Die by the Blade review. An indie fighting game that attempts to live up to classics of the past, but sadly fails to hit its mark.
Making a fighting game is hard – making any video game is hard! If it was easy, everyone would do it. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try of course. If you’ve got a killer idea in your head or a love letter to games of the past at your fingertips, you should absolutely give it a crack. Die by the Blade feels like one such game, calling back to living room epics like Bushido Blade or the Deadliest Warrior games. Sadly, it doesn’t quite hit the heights of such titles.
That’s not for lack of trying! Die by the Blade has a nifty blend between a classic samurai aesthetic and a futuristic cyberpunk look and it works well as the foundation to the game’s vibe. This is best protrayed by its stages – many of which I love! I dig the ultra-clean offices and dojo arenas, but do have a soft spot for dingy streets and dilapidated shrines you can fight to the death in.
It’s in these arenas that you clash with either computer-controlled opponents or other players online in tense one-strike-kill combat. The whole game revolves around baiting out enemy attacks, figuring out what they’re about to do and using their mistep as a opportunity to stab or slice ’em. It’s a tried-and-true design for fighting games that inevitably leads to a tense and exciting atmosphere. There’s a real thrill rolling under an enemy attack and striking true in quick succession.
