Blade Strangers is full of character, style and impressive visuals all while delivering a solid fighting videogame experience with some of the most accessible controls going. Play it now!
I literally never do this but that is how much I have loved this game. I am not the type who would generally pick up a fighting game due to the time necessary to just be competent at one or even have fun playing with someone who knows what they are doing. This game does not require you to spend hours in the training mode just to have fun and fill up the screen with absolutely absurd super moves and combos. If you are a fighting game veteran then this might not be your favorite or the one that you are picking up to play the most but you will have a lot more people to play fighting games with if you have this game. Like Smash, Blade Strangers has simple and easy to grasp controls and is a fighting game you can just jump right into and have fun with it. I have been having an absolute blast playing with my girlfriend who is also not a huge fighting game fan but we were both able to pick it up and start doing moves that look really cool right off the bat. The single player is fun and the story is just absurd but the real joy comes from having another person sitting next to you and a really close match end with you using Shovel Knight's super move and knocking your opponent out with a giant fish swimming across the screen. It is very hard not to laugh and smile while playing this game with another person and I cannot recommend it enough.
Id first like to stay the critic reviews for this game are too meh and somewhat unfair due to their need to compare to other games. Having spent some time within the various modes of this game and online play, I would have to say hands down this is the most approachable, newbie friendly fighting game I have played. Theres no complex joystick commands. There's no complex character assists and tag outs. Its pure 1on1 fighting with a 4 button configuration with shoulder buttons for mixed inputs for throws, ex moves, super, etc. The tutorial and training mode do a good job of introducing you to the games mechanics and some combos you can pull off. For the more expert fighter theres still plenty of combo juggling available as well.
Some reviews mention the game doesnt reinvent fighters. Thats true. How would it? But it has its own great components such as counters, specials, ex specials, and so on. Its not so simplistic that it deserves to be put down for its lack of originality. the 14 characters play differently enough with some characters feeling more similar and some totally different - but they all have their role as close combat, mid range or ranged fighters.
Online play has been mostly smooth with one actual disconnect over 30 games or so. League (ranked) play shows a persons disconnect percentage. Getting online games has been easy on US servers. I play arcade or training and get pulled into matches like other fighting games have.
Story mode is bizarre and mostly pointless but you can quickly skip cutscenes and this mode is a good way to play each character while unlocking skins and such.
Graphics are acceptable. I cant disagree the characters themselves look a little less than perfect (compared to DBZ or BlazBlue) but its not enough of a distraction to matter.
I hope this game does well, better than a ranking of a 7, as it deserves it. Watch some game videos if you're on the fence.
Blade Strangers is an odd mix of zany characters and entertaining gameplay. Its unique four-button fighting gameplay is a refreshingly accessible experience for anyone that wants to duke it out with Shovel Knight, Isaac, Quote, or any of the fourteen different fighters within the title.
Blade Strangers brings together a series of characters that might not seem like they fit well in the same game but the result is a surprisingly fun fighting game, with good control mechanics and a welcome variety when it comes to the fighters. Its visuals need more work when it comes to their 3D rendering and the soundtrack does not stand out but the experience is overall amusing and easy to get into.
There’s not enough to Blade Strangers to recommend it unreservedly, especially with a sparse playable roster and a lack of game modes, but the fighting is undoubtedly solid and enjoyable in bursts. It doesn’t have legs, but it does what it sets out to do, and does it surprisingly well.
There’s no denying it - this is the most accessible 2D fighter we’ve played in years. If you’re new to the often impenetrable world of twitch-style brawlers, this serves as an ideal way to learn the craft and feel powerful without too much work. Not every one of its crossover fighters gels as well as the others, but it’s still an empowering experience for beginners and intermediate fight fans. However, if you’re looking for a purposefully nuanced combat system with a bit more bite, you’re probably best sticking with BlazBlue’s mechanical purity.
Decent. That's the only thing that comes to mind when thinking about Blade Strangers. Besides the novelty of being able to choose amongst indie game characters from Studio Sanzensen and Nicalis, there's nothing special about this fighter, other than the fact that it's built in such a way that it makes it a perfect entry for genre greenhorns.
Solid fighting mechanics and a wild, diverse cast of characters from across the Nicalis universe make Blade Strangers worth playing. The humorous dialogue in the story / campaign mode is genuinely funny and very self-aware. The biggest problem with Blade Strangers is the oddly jagged appearance of the fighters themselves -- it almost looks as though the sprites were blown up and then shrunk back down again, with digital artifacts and misshapen pixels making up the lines of animation. Overall, a fun and decent little crossover game.
Blade Strangers, An old-school style 2d fighting game with a streamlined control system. Blade strangers injects popular fighters from the indie scene with representatives from games like: The Binding of Isaac, Shovel Knight, Gunvolt, Cave Story, and more. While featuring online play, story mode, arcade mode, and mission mode; does Blade Strangers have the chops to compete with the very challenging competition?
6.0 / 10
Full video review from Boomstick Gaming on YouTube
SummaryA dark force known only as Lina is devouring data from a vast, interdimensional network of servers overseen by sentient computers called "motes." In desperation, the motes summon heroes from an array of parallel game worlds to face off against each other in one-on-one combat. The tournament victor has the potential to be awakened as the ...