Nicalis has released first details and screenshots of its newly announced fighting game Blade Strangers developed by Studio Saizensen, which is due out in the fourth quarter of 2017 for PlayStation 4, Switch, Xbox One, and PC.
The stunning character animation in Blade Strangers is created using a proprietary process. 3D character models are used to render individual animation frames, which are then rasterized into sprites and manually touched up by experienced 2D artists. The result is smooth and realistic animation in which every single frame looks like a gorgeous anime illustration.
The game uses a four-button control scheme in which all attacks are triggered by various combinations of action buttons. By avoiding the use of traditional quarter-circle and half-circle input commands, Nicalis and Studio Saizensen hope that the less complex controls of Blade Strangers will allow new players to get into the fighting game genre. The development team’s goal is to revitalize a once-mighty fan community that has the potential to grow even larger.
Another benefit of the simplified controls in Blade Strangers is reduced lag in online multiplayer competition, since there’s less data to transmit between opponents. The finished game will combine the excitement and subtle dynamics of a classic one-on-one brawler with the polish and features that a current-gen fighting game deserves.
View the screenshots at the gallery.
(Editor’s Note: Nicalis’ press release also mentions this game as coming to Xbox One. However, we’ve contacted them to determine whether or not this is an error as the initial announcement didn’t include the platform, nor did the press release for the company’s E3 2017 lineup. We’ll update this post once we hear back.)
Update 2:30 p.m.: Nicalis has confirmed the game is indeed also coming to Xbox One.
Update 6:45 p.m.: Nicalis has contacted Gematsu again and told us that the Xbox One version is now “to be determined.”
