Blade Assault is a rouge-lite developed by TeamSuneat and published by PM Studios and Neowiz Games. The game play can be surmised as fight, die and repeat with a stylish retro cyber punk aesthetic. This goes directly into the graphics of the game as its 2D where they still shine brightly to this day contrasting with the more graphics intensive games rendering highly detailed environments. Rouge-lite games are often characterized by their high difficult gameplay, yet Blade Assault makes it enjoyable with stunning 2D visuals highlighting that retro games are always in fashion. The story is on the backburner for the game which is synonymous for the genre allowing for the action to take the forefront. TeamSuneat has made a game where the gameplay loop is the main focus, aided by pixel art presented in the game allowing for some stylish moments to occur when playing leaving the story on the sideline.
The gameplay relies on pre-established notions of what a rouge-lite is by the genre’s standards. However, Blade Assault makes the gameplay loop fun and addictive no matter how many times you die in game. In terms of why it’s such a fun game to play, has to be attributed to the abilities in game that you can find while playing the game changing your weapon or providing some sort of utility. The weapons in particular feel smooth and fluid allowing for animation cancelling allowing the player to have full control of any engagement. Moreover, the weapons directly tie into the skills provided by said weapons often having a spin, large burst damage, and an area of effect. These skills can be further enhanced by upgrading them temporarily as you progress through the levels all being reset when you die. This allows each new start to feel fresh, allowing the player to find certain upgrades that suit their personal playstyle. By having this system in place allows for a good amount of creativity enabling the player to play the game in a variety of ways preventing the game from growing stale over time. Furthermore, there are different characters that can be unlocked through a friendship management system by offering different non-player characters specific items allowing the player to try new characters or unlock new non-player characters. In regards to the non-player characters, in the game they take on the role of vendors and the player can unlock new items for sale or cut prices down over their time playing the game. By rewarding the player over time with incentives that can bring in small incremental changes while minute differences often impact the player’s experience. Blade Assault uses this to great effect especially in the intermission areas allowing for players to take a break and see what they can do to improve their chances of living longer in game. This provides a small glimpse into the past when difficult games had a stronger presence due to a lack of standards to the medium.
Retro styled graphics while old still hold up as a main stay as part of the 2D games Blade Assault shows players old graphics can still hold up compared to other contemporary games released at the time. This ensure that the specialized genre stands out from the crowd making it entirely unique. Moreover, when playing the game certain attacks are easier to avoid due to the nature of a 2D game allowing skilled players to perform better than the rest. While this favors skilled players it does not inhibit the overall quality of the game allowing player to take their time enjoy the pixel art on full display. This is evident in the various backdrops allowing for environmental story telling which is difficult to do right as the artists have to strike a balance of intent and intentional details for the player to look at. Furthermore, this leads into the direction of the story on whether or not it has a presence in the game. While this can impact the overall experience for some players the most important part is to have fun while playing the game.
In terms of the story presented in the game is there taking a backset as the gameplay takes center stage. The main reason as to why this occurred has is due to the nature of rogue-lite games where repeated deaths and continuous restarts will be slowed down by the story instead of getting the player back into the action. This is best seen in another rouge-lite called Rouge Legacy on the Play Station Vita where the story takes a back seat allowing the player to be immersed in the game. While this concept can seem obscure and forced by the developers to keep a player’s focus this is not entirely new to the medium. An example of this system applied to another game can be seen in Fromsoftware’s Elden Ring, and Souls series allowing the player to fight enemies almost immediately after respawning after death. By having a familiar element in gaming ensures that the player will be familiar with the concept of slow incremental strength when playing a difficult game as opposed to something easier. Moreover, with the popularity of difficult games spearheaded by Fromsoftware the general public should be familiar with such games in the entire medium.
TeamSuneat has brought a well-deserved game in need of some outstanding honors allowing players the opportunity to play a one-of-a-kind rouge-lite. The gameplay they brought forward is such a fun experience making each time the player dies a fresh experience making this a rouge-lite no one should miss. Moreover, this loop of going through areas over and over again does not grow old as there are different routes you can take. One beneficial aspect that game has in terms of its graphics is the high-quality pixel art keeping the art style alive and a reminder of what games used to be. While the story is in the background of the game the nature of a rouge-lite is the focus on small incremental power ups over time to make the game easier over longer periods of play.
Blade Assault is a 7/10 game in my opinion while not a bad game is something for a niche player base that enjoys pushing themselves to the very limit.
For more information, visit: https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/blade-assault-switch/
Related: Reviews by Kyle Manila
I would describe myself when interacting with games as a strategist with a pension for stealth and loud explosions.
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