The World of Darkness is one of the best fantasy worlds however earlier we have been mostly playing tabletop games set in this world. However, for some time, it is good to see more and more developers making video games set in this brilliant world. Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is the latest title set in this universe and is a third-person narrative-driven game that combines both stealth and action-packed combat to deliver a brilliant experience. This is our review of Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood on PC in which we cause absolute mayhem as a werewolf.
The story of Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood revolves around Cahal, who is a werewolf or Garou and belongs to a pack living under the threat of the evil organization Endron. While Cahal has been active against Endron for a long time and trying his best to get rid of Endron who is trying to encroach all over the forests of the area but a personal vendetta begins when Cahal loses a loved one in a mission against Endron. Since the incident, Cahal makes it his life goal to end Endron and push them out of the forest but Endron also senses the danger from the Garou and prepares a counterattack and attack strategies of its own.
Both the sides clash in the story of Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood where you play as Cahal and his brilliant three forms. Since Cahal is a Garou, he can transform himself into the wolf and werewolf form as demand. In terms of the game, his human form is called Homid, wolf form is called Lupus while the werewolf form is called the Crinos. Each form is unique and Cahal can perform different tasks in each form. While you can transform between Homid and Lupus at any time in the game, Crinos only becomes available during combat sequences of the game and that too, once the combat is over, Cahal returns to his human form. What really sets the gameplay apart, is that you must use all three forms in their best way in order to succeed in the game.
While in the Homid form, you can interact with doors, locks, security panels, computers and interact with other characters of the game. This is the most common form of the game because all communication happens during this form of the game. Cahal does not fight in this form. For stealth and mobility, you can press B at any time and turn yourself into the wolf form or Lupus. Cahal is the fastest during his Lupus form. In addition, since he is much smaller, he is also much more suited for stealth in this form. His footsteps are light and he can move in the shadows really quickly during this form giving him a huge advantage. In the Lupus form, if you interact with a console, locked door or if you receive communication over at your radio, you will automatically turn to your human form which I found pretty convenient.
The final form is Crinos and this is your combat form. Cahal transforms into a huge werewolf during this form and then attacks his enemies. During this form, you can further adjust your movement and attacks by switching between the Agile Form and the Heavy Form. During the agile form, you are more slouchy, and your attacks deal less damage, but you can move around quickly and land swift attacks. Dodging is also much easier during this form and you have to dodge a lot in the game. During the Heavy form, your attacks deal more damage but you are also slow, and your attacks take time to charge and land. You are also more resistant to damage during this form but in the end, you are taking more time to land attacks which means that enemies could land more attacks on you during this time.
Dodging plays a vital role in the game because even if you are a towering werewolf, your enemies are no slouch either. They come equipped with shields, shotguns, and the most deadly silver bullets that deal damage that cannot be healed back during that particular combat situation so your best bet is to dodge silver bullets and other powerful enemy attacks. As you progress in the story, you will also come face to face with enemy Exos which are giant mechs designed to cut you apart, and enemy super soldiers which are Endron’s answer to Garou. You will have to switch between both your agile and heavy form during combat scenarios to survive since both come with their pros and cons.
As you fight in the game, you also earn Rage which is one of the primary elements in the World of Darkness and plays a vital role here as well. Rage is used to unleash special powers and attacks that you unlock in the game. You can also heal using this Rage. Apart from the Rage meter, you also have a Frenzy meter which gets filled as you land hits on your enemies. The more you fight, the more this meter is filled and once this meter is filled, you can enter Frenzy mode which turns you into even a bigger ferocious enemy. During this phase, your attacks will heal yourself as well and you will deal exceptionally powerful attacks in the game. it lasts until you kill all the enemies or the meter ends as you drain all the frenzy energy. This is excellent for crowd control.
