Bound By Flame on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
You are a mercenary possessed by a flame demon in a desperate world ravaged by seven Ice Lords. In this RPG where every choice counts, you will have to choose between unleashing the powers of the beast within and rejecting its demonic influence.
Bound By Flame is a rpg, action and fantasy game
developed by Spiders
and published by Focus Entertainment.
Released on May 08th 2014 is available on Windows and Linux
in 10 languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Czech, Polish, Russian, Traditional Chinese and Korean.
It has received 3,782 reviews of which 2,574 were positive and 1,208 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.7 out of 10. 😐
The game is currently priced at 1.04€ on Steam with a 85% discount.
The Steam community has classified Bound By Flame into these genres:
System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: WINDOWS XP SP3/WINDOWS VISTA SP2/WINDOWS 7/WINDOWS 8
- Processor: AMD/INTEL DUAL-CORE 2.2 GHZ
- Memory: 2048 MB RAM
- Graphics: 512 MB 100% DIRECTX 9 AND SHADERS 4.0 COMPATIBLE ATI RADEON HD 4850/NVIDIA GEFORCE 8800 GT OR HIGHER
- Storage: 6 GB available space
- Sound Card: DIRECTX 9 COMPATIBLE
- Additional Notes: INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED FOR THE GAME ACTIVATION
Linux
- OS: UBUNTU 12.04 LTS/SteamOS
- Processor: AMD/INTEL DUAL-CORE 2.2 GHZ
- Memory: 2048 MB RAM
- Graphics: 512 MB SHADERS 4.0 COMPATIBLE ATI RADEON HD 4850/NVIDIA GEFORCE 8800 GT OR HIGHER
- Storage: 6 GB available space
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
“But you see, that’s what I like so much about mortals: their stories last just about the right amount of time… give or take a few decades… and then they’re done… and then they come around again.” As Spiders' #1 (self-proclaimed) fangirl, I have taken it upon myself to 100% every one of their games in 2025, in anticipation of the impending release of GreedFall 2 . After quite a bit of an uphill battle, I've managed to finally complete Bound by Flame , the black sheep of the Spiders catalogue. I say this unreservedly, and with good reason. It's an unoptimized, overambitious, buggy experiment, with occasionally campy and unconvincing voice acting, but one with lots of heart and passion. As such, I can't help but recommend it. You take on the role of Vulcan, the explosives expert of the Freeborn Blades, a mercenary company attempting to prolong the inevitable: the end of the world. Vertiel is consumed by a preternatural endless winter, spearheaded by Ice Lords and their necromantic pawns. An (un)fortunate accident at a ritual to hold back this horror imbues Vulcan with the power to control fire, with wound to their humanity. Possessed by a demon, you now hold the fate of the world in your hands, a fate that you can affect by clinging to your fragile humanity, or permitting the demon to take control. Some quick words I have next to no excuse for my godawfully long playtime in this game, compared to many others. It's not that it's terribly difficult, per se, but horribly optimized. I'm not one to decry Spiders' catalogue as janky -- I personally love the combat in GreedFall and see every earlier installment as a less-refined version of it -- but there is a lot to be desired with how Bound by Flame plays. Yet, when you get into the groove of the battle, and find your rhythm between throwing fireballs and slashing daggers, the combat is satisfying. I do recommend to only use skills from the Ranger and Pyromancer trees, however, as Warrior, with its usually beautiful Zweihanders, axes and hammers, is an incredibly slow and ineffective experience. My first playthrough was a Ranger with some Pyromancer skills, which I found to be a fun and engaging experience. The second and third playthroughs felt like a never-ending chore, but I would be amiss to judge the game on those grounds. The first playthrough, although occasionally tedious, was enjoyable enough. Full transparency, my pros deal almost exclusively with aesthetics and worldbuilding, and not necessarily with gameplay. PROS + The characters. Although this isn't nearly as heavy of an RPG as their later installments, the characters all felt as if they had their own motives, agendas, and places in the world. It's impossible to keep everyone happy. ([url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3428997651]I really particularly enjoy Mathras. He's a lot of fun.) + Beautiful and in-depth crafting system. Standard armour and weapons can be customized minutely: you can add parts to your armour that buff your mana or health points; offer you poison, magic, or ice resistance; or grant a quicker regeneration speed to HP. Upgrades to weapons grant boons in battle, as one would imagine. + Consumable items, such as crossbow quarrels, traps, and