Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War
Encyclopedia
Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War is a historical fantasy video game for the PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360
platforms. It was published by Koei and developed by Omega Force.
The game is loosely based on The Hundred Years' War
between the Kingdoms of England and France in the 14th and 15th century.
Just like the Kessen and Musou series' from Koei, certain liberties are taken from the original history. For example, unlike what happened in real life, it is possible to save Joan of Arc
from being burned at the stake.
The gameplay is fairly similar to Kessen III
& Samurai Warriors 3
, also published by Koei.
Brett Todd of gamespot.com
scored the game a 5/10. He said that the game's "Fresh ideas can't save [it] from mediocrity." Some of his complaints were that the "Campaign just recycles the same style of battles over and over again," there was "No strategic depth or arcade satisfaction," the game suffered from an "Ineffective artificial intelligence," and "Dated visuals and sound." On the positive side, he said that the game featured "Easy-to-use controls for commanding companies of troops," and he thought the game had a "Great idea to blend arcade action with squad combat."
However, Dave McCarthy from eurogamer.net
seemed to enjoy the game. He gave it a score of 8/10. McCarthy said "It's... a very, very good videogame: another brilliant evolution of Koei's unique interpretation of the real-time strategy genre, and every bit as satisfying as previous efforts. What it lacks in terms of the speed and immediacy of, say, Gundam Musou, it makes up for with strategic range, design ingenuity, and conceptual novelty..."
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
platforms. It was published by Koei and developed by Omega Force.
The game is loosely based on The Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
between the Kingdoms of England and France in the 14th and 15th century.
Just like the Kessen and Musou series' from Koei, certain liberties are taken from the original history. For example, unlike what happened in real life, it is possible to save Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
from being burned at the stake.
Gameplay
Players assume the role of a rogue commander with a group of mercenary units who can align themselves with the French or English sides, depending on the situation. Units include infantry, cavalry, archers, elephants, cannoniers and castle siege units. The commander's reputation will affect things like the quality of troops available and the difficulty of the missions. Individual troops will also strengthen as they gain combat experience.The gameplay is fairly similar to Kessen III
Kessen III
is a PlayStation 2 video-game produced by Koei and is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga.-Historical background:The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590...
& Samurai Warriors 3
Samurai Warriors 3
is the third installment in the Samurai Warriors series, created by Tecmo Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in Japan on December 3, 2009, Europe on May 28, 2010, Australia on June 10, 2010, and in North America on September 27, 2010 for the Wii....
, also published by Koei.
Kingdom of England
- Edward, the Black PrinceEdward, the Black PrinceEdward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Aquitaine, KG was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault as well as father to King Richard II of England....
- Hal (Henry), the future King (Henry IV of EnglandHenry IV of EnglandHenry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
) - Sir John ChandosJohn ChandosSir John Chandos, Viscount of Saint-Sauveur in the Cotentin, Constable of Aquitaine, Seneschal of Poitou, KG was a medieval English knight who hailed from Radbourne Hall, Derbyshire. Chandos was a close friend of Edward, the Black Prince and a founding member and 19th Knight of the Order of the...
- Richard Beauchamp (Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of WarwickRichard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of WarwickRichard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick, Count of Aumale, KG was an English medieval nobleman and military commander.-Early Life:...
) - Sir John Talbot, 1st Earl of ShrewsburyJohn Talbot, 1st Earl of ShrewsburyJohn Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and 1st Earl of Waterford KG , known as "Old Talbot" was an important English military commander during the Hundred Years' War, as well as the only Lancastrian Constable of France.-Origins:He was descended from Richard Talbot, a tenant in 1086 of Walter Giffard...
- Sir John FastolfJohn FastolfSir John Fastolf KG was an English knight during the Hundred Years War, who has enjoyed a more lasting reputation as in some part being the prototype of Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff...
