Blade Strangers
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Blade Strangers
Blade Strangers is a fun, friendly, accessible fighter. It allows newcomers and experienced players alike the opportunity to throw down with some great characters, without necessarily concerning themselves with one-frame-links or meaty reversals. Whilst that lack of tech-depth may prevent Blade Strangers from holding the attention of the pros, or blowing up on the competitive circuit, it's sure to be a hit at any good-natured rumble with friends, battling for pride within your own four walls.
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.
For the most part, I was happy with this fighter and I really hope we see some additional post-release content added, such as more characters from Nicalis published titles.
Blade Strangers is fun for what it is, a smaller-scale fighting game with a bizarre set of crossover characters you would never expect to see in a Japanese-developed fighting game. Even the Japanese stuff that is involved is weird together, frankly. While it struggles with how simple it does or doesn't want to be, Blade Strangers has a cute vibe, an earnest sense of humor, and flashy enough gameplay that running through it with all the characters is definitely worth a few weekends in-between Evo training.
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.
Blade Strangers finally delivers a conventional fighting game where you can beat up other fighters with Shovel Knight (looking at you Super Smash Bros. Ultimate). I'm not sure I can confidently say the game will do waves in the fighting game community, but I think it'll be enjoyable for all players of all different skill types.
