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Wulverblade

Wulverblade

Fully Illustrated, Darkwind Media · released Jan 30, 2018

ActionAdventureCasualIndie

Defeat the Ninth Legion of the Roman army in this side-scrolling, arcade-inspired beat 'em up set in Roman-era Britain.

74
VGC Score
·No trend datamedium confidence
75%
At launch
80%
Steam all-time
77%
Press
n/a
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)7715
All-time Steam reviews80%74114
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)0
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (42)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 80
    trust 76Oct 12, 2017

    Despite its modest hack-and-slash origins, Wulverblade manages to pack in a lot of content, depth and unlockable elements, and these allow it to transcend the usual limitations of the genre. The action rarely becomes too repetitive because there are always multiple ways of dealing with the hordes of enemies which present a genuinely stern test, even for seasoned players who fondly recall pumping coins into the likes of Golden Axe and Final Fight all those years ago. Simply finishing the game's epic story is the kind of challenge that will keep you glued to your Switch for a considerable length of time, but the Arcade mode, which goes truly old-school, awaits those who feel cocky (or foolish) enough to take it on. Wulverblade's lack of hand-holding reminds us of a time when games really did push the player in order to maximise their enjoyment, but it could prove too taxing for those who are entering their genre cold; with this in mind an easier "casual" mode might have been a wise choice as we fear some will give up when they encounter one of the game's many painful spikes in difficulty. Like the games that inspired it, Wulverblade is best played with a friend, not just because it's more enjoyable, but because it blunts the almost sadistic difficulty level. Wulverblade therefore might not be to everybody's tastes, but if you have even a passing interest in genre then we can confidently predict you'll get along with this famously, and you may even learn something about the history of Roman Britain in the process, which isn't something you can say about every video game.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 70Oct 16, 2017

    Overall Wulverblade is an absolute masterpiece of a game and for people who have been bemoaning the lack of quality beat-em-ups available it should provide many hours of meaty combat and carnage. To enjoy it you’ll need to overcome falling into old and sloppy habits and learn to work with all of the moves and nuance made available to you. Your reward will be a very viscerally satisfying and overall bloody good time, with some crazy surprises you won’t want to miss out on!

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 70Jan 25, 2019

    Wulverblade might not be the most innovative of titles, but what it does it does really well. This is everything you ever loved about the beat 'em up genre, put into one stylized little package. It doesn't reinvent the genre, or even really add anything new, but at the same time it doesn't really need to. Fans of the genre will love what this has to offer though, and it might even manage to draw some newcomers in as well. With some slick and enjoyable combat and a unique, interesting visual aesthetic, it is hard to not be immediately drawn in by Wulverblade. It really is a great title, so grab a sword and start slashing your way through medieval Britain.

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  • 70
    trust 69Feb 2, 2018

    A fine addition to the scrolling beat-'em-up genre. The story and its historic backdrop is interesting and the combat is meaty and fun. Arcade and arena modes will keep you coming back for more, as will co-op.

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  • 90
    trust 69Oct 17, 2017

    Overall, Wulverblade is an absolute masterpiece and for people who have been bemoaning the lack of quality beat-em-ups it should provide many hours of meaty combat and carnage. To really enjoy it you'll need to overcome falling into old habits and committing to learning all of the moves and nuance made available to you. Your reward will be a very viscerally satisfying and overall bloody good time, with some crazy surprises you won't want to miss out on.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 68Oct 20, 2017

    Wulverblade is a blast to play, it looks and runs well, and it has rolling heads and slow motion death kills. It's colorful yet dark, it's a game yet it offers an educational aspect. It can feel hard at times, but the checkpoint system helped elevate that most moments. Grab a friend, a joycon, and do some split screen skull bashing because Wulverblade is a fun nostalgia romp and worth the price of admission.

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  • 50
    trust 68Apr 19, 2018

    Overall, Wulverblade is a pretty interesting game with classic action and a heavy helping of history, but it's also a game that is primarily for hardcore brawler fans who enjoy the pain of control issues and merciless gameplay. If that's not your cup of tea, you may want to look elsewhere.

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  • 75
    trust 67Feb 1, 2018

    This is certainly a beautiful game and Wulverblade was an enjoyable time despite the intense difficulty present.

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  • 82
    trust 66Jun 29, 2018

    Wulverblade's attempt to capture the past hold it back in some ways, But its excellent sense of mysticism, brutality, and craftsmanship overcomes most of its flaws.

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  • 70
    trust 65Oct 18, 2017

    Despite the setbacks, I enjoyed romping through Wulverblade's long levels with hordes of Romans and converted natives to slay in the name of freedom. I appreciated the historical edge the game had to it, even learning a few things without ever being pressured that I was being educated. Even though the controls and balance need refining a fair bit, I still recommend this ultraviolent take on British history.

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  • 70
    trust 65Nov 28, 2017

    Wulverblade brings the old school beat'em up gameplay to the Nintendo Switch, this time with a proper plot and a unique art style. If this is enough to make the game stand out, its merciless and absolutely ruthless difficulty level will most certainly filter the vast majority of players and leave only the most determined (and fanatical) left.

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  • 75
    trust 64Feb 12, 2018

    Despite some issues Wulverblade ended up being a rather enjoyable beat 'em up wrapped in a great historical package.

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…and 30 more tracked reviews.

Patch history

  1. The First Update
    Apr 24, 2018