Blood & Truth

The opinions of the critics regarding the Story of Blood & Truth are quite varied. Many critics praised the game for its well-crafted narrative and cinematic experience. Attack of the Fanboy commends the game for its good voice acting and cinematic feel, while COGconnected mentions that the game has a well-written narrative filled with action movie clichés. The game's story revolves around revenge, familial bonds, and a factional war in the world of organized crime, with CIA involvement, according to Critical Hit. The Daily Star appreciates the well-paced story that balances quieter moments with action-fueled gang wars. These positive opinions highlight the game's ability to ground players in its world and characters, creating an immersive experience. However, not all critics were as positive about the story of Blood & Truth. GameSpot criticizes the story for feeling disjointed and hokey, with stilted voice acting and poor writing. Metro GameCentral finds the story and characters inconsequential and lacking depth, while New York Daily News describes it as a basic crime drama that is uninteresting. TheSixthAxis goes as far as calling the story forgettable and lacking direction. These negative opinions suggest that the story may not have resonated with all players, with some finding it lacking in depth or failing to engage them. Overall, the consensus among the critics is mixed. While some critics appreciate the well-crafted narrative, cinematic experience, and immersive storytelling, others find the story to be forgettable, lacking depth, or suffering from poor writing and voice acting. Despite the mixed opinions, it is clear that the game's story successfully captures elements of action movie narratives and British crime dramas, with moments of humor, emotion, and intrigue. The positive aspects of the story seem to outweigh the negative ones, as mentioned by critics like Gaming Age, who praises the game for its fully fleshed out and unique story, and We Got This Covered, who finds the story immersive and engaging. Ultimately, players' enjoyment of the story may vary depending on their personal preferences and expectations.

The gameplay of Blood & Truth has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the majority of critics. Many reviewers praised the game for its variety of gameplay mechanics, including shooting, lockpicking, climbing, and more. Critics such as AusGamers and God is a Geek specifically highlighted the impressive gunplay, making players feel like action movie stars and offering a satisfying amount of control over each firefight. The tactile feedback and realistic gun handling, as mentioned by Critical Hit and Gaming Age, further enhance the gameplay experience. The game also features unique gameplay sequences that require the use of both hands, as noted by CGMagazine. The interactive elements outside of shooting, such as climbing and running, were appreciated by VG247. Overall, the positive aspects of the gameplay include the engaging shooting mechanics, intuitive motion controls, and a host of interactive features. However, there were some criticisms regarding the gameplay of Blood & Truth. Some critics, like Eurogamer Italy and Game Informer, mentioned issues with character movement and aiming controls, leading to motion sickness and imprecision. The movement system, although praised by some for creating a sense of immersion, was seen as restrictive by UploadVR and We Got This Covered. The cover system was also criticized for feeling pointless when it didn't work as intended, as mentioned by GameSpew. Metro GameCentral felt that the gameplay lacked depth and that the enemies were too easy to defeat. Calibration issues with the PlayStation Move controllers were mentioned by Washington Post and UploadVR, causing frustration with aiming. In conclusion, the overall consensus among critics is that the gameplay of Blood & Truth is highly enjoyable and offers a satisfying experience. The majority of reviewers praised the game for its engaging shooting mechanics, variety of gameplay mechanics, and the feeling of being an action movie star. The game's use of VR motion controls and interactive elements were also appreciated. However, there were some criticisms regarding issues with character movement, aiming controls, and calibration problems with the PlayStation Move controllers. Despite these drawbacks, the positive aspects of the gameplay outweigh the negatives, resulting in a highly positive overall sentiment towards the gameplay of Blood & Truth.

