Naraka: Bladepoint

About

"NARAKA: BLADEPOINT" is a free-to-play, dynamic action battle royale game set in the mythical land of Morus and Holoroth. Engage in fast-paced combat with punishing combos, parries, and counters, using a variety of melee and ranged weapons. Traverse the landscape with parkour skills and grappling hooks to outmaneuver and outsmart enemies. Each hero has unique skills and Ultimate moves, adding depth to the intense battles.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+36

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 21,039 reviews

gameplay813 positive mentions

optimization181 negative mentions

gameplay
1,899 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
5%
The gameplay of "Naraka: Bladepoint" is characterized by its unique blend of fast-paced melee combat and parkour mechanics, offering a refreshing take on the battle royale genre. Players appreciate the depth and complexity of the combat system, which includes a variety of weapons and character abilities, but many note a steep learning curve that can be daunting for newcomers. While the game features solid mechanics and engaging gameplay, issues such as high ping, matchmaking problems, and occasional bugs can detract from the overall experience.
- “The parry, dodge, and counter mechanics are rewarding to master, and the variety of weapons—swords, polearms, bows, and even a grappling hook—offer players the chance to adapt their playstyle to the situation.”
- “Naraka: Bladepoint excels in its combat mechanics, offering fluid and responsive melee and ranged combat.”
- “The gameplay is incredibly smooth, the combat is perfect, easy to learn, hard to master with a bit of salty parry mechanism in the middle.”
- “This game is all sweat, meaning you either learn every micro mechanic, animation cancel, hero matchup, every punish, every combo or you get dumpstered by someone better. There is no in between. The game is not that fun casually even with minor casual game modes, and this problem gets even worse in trios, which is, in my opinion, the worst game mode because it is brain-dead. You just pick the most meta skill-less comp to win. Whoever has ult wins, and a lot of times it ends up being just spam-heavy, throwing out all the rock-paper-scissors technicalities out the window. It's embarrassing that this is supposed to be the premiere game mode when solos and duos are objectively better and more skilled.”
- “The gameplay has a ridiculously high learning curve, add that to the fact that you get slaughtered in low lobbies by smurf accounts, and this game loses all its fun and becomes a frustrating waste of time.”
- “The gameplay itself could possibly have potential, but it's got some of the most redundant floor loot for a battle royale I've ever seen.”
graphics
1,032 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
36%
1%
The graphics of "Naraka: Bladepoint" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and unique art style, which blends traditional Asian aesthetics with modern graphical fidelity. Players appreciate the beautifully designed characters, environments, and fluid animations, contributing to an immersive experience. However, some users have reported performance issues and optimization challenges, particularly on lower-end systems, which can detract from the overall visual experience.
- “The design of characters, creatures, and environments is all top-notch, and the game has a unique art style that sets it apart from other battle royales.”
- “Visually, Naraka: Bladepoint offers stunning, eastern-inspired landscapes and character designs, making for an aesthetically pleasing and immersive experience.”
- “The game's art style blends traditional Chinese aesthetics with modern graphical fidelity, creating a visually striking experience.”
- “Very bad design and graphics art.”
- “Unpolished game graphics and server (lag) wise.”
- “The graphics are pretty bad and the game runs considerably bad for how low definition the game really is.”
optimization
467 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
42%
39%
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering, lag, and frame drops, even on high-end systems. While some users noted improvements when running the game on SSDs, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized and often unplayable without significant hardware upgrades. Many reviews emphasize the need for urgent optimization patches to enhance gameplay stability and performance.
- “The optimization is amazing and the graphics are beautiful considering the game runs on Unity, and it's also the only game on this engine to have good graphics and good optimization.”
- “Overall it's pretty optimized and the map is very well detailed.”
- “The game is well optimized and worth playing.”
- “It's a good game, but the optimization is too poor.”
- “Game is unoptimized, random stutters, random fps drops.”
- “Very fun game but is one of the worst optimized things I've ever seen in my life like holy shit I've never seen a game run so bad.”
story
273 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
79%
7%
The game's story aspect receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the character backstories and lore unlocked through quests, while others criticize the overall narrative depth, describing it as lacking or poorly executed. Many players enjoy the "showdown" mode, which offers a cooperative experience with some story elements, but feel that the game primarily focuses on battle royale mechanics with minimal storytelling. Overall, while there are elements of story and character development, many players express a desire for a more polished and engaging narrative experience.
