Another cinematic platformer in the vein of Flashback and Prince of Persia, this time starring a COOL DUDE and his COOL GUN!! For a while it's actually quite nice, but it's far too long in the tooth for what it is and doesn't have enough changes in scenery. Ultimately becomes a slog in the back half, though still pretty alright. The only thing I outright dislike is the gunplay mechanics, they're similar to the swordfighting in Prince of Persia in that they're both a huge pain in the ass and could benefit a ton from just being simpler. I think that's a good way to sum up Blackthorne, really - its full potential could've been realized if it was shorter and simpler. I really do like most of what's on display here, but it was starting to feel like it would go on forever.
It might be a run of the mill macho empowerment fantasy with a main character which doesn't evoke the interesting feel of a cinematic platformer. What draws me into this genre in retro gaming, is that the player is thrown into an hostile environment not just because of hard gameplay but also because of how the atmosphere is built (which this game actually accomplishes really well with grim setpieces, prescence of slavery, and even some semblance of a civil war going on in some levels) and how the main character is realistically fragile instead of your typical videogame dude who withstands millions of hits and jumps like he was in the moon (the main guy here isn't quite like Simon Belmont and controls like in other cinematic platformers for example, though again, he feels like a generic bullet sponge biker from an action movie).
It might be mediocre in that regard, and the game is structured like a level-by-level puzzler just like the first Prince of Persia. The visual narrative and oppresive Another World and the ambitious as hell Flashback were already out by that point, and those two also feel like a more unique experience. But yeah, I'm just happy to play another cinematic platformer with realistic controls and tight puzzles, I hadn't touched one in a long time.
It might be mediocre in that regard, and the game is structured like a level-by-level puzzler just like the first Prince of Persia. The visual narrative and oppresive Another World and the ambitious as hell Flashback were already out by that point, and those two also feel like a more unique experience. But yeah, I'm just happy to play another cinematic platformer with realistic controls and tight puzzles, I hadn't touched one in a long time.