The majority of the critics praised the Graphics and Visual Design of Blood & Truth, with many highlighting its impressive production values and immersive environments. Attack of the Fanboy commends the game for its impressive visuals, considering the limitations of the PSVR headset. The London setting is well-designed, featuring both bright and colorful areas as well as drab dark areas. COGconnected also praises the overall graphic-fidelity of the game, stating that it delivers in this aspect. The levels are detailed and impressive, creating a sense of scale and immersion (Metro GameCentral, PlayStation Country). The character models and animation are well-detailed, with strong acting and well-realized characters (CGMagazine, We Got This Covered). The game features incredible performance capture, great voice acting, and facial animation (Critical Hit). The visuals are convincing and incorporate VR moments for a maximum wow factor (GamesRadar+). The game looks mind-boggling in virtual reality, with richly detailed environments and impressive motion capture (Push Square). Overall, the positive aspects of the Graphics and Visual Design of Blood & Truth are highlighted by multiple critics, with praise for the detailed environments, realistic character models, and immersive VR experience. However, there were some criticisms regarding the Graphics and Visual Design of Blood & Truth. Easy Allies notes that the visuals have rough edges and washed-out textures, while Press Start Australia mentions that environmental textures remain a mixed bag and jagged edges are plentiful. UploadVR mentions occasional moments of clumsiness, such as arms not going where the player wants them to or clipping into the scenery. Wccftech points out that the fidelity of faces takes a hit, although the full English cast provides a distinctive performance. These criticisms suggest that there are some technical issues and limitations in the game's visuals, particularly in terms of texture quality and VR glitches. Despite these minor criticisms, the overall consensus of the critics is that the Graphics and Visual Design of Blood & Truth are very good. The majority of the critics praise the game's impressive production values, immersive environments, and realistic character models. The level design and set pieces are particularly impressive, creating a thrilling action movie experience (Gameplanet, We Got This Covered). The stunning graphics, especially in VR, provide a realistic portrayal of London (Metro GameCentral). The game is considered one of the best-looking games on PlayStation VR, with readable and VR-friendly levels (TheSixthAxis). The visuals may be limited by the current PSVR hardware setup, but the game still manages to impress (PlayStation LifeStyle). Overall, the positive opinions of the critics outweigh the minor criticisms, indicating that the Graphics and Visual Design of Blood & Truth are highly regarded in the gaming community.

The majority of the critics praised the sound design and music of Blood & Truth, with many highlighting its positive aspects. Attack of the Fanboy commends the game for its stellar soundtrack that sets the tone from the beginning. COGconnected emphasizes the great cinematic music, sound effects, and first-class voice acting that bring the quirky, gritty characters to life. They also mention that the 3D presentation in VR enhances the immersive experience. Daily Star describes the score as a mix of grand orchestral brass and grime beats, with effective use of licensed music. Game Informer considers the voice acting as the game's most consistent strength, providing dependable performances. Gameplanet appreciates the engaging sound design that immerses players in the experience. GameSpew praises the fantastic soundtrack, which features a thumping, pulsating rhythm that seeps into your headphones and serves as a gameplay tool. They also mention the beautiful aura of closure in the closing track. Push Square mentions that the grime-infused soundtrack adds to the atmosphere of the game. TheSixthAxis highlights the great sound design, decent music selection, and convincing voice work. We Got This Covered applauds the immersive sound design, realistic gun sounds, and explosions, as well as the utilization of the headset's microphone for certain actions, adding to the immersion. While the majority of the critics had positive opinions about the sound design and music of Blood & Truth, there were no specific negative comments mentioned by any of the reviewers. This suggests that the game's sound design and music were generally well-received and did not have any significant drawbacks or flaws. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that Blood & Truth excels in its sound design and music. The game's soundtrack is praised for setting the tone and atmosphere, with a mix of grand orchestral brass, grime beats, and licensed music effectively used. The voice acting is consistently strong, bringing the characters to life and engaging players emotionally in their stories. The sound design is immersive, with realistic gun sounds, explosions, and a variety of action sequences. The positive opinions from multiple critics indicate that the sound design and music of Blood & Truth greatly contribute to the overall experience and enjoyment of the game.

