Blade Strangers for the Nintendo Switch from Nicalis is a game that came out of left field for me. I don’t generally keep up with the world of anime-based video games, but I am a sucker for any sort of crossover fighting game even when I don’t know most of the cast involved all that well.
What grabbed my attention as well as my pre-order –aside from Amazon killing the program and me wanting to save some money– was the inclusion of the duo from Cave Story; a game I quite enjoyed. The idea of Curly and Quote in a fighting game was enough to sell me on the game.
Thankfully, Blade Strangers a a good bit of fun –the plentiful amount of anime boobs also doesn’t hurt the experience. As stated before, Blade Strangers is a crossover fighting game pulling from the Nicalis library of video games and a number of exciting guest characters such as mother freaking Shoverl Knight! You also have cast members from Umihara Kawase, a series that got its start back on the Super Nintendo and new games like Code of Princess EX and The Binding of Issac.
It’s not a huge roster but there are enough characters here to make things interesting and the diversity among them is a real treat. Hell, the idea of Issac taking on Shovel Knight in combat should be enough to sell most indie game fans on the title. But this is a fighting game and it is going to live or die with how it plays. Blade Strangers doesn’t try to reinvent the genre in any way but it does a competent job of providing a fighting game that is easy to pick up while giving serious players a bit more just under the surface thanks to online play.
The basics are all here and with specials, countering and air-attacks aplenty, but Blade Strangers does mix things up with its combo system –sort of. What I actually found nice was the “Combo Repetition” system that will penalize you for doing the same thing over and over. It’s essentially telling the other player that you are spamming which is pretty funny even though it doesn’t change the core experience in any real way.
You can use all manner of moves and techniques during a fight that really light the place up. At first it was a bit difficult getting to grips with how the game worked but after a few matches I was bouncing opponents about like crazy. The game does feel a bit easy and I recommend upping the difficulty if you are a fighting game veteran, but the standard mode is great for those just wanting to have some fun and experience the story for each character. It’s really one of the most accessible fighting games out there thanks to not being entry 600 in a series.
Each character comes with their own unique “Ultra Skill” that takes up a bar of the “Skill Gauge” to use, upping the damage and type the more bars you have filled. You also have the standard “EX Skill” that will consume a single bar to power up one of your standard attacks. There’s also the “Heat Up” mode that you can enter giving you additional armor when your health is low. Lastly you have a charge attack “Offensive Skill” that works as a cancel or knocks your opponent back.
Graphically is where I think Blade Strangers falls short of being awesome. It’s not an ugly game but it’s not a pretty one either, at least not on the Nintendo Switch where I reviewed the game. Stages look great and are rendered in full 3D but the characters use what I assume is a cell-shading style that produces a lot of jaggies because the character outlines are so thin. It’s all the more noticeable because all the animations are pretty fantastic. You get used to it pretty quickly but I can’t help feel like this was intended as a 3DS game that up upscaled for home consoles.
The story in Blade Strangers is as weird as the come which is par for the course with a crossover fighting game. Trying to find a reason for these very different characters to interact is no small feat and the game does a good enough job of it with some Matrix-like story. The last Blade Stranger is dead/deleted and a bunch of computers make a last ditch effort to find a new one to help save all of time and space.
To do this they transport characters from the worlds that remain to find out which has the power to become the new Blade Stranger. They add in some nonsense about them losing their souls for one reason or another and also wipe the memories of each character, replacing their memories with a desire only to win a fake fighting tournament at all costs. It’s really silly but interesting enough to make you want to play through the game with each character to see their motivations for fighting as the story does change slightly.
Where Blade Strangers does a great job is with all the extra goodies and modes that add to the appeal of the game. You have the standard “Story Mode” and “Tutorial” where you can learn the basics for those new to fighting games, as well as “Missions” that allow you to complete challenges or run through the “Survival” mode. There’s also the “Arcade Mode” where you can fight for fun and the “Versus Mode” for taking on friends locally.
You can also jump into the “Training Mode” to hone your skills if you are looking to get better at the game before jumping into the online section which itself has a few modes. There’s the “Stealth Match” that is like a “Casual Match” only with all players information hidden, “League Match” where your rank can go up or down depending on your wins and loses, and the basic “Casual Match” for some mindless online fun.
Getting into matches was really quick on launch day and the connection was surprisingly good. The Nintendo Switch net-code was been the bane of many players for a number of titles but Blade Strangers works well if you have a decent connection. I had very few issues and none that killed the online experience, something that can not be said for something like the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection that was almost unplayable online at launch.
But if all of that wasn’t enough you also have some cool features associated with your profile. As you play the game you’ll unlock not only new characters but color swaps of existing ones. There are also plates to unlock that work like they do in Street Fighter and show opponents neat things you accomplished within the game. But what I like most is the “Face Setting” that changes your characters image above their name during a match. You can unlock new portraits with them in new poses which is a really nice treat for those that invest time in the game.
There’s a lot to like about Blade Strangers if you are looking for a fun fighting game filled with a unique cast of combatants. The fighting is fast, fluid and lots of fun that anyone can enjoy regardless of your skill level. The onlnie works a charm (at the time of this review) and players who want to wreck, or or get wrecked, will find online challengers who will put up a good fight.
That’s not to say Blade Strangers isn’t with out it’s issues. The graphics aren’t all that pleasing to the eye and many will see this as a problem especially if they play the game docked and on the big screen. In portable mode it does look a lot better which makes it perfect for some on-the-go fun. Another issue that bugs me is the stuttering issues the game has when loading matches. Again, it doesn’t affect gameplay but does pull you out of the experience and leave you wondering if the thing is going to crash on you.
Thankfully, the biggest issues I have with the game can hopefully be easily addressed with a simple patch sometime down the road. And if the community grows we can see some balance updates as well as tier lists begin to take shape from online play. At the end of the day there is a lot more to like about Blade Strangers than there is to dislike. It won’t turn the fighting game community on its head, but it’s a good bit of fun that I would like to see develop and get some sequels. Oh, and the cheesy butt-rock anime intro is pure gold!
Final Score:
3.5/5
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