Bloodline Champions...? 9/10

Pros: Free, action packed, great visuals, great sound, quick fun, leveling system, matchmaking system, communication features, tutorial is very helpful.

Cons: No real story, lack of customization to character.

So I d/l Bloodline Champions the new "free-to-play online player vs. player arena game" from Stunlock studios. While the game might sound complicated and look complicated it actually is very simple and fun. The visual style is pretty good, much better then you would expect in a free to play game. There is a sense of style that goes past the drawn characters and in to the arenas them self, and even the combat looks interesting and overall is intense.

Speaking of combat, this is where Bloodline Champions truly shines! It is simple you have an action bar like in say, WoW, and each one of your abilities is hot keyed. You have six abilities and one Ultimate, each one of your abilities is different. One is maybe an instant attack, the other has a cast time, one might have a aoe and the other is a movement attack. Every time you use these abilities your ultimate builds up, then you unleash fury upon your foes or you miss completely =/. All the combat is real time, you push fireball he shoots fireball, you aim this fireball with your mouse. So skilled gamers can out maneuver your attacks or kite you like a pro.

There are four types of "Bloodlines" Melee, Ranged, Tank and Healer. Each with five different unlock able character models to choose from, these models are different sizes and movement speeds to fit your play style. You unlock these characters by leveling up and earning bloodcoins or spending real money to buy Funcom coins. You play in matches 1v1 up to 5v5 combat that is quick and bloodthirsty. The game starts off with a camera pan of both teams then its go time. You rush to the middle of the map and just start spamming attacks on your foes, its hectic and so quick you cant get frustrated. The games are first to 3 wins then its back into the action. 

You can either make a match by yourself and fight against bots, or you can use the matchmaking tool that pits you against and with other players around your skill level. So far I have had a hard time getting my skill level up, and have been dominated most matches, but I am starting to catch on. The features that Bloodline Champions brings to the table is great, the chat, tutorial, matchmaking, friends etc. is really awesome for a free to play game. The level design is a simple layout but visually looks awesome. The combat system while simple, is completely skilled based, I don't see people picking the same bloodline because it is OP, its all about how you play.

 9/10 Game On


If your interested in Bloodline Champions check it out over at BloodlineChampions.com, the D/L is free to play. Here's a video from the Creators...