Blockstorm (PC)

In the beginning was the Block…

… or something like that is how the creation story for the bizarre world  Blockstorm must go, a game full of maps as whimsical they are challenging. This new indie spectacle from GhostShark looks and feels like a crossover between Quake and Minecraft. The very idea of a fast-paced PvP multiplayer shooter in arenas you build yourself is something that’s sure to have many gamers salivating. Read our test review to find out if this actually adds up to long-term motivation, and whether such a mash-up is as awesome as it sounds.

 

A bare-bones shooter

One thing’s for sure – Blockstorm is not Battlefield! Sure, it has some really smooth shooting mechanics, a wide variety of weapons, and you can customize your equipment – at least the basics, anyway. That’s where the similarities end, though. If you’re looking for tactical combat, prefer balanced team-based gameplay, or like to camp at the edge of the map, you’re in the wrong game. Blockstorm is messy, tends towards close combat, and is incredibly funny. Damn sniper’s barricaded himself in between a wall and a few boxes? No problem – just whip out your shovel and dig through the wall. Once you’ve put a knife to that sneaky bastard’s pixelated throat, you can repair the wall and take his place behind the boxes yourself.

 

That’s pretty much how every deathmatch goes in Blockstorm. It sounds repetitive, but it’s actually a ridiculous amount of fun. Levolution is yesterday’s news – in Blockstorm, everything can and will be destroyed, leaving no stone upon another when it’s all over. Currently, Blockstorm only offers two gameplay modes besides the classic Deathmatch. One of them is Team Deathmatch (which I really hope needs no explanation here), and the other is called Assault. In Assault, your team has to capture a certain point on the map – it’s enough to just stay alive as long as possible on the marked area. But because the level structure is so variable, this usually ends up being a nice challenge and doesn’t degenerate into a camping contest. The developers say they’re going to be introducing eve more challenges later.

 

Retro Visuals

Blockstorm is not a pretty game. But it gets the job done, and the pixelated graphics have a charm all their own in the user-created maps (see below). If you’re playing Blockstorm and expecting to see highly-polished advanced graphics, then you’d better prepare to be sorely disappointed. But the graphics aren’t exactly what you’d call “bad” either – everything’s made of blocks, that’s it. Any other word on the graphics would be one word too many, as the core of the game are the quick matches and the level editor.

 

Building Blocks

The thing that really makes Blockstorm fun to play in the long-term is the game’s level editor. Like in Minecraft, you can build castles, arenas, dungeons, or whatever else may strike your creative fancy. Using a wide variety of blocks, which don’t just come in different colors and textures but have different sound absorbing and damage resistance values, users are able to constantly create new battlefields, limited only by their own creative abilities. It’s a simple concept, but it offers an incredible amount of variety for the shooter part of the game.

The editor’s only real drawbacks are its somewhat cumbersome mechanics and its controls, which take some getting used to. But after a bit of practice it won’t take long before you get the hang of building levels, and the editor really encourages you to experiment with the various construction materials. One of the only negative things in all this is that there’s no way to “protect” levels you’ve built yourself – once a level is played, it becomes available to all accounts and can be modified even further. I’m sure they did this so levels could “go viral”, but it might also lead to some players being unwilling to put their level designs online. After all, who wants to play in a near-exact copy of a level they designed themselves, maybe with some personal elements in it, except that some other player has changed it around to suit his own purposes?

 

The official DLH.Net-Building in Blockstorm


Summary

Tim’s take
I was really impressed with Blockstorm. Minecraft’s never really been my thing, and I doubt it ever will be, but I built level after level in Blockstorm. Things did go a bit slowly at first – the level editor does take some getting used to. Once you’ve got copy/paste under control, though, and have your own templates set up, you’ll be able to tackle even mammoth projects like full-size stadiums or massive island estates in just a few hours. I for one like the fact that maps are automatically shared with all players, though I’d prefer if there was a box I could check that would keep other players from being able to modify my designs. Combat is simple and straightforward – it’s pretty much an old-school shooter, actually. The various “classes” are well-balanced and offer the right weapon for every situation. Blockstorm is still in the Early Access phase on Steam, and if you want to play a role in the continuing development of the game, what you have here is a team that’s ready to take the wishes and concerns of a growing fan community to heart. For twelve bucks, you really can’t do wrong.

Jörn’s take

I admit it – until a few days ago I never understood hat was supposed to be so awesome about Minecraft. After building my first medieval castle for a deathmatch and working on my own Wild West town, I still have no idea. What I do know, however, is that Blockstorm is incredibly fun. And it’s precisely because I know that each level I design is going to be the site of an action-packed free-for-all. You really get to do something on the maps you create. Blockstorm’s definitely not the kind of title I’m going to play for 20 hours on end, but the level editor has taken away a few of my evenings, and each time it’s a whole new experience and a ton of fun. The developers have done a great job of putting together two tried-and-true gameplay mechanics, doing justice to each of them, even if it’s admittedly not the best each one has to offer on its own. Neither fans of online shooters or obsessive builders are going to be disappointed with Blockstorm. The Steam price of $11.99 is definitely worth it, and I can really only recommend this game. (Jörn Karl Fahrbach and Tim Siegwart; translated by Chase Faucheux)


Comments:
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2017-08-11 16:17:23... -

nem tom le tolteni valaki help?


2017-07-02 13:42:51... -

sikerült


2016-05-04 00:19:55... - joel

key please please


2014-12-20 18:55:01... - demonvil

круть


2014-08-24 19:45:23... - Melih32

bombom


2014-08-10 01:54:20... - Augusto

bom
jogo


2014-08-10 01:54:13... - Augusto

bom
jogo


2014-08-06 18:53:08... - Dmitry

норм


2014-08-04 03:23:39... - Just someone....

This is a game that I regretted buying because of how non-existent the players and matches are every time I start this game up.


2014-07-27 03:05:27... - danil13332

cool


2014-07-26 14:43:11... - Mr_Jacks_

круть


Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review
Blockstorm - Screenshots zum DLH.Net Review