Stray Blade
A Soulslike adventure of resurrection and combat with a talking wolf.
Stray Blade is a 2023 action role-playing game from developer Point Blank Games and publisher 505 Games. The story follows adventurer Farren West, who dies searching for the Lost Valley of Acrea and is brought back by a talking wolf named Boji. Players control a customizable male or female version of West, aiming to break free from a crystal that Boji used for the resurrection. The game is a Soulslike, requiring players to dodge or parry attacks. Enemies flash blue for parryable moves and red for attacks that must be dodged. Stamina, needed for offense, is restored through perfectly timed parries and dodges. Combos are possible, and defeating bosses unlocks special abilities used in a skill tree for character customization. Boji helps in combat and has his own skills. The game launched on Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on April 20, 2023. Critical reception was mixed. Push Square noted bugs and poor performance on PlayStation but recommended it as an entry-level Soulslike, praising the art style, narrative, and combat—though they called the combat "sluggish and imprecise." IGN felt it "tries and fails" to break genre conventions, appreciating the colorful world and simplified combat but finding it lacking next to other Soulslikes. NME described it as "the Fisher-Price of Soulslikes," saying its initial impression does not last.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Point Blank Games
- Publisher
- 505 Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine
- Platforms
- PlayStation 5
- Windows
- Xbox Series X/S
- Released
- April 20, 2023 (WW)
- Genre
- Action role-playing
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game follows the adventurer Farren West, who dies while seeking the Lost Valley of Acrea but is resurrected by a talking wolf named Boji. Players control West, who can be customized as male or female, and must free themselves from the control of a crystal that Boji used for the resurrection. Combat follows Soulslike conventions: players dodge or parry attacks, with enemies flashing blue for parriable attacks and red for attacks that must be dodged. Attacking requires stamina, which is recovered through perfectly timed parries and dodges, and players can execute combos. Defeating bosses grants special abilities used to customize the character through a skill tree. Boji assists in combat and has his own skills.
Reader's Guide
Stray Blade received mixed reviews on Metacritic. Critics noted bugs and poor performance in the PlayStation version, but Push Square recommended it to players seeking an entry-level Soulslike, praising its art style, narrative, and combat—though they described combat as 'sluggish and imprecise.' IGN wrote that the game 'tries and fails' to break genre conventions, enjoying the colorful world and simplified combat but finding it fell short of other Soulslikes. NME called it 'the Fisher-Price of Soulslikes,' stating it does not maintain its positive initial impression. The game's significance lies in its attempt to lower the barrier to entry for the Soulslike genre, but its legacy is tempered by technical issues and a perceived lack of depth compared to its peers.
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