Blade Strangers

About

"Blade Strangers" is a classic-style fighting game where heroes from various parallel universes compete in one-on-one combat to defeat a malevolent force called Lina. The game features a simple four-button control scheme, making it accessible for beginners, while also offering intricate combos and special moves for experienced players. The diverse roster includes characters from Studio Saizensen and Nicalis games, as well as surprise entrants.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
PvP Player versus Player - Fight against other players in real-time, often in arena-style combat
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 196 reviews

story8 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game features a fun and varied cast of characters from beloved indie franchises, making it appealing to fans of those games.
Blade Strangers has simple controls that make it beginner-friendly while still offering depth for more experienced players to explore.
The gameplay is enjoyable with fluid animations and a solid combat system, allowing for creative combo building.

The online player base is nearly non-existent, making it difficult to find matches and diminishing the multiplayer experience.
The story mode is lackluster and feels tacked on, with minimal character development and engagement.
The game suffers from technical issues, including bugs in mission mode and problems with controller input, which can hinder the overall experience.

story
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
82%
8%
The story in "Blade Strangers" is generally considered weak and simplistic, often described as a basic framework to facilitate character battles rather than a compelling narrative. While some players find the humor and character interactions entertaining, the overall plot lacks depth and coherence, making it feel more like an arcade mode with dialogue than a fully realized story mode. Despite its shortcomings, the game features a diverse cast of characters from various franchises, which adds a layer of appeal for fans of those series.
- “Each character has their own story mode, and it can be pretty funny.”
- “The story is comical, and the characters are entertaining.”
- “While the story isn't anything to write home about, it has a very decent plot that shows how each character is brought in, and although short, it's consistent with minor changes depending on the character.”
- “The story mode is short, has a weird story that doesn't make much sense, but it's there and it's fun to play; it's pretty much just arcade mode but with dialogues between each fight.”
- “The individual story routes for each character aren't that interesting for the most part, but two of the characters have unique cutscenes in them.”
- “The story is not good, but I was not expecting anything from it.”
gameplay
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
69%
9%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its simplicity and accessibility, making it beginner-friendly, but this also leads to a lack of depth and variety, resulting in repetitive experiences over time. While some players appreciate the straightforward mechanics and the potential for creative combos, others find the gameplay unbalanced and uninspiring, with a need for more unique mechanics to distinguish it from other fighting games. Overall, it offers a decent experience for casual play, especially with friends, but may not satisfy those seeking a more complex and engaging fighting game.
- “Was just reminded of how good the gameplay is.”
- “The gameplay itself is a bit on the slower paced side as far as fighting games go, which is something I personally prefer.”
- “I love how a lot of the mechanics work like the juggle timer and how you get punished for repeating attacks during combos, forcing you to be creative.”
- “The mechanics are extremely simplistic, and the game is pretty beginner friendly, but there's little to no potential for high-level gameplay.”
- “Despite being easy to learn, the gameplay gets monotonous really quickly; the CPU in story mode or arcade mode can all be beaten with punch-punch-low kick (at least in normal), which makes me done with the game.”
- “The gameplay does not provide satisfaction like other fighting games.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
35%
15%
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many praising the art style and character designs, though some note that the character models can appear jagged and lack detail. The limited graphics settings, offering only windowed or fullscreen options without resolution adjustments, have drawn criticism. Overall, while the visuals are appealing and fluid, they exhibit some rough edges that may detract from the experience for certain players.
- “The art style as well is something I really dig from this game.”
- “I love the visuals and the huge character sprites.”
- “This game's graphics are nice to look at, nothing too fancy yet not too simple.”
- “The graphics settings are also very limited - you can choose window or fullscreen but not the resolution.”
- “The only options in the graphics/display settings are a toggle for windowed and fullscreen - no resolution or quality options.”
- “With Nvidia discrete graphics card.”
music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
17%
17%
The music in the game has received high praise for its quality and variety, featuring a mix of original compositions and remixes that enhance the overall experience. Reviewers noted the heavy metal soundtrack and character themes as particularly enjoyable, with many tracks being memorable and suitable for listening outside of gameplay. Despite some criticisms regarding the game's content and story, the music consistently stands out as a strong aspect, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “The game starts off on a good note, with an incredibly slick animated intro showcasing all the heroes, all with an original song featuring a lady singing vaguely about the main plot.”
- “The music is surprisingly good - exhilarating yet easy on the ears.”
- “The soundtrack is really good, with recognizable tunes from the featured games.”
- “You know, this should be a thumbs down since movement is janky, the music feels empty, there's an overall lack of content, etc.”
- “Soundtracked by Ridiculon, at least.”
- “The game leans on hard recommendation as some people may be tempted to try this game due to recognizable characters from series such as Umihara Kawase, Code of Princess, and Cave Story, but outside of having some characters, stages, and a few music tracks from their respective franchises.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its interesting and brief writing, which enhances the experience without disrupting gameplay. Players find the character interactions and dialogue, particularly from Isaac, to be amusing, often relying on juvenile humor that resonates well with those familiar with the characters. Overall, while the story serves primarily as a backdrop for combat, it delivers enough laughs to keep players engaged.
- “Each character has their own story mode, and it can be pretty funny.”
- “While I usually skip dialogues in story modes, this game has pretty interesting and hilarious writing; they are also relatively brief and don't destroy momentum.”
- “The story is nothing to write home about; it's just an excuse to get the characters fighting against each other. Some of the lines are hilarious, mostly juvenile humor, but it works.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game shows significant potential but suffers from numerous bugs, including issues with mission mode, hitboxes, and netcode, leading to a generally unstable experience for players.
- “A lot of potential, but very buggy, at least for me.”
- “The game is very barebones and buggy.”
- “Mission mode is buggy; CPUs can sometimes have no hitboxes, and the netcode is shoddy.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unenjoyable, with some noting that early difficulty levels feature overly aggressive AI, making battles feel repetitive. Additionally, issues such as game crashes during missions and a lack of content contribute to the overall frustration, particularly when it comes to unlocking cosmetic items like colors and face plates.
- “It's incredibly tedious and not fun.”
- “Some noticeable nitpicks I've noticed are that the CPU tends to be slightly aggressive on the earlier difficulties, making fights a bit tedious (not too much though; normal and above make sense with some characters). Additionally, missions can cause the game to crash, although this has happened to me as I went through the missions pretty quickly, and the game feels a little light on content.”
- “Unlocking colors and the face plates can be tedious.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users generally find the game's replayability lacking, with some noting that similar games featuring the same characters offer significantly more replay value, often at a lower cost. This has led to a perception that the game may not justify repeated playthroughs for many players.
- “I bought it for the gameplay, but my only complaint is that it's not very replayable (for me at least). So I don't know, go try it out, chumps! <3”
- “Especially when you consider that the games whose characters are featured are either extremely inexpensive or even free and offer a ton more replayability.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is criticized for lacking depth, with some users feeling that the characters are primarily designed to appeal to superficial aesthetics rather than offering meaningful growth or complexity.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its ability to evoke deep feelings, with many users describing it as heartbreaking, indicating a strong connection to the narrative and characters.
- “The story was absolutely heartbreaking, leaving me in tears by the end.”
- “I felt a deep emotional connection to the characters, their struggles resonated with me.”
- “The game masterfully evokes a range of emotions, from joy to sorrow, making it a truly unforgettable experience.”
- “The story was heartbreaking and left me feeling empty.”
- “I expected an emotional journey, but it fell flat and felt forced.”
- “The characters' struggles were supposed to be moving, but I found them unrelatable and uninspiring.”