome of generic. A gruff bald dude who has anger issues buried under a heart of gold. The plot is very thin and accompanied by some truly horrendous voice acting. I never felt like Cahal’s motives were defined well, and even though he is after his daughter it never felt like he actually cared. The game does take place in the World of Darkness universe, but the ties are so thin I wouldn’t have known if it wasn’t pointed out to me.
MSRP: $49.99
Platforms: Xbox Series X (reviewed), XB1, PS4, PS5, PC, XSS
Price I’d Pay: $19.99
The game play of Werewolf wants to be a mix of stealth and action. The stealth mechanics are…well there. Cahal can transform into a wolf at any point to sneak through grates. Security cameras can be taken out as well as panels that disable reinforcements once the action kicks in. I spent the first couple levels attempting to move in the shadows. Sadly, I quickly realized it was almost pointless. The combat almost always breaks out as the level designs often make it impossible to go full stealth. It also doesn’t help that the combat is about 100 times more enjoyable than sneaking around.
Cahal can enrage himself to transform into a full Werewolf. This kicks the game into an action experience that is ultimately the most enjoyable thing about it. Ripping enemies apart as the beast is easily the most fun I had with the game. There is a skill tree to unlock new abilities and the combat, while generic in most sense, feels good. Cahal is very agile and able to leap across the area to attack enemies. It is gruesome and exciting. Easily the highlight of the entire game.
As fights carry on, Cahal earns rage which can be used to perform special attacks. The skill tree will unlock more of these as the game progresses, and all of them are fun to use. He also has a fury meter which, when full, can unleash an ultimate attack. Most enemies are fodder for filling up these meters, but they do introduce some tougher foes as the game goes on. As one would imagine , these involve silver ammunition which hurts Cahal more than standard attacks. Luckily, he has a healing ability and honestly the fights never got overly difficult. The game does a good job of letting the player feel like the beast they really are.
The rest of the game is kind of just a bore. Moving between areas is not fun and the level design is just uninspired. Generic factory five followed by typical forest environment three. Nothing really stands out, and the carnage is the only part of the game I actually cared about. It also isn’t very long of an adventure. Well under ten hours to finish and I had zero want to go back and collect items. Heck, I didn’t care to collect them during the adventure. The only things I wanted were the plants that gave me skill points.
The game also looks bad. I am sorry, but this game is “enhanced” for Xbox Series X and it looks like a b-tier Xbox 360 game. Sure, the resolution is higher, but the animations are terrible. Character models are uninspired and the game just looks generic. While this might be alright for a b-tier game, it is not for one that is on next-generation hardware and not b-tier priced. At least the music is good. Hearing slashing metal while ripping apart fodder was definitely the highlight.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is a long name for a short, uninspired game. I was really hoping this would be a hidden gem that managed to rekindle my love of b-tier titles. Instead it just feels generic in every sense of the word. The combat is its only saving grace, and that cannot carry the game.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
