Die by the Blade

About

Die by the Blade is a single player and multiplayer casual fighting game. It was developed by Grindstone and was released on May 16, 2024. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

Vanquish your foes with a single strike in 1v1 weapon-based fighter Die by the Blade. Dive into a samuraipunk world and wield a range of traditional Japanese weapons to determine your moveset. Outwit your opponent in intense, tactical battles and master the art of the one-hit kill!

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63%

Audience ScoreBased on 203 reviews

graphics8 positive mentions

stability5 negative mentions

The game features unique mechanics with a one-hit kill system that adds tension and strategy to combat.
The developers are actively listening to community feedback and are committed to improving the game, showing potential for future updates.
The graphics and effects during fights are visually impressive, and the customization options are appreciated by players.

The game feels unfinished and lacks sufficient single-player content, leading many to feel it should have been released as Early Access.
There are significant balance issues, particularly with certain weapon classes being overpowered, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, with issues such as parrying not registering properly and long loading times during rematches.

graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
57%
12%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful visuals and effects during combat, likening them to a blend of cyberpunk and samurai aesthetics. However, many users criticize the overall quality, particularly the character faces and clunky gameplay, suggesting that the graphics fall short of the expected AAA standard and evoke a retro feel reminiscent of older consoles.
- “I really like the graphics and effects during fights.”
- “The combat is super fun and intense, with beautiful graphics and a great atmosphere.”
- “The art style is a mix of cyberpunk and samurai.”
- “Graphics are unfortunate, faces look awful, gameplay intensely clunky, and the pre-game UI is laughably bad.”
- “It's baiting you into entering a AAA graphics gameplay but you find yourself playing with garbage graphics.”
- “It almost felt like playing a PS1 game with a modern-day graphics overlay.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
25%
15%
The gameplay is characterized by unique mechanics that emphasize competitive 1v1 combat, where mastering stances and distances is crucial for strategy. While many players appreciate the easy-to-learn yet hard-to-master mechanics and find the fights enjoyable, some criticize the clunky execution and poor graphics. Overall, it offers a fun experience, though it may not meet the standards of a AAA title.
- “I think this is an amazing 1v1 game with unique mechanics, and what I really like is one hit - one kill.”
- “The mechanics are very easy to grasp, easy to learn, hard to master; you can get a hang of everything in 15 minutes of messing around, and there are no intricate combos to memorize and learn.”
- “I really loved the fights, animations, and overall gameplay.”
- “Graphics are unfortunate, faces look awful, gameplay intensely clunky, and the pre-game UI is laughably bad.”
- “Gameplay - this game seems off...”
- “It is a highly competitive game, and you have to control individual stances and distances first (know and master mechanics) and after this you are able to think and make strategy... at the moment I'm just in the getting-to-know-you phase.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
Overall, the game performs smoothly in terms of gameplay and network stability, but many users feel it lacks comprehensive optimization, leading to issues like stuttering and problems when alt-tabbing. While the core mechanics function well, additional optimizations are needed to enhance the overall experience.
- “Game runs super smoothly overall, both from a performance and network perspective.”
- “Runs smoothly.”
- “The game does not feel particularly optimized overall, and it also screwed with my Google Chrome badly when alt-tabbed, but the bread and butter fighting of the game works fine.”
- “I waited months for this game to be out, I even woke up at 6 AM to play it, and as soon as I get into a game it is the most stuttering mess I have ever seen. I should slap the spit out of the mouth of whoever made me wake up so early.”
- “The game runs very well, but obviously some additional optimizations wouldn't hurt.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent visual glitches, particularly at the bottom of the screen, and buggy mechanics such as parrying. Many players describe the overall experience as plagued by severe glitches and stutters, making it unplayable for some.
- “A festering cesspool of glitches and stutters that rendered the entire experience unplayable.”
- “Sometimes parry feels buggy.”
- “Bottom part of my screen has weird visual glitches.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its absurd scenarios, such as fighting as a gangster with a katana against samurai and playfully flipping them off, which many players find hilarious. Additionally, the game offers customization options that allow players to adopt a more serious samurai persona, adding to the comedic versatility. Overall, the humor is a significant and enjoyable aspect of the gameplay experience.
- “Lmao, someone help, I can't stop laughing.”
- “Fighting as a gangster with a katana against samurai and winning, then flipping them off, I find hilarious! But if you want to be a super serious samurai, you can do that too with the customization options the game gives you, which is also an added bonus.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users note that the developer's response, characterized as a "heartfelt copypasta," adds an emotional layer to the game's community interaction, suggesting a genuine connection between the developers and players. This approach has been perceived as both gracious and engaging, enhancing the overall emotional experience of the game.
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Reviewers highlight that the game offers strong replayability, emphasizing the strategic depth and mastery that players can achieve through multiple playthroughs. Overall, the experience remains engaging and rewarding, encouraging players to return for more.
- “The replayability, strategy, and mastery that you experience from playing is pretty damn good.”
- “The game offers a wealth of replayability, allowing players to explore different strategies and outcomes with each playthrough.”
- “Each session feels fresh and engaging, making you want to dive back in for another round.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Users express frustration over the absence or lack of a dedicated story mode in the game, indicating a desire for a more narrative-driven experience.
- “Where is the story mode?”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, while the music and sound effects in the game are not considered bad, reviewers feel there is significant room for improvement. Suggestions include enhancing the variety of sound effects, particularly by tailoring them to specific characters and weapons, as well as adding new sounds for certain animations and segments to enrich the overall experience.
- “Sound effects and music could be improved upon, especially sound effects. Not that the current ones are bad, but adding some to certain animations or segments, and giving more variety to the current ones would feel better, in my opinion (different ones for different characters/weapons maybe?).”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The monetization model is praised for not featuring necessary or highly incentivized microtransactions, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend additional money.
- “No necessary or highly incentivized microtransactions.”
- “There are no necessary or highly incentivized microtransactions.”
- “The game doesn't rely on aggressive monetization tactics.”
- “Microtransactions are not essential to enjoy the game.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its beautiful graphics, which enhance the intense and enjoyable combat experience. Overall, players find the combination of visual appeal and engaging gameplay creates a captivating environment.
- “The combat is super fun and intense, with beautiful graphics and a great atmosphere.”