- “Great characters, story, and amazing graphics and animation.”
- “The narrative is compelling, offering players choices in uncovering the story.”
- “The story revolves around an ancient mask that our different heroes set out to obtain.”
- “I could write a story about this game and a big review, but it's not even worth it, so if you enjoy your life, do yourself a favor and don't even install this game.”
- “For me, it simply lacks depth, story, and some RPG elements, and got boring after a few matches.”
- “Overall, not what I expected; the introduction is against normal monsters and then you are sent to fight against other classes out of the blue. If this was supposed to be an introduction to the story of this game, then you told me more than in Fortnite, and it still makes way less sense.”
monetization
241 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
67%
27%
The monetization in this game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players criticizing its aggressive and predatory nature, especially given the game's upfront cost. While microtransactions are primarily cosmetic and do not impact gameplay, the sheer volume of in-game purchases, loot boxes, and a battle pass system has led to comparisons with free-to-play models, leaving players feeling exploited. Overall, the monetization practices are seen as excessive and detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “Haven't seen any pay-to-win mechanics so far; all microtransactions are based on cosmetics, and there are quite a few ways for a free-to-play player to also gain said cosmetics.”
- “While Naraka avoids pay-to-win pitfalls with cosmetic-only microtransactions, matchmaking can sometimes be uneven.”
- “Despite being a buy-to-play game, this game has the monetization system of a free-to-play.”
- “The monetization system is excessive; they used a mobile free-to-play game monetization system here.”
- “This game is a shameless cash grab battle royale with every garbage monetization model possible and it's buy-to-play.”
- “The monetization is very aggressive, especially for a nearly £20 game.”
music
107 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
57%
5%
The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric quality and traditional epic soundtrack, which enhances the immersive experience during gameplay. While many players appreciate the incorporation of traditional Chinese instruments and the overall sound design, some find the music can become repetitive and the volume levels unbalanced. Additionally, the lobby music has received mixed reactions, with some players finding it enjoyable while others consider it annoying and difficult to mute.
- “The music and sound design elevate the atmosphere, with a traditional and epic soundtrack that complements the fast-paced battles.”
- “The music in Naraka is atmospheric and fits the theme well, creating an immersive experience.”
- “The music incorporates traditional Chinese instruments like the dizi, erhu, and pipa to create melodies that evoke an era of ancient China.”
- “The lobby music was one of the most awful things I've heard in years, and I couldn't find the options to turn it off anywhere other than muting the audio until a match was found.”
- “The music volume levels also seem unbalanced, overpowering other game sounds.”
- “While atmospheric, the music is not very memorable or catchy.”
grinding
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
28%
68%
The grinding aspect of the game is a significant focus for many players, with reviews highlighting that it can be both tedious and time-consuming, often requiring a substantial commitment to progress. While some players enjoy the challenge and sense of accomplishment that comes from grinding for ranks and unlocks, others find the repetitive tasks and low rewards frustrating, suggesting that the game may benefit from a more balanced approach to progression. Overall, players who appreciate grind-heavy gameplay may find enjoyment, but those seeking a more casual experience might feel overwhelmed.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “No grinding boars in the forest.”
- “If you can endure the tedious daily tasks, you'll find this game highly enjoyable.”
- “The only downside I would say is that the battle pass is not rewarding enough and the missions are very grindy.”
- “Game looks attractive but after many days of grinding the gameplay is very unpleasant.”
stability
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
93%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, freezes, and crashes significantly impacting the gameplay experience. Players experience issues such as lag, graphical glitches, and unresponsive mechanics, which detract from the overall enjoyment. While some users report smooth performance on high-end systems, the consensus is that the game is plagued by instability, making it frustrating for many players.
- “It is an amazing game, playing since day one on Game Pass and I just bought a Steam Deck and it runs great. Give it a try, you will love it.”
- “Fluid motion, nice visuals, and runs great!”
- “I live in middle America, the game runs great for me.”
- “The game crashes, stutters, freezes and reconnects; by the time all of this is done, you're dead.”
- “Constant lags, freezes, and crashes ruin pretty much all experience.”
- “This game was very disappointing; I do not recommend this for anyone, but if you like a lot of lags, bugs, and freezes then hop in.”
humor
