If you’re a fighting game fan of a certain age, you might remember the PS1 fighting game Bushido Blade, where clashes were determined by a single decisive blow from a razor-sharp katana or rapier. If you’re looking for a more modern take on that concept, the upcoming Die By The Blade might be just what you’re looking for.
As shown in a recent gameplay presentation, Die By The Blade is a 3D fighting game where every hit has the potential to end the fight. Players circle endlessly around one another, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and it looks quite impressive, especially considering it’s under development from a very small team. The game is currently scheduled for a 2021 release, with a Kickstarter that will launch in October No word yet if it will include an unlockable character with a gun, as Bushido Blade did.
While Die By The Blade looks especially promising, there are other games that have attempted to take the Bushido Blade concept to the next level. One Strike (and its upcoming sequel, Two Strikes) both offer similar samurai showdowns, albeit in a 2D environment. The truly depraved among us may recall Deadliest Warrior or its sequel Deadliest Warrior: Legends, which pitted Genghis Khan against Sun Tzu in the dumbest way imaginable.