- Sir Henry "Hotspur" Percy
- Iamarl (original character)
- Branwyn (original character)
- Philippa (original character, although she could be named after Edward III's queen – Philippa of HainaultPhilippa of HainaultPhilippa of Hainault, or, Philippe de Hainaut was the Queen consort of King Edward III of England. Edward, Duke of Guyenne, her future husband, promised in 1326 to marry her within the following two years...
) - King of England (Edward III)
Kingdom of France
- Joan of ArcJoan of ArcSaint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
- La HireLa HireÉtienne de Vignolles, called La Hire, was a French military commander during the Hundred Years' War. His nickname of La Hire would be that the English had nicknamed "the Hire-God" . He fought alongside Joan of Arc in the campaigns of 1429...
(Étienne de Vignolles) - Gilles de RaisGilles de RaisGilles de Montmorency-Laval , Baron de Rais, was a Breton knight, a leader in the French army and a companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc. He is best known as a prolific serial killer of children...
- Phillippe Le Bon (Philip III, Duke of BurgundyPhilip III, Duke of BurgundyPhilip the Good KG , also Philip III, Duke of Burgundy was Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty . During his reign Burgundy reached the height of its prosperity and prestige and became a leading center of the arts...
) - Marie (original character)
- Arthur De Richemont (Arthur III, Duke of BrittanyArthur III, Duke of BrittanyArthur III , known as the Justicier and as Arthur de Richemont, was Lord of Parthenay and titular Count of Richmond in England and for eleven months at the very end of his life, Duke of Brittany and Count of Montfort after inheriting those titles upon the death of his nephew.-Biography:Belonging...
) - You Ji (original character)
- Bertrand du GuesclinBertrand du GuesclinBertrand du Guesclin , known as the Eagle of Brittany or the Black Dog of Brocéliande, was a Breton knight and French military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He was Constable of France from 1370 to his death...
- Jean (original character)
- Christine de PizanChristine de PizanChristine de Pizan was a Venetian-born late medieval author who challenged misogyny and stereotypes prevalent in the male-dominated medieval culture. As a poet, she was well known and highly regarded in her own day; she completed 41 works during her 30 year career , and can be regarded as...
- King of France (Philip VI of FrancePhilip VI of FrancePhilip VI , known as the Fortunate and of Valois, was the King of France from 1328 to his death. He was also Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois from 1325 to 1328...
)
Mercenaries
- Magnus, a friendly and well-respected mercenary
- Georges, the brother of Marc, nicknamed "Sudden Death".
- Marc, the brother of Georges, nicknamed "Iron Wall".
- Karen, a motherly mercenary whose personality changes when in pursuit of money.
- Diane, a foul-mouthed mercenary seen talking with Karen much of the time.
- Naran, a smooth-talking Mongolian mercenary seen talking with Georges often.
- Yoshimasa, a loyal and honest mercenary from the far east.
- Shakti, a foreign mercenary.
- William, a cowardly mercenary.
- Sir John HawkwoodJohn HawkwoodSir John Hawkwood was an English mercenary or condottiero who was active in 14th century Italy. The French chronicler Jean Froissart knew him as Jean Haccoude and Italians as Giovanni Acuto...
, the legendary mercenary.
Reception
The game was met with a mixed critical reception.Brett Todd of gamespot.com
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
scored the game a 5/10. He said that the game's "Fresh ideas can't save [it] from mediocrity." Some of his complaints were that the "Campaign just recycles the same style of battles over and over again," there was "No strategic depth or arcade satisfaction," the game suffered from an "Ineffective artificial intelligence," and "Dated visuals and sound." On the positive side, he said that the game featured "Easy-to-use controls for commanding companies of troops," and he thought the game had a "Great idea to blend arcade action with squad combat."
However, Dave McCarthy from eurogamer.net
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
seemed to enjoy the game. He gave it a score of 8/10. McCarthy said "It's... a very, very good videogame: another brilliant evolution of Koei's unique interpretation of the real-time strategy genre, and every bit as satisfying as previous efforts. What it lacks in terms of the speed and immediacy of, say, Gundam Musou, it makes up for with strategic range, design ingenuity, and conceptual novelty..."