With thanks to the folks at Wired Productions and solo-creator Tomas Sala, we’re delving into Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles. Below you can find our full Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles review and common-sense parent’s guide. Whether you need a full video or extended written review, or just want to know if Bulwark is safe for kids, we’ve got you covered.
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The Basics – What is Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles About?
Available on: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Price: c.£15
Type: Free-building resource management
Download: 1.23GB (PC), 1.4GB (Xbox Series X)
Bulwark is the second instalment in what is planned to be an interesting trilogy. From the mind of solo-creator Tomas Sala, it takes a huge leap from its predecessor (The Falconeer) with entirely new concepts and innovative gameplay.
Players will embrace chaotic construction on the tempestuous waters of the Ursee. Leading one of this world’s great houses, you’ll look to rebuild the landscape, following a cataclysmic war some decades ago.
With streamlined resource management, players will use wood, stone, iron and workers to rebuild, with settlements jutting out of the limpet rocks of the Ursee’s waters. With new trade routes, and bustling settlements, you’ll look to grow across the waters, and colonise this fractious world.
Resource management will definitely require some relearning for builder fans. Building in Bulwark uses distance from the source, rather than total amounts, to control your expansion. This means that should you “run out”, rather than work to gain more resources, the aim is to build more efficient settlements and routes.
There are also other factions spread through the Ursee. Whether you fancy trade, alliances or war, players have a pretty free choice. This, paired with the almost-unrestricted ability to build, gives players huge freedom in their path through the game, and provides in incredibly chill experience.
Your new settlement on the Ursee will bring together various factions, architecture and commanders, as well as unique buildings which give various buffs and enhancements. You’ll need to balance power within your new home carefully, to ensure that rival factions don’t gain or lose too much influence, which can have negative effects.
Is Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles Safe for Children?
Rating: Family Friendly.
Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles is rated by PEGI at 7 and above, and by the ESRB at Everybody 10+. There is combat in the title as well as some mild language according to the ESRB, but overall the freedom of building and offline single-player only gameplay means it’s pretty safe.
Violence is limited to executive control with little detail and no gore, and we’ve not noticed any bad language which would concern us at all. Overall it’s getting a rating of family friendly and is definitely one we’d let our micro bandits get involved with.
The Run Down – Our Five-Point Rating for Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles
Gameplay – 4: While it’s been streamlined, gameplay within Bulwark remains really engaging. It’s one of the more innovative titles we’ve seen of late, and it will definitely need long-term builders and strategy fans to unlearn old habits and get used to a new way of working. Overall I’ve really enjoyed the chaotic freedom of building and discovery here on the Ursee.
Visuals – 4: The art style for Bulwark is wonderful, and really compliments the rough and ready build-anywhere nature of the title. There are some rough edges if you get up close, but most of the time it’s a pleasure to look at, with some distinct character.
Audio – 5: The audio in the title really stands out, with some great voice acting and decent effects. The score is wonderful, and complemented by weather effects it really helps to bring the Ursee to life.
Narrative – 2: There is certainly some narrative here, especially as factions vie against each other, but I’d definitely like to see more in terms of story campaigns. It’s fairly light touch currently, and I’m hoping this is fleshed out a little more in the coming update road map
Replay – 5: Once you get out of tutorial mode, players can switch up various factions, locations and other options, to dive back into the game again. With the chaotic nature of building, and the randomised encounters, I’ve found each build to be different and worthwhile.
The Verdict – Is Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles Worth It?
Overall our Pixel Bandits Ursee What You Made Me Do Level for Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles is a very respectable 8 / 10.
Bulwark provides an innovative and streamlined builder, which provides players with a great amount of freedom. It certainly has its foibles, and I’d really like to see more in the way of story content, but overall I’ve had a lot of fun with it, at a pretty low price for what you’re getting.
I’m consistently surprised that the title has been made by a solo developer, who has obviously poured their heart into making not only the game, but the world which sits behind it. Controls, while a little fiddly at first, have been well optimised, meaning gameplay on consoles stands up well.
Overall, Bulwark is a great game to pick up and play as it is, and the developer has already planned a years’ worth of additional development so we’re very excited about seeing where it goes in future. If you’re looking for a streamlined and coy feeling city builder, even here between rough seas and soaring cliffs, you should definitely give it a look.
As ever, to provide this review and common-sense parent’s guide, we received a free copy of Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles from the folks at Wired Productions.