potions, are incredibly effective. Traps and bolts do a great amount of damage, and their value/usefulness scales in accordance to their rarity. + Olivier Deriviere composed the soundtrack. His musical direction, with its organic sounding strings, distant vocals and exciting percussion, truly added to the experience. My favourite piece is the theme that plays in Valvenor, the secluded town in the swamplands. + The natural landscapes we see are gorgeous and immersive, particularly the swamp. + Creature design. The monsters and wacky creatures you encounter -- outside of the standard zombies -- are all unique, and have that very distinctive Spiders feel to them. It's kind of hard to articulate what I mean when I say that, but playing through any of their games should net you the same results, if you're observant. + There are several endings -- while I don't think this game is particularly replayable, to see this attention to detail is quite nice, and I'm glad that this has also become a staple of Spiders' games. + The side quests all tie into the main quest, which is likewise another Spiders signature move. CONS - My game kept crashing, repeatedly. The issue eventually resolved itself, and didn't happen nearly as frequently if I didn't bring up the Steam or Discord overlays. It's probably an internal issue on my end, but goodness me, was it frustrating. - The combat is incredibly unbalanced. Like I mentioned above, the heavy weapons do next to no damage and oftentimes swing inexcusably slow. It's frustrating to use them, as there's no payoff. You either die mid-animation, or spend too long trying to chip away at the health of an inconsequential Deadwalker. - The pacing of the game is rather awkward. Act 1 is quite long, but it doesn't overstay its welcome. Acts 2 and 3 are both too long and too short at the same time. You can tell that there's a story that they wanted to tell, but its length and scope exceeded their budget and resources. - The combat encounters, especially in Act 3, grow rather repetitive. While this can be good for predicting the next move, it grows incredibly grindy and not very exciting very quickly. - You can only take one companion with you at a time. I find this disappointing as the companions all had great personalities with a lot of potential to work off of each other, yet - The ultimate boss has absolutely no excuse being so tanky. Say skill issue if you wish, but it is an absolute chore -- and not very fun whatsoever -- to chip away at without an incredible amount of cheesing or saintly levels of patience. Last words I'm not sure if this is a fair criticism, but the game definitely feels its age and budgetary restrictions. You can tell that Spiders was still trying to get their foot in the door with crafting sweeping and consequential RPGs, and as such, the game falls short in quite a few places. I'm sure my opinion on this bit would be different had I played it 11 years ago, or if I didn't start with GreedFall , but it is what it is. It's not a great game by any means, but it is a good game. I enjoyed my first playthrough, and it's a treat to be able to see the seeds of inspiration for Spiders' later endeavours. This review is more ambivalent than I wished -- after all, I am recommending it! -- but it took this form as I wrote it. You will enjoy it if you know what you're getting into: an unpolished, poorly aged, and experimental RPG with lots of bugs, questionably campy charm, and a priapic 6,000 year old zombie with perfect charisma. The Final Verdict Overall Rating ★★★⯪☆ Story ★★★★☆ Gameplay ★★★☆☆ Graphics ★★★★☆ Sound Design ★★★★★ Replay Value ★☆☆☆☆ Difficulty ★★★★☆ Bug free? ★★☆☆☆ PC Requirements ★★☆☆☆ Game Length ★★★☆☆ I wouldn't say "wait for sale," as the game is running at a standard price of $6.99 USD. You'll definitely get your money's worth of playtime. However, if you're still hesitant, Spiders' games go on sale quite often, so it's worth keeping your eye on it. Visit [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/damseldirect]Damsel Direct for more gunpowder, magic, and chaos.
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This game was difficult in the first actual gameplay level after tutorial! :S ended up getting a trainer to skill up and play through, mainly because I wanted to check it out for the art style, but then I found the progression system for gear and the combat to actually play pretty well. Some iffyness with the camera on occasion, and it might feel a little dated compared to other third person action rpgs, definitely reminds you of the xbox era, but this was actually pretty good. Big issue with the controller recognition though, had to search the discussion boards for a fix and it requires downloading a github repo. But yeah I like a lot of elements of this from a design perspective. Pick it up for a dollar!
