Scalebound

Scalebound for XONE and PC is a dynamic, third-person perspective action game with RPG features developed as a cooperation of Microsoft with a Japanese studio, Platinum Games. The studio founded in 2006 consists mostly of veterans, who worked in the legendary Clover studio. Platinum Games is mostly known for creating two installments of a best-selling slasher Bayonetta as well as for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – a spin-off of the cult series of stealth games created by Hideo Kojima.

The title was at first developed as an exclusive game for Xbox One. However, due to Microsoft’s policy, in the end it was released on PC with Windows 10. In addition to that, the title was released as part of the Xbox Play Anywhere initiative thanks to which, by buying Scalebound on one platform, the players will receive a free copy of the game on the second platform as well.

Plot

In Scalebound, the player assumes the role of a young loner named Drew, who finds himself in a magical and mysterious fantasy world called Draconis. In addition, due to certain events, his fate becomes intertwined with a majestic, fearful and intelligent dragon named Thuban, who is the last of his kind. Two unordinary companions must join their forces in order to face powerful enemies who threaten not only the realm of Draconis, but of Earth and other realities as well.

Mechanics

The action in Scalebound for XONE and PC is shown from third-person perspective. The camera is positioned just behind the back of the protagonist. During the game, players complete story objectives, most of which focus on fighting enemy soldiers and monsters. Among the latter are small monsters that are easy to defeat and powerful creatures, many sizes of the protagonist. Battles with them usually consist of a couple of phases and the key to victory is finding the weak points of the opponent. The game is very dynamic and visually impressive. It combines the features of previous games of Platinum Games with those of games such as the Monster Hunter series, which is very popular in Japan. In a contrasnt to Bayonetta series, which has very high difficulty level, Scalebound is much more accessible and easier for less experienced players.

Advanced combat system is one of the most important aspects of Scalebound for XONE and PC. Player uses various weapons – including melee and ranged weapons. What’s interesting, during the battles the weapon’s durability can deplete and sometimes players will be forced to switch to a different one. What gives the player advantage in combat are character’s special abilities related to his “dragon” arm. The arm allows him to scan the weakpoints of enemy, project energy or heal his companion. It is also possible to transform into a half-dragon which has much stronger attacks. Not all special abilities are available since the very beginning of the game, they must be developed by spending experience points gathered by killing monsters.

What’s more, during the battle player is accompanied by the dragon. The dragon can be given various commands, the player can even mount him later in the game and attack the enemies from air. What’s very important, the dragon isn’t a mindless creature which follows all orders – it is an animal with its own mind and intelligence. Because of that, in order to cooperate with the dragon most effectively, the protagonist must create a special bond with him. The effect of the bond is the fact that the death of the protagonist equals the death of the dragon and vice versa. Similarly as in case of the protagonist, the dragon’s abilities can be improved and his looks can be customized.

Game modes

In addition to classic singleplayer campaign, Scalebound for XONE and PC offers cooperation mode for up to four players, in which, together with other users, the player completes story missions and fights monsters of Draconis realm. Before starting the game, each player can select a genre of the dragon. Among the available options are flying dragons which look similar to snakes and powerful four-legged creatures similar to tanks.

Technical aspects

Scalebound for XONE and PC was developed by using Unreal Engine 4. Platinum Games’ game is of high quality, colorful and intense graphics which for obvious reasons look better on modern PC computers. The style of the visuals of the game combines the traits of western action games with character presentation typical for Japanese games. It is worth adding that thanks to the Xbox Play Anywhere initiative, Scalebound offers unique possibility to move saved games and unlocked achievements between the platforms.

Last updated on 17 June 2016