Stray Blade is an action RPG launching on Xbox Series X|S in 2023, featuring Soulslike elements and a dynamic world that changes as you play. We recently had a chance to play; here’s what we thought…While Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning come to mind when you look at Stray Blade, don’t be fooled by its colourful and welcoming appearance, it’s got a combat system that borrows from the Soulslike genre, and a world that repopulates itself with enemies anytime you leave an area or die. Stray Blade is the upcoming action-RPG from Point Blank, and is expected to launch on Xbox Series X|S sometime next year. If you like a little bit of a challenge with your RPG combat, a beautiful yet dangerous world to explore, and a magic-wielding tiny wolf-man friend, then this should be a game worthy of your attention. Stray Blade reveal trailerWhen starting your adventure in Stray Blade, you’ll be given the option to choose between a male or female aesthetic for the game’s protagonist, Baron, an adventurer and explorer who finds the war-torn lands of Acrea the Lost Valley and subsequently breaks a spell that kills them. Baron is then brought back from death by a magical creature, Boji, but with the caveat that they’re bound to the land until they can restore balance to the valley’s three regions by defeating their accompanying general and boss characters.Immediately after gaining control of Baron, I was greeted by a vibrant world full of colour. The lush greens of the grass and the trees popped against the backdrop of the open blue sky and the rocky outcroppings that surrounded the gateway in front of me. Playing around with the controls at that early point showed that I could use a light attack, heavy attack, parry, and roll dodge — the standard controls for an action RPG. Baron came equipped with a long sword and a sword and shield combo that could be switched quickly via the D-pad.Combat in Stray Blade, while still offering a general action-RPG feel, features elements taken from the Soulslike genre. Battles are a lot more forgiving here, but enemies do pack a punch, and using your attacks and dodges at the correct time to break through your opponent’s defences without them hitting you is a key focus of the gameplay. Damage can be healed via the use of healing plants found throughout the world, of which I could carry three during the time I played. Each weapon you use features a special attack and finisher move, which can be used once you deplete an enemy’s stamina bar by parrying their attacks.My first encounter saw me facing a few large Cervidae-like creatures found within the opening area, which swiped and pounced at me. Point Blank has previously said that the combat in Stray Blade focused on split-second reactions, and after the three separate fights I had with the creatures, I could really feel the Soulslike inspiration that drives its encounters, but I was told that the game has been developed to be more of an approachable action-RPG instead of a stress-inducing experience like that found in Elden Ring or Dark Souls. Either attacking or clicking the right toggle allowed me to focus on the enemy I was fighting, while dodging its attacks allowed me to follow up with an attack of my own before I inevitably had to lunge out of the way of a large paw attempting to swat me like you would an obnoxiously annoying fly. Shortly after proving myself to the wild beasties, I came across Boji, a Xhinnon wolf with magical powers and Baron’s companion. Boji has the ability to join you in combat with various abilities, such as using energy bombs, jumping onto enemies’ faces, reviving you, or other ways of impassively aiding you in each fight. Both Boji and Baron have skill trees that can be customised to suit your playstyle, while Baron’s armour can be customised with the gear you either find in the world or craft. The skill trees are combat-based, so the more fights you get into, the more skill points you’ll earn for each character — you’ll also increase the chances of finding crafting ingredients to upgrade your gear. Stray Blade doesn’t feature class setups like other RPGs, instead, you’ll become proficient with weaponry the more you use it, such as swords, lances, and axes, to name but a few. One of the most interesting features for me, though, was the dynamically changing world Acrea the Lost Valley has. A little into the session, an enemy put an end to the win streak I was having and killed Baron. Upon respawning at a previously unlocked waypoint, the areas that had previously been cleared were once again repopulated with enemies. The difference is that what was originally a pack of beasts roaming the area, I instead found a human encampment. Stray Blade will randomly spawn in new groups of enemies in areas you had previously cleared, so no matter where you go, you’ll not really know what you’re walking into. It’s a nice touch that gave the world a living feeling — even if the need to fight my way back through the same area is the exact reason I generally snub any form of Soulslike game.Although the version of Stray Blade that I played was technically an alpha build, the experience was an absolute delight. We don’t currently have a release date for the game, though, so we could be waiting some time before the game launches, but I’ll be watching its development closely from here on out. Both the combat and visuals offered me a challenging yet relaxing time, so I can only imagine how the rest of Acrea the Lost Valley will feel when we can play on our Xbox Series X and S consoles in 2023. If you’re now in the mood to dive into an RPG for your own adventures, why not check out our list of some of the best RPGs on Xbox, which features the likes of Dark Souls III, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Nier: Automata.What do you think of Stray Blade so far? Will you be looking to save Acrea from the corrupting forces and befriend Boji? Drop into the comments below to let us know!
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