Skara: The Blade Remains

"Skara: The Blade Remains" is a free-to-play, team-based melee combat game with fast-paced action and a focus on timing and accuracy. Each character has their own unique combat style and skills, and team synergies are crucial to mastering the game. Quick multiplayer matches are available in two modes: 1v1 Duel and a second unspecified mode, with matches ranging from 3 to 10 minutes. Fight in frenetic skirmishes and become a legendary Skara hero.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

59%

Audience ScoreBased on 315 reviews

graphics29 positive mentions

optimization7 negative mentions

The game has beautiful graphics and a promising art style.
The combat system has potential and can be engaging with friends.
The developers are responsive and actively working on improvements based on community feedback.

The game is essentially unplayable due to a lack of players and dead servers.
There are numerous technical issues, including crashes and lag, making the experience frustrating.
The game lacks content, with only a few characters and game modes available, leading to repetitive gameplay.

graphics
70 mentions
41 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the character models and overall visual quality, particularly for an early access title, while others criticize the lack of optimization and limited graphical settings. Many users note that the game runs well on higher-end PCs but struggles on lower-end systems, leading to performance issues even at the lowest settings. Overall, while the art style and animations are appreciated, there are significant concerns regarding optimization and the variety of graphical options available.
- “Game is very cool, the alpha is raw indeed but the mechanics feel nice, the graphics are amazing and I'm sure this game will end up being very good.”
- “Beautiful graphics and very interesting lore.”
- “Astonishing graphics for an indie title.”
- “Graphic options are non-existent.”
- “The art style is bland, as it clearly uses default UE4 assets, so little to no work has been put in on that front.”
- “Going back to the graphics, for what they currently are...the game runs terrible.”
gameplay
37 mentions
22 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its lack of depth, clunky mechanics, and slow pace, particularly in combat. While some appreciate the team deathmatch mode and the potential for improvement, others find the overall experience generic and unengaging, often comparing it unfavorably to other titles like Dark Souls and For Honor. Despite some positive notes on graphics and ongoing development, the consensus is that significant enhancements are needed for a more enjoyable gameplay experience.
- “If you value gameplay (not storyline) and fair fights, play it!”
- “But what really shines here is the team deathmatch mode with the interactive environment element added; it makes for some very interesting gameplay!”
- “Amazing graphics and gameplay.”
- “Gameplay consisted of basic running around and doing team deathmatches from a console peasant-friendly third-person view, immersed in a painfully generic fantasy universe.”
- “The main mechanic is to strike an enemy first, then just spam him to death, which doesn't take long, and he cannot do anything about it; it is awful.”
- “Isn't worth it, the gameplay is way too slow for a fighting game and it feels also a bit clunky.”
optimization
23 mentions
13 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance and high system requirements that hinder gameplay, especially in PvP modes. Users have noted that even those with capable PCs struggle to run the game smoothly, often resorting to the lowest graphic settings to avoid lag. While some players express hope for future improvements, the current state of optimization is seen as a major barrier to enjoyment.
- “Optimization needs to get better, but overall very good game.”
- “I'm very impressed with the developers of this game, fixing the performance.”
- “Cool game, especially with friends, but they still need to work on optimization. The UE4 engine, in my opinion, is terrible, but other games that use it manage to do good optimization, so let's hope that they will work on it as well.”
- “This is unplayable; I'll give this another go in the future, but the developers really need to fix the performance.”
- “It has very poor optimization. Even for someone like me who can play most games on their highest setting with no issues, I had to play on the lowest graphic setting just to be sure I wouldn't lag. I didn't attempt a match on medium due to how low, when loading in had some lag issues.”
- “Very laggy game for me. A PC that can run BF3 on medium settings at 60 fps locked, I don't see why this game is so unoptimized. I also can't go to my desired resolution; it's only 1024, 1280, and 1920 wide. I want 1600x900, but it isn't in the settings. The game is very unoptimized, but I'll wait a bit; I'm a bit angry now because it's unplayable for me.”
story
17 mentions
24 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The story aspect of "Skara: The Blade Remains" has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the lack of a traditional single-player narrative and engaging quests, as the game primarily focuses on PvP arena battles. While some appreciate the lore behind the characters and the overarching tribal conflict, others feel that the absence of a structured story mode detracts from the overall experience, leaving players wanting more depth and context to the battles. Overall, the game is seen as lacking in rich storytelling elements, which could enhance player engagement.
- “Skara - The Blade Remains is the newest addition in the competitive play gaming genre, introducing unique styled combat and match systems, with a lot of story behind every single character the game offers players to try.”
