You know what they say – if you wish to live by the sword, you should prepare to die by the sword. Or in this case Die by the Blade as a fancy new sword fighting title has been confirmed for Xbox, PlayStation and PC.
Coming from the publishing team at Grindstone, with development handled by those at Triple Hill Interactive, Die by the Blade is a new one-hit-kill sword combat game that is planned for release on Xbox, PlayStation and PC in 2021. Before that time though, there’s nifty Kickstarter campaign that needs to take place; a campaign that is due to run through this October, with the goal of engaging with fans and building an active and supportive community.
Die by the Blade is a title that draws inspiration from legendary combat games like Bushido Blade, Way of the Samurai and Dark Souls as well as the epic stand-offs that you would have most recently found in Ghost of Tsushima. Set in a visually stunning ‘Samuraipunk’ vision of Japan, Die by the Blade fuses techpunk visuals and japanese-inspired aesthetics to create the perfect backdrop for the ancient art of sword fighting.
It is here where you must take up your sword and face off against deadly opponents, where the slightest mistake will seal your fate. Becoming a master of your craft and fighting to the death with other players is the name of the game, and this will play out via tense, fast paced multiplayer matches or as you slash through tough AI enemies in the singleplayer campaign.
By utilising a One-Hit-Kill combat system, Die by the Blade leaves no room for mistakes. By removing the concepts of health bars and health points, the game is built on a realistic battle system creating a sense of real tension as one error by the player could result in instant death. This system emphasizes the need for weapon positioning, parrying and counter moves to defend against enemy attacks before delivering a clean hit to any vital area of your opponent, causing instant death. Players must use the One-Hit-Kill system to learn from their mistakes and mount devastating comebacks to claim victory.
“After many months of hard work, we are thrilled to finally reveal our new title Die by the Blade to the world” commented Peter Adamondy, Development Lead at Triple Hill Interactive. “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.”
“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.” says Peter Nagy, founder and CEO of publisher Grindstone. “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.”
“Our vision for Die by the Blade has taken us to a very exciting place in the development cycle” said Imrich Orosz, COO at Grindstone. “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.”
We’ll be sure to remind you wen that Kickstarter kicks off. But for now take in the trailer below and let us know if you’ll be keeping an eye on the progress of Die by the Blade as it builds up to launch on Xbox and Playstation consoles, as well as PC via Steam, in 2021.
