After suffering through the docu-marketing, corporate boardroom circle-jerk of Indie Game: The Movie, I had just about given up hope that game developers would be brave enough to create more cerebral, emotional and unique Xbox Live Arcade games—then I played Bloodforge.
Immediately, I was engrossed by the originality of the gameplay, which places a refreshing and daring emphasis on violence—something most publishers shy away from these days—and introduces a clever mechanic known as “quick-time events” that have you climbing and dodging enemies via cinematic animations. All this carnage is seen through a heavily vignetted camera that jerks about confusingly, emphasizing the chaos of battle and the inner turmoil of Crom, the game’s main character. The gray hue of the snow and the sunless, smoke-filled sky serves as a commentary on the enduring legacy of the Industrial Era.
Yet as captivating as the de-saturated vistas or the peerless combat experience may be, the gripping narrative makes it impossible to forget your character’s motivation: kill the gods who killed his family. This unique story provides a firm grounding in the world and infuses your every button press with meaning. Every enemy killed signifies a greater loss of Crom’s humanity and the reluctance with which players approach consecutive encounters does much to argue for pacifism as a means to solve society’s most pressing issues.
After just the first level, the player empathizes with the vulnerable Crom as he timidly yet thoughtfully attempts self-control amidst a cacophony of derogatory Viking stereotypes and sexualized tribal iconography. Just when the player has fully internalized Crom’s pain, a scene reveals Crom giving in to social pressures and impaling himself with his phallic, yet distinctly ‘inner-city’, sword. The developers have drawn a subtle yet powerful link between the colonial zeitgeist and today’s neo-capitalist obsession with corporeal perversion.
Bloodforge is irrefutable proof-positive that games, even Xbox Live Arcade games, can be art. My hope has been re-forged.
~ Ludusaurus Rex
Columnist Ludusaurus Rex is a laureate, artist, and beat poet. When not hosting one-man game jams, he blogs about the power of video games to reignite the intrepid sensuality of Vietnam-era protests as envisioned in the archaeo-feminist defense of the Dewey Decimal system.