There’s a saying, live by the sword, die by the sword — or in this case, Die by the Blade. Developed by Slovakia-based Triple Hill Interactive and published by Grindstone, Die by the Blade is a realistic one-versus-one sword fighting game that will launch a Kickstarter campaign in October. They are planning to fully release the game on PC and consoles (PS and Xbox) in 2021. Triple Hill Interactive Development Lead Peter Adamondy had the following to say:
After many months of hard work, we are thrilled to finally reveal our new title Die by the Blade to the world. Inspired by classic games like the Bushido Blade series, we wanted to recreate that thrill of facing off against opponents, the sound of clashing steel and mastering the art of sword fighting but with a fresh, Samuraipunk feel,”
As previously stated, Die by the Blade draws inspiration from Bushido Blade. In case you’ve never played it back in PS1 days, Bushido Blade is a fighting game unlike any other. Aiming for realism, there’s no time limit or health bar, instead most attacks from your sword will cause instant death. Although you can wound your opponent to disable their use of weapons, slowing their movements, or even crippling their legs. And obviously, the same will goes for Die by the Blade.
But to keep this spiritual successor fresh, Triple Hill Interactive said that they are also taking inspiration from other titles that have complex dueling elements such as Way of the Samurai, Dark Souls, and Ghost of Tsushima. As well, they’re utilizing self-proclaimed “Samuraipunk” aesthetics, which from what the teaser above showed, looks like a subgenre of cyberpunk. It leans heavily on Japanese-inspired futuristic aesthetics instead of emphasizing the “high tech, low life” aspect. The game will also feature action-adventure elements, multiplayer matches, and a singleplayer campaign against AI enemies. Founder and CEO of publisher Grindstone, Peter Nagy, is excited to return to what made Bushido Blade so special:
“When we were approached with the concept of creating a spiritual successor to the classic sword fighting games, it was an instant greenlight for the project. Gamers have waited too long to see the return of these classic gameplay mechanics and we believe that Die by the Blade will not only revive the genre, but take it to a whole new level, resonating with players old and new.”
Grindstone COO Imrich Orosz added the following
Our vision for Die by the Blade has taken us to a very exciting place in the development cycle. By activating the Kickstarter campaign we want to expand on that vision and build a community of engaged fans, who will not only support the next phase of this exciting journey, but join us on it. We want the community and backers to play a big part in Die by the Blade’s evolution and in doing so, have the opportunity to help shape the game they have waited so long for.”
Sounds exciting? Ready to scratch that Bushido Blade itch again? Tell us what you think by dropping in the comments below.