Overall, the combat of the game is extremely satisfying, and I had a blast tearing down humans as a werewolf. I do not remember any other game where playing as a werewolf was this satisfying. The combat is brutal, and it is evident in the game as you pick up enemies and tear them apart or simply slash them apart with your huge claws. Additional attacks are even more powerful and damage dealing, and you can make yourself even more powerful and effective in the combat by investing Spirit Points into additional skills. You earn Skill points every time you level up in the game and this is where the game also introduces light RPG mechanics into the game as you can invest in points and go for a particular build in the game. Choosing a specific set of skills over the others will help you make your forms much more powerful than the others depending on which ones that you use.
Another excellent aspect of the game is that how destructible the environments are. If you decide to skip stealth and go berserk, you will end up destroying the whole area in no time. You will run amok through tables, chairs, computers, and whatnot. Once you are done with the enemies, you will only see broken things lying here and there and plenty of blood. On the other hand, if you go stealth, everything will remain as it is and you will silently move in the shadows. This is one of the most satisfying elements of the game where you can visibly see a difference in the scenery between stealth and full-on attack. Both stealth and combat-oriented gameplays are equally satisfying in the game.
Stealth is really well-made in the game as well. It is not just sneaking around enemies. The developers have added multiple stealth mechanics in the game that really makes you feel like you are playing a stealth game. For example, for sneaking around as Lupus, you can use vents for moving around and getting to different locations on the map. These will allow you to go to the backside of enemies and take them down silently. You can also interact with various computers and terminals and open doors and shut down security cameras that will give your location to your enemies and sound the alarm. The game is saved before every key moment in the game so even if you mess up something and do not want to go berserk, you can quickly reload and try a different approach. For stealth, Cahal also has a crossbow that he can use for taking out enemies silently while Lupus is only used for mobility and sneaking around.
Coming to the visuals and sound design of the game, both are well-made. The game looks beautiful and the levels are brilliantly designed. The soundtrack suits the game well and switches accordingly to the situation you are in. For most of the action, you will be wreaking havoc while listening to heavy metal in the background but it is a little lower which does not crowd your ears too much with music. It forms a perfect balance with the game audio so that you can still listen to all the destruction that you are causing in the game. Technically, the game is pretty sound, as well as the only issue I found, was my controller disconnecting a few times while playing the game but other than that, the game ran pretty well on my PC.
While I loved the character design of the game and even the dialogue delivery is great for most parts of the game, at certain points in the game, both the facial expressions and dialogue delivery fails to make a mark. In instances such as where emotions are supposed to be strong, the dialogue fails to represent the intensity of the emotion. Quite early in the game, we are faced with a death of a loved one, but the character’s dialogue delivery was so lifeless that it failed to create that emotional connection. Before this very line, the dialogue was just fine where it was normal, casual chat. In certain situations, the facial expressions also fail to represent what the character is trying to portray and gives a blank expression that just looks silly. This is weird because, for most of the time, both facial expressions and dialogue delivery are on-point for all of the characters in the game. Only in some instances, these do not match up to the intensity and it just feels a little off.
Apart from this, I do not remember any other point that I wrote down in my notes that I found funny or weird about the game. I loved the combat, I loved how each Cahal’s form feels different and unique, and also the story written is pretty decent, despite being a traditional revenge story against an evil corporation. Overall, the World of Darkness is portrayed in one of the best video game adaptations that I have seen so far. Everything about the game is top-notch except the odd times where the facial expressions and dialogue lack that depth and intensity of the moment. Apart from this, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is a brilliant title and I loved playing it from the start to the finish.
Final Verdict:
At its core, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is an open-world game not because it features a big open world for you to explore but because it gives you complete freedom to how you want to proceed in your mission. If you prefer stealth, you have every tool at your disposal that will help you in staying stealth. Otherwise, if you prefer a more head-on approach, that option is available for you as well at all times. It features excellent combat mechanics and satisfying killing action coupled with brilliant character design and narrative. The story might look like a traditional revenge plot, but it has enough twists and turns that it will keep you glued to the screen. Switching between the three forms is also pretty satisfactory. If you are looking for a solid action game this month that features action, tons of destruction, and killing, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is the game for you. Fans of the World of Darkness franchise are in for a treat.
Final Score: 7.8/10
