Die By the Blade Looks Like Bushido Blade For A New Generation

A new weapon-based fighting game entitled Die by the Blade has been revealed, and it looks like a spiritual successor to the cult classic Bushido Blade. After its debut on the original PlayStation in 1997, Bushido Blade gained a decent following among fighting game players, but received only one sequel before falling into obscurity.

For those who played it, Bushido Blade is mainly remembered for its unique, tense, and deadly combat system. It was possible to kill opponents in a single strike, depending on where they were struck and the weapon used. The realistic body damage feature also made injuries permanent in each match, which meant that arms or legs could be disabled and resulted in a lot of methodical, high-stakes showdowns. Although there have been many other weapon-based fighting games in the intervening time, such as SoulCalibur and the recently revitalized Samurai Shodown, nothing has truly filled the void left by Bushido Blade in over 20 years.

As part of GamesRadar‘s Future Games Show for the all-online Gamescom event this year, a reveal trailer was shown for a new weapon fighter called Die by the Blade. The game takes place in a semi-futuristic Japan and is centered around a melee combat system in which one-hit kills are the norm. Developer Triple Hill has openly taken inspiration from games like Bushido Blade and Way of the Samurai, focusing on “that feeling of fear when you’re fighting for your life – you can die any time with just a single mistake.” Fights are described as short and intense, and the game will include a number of authentic Japanese and European weapons.

According to the game’s Steam page, Die by the Blade will feature 1-on-1 fights with local, online and single-player story modes. Movesets are tied to weapon types, not characters, which opens the door to a wide range of character customization options. The game has a broad release window of 2021, but a Kickstarter campaign will also be launching in October.

Die by the Blade is still in the earlier stages of development, but it has some big shoes to fill if it wants to be a spiritual successor to Bushido Blade. Much like the sadly abandoned Def Jam games, Bushido Blade is considered to be one of the great lost IPs of fighting game history. If this game can replicate and expand on the ideas that made Bushido Blade so distinctive and memorable, then it will be welcomed by old fans as well as a new generation of players.

Source: GamesRadar