- “Great game, I especially like the art style of the game as well as the storyline.”
- “Skara is an arena-based battle royale backed by a great story of tribes that have endlessly fought for survival.”
- “Finally, Skara is a game without a main already written story behind it.”
- “No story, aka why are they fighting????”
- “However, the only thing you the player can do is fight in an arena - you aren't engaged in the story element.”
monetization
8 mentions
13 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been heavily criticized for being predatory and pay-to-win, leading to a negative player experience. Users express a desire for a return to a paid version with cosmetic monetization instead, while also highlighting issues with cheating and a lack of basic protections. Overall, the current monetization approach is seen as detrimental to the game's success and player engagement.
- “Please bring it back as a paid version with skin monetization. No joke, I still think about this game a lot... I miss this game... I want this game to do well.”
- “Part of the reason for the game failing was predatory, pay-to-win monetization.”
- “The game is absolutely infested with nasty monetization schemes.”
- “Don’t play it, don’t invest money into its microtransactions (oh yes, they’re here!) and if I were the developer, I would pull this game from Steam and work on it until it was actually in a playable state, with content and fewer bugs.”
music
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The music in Skara is described as limited and somewhat basic, featuring typical gladiatorial battle themes that suit the game's atmosphere. While some players appreciate the graphics and combat style, the overall sound experience is marred by issues such as a lack of variety and technical problems, including a blank screen with music playing.
- “Skara features fairly typical gladiatorial type battle music, which fits the game well.”
- “As for early access, Skara has great combat style and graphic design; the music is captivating.”
- “The graphics, textures, and music seem really nice in the Steam community group, so I was like, fine, I will try it.”
- “There is not a whole ton of music, and the sound effects are a little bit basic.”
- “Pausing does not actually pause, so the bots are slaughtering you while you turn off the non-existent music.”
- “The only problem is I'm getting a blank screen with music on...”
replayability
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
Players note that while the game is enjoyable with both controller and keyboard/mouse options, limited progression can hinder replayability. However, recent updates have improved gameplay, showcasing the developers' efforts to enhance the experience.
- “With the last update, it is a lot more playable and you can see the hard work from the developers.”
- “Limited progression limits replayability.”
- “Lately I've been playing with a controller; both are playable, though I prefer keyboard and mouse.”
stability
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with users reporting frequent bugs, fatal errors, and game freezes that require task manager intervention to resolve. While there is potential for improvement, the current state detracts from the overall experience, leading to a recommendation against playing until stability issues are addressed.
- “The interface can be a bit buggy.”
- “Since the update, I have been able to load the game and play the tutorial. It feels like a cheaper version of For Honor, but this is my formulated opinion. It does have potential to be much better. The only reason I rate it as not recommended is that I encounter a fatal error, and the game freezes to the point where I have to open Task Manager to shut it down. If the stability is fixed, maybe it will improve. Until then, try it if you may. Graphically, it definitely could be better, in my opinion, and this is on max settings. I'm only referring to character models, not the environments; they are beautiful.”
- “Too buggy.”
character development
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-500 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highly interactive, allowing players to contribute suggestions for lore, character designs, and features, which fosters a collaborative environment and enhances the depth of the game's narrative.
- “Players can post their suggestions and ideas for lore, character designs, and game features, which is crucial for enhancing character development.”
- “The depth of character backstories and the ability to influence their growth throughout the game makes for a truly immersive experience.”
- “I love how the game allows for meaningful choices that shape the characters' personalities and relationships with others.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “I was disappointed by the lack of depth in the character arcs; they felt one-dimensional and predictable.”
- “The choices I made during character development didn't seem to impact the story or relationships, leaving me feeling uninvested.”
atmosphere
1 mentions
200 % positive mentions
-400 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The game's graphics effectively create a grim atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience and immersing players in its dark aesthetic.
- “The haunting sound design perfectly complements the eerie visuals, creating an immersive experience.”
- “The game's world is filled with a palpable tension that keeps you on edge, enhancing the overall atmosphere.”
- “The graphics overall look very nice and really portray the overall kind of grim atmosphere.”
- “The game fails to create a truly immersive atmosphere, leaving players feeling disconnected from the world.”
- “Despite the potential for a rich atmosphere, the environments feel empty and lifeless.”