BLADESTORM: The Hundred Years' War - -- - Great game! Run, hack, slash, bash and smash your way to medieval war glory!!!
The graphics, while not being absolutely stunning, are still crisp, clean and sharp enough to fully integrate the player into the game. The environments, while repetitive, are well enough developed to create a sense of another time and place.
As far as battle goes, you have many different types of troops to choose from. Building their strength and number is an addictive activity. Same goes for your character; you can upgrade your armor, specialized skills, and advance in trading & relations with other characters.
Personally, the downsides to the game are the lack of an intruiging plot. A hundred years' war would be a big enough draw for most battle fanatics, but when it's coupled with shoddy, wooden dialogue and awkward instances of poorly translated humor- it simply falls flat, and I found myself skipping many, many cutscenes.
Another downside is the lack of varied gameplay. There are varied missions, new objectives, new characters, but they don't add up to much when the overall goal is to dominate by taking over this base and that base.
But! I love this game. The rush and personal thrill after defeating one large group of enemies after another is tons of fun!
So, if you are a gamer that has any interest in the Dynasty Warriors releases or the Kessen releases (specifically KESSEN 3), pick up BLADESTORM.
Decimate and dominate!!