18 cert, Microsoft, XBLA **

Slay some beasts, exact some revenge. So goes the main story of Bloodforge. It sounds a bit familiar, probably because you’ve already played this many times before. This time around the setting is Celtic, with the main character, Crom, seeking his revenge for the death of his wife. Revenge involves tearing apart demonic soldiers by the dozen, but the problem is that there isn’t much new or exciting about Bloodforge. The similarities with God of War are obvious, and despite making some promises on the combat system, it never really lives up to expectations. What it does do well is atmosphere. The environments look great, dark and moody, punctuated by blood – of which there is, as the name suggests, copious amounts. Unfortunately, this is ruined somewhat by the camera movement, which is at its worst in battle. If that doesn’t give you a raging headache, Crom’s incessant roaring will. Bloodforge has some interesting moments, but won’t do much to hold the attention of gamers past the first play-through.