Upcoming fighter Die by the Blade demonstrates its visceral combat in a new video. Focusing on one-hit kills, the game's samurai-inspired combat is likened to Bushido Blade. In fact, the developers at Grindstone and Triple Hill consider the game to be a new take on the classic samurai fighter from the PSX era.
Initially launched on Kickstarter in October 2020, Die by the Blade reached its funding goal on the 29th and amassed a total of $25,167 in pledges. Since then, Grindstone and Triple Hill have partnered with Kwalee, a publisher focused on both indie and AAA games for console and PC. The game promises to bring high-stakes 1v1 combat to players who enjoy the "Samurai Punk" aesthetic, which fuses a cyberpunk setting with Japanese themes and sword fighting. In terms of the cyberpunk genre, CD Projekt Red's controversial Cyberpunk 2077 is a recent game to bring this aesthetic to life.
In a new YouTube video, publisher Kwalee demonstrates the intense combat of the game punctuated by a heavy, cyberpunk-themed soundtrack. The video shows two armor-clad warriors clashing in a duel. It ends with the words "one hit kills" as the fight concludes with the loser lying on the pavement in a puddle of blood. According to the press release, Die by the Blood blends "strategic gameplay with a brutal, calculated touch." In terms of the player's arsenal, the game focuses on samurai-themed blades such as the Katana, Wakizashi, and Nodachi, and "each weapon offers diverse playstyles in tense 1v1 battles across online and single-player modes." Fans of exciting swordplay in games such as Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will get a chance to demonstrate their prowess against other players.
While Die by the Blade may not capture the eye of gamers who are looking for cutting-edge graphics, the promise of Bushido Blade-like combat was enough to draw pledges during the Kickstarter phase and the attention of a publisher. The developers also list games such as Way of the Samurai and Dark Souls as inspiration. Dark Souls in particular is a series that had humble beginnings but rose to sell millions of copies around the world. Many cite the Souls series' gameplay and art as a huge drawing factor despite the games not matching up with the top releases in terms of graphics. And with the general success of recent samurai-themed games, most notably Sony's Ghost of Tsushima, they proved that there is a market for Japanese-themed games that focus heavily on sword fighting.
Currently, the game is slated for a release in 2022, which is further than the original 2021 goal. However, most Kickstarter games are pushed back beyond their initial targets, so this news does not come as a surprise. Die by the Blade does seem like it is progressing with its development, and the new YouTube video is an indication that the developers are ready to show the game's combat. For now, however, we can only wait for more news and footage of the game.
Die by the Blade is slated for a 2022 release on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Switch.
Source: Kwalee/YouTube