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🔹 What is this? A 2014 action RPG from the French mid-budget developer Spiders, operating in the AA or B-segment of game development. 🔹 How I played? I played around 12 hours to finish the main campaign, completing about 60-70% of the side quests. Expect a total of 10 to 15 hours of content, depending on your playstyle. 🕹️ Gameplay This game sticks closely to the classic RPG formula, borrowing heavily from the Bioware model: companions, a combat system with a tactical pause, looting, crafting, upgrades, and dialogue-heavy interactions. While the core mechanics are solid, there are noticeable limitations. Combat is enjoyable but lacks variety with only three fighting styles and three basic weapon types, plus magic. Boss encounters offer a good challenge initially, but the novelty wears off fast. Facing five similar "Concubine" bosses within two hours or recycled early-game bosses as common enemies later on becomes repetitive and frustrating. I used a keyboard and mouse, which worked well. However, the game's balance, especially at higher difficulty levels, is flawed. The final boss, particularly on Buffalo (Hard), feels unbalanced, capable of one-shotting you even with an expanded health bar. On harder difficulties, playing as a Ranger offers a significant advantage due to superior dodging mechanics, whereas Warriors feel underpowered due to ineffective blocking. Enemy health bars are disproportionately large, dragging out fights unnecessarily, even as your character grows stronger. Pyromancer abilities are underwhelming early on, becoming viable only by the third act. I enjoyed the gameplay for the most part, but the repetition and balance issues occasionally detracted from the experience. 📖 Story and Characters The story follows a fairly standard fantasy formula, without much in terms of innovation. While serviceable, it’s not particularly engaging or memorable. It starts with promise—introducing a world ravaged by a 10-year war, with humanity on the brink of extinction and the looming threat of seven Ice Lords. The first act gives a sense of scale and epic adventure, reminiscent of the first village in The Witcher 3 , setting the stage for a potentially grand RPG. However, as the game progresses, it shrinks in scope, becoming overly localized and small-scale. Spiders attempts to create a feeling of vastness but falters in the details. For instance, an Elven King without guards or armies appears more like a stranded wanderer pretending to be royalty, breaking the immersion. The world could have benefitted from focusing on a smaller, more vibrant story—similar to Gothic 1 —instead of attempting an epic they couldn't fully realize. As for the characters, they fall into typical fantasy archetypes and, while functional, don't leave a lasting impression. You'll encounter the good witch, the bad witch, an old wise skeleton, an elf-archer, and a mercenary. The protagonist, Vulcan, can romance some of these companions, but the romance feels so underdeveloped that you might not even realize the opportunity is there. It’s far from the meaningful relationship-building seen in games like Dragon Age: Origins . You can only take one companion with you at a time, and the game occasionally forces predefined companions on you for certain sections. Dialogues and quests are middling, with occasional moments of above-average writing. Finally, the game offers three endings, but only one feels like a true epilogue with a satisfying conclusion. 🎨 Visual For a game released in 2014 with a mid-budget, the graphics are acceptable but nothing outstanding. However, the art design is where the game falters. Most of the game is spent in uninspired locations like swamps, a small village, icy landscapes, and a castle. These areas are narrow, linear, and small, offering little exploration. There are no true open-world elements, and the overall visual design lacks any distinctive identity, leaving a very generic fantasy feel. Minor frustrations with level design cropped up, including moments where I got stuck due to unclear navigation. It doesn’t break the game but interrupts the flow. 🎶 Soundtrack The sound effects are basic, sometimes repetitive, and often lacking in variety. Occasionally, there’s an absence of audio feedback where it’s expected. However, the music stands out as a positive. While the tracks aren’t revolutionary, they are well-composed and set the mood effectively. The main menu theme, in particular, is memorable and creates a good first impression. ⚙️ Performance The game runs smoothly with very few performance issues. It’s not demanding on hardware and should run well on max settings if you have at least a 2GB GPU and 8GB RAM, maintaining over 60 FPS. I did encounter some minor bugs, including issues with companions and the map, but nothing game-breaking. Cutscenes feel under-polished. Optimization: Excellent for a mid-budget title. 🔄 Replayability This is very much a one-time experience . The plot, character development, and limited gameplay options don’t encourage multiple playthroughs. There’s little to no variation in terms of story choices, and unless you’re a hardcore fan of action RPGs, there’s not much reason to revisit the game after completion. 💡 Conclusion If you're a fan of action RPGs and enjoy the tactical pause combat system, you might find some enjoyment here, especially if you can overlook the repetitive elements and balance issues. However, if you're looking for a more in-depth narrative or varied gameplay, this might not satisfy you. It’s a game that gets the basics right but doesn’t excel in any particular area, making it more of a solid, yet forgettable experience. Gameplay: 26/40 Story: 13/20 Visuals: 14/20 Soundtrack: 8/10 Personal Enjoyment: 7/10 FINAL SCORE: 68/100 - Recommended for fans of RPGs, but not a must-play. Look for it during a sale.