The voice acting in Blood & Truth has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from the critics. Many critics praised the performances, with CGMagazine stating that the characters feel well realized and their presence in each scene feels real and grounded. COGconnected also commended the first-class voice acting, noting that it makes the characters feel real and flesh-and-blood. The performances were described as convincing and believable by Easy Allies, and Gaming Age mentioned that the voice acting work is really well done, featuring a few recognizable faces. The facial animations and voice acting were particularly highlighted by UploadVR, as they felt incredibly genuine and earnest, making the characters more relatable and engaging. However, there were a couple of critics who had some reservations about the voice acting in Blood & Truth. GameSpot felt that the voice acting was stilted and detracted from the story. Game Informer also mentioned that the voice-acting performances were not revelatory, but at least gave the game something dependable. While these criticisms do exist, they are in the minority compared to the overwhelmingly positive reviews from other critics. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the voice acting in Blood & Truth is of high quality and enhances the overall experience of the game. Attack of the Fanboy praised the script writing and voice acting, stating that they work well and make the character interactions and exposition segments feel natural. Daily Star described the voice acting as of incredible quality, and Gameplanet mentioned that the voice acting, particularly by Colin Salmon, is superb and captures the performances of the characters well. The majority of critics found the voice acting to be strong, convincing, and engaging, with recognizable faces adding to the overall experience. The positive reviews far outweigh the negative ones, solidifying the general consensus that the voice acting in Blood & Truth is a standout aspect of the game.

The opinions of the critics regarding the technical performance of Blood & Truth on the PS4 platform are varied. Some critics, such as AusGamers and Gaming Age, mention minor issues with tracking and virtual hands getting confused in tighter areas, but overall find the game to be playable and enjoyable. We Got This Covered also praises the game's smooth performance on a PlayStation 4 Pro, with no lag or unregistered inputs, highlighting the stability and enjoyment of the VR experience. Wccftech appreciates the attention to detail in the VR scenery, with little details like dust and sparks adding depth to the game's visuals. On the other hand, several critics point out some negative aspects of the technical performance on the PS4 platform. GameSpot mentions frustrating moments with hardware limitations, while Gameplanet encounters bugs such as getting stuck with a gun in hand and encountering invisible doors. GamesRadar+ highlights technical issues with the PSVR, including failed shot registration and calibration problems. The Washington Post specifically mentions calibration issues with PlayStation Move controllers affecting gameplay. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that Blood & Truth on the PS4 platform has some technical performance issues, including tracking problems, bugs, and hardware limitations. However, these issues are not significant enough to diminish the overall experience of the game. Critics like Push Square and UploadVR mention that although there are occasional tracking issues with the PS Move controllers, the game remains fully playable. ZTGD also notes that while there are some VR glitches, they are not major and do not diminish the overall experience. Despite the mixed opinions on the technical performance, the general sentiment is that Blood & Truth on the PS4 platform provides a stable and enjoyable VR experience.

The opinions of the critics regarding the replay value of Blood & Truth are varied. Some critics, such as AusGamers and Critical Hit, highlight the game's additional modes and challenges that provide replayability. AusGamers specifically mentions score attack missions, time attack mode, and challenge missions as factors that contribute to the game's replay value. Similarly, Critical Hit mentions hidden stars, collectible statues, and vape modes that can be discovered during replaying missions. These additional elements offer incentives for players to revisit the game and explore different gameplay options. On the other hand, some critics express concerns about the game's replay value. Attack of the Fanboy notes that while there are challenges and unlockables, there isn't a lot of extra content to keep players coming back for more in the future. Metro GameCentral also mentions that there is not much replayability outside of a challenge mode. Additionally, Press Start Australia expresses disappointment in the lack of multiplayer and the limited number of challenges available. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that Blood & Truth offers some replay value through its additional modes, challenges, collectibles, and unlockables. Critics like Eurogamer Italy and Gaming Age appreciate the extended playtime provided by the game's duration and the collectibles to find. PlayStation LifeStyle also mentions plans for future updates, further adding to the replay value. However, there are concerns raised by critics like Easy Allies and Press Start Australia about the limited content and lack of multiplayer options. Despite these concerns, the majority of critics acknowledge the game's efforts to provide replay value and recommend revisiting the game to fully explore its features.