⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
"10/10 would parkour into my own death again."

I picked up Naraka: Bladepoint thinking, “Oh, a battle royale with ninjas and grappling hooks—how hard can it be?” Turns out, the hardest battle isn’t against other players; it’s against my own lack of spatial awareness.

The first time I used the grappling hook, I felt like Spider-Man... if Spider-Man slammed into trees and misjudged cliff edges. The combat? Fast-paced, skill-based, and filled with just enough button-mashing to make me think I’m good, right before a 12-year-old obliterates me with a perfectly-timed parry.

The customization is top-notch, too. I spent 30 minutes designing a badass warrior who looked like they’d walked straight out of a kung-fu epic. They promptly spent the next 5 matches getting bodied by a guy wearing a chicken suit.

Pros:

Grappling hook shenanigans that make you feel like a god... until they don’t.
Combat that’s so good it almost makes losing fun.
Gorgeous graphics and maps that I completely forget to admire because I'm running for my life.
Cons:

The matchmaking occasionally pairs me with someone who’s clearly auditioning for a live-action Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
I scream every time I get third-partied. My neighbors are worried.
Final verdict: Play this game if you want to feel like a martial arts legend and a flailing idiot—all in the same match.

Would recommend to anyone who enjoys pain and parkour.

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ "10/10 would parkour into my own death again." I picked up Naraka: Bladepoint thinking, “Oh, a battle royale with ninjas and grappling hooks—how hard can it be?” Turns out, the hardest battle isn’t against other players; it’s against my own lack of spatial awareness. The first time I used the grappling hook, I felt like Spider-Man... if Spider-Man slammed into trees and misjudged cliff edges. The combat? Fast-paced, skill-based, and filled with just enough button-mashing to make me think I’m good, right before a 12-year-old obliterates me with a perfectly-timed parry. The customization is top-notch, too. I spent 30 minutes designing a badass warrior who looked like they’d walked straight out of a kung-fu epic. They promptly spent the next 5 matches getting bodied by a guy wearing a chicken suit. Pros: Grappling hook shenanigans that make you feel like a god... until they don’t. Combat that’s so good it almost makes losing fun. Gorgeous graphics and maps that I completely forget to admire because I'm running for my life. Cons: The matchmaking occasionally pairs me with someone who’s clearly auditioning for a live-action Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I scream every time I get third-partied. My neighbors are worried. Final verdict: Play this game if you want to feel like a martial arts legend and a flailing idiot—all in the same match. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys pain and parkour.