24 Entertainment, the developers of the stylish action battle royale game Naraka: Bladepoint, hopes to bring a fresh perspective to the established genre made popular by titles like Respawn Entertainment’s Apex Legends.
Mediatonic saw great success with 2020’s Fall Guys by introducing platforming to a category of games predominantly filled with first and third-person shooters. Naraka: Bladepoint may do the same with close-quarters combat, providing players with a selection of melee weapons and bows to battle with. Inspired by Eastern culture and featuring an art style similar to that of Ghost of Tsushima and FromSoftware’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, 24 Entertainment’s game will bring a new setting to the battle royale scene as well.
Gamers eager to try out Naraka: Bladepoint before its global release this summer will soon have an opportunity with the Forerunner Beta, which will run from April 23 to April 26 at 11 a.m. PDT. Interested players may sign up on the game’s Steam page, and an email will be sent out with pre-load instructions a few days before the open beta kicks off.
First announced in 2019 at The Game Awards, Naraka Bladepoint offers a sophisticated combat system that is, according to the developers, simple to learn but difficult to master. The 60-player battle royale game features a boundless movement system that allows for movement horizontally across the environment and vertically with the use of grappling hooks and parkour-style moves. Anything in sight, from trees to buildings, can be climbed, adding a new element of gameplay that allows for a quick getaway or stealthy ambush.
Dubbed an “action royale” by 24 Entertainment, Naraka: Bladepoint will require players to use speed and quick thinking in order to be the last one standing. While ranged weapons are available in the game, they will be scarce and have limited ammunition. Victory is most likely to come to those brave enough to battle face-to face using one of the game’s various melee weapons, and mastery of parrying, dodging, and counterattacking may mean the difference between triumph and defeat.
Additionally, each playable character has special skills, such as shooting fire balls, healing, knockdowns, and an ultimate ability. Currently, there are six characters to choose from, but more will likely be added over time. Also planned for the future are additional gameplay modes like dueling, PvE, and even a 100-person battle royale. The Souljade system, the manner in which players can customize character talents and stats, will also be upgraded in order to open up more possibilities for unique character builds.
Naraka: Bladepoint is planned for a Summer 2021 release on PC.
Source: Steam