Bound by Flame
A demon-possessed mercenary chooses between evil powers or heroic talents.
Bound by Flame is a 2014 action role-playing game from developer Spiders and publisher Focus Home Interactive. Players control a character who becomes possessed by a demon and must decide whether to embrace the dark powers offered or refuse them and cultivate heroic abilities.
**Gameplay** Players can customize their hero at the start, choosing a gender and then one of three pre-made models. The story unfolds across chapters, with a main quest and optional side quests. Companions join the journey, and depending on player actions, they may develop friendship, romance, or rivalry. Choices and the demon’s influence can alter scenarios and the experience in certain chapters. A crafting system lets players create and upgrade equipment, including armor and weapons, offering deeper customization than many other games. Three skill trees shape combat: Warrior (slow, heavy strikes with large weapons and a push/kick to interrupt or break defenses), Ranger (quick strikes with daggers and a dodge ability), and Pyromancer (high-damage fire attacks that can combine with the other trees, such as enhancing weapons with fire). Beyond weapon strikes, players can use traps and abilities from the skill trees.
**Plot** The story is set in the fictional land of Vertiel, during a war between the Elves and Red Scribes against an assembly of immortal necromancers called the Ice Lords and their undead empire, the Frozen Shadows. The player character is an unnamed mercenary known by the pseudonym Vulcan, a demolition specialist serving the Freeborn Blades sellsword company. Vulcan’s past is largely forgotten. The Freeborn Blades work for the Red Scribes, trying to hold back the Ice Lords’ undead army. During a Red Scribe ritual, something goes wrong, and Vulcan is possessed by a fiery demon. This grants Vulcan inhuman strength and pyromancy magic, which they use to defeat an undead Juggernaut. The demon speaks in Vulcan’s subconscious, scolding them for weakness and blaming them for its situation, demanding Vulcan free the Worldheart—the heart that sustains the world—from the Ice Lords. The possessed hero must choose between evil powers or heroic talents. Enemies grow more fearsome, increasing temptation to gain power by surrendering parts of the soul to the demon. This influence is visually reflected as the hero’s body transforms into a demon. After overcoming enemies and recruiting
- Developer
- Spiders
- Publisher
- Focus Home Interactive
- Release Year
- 2014
- Genre
- Action role-playing game
- Setting
- Fictional land of Vertiel
- Composer
- Olivier Deriviere
Lore & Background
The story takes place in Vertiel during a war between the Elves and Red Scribes against an assembly of immortal necromancers known as the Ice Lords and their undead empire, the Frozen Shadows. The player character is an unnamed mercenary known by the pseudonym Vulcan, a demolition specialist in service to the Freeborn Blades. During a mysterious ritual, Vulcan is possessed by a fiery demon, gaining inhuman strength and pyromancy abilities. The demon speaks to Vulcan in their subconscious, demanding they liberate the Worldheart from the Ice Lords. The player's choices and demonic influence affect the story, with three possible endings: a neutral ending, an evil ending where Vulcan becomes a full demon and destroys the world, and a good ending where Vulcan kills the demon and becomes ruler of Vertiel. Regardless of influence, the player can always choose to reject the demon's powers and commit suicide.
Reader's Guide
Bound by Flame received mixed reviews. Critics cited lack of deeper character development, poor AI, short length, and unnecessary difficulty. Excessive swearing and misplaced dialogue were also noted. However, some praised the demon power trade-off, crafting system, soundtrack, and how choices affect events. The game allows character customization with three pre-made models per gender, three skill trees (Ranger, Pyromancer, Warrior), and a crafting system for equipment. Developer Jehanne Rousseau stated the team tried to improve upon their previous game Mars, and the game was not released on Xbox One due to lack of development kits. The soundtrack by Olivier Deriviere aimed to capture loneliness and despair, with singer Iré Zhekova using an imaginary language. Despite flaws, some reviewers found it a charming RPG with a degree of playability, and a solid romp reflecting player choices.
Did You Know?
- The game was not released on Xbox One because the team did not receive development kits in time.
- The soundtrack was composed by Olivier Deriviere, who aimed to capture a sense of loneliness and despair.
- Singer Iré Zhekova used an imaginary language for some music tracks to explore emotion beyond words.
- The player can always choose to reject the demon's powers and commit suicide, regardless of demon influence.
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