I’m not a fan of reality TV shows, although I see that people love to see what happens when others are exposed to certain situations, and if those situations show their real character or not. Shows like Naked and Afraid are a good example of how teamwork is needed to survive or like Master Chef that in order to win you need to rise above the rest. I mention this on my opening statement because so far no video game had taken the reality TV approach until now. Bow to Blood: Last Captain Standing is like a reality show. You have a preliminary round in which you need to make as many points as possible, and make alliances or sometimes backstabbing in order to win the game.
The game starts with a brief introduction by the show’s host, and you quickly are put to test your skills as a captain. Your relatively small crew give you some pointers on what does what, and you discover that its your essence that powers up the ship. After a quick skirmish with other contestants, the host explains the purpose of the show and if you want to be freed, you need to be the last captain standing. Then things get interesting because you can choose to be the lone wolf, and try to win without allies, or you can make some important alliances. That can give you an advantage over the competition, and depending on your interactions with them, you can gain them as allies, or you can make them your enemies. The game consists of seven seasons consisting of seven events each event has two tests in which our sole goal is to reach the highest score possible. However, there are some twists if your ship receives damage on the first test of the event. That damage is not repaired on the second. This adds a layer of difficulty and strategy since you need to be fast to dodge enemy attacks and try to receive the less damage possible so your ship is in good shape for the next part.
One thing I really liked is how diverse the game is. Due to the reality TV setting, you never know what is going to happen next because depending on how many points each captain makes, those with the lowest points are nominated, and in a twist the crew of each captain are the ones that choose whose trip has come to an end. So whether we like it or not, alliances are important. I like how diverse the tests on each event are. For example, there are races, a sort of boss challenge, defeat X amount of enemies etc, so at least the game tries to shake up the formula with these types of test. I commend the developers for that.
I also like how the game looks. The art style makes the game colorful and bright all the time The music is good, and while it takes a little to get used to how to control your ship, once you do, it is smooth sailing. And let me tell you something: I don’t play much first person games because they tend to make me dizzy, but I barely felt anything with Bow to Blood, so for me its a good thing.
Bottom Line: Bow to Blood Last Captain Standing is a well done reality TV based game. I like how you interact with the other contestants and how they interact with you. The first person approach and all the different challenges you need to overcome makes this an experience that you should not miss.
A Review Code was provided for this review.