Within the Blade

Still, with a solid combat system, fun upgrade and crafting mechanics, and a great sense of speed, this is still a decent platformer I can recommend for fans of ninja action games, especially those who love fast-paced ones and wouldn’t mind skipping over the optional objectives. Don’t expect it to be the most polished thing ever, but if you just enjoy fast-paced platformers, then this may be one worth considering, even if the price may seem a bit steep.

The game's presentation is worthy of praise, as is its concept, but the way everything is implemented ends up harming the gameplay experience. Mostly due to poor execution, it's frustrating to draw a fun and engaging experience from Within the Blade when most of its mechanics are in need to be reworked.

Within the Blade is a decent 2D action-stealth game. If you’re a fan of ninjas and NES-style graphics, you may want to check it out when it’s on sale.

Within the Blade is an action-adventure game with various stealth elements. I stalked my foes through the tall grass, dashed from rooftop to rooftop, and strangled my foes mercilessly. Prepare to watch yourself get mangled in this macabre journey. Is it fulfilling? Find out in this Rapid Review.

There’s a cool game in here somewhere, but Within the Blade feels like it tries to do too much and cram it all into a small space. If this were a more focused sort of action game there could be a bunch of cool stuff surrounding its fast and weighty physics. But with trying to have it all, Within the Blade only manages to be a cool throwback to older, better games.

Within the Blade is a solid stealth-action platformer with challenging gameplay that might bring back memories of Ninja Gaiden. It’s got a good amount of content to play through and plenty of challenge for those who like that in their games. The downsides are that the challenge may turn some away, the controls have a learning curve, the visuals get a little repetitive, and some of the systems like the crafting don’t feel thought out enough. I still enjoyed my time with it though and for the affordable price I recommend it to those who enjoy the genre.

Within the Blade is a worthy entry in the 2D action-platformer genre and is definitely worth your time, but beware, there are other games that do each of the main hooks better.

No, it’s not perfect. With its clumsy dialog, touchy controls, and occasionally broken U.I., Within The Blade sometimes feels like a game that’s designed to work against the player. However, if you can overlook its faults, there’s an exciting and surprisingly deep experience beneath its many bumps and bruises. You just have to be willing to sift through the grime to uncover its finer parts. As for whether or not it’s worth doing so, that’s for you to decide. A patch or two could go a long way towards addressing many of these problems. And if Ametist Studio can do so, Within The Blade could be a must-play title for ninja action fans who cut their teeth on Ninja Gaiden, Shinobi, and other classics of the 80s. Sadly, at least in its current state, this one’s hard to recommend.

Within the Blade is full of action and stealth, just like what you would expect a ninja to be good at. Unfortunately some of the levels become quite repetitive, but the game offers a unique weapon crafting feature that you don't usually see in games like this.

Within the Blade on the PS5 takes a classic arcade sidescroller and morphs in into something slightly modern from RPG to crafting (over 200 items) and old school combat mechanics, including a plethora of different weapons plus clever stealth mechanics. Like the games of yesteryear, you'll be overjoyed at times and totally annoyed when you continue dying so expect some controller rage … especially if you play it in permadeath mode.