What do you get when you cross reality TV and Airships? Well, the folks over at Tribetoy came up with a really good idea what it would be like in Bow to Blood: Last Captain Standing.
The game came out in 2018 exclusively for PlayStation VR but because of its high acclaim it has been ported for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch and will come out April 3rd. The awesome folks at Tribetoy gave me to the opportunity to play the Xbox One version of the game and all I can say is hold onto your air-pirate hats!
You take on the role of Freelancer, an airship captain who, along with your two crew members, has entered a reality show where you compete against other airship crews and be the last captain standing. Each level is an “episode” in which you can warp to a level and fight against drone ships while completing objectives depending on the game mode of that level, and finding treasure, all this to raise up your ratings before going into a battle match that will determine your standings.
You want to make sure you get as many points as possible because there’s an elimination round called the “culling” where the captains vote on which of the bottom two captains get eliminated. Your choice can affect how the other captains will see you as having alliances are a key factor in this game as it will determine how other captains will treat you if you encounter them out in the world, will they offer you help, or will they attack you…it’s up to you.
The first thing I love about this game is the art; it’s colorful and fits the story well! The voice acting is great and fits with the art style that if you’re an anime fan, this gives a feeling that you’re in one!
The controls are a bit tricky when it comes to your weapons and controlling your two crew members but thankfully there’s a “user manual” to help give you a refresher when you need it. Overall control of the ship itself it easy and flows nicely giving you the feeling that you’re an expert airship pilot (even if it’s your first time!).
Control of your guns is easy too; wherever you’re looking will determine what guns are used, if you’re looking more towards the bow (front) of the ship, you’ll be using laser cannons, looking port (left) or starboard (right) will use your cannons. If enemies get too close that you can’t use your guns, you can pull out your pistol and shoot!
The one aspect I don’t like about this game is in the event that you are voted off the show, its game over. That’s not the bad part, the bad part is when you start over it’s from scratch with no carryover of any rivalries or friendships you had from the previous season.
Overall if you like games that involve you flying, this is one for you. With the animations, graphics, art, sound, music, and voice acting all mixing well together, this is overall a fun game that will challenge any veteran flying game Aces. On my scale of 5 stars, it’s a solid 5!
