Recent reviews by LIONSPATH

WE HAVE TRIUMPHED ON THIS DAY HELLDIVERS! GOD SPEED.

Seeking a new flavor in the battle royale genre, Naraka Bladepoint seemed to promise a brand new way to play. I really like the idea of a BR game focusing on incorporating melee weapons and firearms. Additionally, the Chinese mythology theme allows for so much creativity in both its storytelling and future season passes. This is where the good content seems to end...

I felt like the balance between melee and primary weapons would require a higher level of skill in both strategy and execution. When I fought on the battlefield, I felt like it was extraordinarily easy rather than difficult to kill my opponents. All I had to do was button smash them until they either become disorientated or cornered into a wall. It took little mental effort to plan my attacks and I felt like I barely needed my teammates to help me. In a battle royale game, teamwork is part of the equation and in this game, it seems completely forgotten.

Speaking of working together, the communication system is rough. When pinging an item, the character doesn't speak aloud what the item is. She or he just says "Hey! This wonderful item is here" which is incredibly vague when you are in the middle of a fight. Specifying where the enemy is or given out more specific commands is also difficult to do when you are in a tough spot.

The map is creative by giving the player places to hide and ambush their enemies. However, the map is too large for its movement mechanics to be of much worth. From the grappling hooks to climbing up trees, you are moving quite quickly across the map yet its hard to find enemies. There are long pauses in between fights where I, personally, get rather bored. I think they should have either reduced the map size or increased the player count to combat this issue. In regards to the movement mechanics itself, I quite enjoy it. I feel like a ninja when I hide in the trees or jump between rooftops. Rarely do people look up, and that is where I want to be. BUT...you don't need to use these mechanics to win or have the upper hand in most scenarios.

Finally, the graphics. So close...but yet so far. The character customization and overall looks are unique. However, on the home screen there tends to be resolution issues and poor frame drops. The whole thing seems to be out of focus, it wants to be crisp and clear but it comes across blurry. It becomes annoying on how close it is to being sharp to the eye.

As someone who has played over 600+ of Apex Legends (and I know these games are different in their own right), I am disappointed by the lack of challenge and skill this game requires to win. When I play a battle royale game, I want to be pushed to my limit and have to think outside the box. Apex Legends takes both skill and strategy to be a formidable opponent but, in Naraka Bladepoint, I feel like neither is required to be successful. Perhaps with a bit more work and a growing player base, it could start to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Naraka Bladepoint is below average on my grading scale of BR games and so, I am requesting a refund. Maybe in the future it can work at its weaknesses and become a game that deserves to be noticed. I really do hope it improves.