Naraka: Bladepoint Game Review
3 Step Game Review
About the Game
Released
August 12, 2021
Platforms
PC (REVIEWED WITH M/KB)
Developer
24 Entertainment
Price
US$ 19.99
(MAY VARY PER LOCATION)
Game Description
NARAKA: BLADEPOINT is a 60-player action Battle Royale offering players insane mobility powered by parkour and grappling hook, a vast arsenal of melee and ranged weapons, and a roster of characters with powerful abilities.
Step 1: Playing Conditions
Read below the game basic characteristics. If it is something you see yourself playing, move on to Step 2: Graphics & Sound.
Gameplay Overview
Nakara: Bladepoint (NB) is a TRADITIONAL BATTLE ROYALE (BR) as the most popular ones we got out there. You always drop on the same shrinking map, collect gear, weapons, and supplies of different levels and fight your way to be the last standing.
What makes NB different is the MELEE COMBAT AND MOBILITY. Instead of shooting people down, you will be slashing and piercing them up. From a pool of heroes, you pick the one with the abilities that best suit your gameplay style and fight for victory on solos or trios matches. But don’t be fooled, NB’s combat is not just about mashing the buttons; timing, combos, and knowing how to move are essential to climbing up the ranks.
Step 2: Graphics & Sound
Watch 5 to 10 minutes of any video below. If you like what you see and hear, move on to Step 3: Game Evaluation.
Step 3: Game Evaluation
Build your expectations about the game by learning what it offers and how was The Partisan Spy’s experience.
USER INTERFACE
When compared to other BRs, the game interface and HUD feel OUTDATED and UNFINISHED.
NB has a lot going on: leveling systems, information hubs, season events, etc… and the UI doesn’t help understand it. Feeling lost in the first couple of hours should be normal. Beyond that, the hardcoded keybindings can be a problem for players that want to customize their keyboard settings.
STORY
NB is set in a competitive atmosphere around an island, where warriors fight for the glory of the gods! Basically, that’s the story of the game.
As with most BR games, a SIMPLE PLOT is set to give a reason for the “conflict”. As you level up the heroes, lore and illustrations about them are unlocked. With no influence in the gameplay, it can also be considered another “cosmetic”.
COMMUNITY POTENTIAL
In the past years, BR became one of the biggest genres in the gaming industry. The potential of building a community is as huge as the number of games competing for players’ hearts.
NB brings something DIFFERENT to the genre and has most of “the extras” set it up: tournaments, ranking, skins… The question that only time will answer is: are players passionate about melee combat as they are to FPS?
GAMEPLAY MOOD TRACKER
MOOD ANALYSIS
My mood tracker averaged ENTERTAINED for almost all the 25 hours of gameplay. Aside from that, there were some spikes to EXCITED when matches were won. As you climb the ranking system, the game quickly becomes tough, and mashing buttons won’t take you further. To have the best time with NB, you should enjoy learning and perfecting your skills.
GRIND FEELING
You can play NB for dozens of hours with NO FEELING OF REPETITION.
Even though you always drop on the same map the variety of heroes, weapons and combats will always bring you a new challenge.
Nothing new here, this is a core characteristic of every BR game and possibly one of the reasons the genre has so much success.
LOVED THE MOST
Grappling hooks and mastering movement is as important as learning how to fight. The balance of these elements brought a new kind of gameplay to the genre.
DISLIKED THE MOST
It is really hard to identify foes from friends in the trio mode, there could be better visual cues.
EVALUATION SUMMARY
There is no way you can go wrong with Naraka: Bladepoint, you get what you buy: Melee Combat Battle Royale. Both genres are well-known and any hesitation about it can be solved with all free-to-play options there are out there.
BR is crowded with shooters options and different variations of the same. Last year, the genre “opened up” to the Fall Guys phenomenon and game developers have shown BR can be much bigger than already is.
Naraka: Bladepoint is far from being as revolutionary as Fall Guys was, but it is part of the unstoppable transformation of the genre.
And it is done just right, welcome Naraka.
Choices & Advice
DON’T BUY IT
IF HERO ABILITIES, HIGH MOBILITY AND MELEE COMBAT IS NOT YOUR THING.
WAIT TO BUY
IF YOU DOUBT THAT THIS COMBINATION OF GENRES WILL SUCCEED.
BUY NOW
IF YOU BELIEVE MELEE BRS WILL BE A THING AND YOU WANT TO BE PART OF THIS NEW COMMUNITY.
GAME LIFETIME
THIS CAN BE A +500 HOUR GAME. IF YOU INTENT TO PLAY AT A COMPETITIVE LEVEL, BEST TIME TO JOIN IS NOW.
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