Naraka: Bladepoint review

Our Verdict

Naraka: Bladepoint is a fun 60-player battle royale. Different many other games in the genre, information technology focuses on melee combat and parkour-style movement. It's a punishing game, rewarding skill, preparation, and mastery of its cadre mechanics. Though fun, it rapidly grows dried.

For

Beautiful graphics and design
Extremely fun grappling claw-based parkour
A adept variety of characters and abilities

Confronting

Map design needs work
Gameplay can grow tiring
Aggressive monetization

Tom'south Guide Verdict

Naraka: Bladepoint is a fun 60-histrion boxing royale. Unlike many other games in the genre, information technology focuses on melee gainsay and parkour-style movement. It's a punishing game, rewarding skill, training, and mastery of its core mechanics. Though fun, it apace grows stale.

Pros

+
Beautiful graphics and design
+
Extremely fun grappling hook-based parkour
+
A skilful variety of characters and abilities

Cons

-
Map blueprint needs work
-
Gameplay can grow tiring
-
Aggressive monetization

Naraka: Bladepoint: Specs

Platforms: PC
Cost: $19.99, $34.99, $49.99
Release appointment: August 11, 2021
Genre: Boxing royale
Developer: 24 Entertainment
Publisher: NetEase Games

Imagine Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon meets boxing royale. That over-the-tiptop gainsay in a 60-player match is the best way to describe Naraka: Bladepoint, though that lonely doesn't quite do it justice.

There's more to Naraka: Bladepoint than just furiously attempting to outdo your opponent in boxing. Hunting downward another player is exhilarating, as is the frantic terror you lot'll experience when someone is chasing you and you're low on health or armor.

This game is not for the faint of heart. Boxing royales tin often be quite hard, but this ane takes the concept that many know and love and slaps in some punishingly challenging combat. Duels can concluding for minutes on terminate equally each player attempts to make the other skid up. Parries, grapples, ability usage, information technology'south all function of a trip the light fantastic that takes time to master.

This is a game that rewards your time investment, but non everyone will find it to their liking. Every bit you'll see in our Naraka: Bladepoint review, the game does have flaws. Withal, information technology's an excellent and rewarding hybrid of a battle royale and a fighting game.

Naraka: Bladepoint review: Gameplay

Naraka: Bladepoint feels similar if you took Tekken and threw everyone into a wide-open map to duke it out. Slap in some ill grappling hook moves and you got yourself Naraka: Bladepoint. I really like it.

You can queue upward solo or in trios, depending on your playstyle. I'k the lone wolf type, so I played solos. You'll primarily fight with melee weapons such as longswords, greatswords, and spears, and y'all'll take some ranged options also. Don't rely on ranged gainsay, though, as information technology has a very steep learning curve. Bows and flintlock rifles are fun in a pinch, but skilled players will close the gap on you lot before you tin can country a shot.

Naraka: Bladepoint review — (Epitome credit: NetEase Games)

Don't exist fooled by your first couple of matches, since Naraka: Bladepoint pits yous against bots to go your feet moisture. I wish games that did this were better about advertising that fact, instead of lulling yous into a false sense of confidence. This motion past Naraka: Bladepoint's developers, 24 Entertainment, upset several players. I acknowledge that I plant myself disappointed when I learned this — and here I thought I was just naturally good at the game.

Like beau battle royale Apex Legends, Naraka: Bladepoint features several heroes with their ain styles and abilities. A couple experience more overpowered than others, though 24 Entertainment will probable rein them in somewhen.

The deep gainsay and movement systems continue Naraka: Bladepoint interesting for a while, fifty-fifty if the gameplay loop itself tin grow a fleck stale. If y'all don't like battle royales or don't notice them specially interesting for the long-term, then Naraka: Bladepoint probably won't modify your mind.

Naraka: Bladepoint review: Story and setting

Being a boxing royale, Naraka: Bladepoint doesn't focus too much on story. You play as i of several heroes who caput to Morus Island. On this island long agone, two gods fought and died, leaving their ability behind for mortals to observe.

That's your impetus for battle in this game, duking it out for supremacy and godlike powers. It's admittedly non very deep, merely 24 Entertainment could expand the lore in the futurity, much like Respawn has washed with the Apex Legends universe. But as the game sits now, you lot're merely fighting in a Chinese mythology-inspired globe. It works out quite well, I call up.

Naraka: Bladepoint review: Visuals and audio

Naraka: Bladepoint looks like a summit-notch game, complete with gorgeous visuals and animations. It was a smooth experience on the PC I tested it on (Ryzen vii 1700X, RTX 2080 Ti). There's support for Nvidia DLSS hither, also, which I recommend going with if you're on an RTX GPU.

Character models look groovy, with plenty of rich item on faces and clothing, not to mention all of the peel options. Weapons also feature visual customization, and each one looks fantastic.

Sound design is important in a battle royale and Naraka: Bladepoint delivers on that front. Nearby enemies make noticeable sounds when walking, running, and grappling. Gainsay itself as well has cracking audio, with resounding clangs of metal on metal and prissy furnishings for abilities.

The music is ultimately forgettable, but Naraka: Bladepoint is non an ballsy, story-based game where an impressive soundtrack would lend more weight.

Naraka: Bladepoint review: Verdict

Naraka: Bladepoint is a nice change of pace from the shooter-based battle royales that are popular correct now. The focus on melee gainsay makes the game feel more than personal, with less opportunities for getting wrecked from across the map by a skilled sniper. Mashing the left mouse button won't win you lot many duels, either — you lot demand to time your attacks and parries to exist constructive.

Being a live service, Naraka: Bladepoint features some hefty monetization for cosmetics and the battle pass. This is unfortunate in a premium championship, but that'southward how things piece of work nowadays. So far, I haven't seen any pay-to-win mechanics.

At $twenty to showtime, Naraka: Bladepoint is fun if y'all're bored of the large players in the battle royale space. Just like others of its ilk, it can speedily grow dried, especially if you play alone. It does earn its merit with fun gameplay, simply information technology'due south nonetheless a boxing royale at its cadre with many of the genre's shortcomings.

Hashemite kingdom of jordan is the Phones Editor for Tom's Guide, covering all things telephone-related. He's written about phones for over five years and plans to continue for a long while to come up. He loves nothing more than relaxing in his home with a volume, game, or his latest personal writing project. Jordan likes finding new things to dive into, from books and games to new mechanical keyboard switches and fun keycap sets. Jordan tends to lurk on social media, but you tin can all-time attain him on Twitter.