Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood

An old-fashioned brawler with teeth.

This is not a game to wow somebody who happens to walk past while you’re playing. The character models have arrived fashionably late from 2010. Still, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is re-freshingly keen to throw you straight into the action. The game starts off with a chat between you and a few members of your pack regarding your plan to sabotage a nearby fracking site. And twenty minutes or so later, you’ve inhabited all three of hero Cahal’s forms, most of the game mechanics have been introduced, and sufficient drama has taken place to kick off the next leg of the plot.

The story jogs along like this until the end, which works very well. Whether gameplay itself hurtles along without pausing for breath is up to you. The bulk of the game is made up of fairly small areas full of enemies and, fundamentally, it’s all about making your way to the exit so you can enter the next area. This is where the cool ability to change forms comes into play.

If you’re careful, you can make your way through a surprisingly large amount of the adventure without engaging in combat. While I give myself a pat on the back each time I successfully escape unseen, more often than not I get caught sneaking across the floor like a guilty child with their hand in the cookie jar, which I think is the best way to experience the game. As soon as I get hit I automatically transform into the third, most powerful, form used for combat.

Combat is arguably over-simple, and rarely a challenge on any difficulty. The inability to backtrack or create multiple saves means the rare instances of choice are one-shot deals. Yet I’ve played this game from start to finish twice, and enjoyed it both times, which counts for a lot. It’s a B-movie experience in the best possible way; not so bad it’s good, but so determined it’s good. LUKE KEMP Mixes stealth with action, and the fun doesn’t snag on the rough edges.