NARAKA: BLADEPOINT, developed by 24 Entertainment, offers a polished and varied experience with plenty of depth and room to grow. Not only is NARAKA: BLADEPOINT a great new challenge for battle royale veterans, but it is also appealing for those who are brand new to the genre.
NARAKA’s gameplay is fast, fluid, precise, and rewards players that value agility over raw power. When engaged in combat, players can jump, dodge, and weave their way around attacks and even around enemy teams. This not only gives more agile players increased openings to attack, but it also balances the meta as solo players can actually take on trios. Those familiar with games like Warframe should adjust to this play style quite naturally, but for those not accustomed to that kind of gameplay, there are a variety of training modes to build up those skills and jump into games with more confidence.
When speed is taken out of the equation, the feeling of hitting or striking enemies will be hit-or-miss for some players. Weapons like the Great Sword have a lot of weight in each hit, but that feeling is mostly due to animation. When steel connects to an enemy, it feels less like a hefty God of War axe attack and more like cutting through paper. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since players will rarely stand still to attack and the speed at which the game is played really makes that lack of weight less noticeable. Realistically, it's only noticeable during training or messing around in the pre-game lobby.
NARAKA currently has a good amount to offer in terms of player customization. It has a roster of 7 playable heroes that players can choose various outfits for, as well as completely customize their appearance, thanks to an in-depth character creator. These features were present during the beta build that released during NARAKA: BLADEPOINT’s preview cycle and little new content has been added or changed since then. Those that pre-ordered NARAKA: BLADEPOINT were given access to a new hero named Yoto Hime, but she was present during NARAKA's beta - just grayed out on the character selection screen. The map is largely the same and there are a couple new weapons, but the main addition to the game is its now fully functioning in-game store.
Like most online battle royales, NARAKA: BLADEPOINT has plenty of microtransactions, a season pass for rewards, and loot boxes which it calls “immortal treasures.” Thankfully, there is no pay to win system at play. Generally speaking, the only available items in the store are things like cosmetic changes and gold, the game's special currency. However, those who want to realistically engage with the in-game store will have to pay for gold because everything that isn’t an immortal treasure or “new name glyph” can’t be purchased with Tae, the in-game currency. While annoying, this feature isn't surprising as it has become a staple of the games as a service model.
Overall, NARAKA: BLADEPOINT remains a wonderful, fast-paced, and addicting experience. While it has plenty of room to grow, it holds its own against competitors like Hunter’s Arena: Legends and offers a polished experience to those who choose to join the fight.
NARAKA: BLADEPOINT is out now on PC via Steam. Screen Rant was provided with a Steam Key for the purpose of this review.