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A very difficult game but I had my fun learning the combat system. This game will make you rage and it will teach you to be patient. Final boss fight 60 traps planted at entrance right before the final fight so i only need to lower his HP to half and damage dragon and then lure him into the traps and game over lol.( if you bring 120 traps then 60 for 100% hp to 50% and the other 60 is to kill him after damaging the dragon and you lure him to the traps and congrats you just beat the game.)
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Bound By Flame Review Review is after completing the main quest and about 80% of the side quests. I played a warrior build supported with pyromancy skills. Pros: [*]Unique setting of a world at the very brink of its destruction. Most other games are about preventing the destruction within a very generous time period. [*]Cell shaded art style that captures the desolate theme of this world. [*]Familiar Spiders game weapon wheel and combat mechanics. [*]I was able to level up my preferred skill tree satisfactorily. [*]I was able to obtain most of the perks/feats. [*]Crafting and upgrading system was easy to understand and use at any time. [*]Armour sets that combine to give various perks. [*]Ability to sprint past enemies. [*]Traps and crossbow bolts are more powerful than you think. But they are clunky to use in combat. [*]Decent companions. I suppose the best is the busty lady as she has ties to the main story. [*]There are a few key decision points in the main quest with unexpected outcomes. [*]Ability to switch combat stances when needed. Cons: [*]While the main story mentions 7 bosses, we only get to fight one or two of them at most. [*]Spiders set out to make a sprawling RPG then hit a budget ceiling. It's very apparent when playing this game. [*]The final boss is terribly designed and incredibly frustrating to defeat using normal attack, dodge, heal tactics. [*]The boss just before the final boss mind controlled all of my companions. So I had a horde of violent morons running charging after my Vulcan. [*]Companions are nerfed. Proven by the fact that they can 2 shot Vulcan under enemy mind control. Other times they flail ineffectively at the enemy. [*]The fire demons have terrible olde English. [*]Damage sponge enemies made combat tedious. [*]Respawning enemies when loading previously visited areas, which make backtracking very tedious. [*]Unreliable target lock feature. [*]Very small aggro range for enemies. If you lead them away too far they walk back to their original location and fully heal. [*]Plot loses its way at the end of the game. It made no sense and was confusing. Advice: [*]Some cheesing strategies can be used. When entering a combat arena you can set traps at leisure around the edges and then draw enemies towards them. [*]The final fight is extremely brutal. Look for the cheesing strategy online. Its a cakewalk afterwards. Don’t waste your time trying to beat the boss fairly. “I hoped for a bit more affection from someone who spies on me when I bathe” - Edwen Overall Score: 5/10
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Last Updates| Steam data | 07 April 2025 21:09 |
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| SteamSpy data | 09 April 2025 23:02 |
| Steam price | 13 April 2025 12:42 |
| Steam reviews | 11 April 2025 13:45 |
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- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Bound By Flame
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- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Bound By Flame compatibility
Online players
7
Developer
Spiders
Publisher
Focus Entertainment
Release
08 May 2014
Platforms
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