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.

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 may not look like the most obvious crossover when it features characters from series that few would ever imagine starring in the same game but life is full of surprises and this fighting experience not only brings a varied cast, it also has some very simple gameplay and control mechanics that make the game accessible to nearly everyone, while also thinking that its 3D rendering could use some improvement.

Nicalis kicks off its original game universe with Blade Strangers. A 2D fighting game with great animation and a solid fighting game that can knuckle up with the greats of the genre. With characters from their own franchises and some indie darlings we love, there's a fighter for everyone here.

Blade Strangers is a great fighting game that seeks simplicity in its commands and, perhaps for the first time, has accomplished this. The graphics are attractive and the characters are cool, especially the guests. Online mode is also functional, including with people from different regions. The story mode, however, is somewhat bad (though each character has its own novel visual style plot) and maybe not everyone will approve the simplicity in the commands. Unfortunately, there is still hope that the online mode will not become deserted, since it is a niche title.

Blade Strangers is a fine fighting game.

For $39.99 Blade Strangers is the kind of game where you will know right away whether or not it is for you. It’s not a hardcore fighting game which is fine since it’s really not trying to be one. This is just a fun little game to appreciate some of the lesser known characters in gaming and give them some spotlight. For that, Blade Strangers is a lot of fun, however that does mean its audience will likely end up being very limited. While it can provide a few solid hours of fun, its lasting value will depend on how much you enjoy the characters featured here. If you are someone who really enjoys Code of Princess or Umihara Kawase, you should check this one out and can probably add half a star to the review score.

Decent. That's the only thing that comes to mind when thinking about Blade Strangers. Besides the novelty of being able to choose amongst indie game characters from Studio Sanzensen and Nicalis, there's nothing special about this fighter, other than the fact that it's built in such a way that it makes it a perfect entry for genre greenhorns.

Will you be picking up Blade Strangers, or do you have it already? What do you think of the game? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, and keep an eye on Rice Digital for more coverage of both fighting games and other Japanese titles.

Although I enjoyed Blade Strangers quite a lot, it still doesn't reach any particularly high notes for a fighter.