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is frequently highlighted as a standout feature, with players finding amusement in various aspects such as character customization, quirky mechanics, and the overall chaotic nature of gameplay. Many reviews mention the funny interactions within the community and the absurdity of certain game elements, contributing to a lighthearted and entertaining experience, despite some frustrations with gameplay balance and server issues. Overall, the game's humor is described as both intentional and unintentional, making it a source of enjoyment for many players.
- “Very creative and funny developer.”
- “The character customization is very fun and has led to some hilarious creations.”
- “The lobbies are extremely funny because it's just pure randomness.”
character development
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
25%
5%
Character development in "Naraka: Bladepoint" is highly praised for its stunning and imaginative character designs, which feature unique abilities and extensive customization options that enhance gameplay. While the visuals and aesthetics are celebrated, some reviews note issues with balance among characters and the impact of recent censorship on female character designs. Overall, the game offers a rich and immersive experience, particularly for fans of eastern-inspired aesthetics and melee combat.
- “The character design is nothing short of spectacular, each hero possessing unique abilities and playstyles that encourage experimentation and mastery.”
- “The character designs are imaginative and well-crafted, and the environment is rich with lush landscapes and captivating architecture.”
- “The character design and customization are what amazed me; I expected only skins and such but not stuff like hairstyle or even skin color or even the face.”
- “Unfortunately, Naraka suffers from some imbalance in its character design that favors certain playstyles over others.”
- “Bad character design and balance.”
- “It is also worth noting that in late 2022, the game's female character designs were subject to censorship the likes of which are usually performed to appeal to modern Western sensibilities (cleavage and thighs covered, breasts physics disabled).”
replayability
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
41%
11%
The game is praised for its high replayability, offering various modes such as battle royale and casual PvE that cater to different player preferences. Many users highlight the engaging gameplay and the enjoyment of playing with friends, although some express concerns about the steep learning curve for newcomers. Overall, the game is considered infinitely replayable, especially for those willing to invest time in mastering its mechanics.
- “This game is great; it's got good graphics, replayability, beautiful art, and a high skill ceiling.”
- “Overall a decent game with high replayability, especially when played with friends.”
- “Very easy to play but hard to master with many options which keep the game and replay value alive.”
- “For longer replayability, you need to find somebody to team up.”
- “Yes, the concept is playable, but there's just too much stuff to learn again. Only those hardcore players can handle it. I can only play casually instead of taking this game seriously. The characters can be taken down too easily, or there's too much need to counter if you're solo. For those new to the game, I hope the devs will open newbie servers (based on playtime) instead of getting smashed hard by players with different levels of experience.”
- “It feels like the devs don't really care about making the game more playable outside of China, where they seem to be focused on milking Western players by selling super expensive cosmetic items, like treasure crates, skins, hairstyles, and weapon style upgrades costing hundreds of dollars.”
atmosphere
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
20%
10%
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its vibrant visuals, immersive sound design, and traditional soundtrack that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the attention to detail in the game's design, which creates a captivating environment filled with competitive elements and unique challenges. However, some users noted that while the atmosphere is engaging, the music may not be particularly memorable, and there are concerns about crossplay affecting the competitive experience for console players.
- “The vibrant visuals and immersive soundscapes enhance the atmosphere, providing a perfect escape into various worlds and genres.”
- “The music in Naraka is atmospheric and fits the theme well, creating an immersive experience.”
- “Moreover, the graphics of the game are fantastic; everything is super artistically designed and creates a perfect atmosphere of the eastern warring kingdom era.”
- “Console players are at a disadvantage due to input issues and lower frame rates; despite this, we have crossplay that is mandatory and cannot be turned off on Steam but can be shut off on consoles, which creates an unfair atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere was way too eastern for my taste.”
emotional
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a mix of emotional responses to the game, highlighting its wholesome moments that evoke strong feelings, including joy and nostalgia. However, frustrations arise from gameplay inconsistencies and technical issues, leading to feelings of helplessness and disappointment, particularly in competitive modes. Overall, while the game can elicit positive emotions, it also generates significant frustration due to its mechanics and player experiences.
- “Makes me want to cry.”
- “There is not only one battle royale specific game that made me feel this enjoyment as Naraka Bladepoint made me feel.”
- “So the feeling that I got as a new player is something that no other game made me feel in around 2 or maybe 3 years.”