I have a serious soda addiction problem, from which I am currently in
recovery, so I don’t get to imbibe my favorite beverage much anymore.
More specifically it’s a Coke addiction, but had I said that in the
prior sentence other thoughts may have popped into your head. One thing
that always annoyed me, as a huge fan of Coca-Cola, was Pepsi. I don’t
think there is anything wrong with Pepsi per se, but really, why would
anyone invent something when it already existed in a near perfect form?
I feel the same way lately about a lot of the video games coming across
my desk; they’re good, but do I really need the thirteenth “vision” of
essentially the same fantasy world? Was there really a need for 42 style="font-style: italic;"> Diablo clones? I
have started to reach that point with the multiplayer battle arena
games that have gained so much popularity in the last couple of years (
I know they’ve been around much longer, fanboys. Note where I said
“gained popularity.”)



Funcom must have felt the need to join in this party, as they have set
out to publish the first game from a relative unknown in the gaming
world –Stunlock Studios. Consisting mainly of a group of Swedish
college friends, Stunlock has crafted a game that has more in common
with a first person shooter than a traditional battle arena. I suspect
this unique flavoring is probably what attracted Funcom, and while it
is a fresh take on the genre, there are a couple major beefs that I
have as we near the end of beta testing.



alt="BLC"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/91714/preview">
Bloodline Champions
is a hero-based game where you control a single avatar and do battle
against other players or the AI. There are several game maps and three
game types currently offered. There is the standard last player (or
team) standing, a capture the flag game and a control point game. I
most enjoyed the control point game as it had some cool mechanics.
There were unlimited respawns, until one team held all three points and
special powerups at each control point for the team who owned it.



Movement and controls are standard FPS fare with WASD configuration.
Players don’t have to worry about tower defense or choke points and
lane control like they do in other titles in the genre. Also missing is
any sort of level up mechanic; Bloodline
Champions
puts the focus on the killing. There are
archetype considerations, with Tanks, Healers, Ranged and Melee
available to select. Each archetype has four class choices to provide
flavor and to provide theorycrafters some class composition ammunition.




style="border: 0px solid ; width: 640px; height: 400px;"
alt="BLC" src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/91719">




Each class has seven abilities and the only mechanic used to regulate
them is an individual cooldown; there’s no mana, rage or energy to
conserve. Each ability used contributes to an overall energy meter that
when filled provides a special attack which consumes all the stored
energy. To provide challenge there is no auto lock; all spells are
aimed by the player, so movement and positioning are a big part of the
strategy.

The main hub of game activity is the screen known as the Bloodgate,
which houses every aspect of gameplay and knowledge in a browser-like
environment. The Bloodgate is also where you get introduced to the
community via the chat window and, as Stow said in his href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/editorials/dotachart">
recent article about picking a DoTA game, this community
sucks like the rest of the battle arena communities.



My other main complaint with Bloodline
Champion
s is the feel of movement--plainly put, it’s
awful. In a game where so much is dependent on positioning and quick
reflexes, the movement aspect feels so slow and lethargic that it
detracts greatly from the overall feel. Although I don’t foresee any
drastic change being made on the movement issue as it is something that
affects all players equally.



style="border: 0px solid ; width: 640px; height: 400px;"
alt="BLC" src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/91720">




If you enjoy first person shooters, arena style team PvP and
leaderboards, Bloodline
Champions
may be right up your alley. Classes seem
surprisingly balanced thus far. With more game modes in the works there
should also be a high replay factor. Stay tuned to Ten Ton Hammer for
more on Bloodline
Champions
as it gets closer to launch.


To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Bloodline Champions Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 29, 2016

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