Review for Bloodshore
The battle-royale-style narrative isn’t precisely uncharted territory anymore. Even before Fortnite’s meteoric rise, the concept has appeared in other games, popular films like the Hunger Games franchise and, of course, 2000’s eponymous Japanese film (itself based on the novel).
Developers Wales Interactive and Good Gate Media have taken a crack at adapting the formula into an interactive action movie, attempting to combine bombastic action set pieces with choose-your-own-adventure player agency, the latter being something they’ve had quite a bit of experience with. Bloodshore is very much what it reads on the label, though a lackluster story and dull and uninspiring locations make the game hard to recommend to any but ardent fans of the interactive movie subgenre.
Things start off promising enough: It’s the nebulous near future, a world run and ruled by corporations, and conglomerate Alyn Corp is about to live stream the thirteenth season of its winner-take-all life-or-death competition, Kill/Stream. Initially conceived as a battle royale for the worst of the worst to compete for a $10 million cash prize, the show has seen death row inmates transform into millionaire celebrities overnight. Over time, however, worldwide economic conditions have seen the game show evolve into a more inclusive battleground, hosting online streamers and content creators whose eye is as much on the prospect of boosting their celebrity status as on the cash prize.
This is the version of Kill/Stream that we are, quite literally, dropped into, as the latest crop of contestants is en route to the show’s undisclosed island location, preparing to parachute out of a cargo plane. Though the audience is told that Kill/Stream features fifty contestants vying for the top spot, we spend our time with this particular camp of eight contestants, including former child actor Nick Romeo whom we control (though the level of agency in interactive movies like this is, charitably put, limited). The remaining cast is made up of vloggers, streamers, and podcast personalities all hoping for their fifteen minutes of fame. Little do they know that the lethality of the games this time around has been dialed up: whereas previous iterations of the show allowed contestants to capitulate, this time there will not only be a sole winner but a sole survivor, full stop.
While Nick Romeo isn’t exactly a deep character as protagonists go, there’s a little more to him than at first meets the eye. Over the course of the adventure, it is revealed that he may in fact have ulterior motives for becoming a Kill/Stream contestant, and he may not be the only one. There is also potential for Nick to kindle a romance during his time on the island, though this is entirely dependent on which choices you make, and after two full playthroughs (attempting a different romance each time) I remained unsuccessful in igniting a spark. Compared to Nick, however, the rest of the main characters range from decent to increasingly one-dimensional, with some of them also receiving very little screen time. On the whole, the actors do a fine enough job – there are no particular standouts but no absolute flatliners, either – and it’s hard to fault them for material that is, in some cases, rather one-note.
I will admit the game’s opening minutes at least made me smile in appreciation of some well-orchestrated cheese. As the camera pans around the interior of the cargo plane, each cast member is introduced with an on-screen graphic detailing their background and notable statistics (this is, after all, a reality show broadcast). As they exchange pleasantries with each other, we’re treated to a handful of quips and snappy comebacks before each one steps to the open door and jumps out. Tricks from the filmmaker’s toolkit like shaky cam inside the cargo plane to simulate being airborne and close-ups during each contestant’s free fall to avoid the need for digital trickery only add to the schlocky charm established up to this point.
It doesn’t take long before the seams begin to show, however. Most notably, the “island” location appears to simply be the local woods where the camera crew shot a bunch of actors running around whatever scenery and structures they came across, and the in-game satellite photos of the island look weirdly incongruous with what we’re actually shown. Effort is evident, however, in the various bits of parodied TV commercials and cutaway segments of live-streamers and other audience members the world over, commenting on what’s happening on the show (sometimes in their native language for added realism). These snippets have been treated with scan lines and other video effects to make them look suitably natural and a bit grimy, and are shown at a rapid pace as if flicked through quickly via TV remote.
Less laudable is the game’s nebular plot progression. After the relatively enjoyable opening scenes, it quickly becomes a case of “people run around and stuff happens”. The individual scenes in and of themselves aren’t bad, such as when the surviving members of the group literally stumble upon a minefield and have to devise a way to cross it while being pursued, or a quiet dialog-driven scene that allows for some potential character and romance development. But they fail to stitch together into a fulfilling narrative, and the final payoff (assuming you manage to make it to the end without triggering any lethal “bad” endings) feels confusing and unfulfilling at best. With a short runtime of about 90 minutes, much like a feature film, Bloodshore banks on players taking another go at it, and indeed it is possible to alter events, connect with different characters, and find new outcomes, though the overarching narrative remains as piecemeal as before.
Bloodshore doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to gameplay – not that it needs to. Being an interactive movie, it naturally limits players to choosing how to proceed by clicking on-screen prompts every so often. There are no skill-based challenges, but the choices you do make run on a timer – let the timer expire and the game picks your choice for you. Additionally, staying silent is sometimes an option during dialog sections when none of the options on offer are appealing. Those who dislike being pressured into on-the-fly decisions will appreciate the inclusion of a dedicated “streamer mode” that disables the timer throughout the game’s runtime.
Since this choose-your-own-adventure storytelling style is all about unexpected surprises, there’s often no way to know what consequences your choices will lead to. Additionally, the game tracks five separate statistics that all have a bearing on what outcomes you’ll reach during any given playthrough. Team morale, audience opinion, romance, strength and insight are constantly affected by choices made and, in turn, determine the success of certain actions. For example, while cozying up to your romantic interest, boldly leaning in causes the game to perform a behind-the-scenes skill check of the romance stat, which then determines if Nick is rewarded with a successful lip lock or not.
Unfortunately, even after two full playthroughs full of choices as opposed to each other as I could manage, the endings failed to impress, or even tie up the story in a meaningful way. While some twists seemed to remain constant, the story and characters just weren’t gripping enough to make me truly care who survived and how it all ended. Dying, too, is considered an acceptable conclusion, in which case the game offers the chance to remake the last few decisions. Even though the game keeps track of how many different scenes you’ve viewed over subsequent playthroughs, the narrative isn’t interesting enough to provide motivation to unlock them all.
I’m not sure where the fine line between game and interactive movie lies; it seems it’s as much up to which moniker the creative team chooses to attach as any actual distinguishing characteristics. Bloodshore is probably best approached with that kept in mind; while it offers just as much (or as little) interaction as other products of its kind, there’s not a lot of substance for gamers to sink their teeth into, neither in terms of interaction nor entertainment. To be sure, there are some enjoyably cheesy moments, especially early on, but uninspired locations and unsatisfying narrative twists near the end keep this guilty pleasure from being bingeworthy .
