In a surprise turn of events, developer and publisher Frozenbyte, responsible for the Trine series and Nine Parchments (one of my favorite Switch titles to date), has simultaneously announced and released today Boreal Blade, a team-based melee fighting game.
Boreal Blade features PvP melee combat where players can utilize a range of weapon types—including two-handed, shield and one-handed, and thrusting—across three distinct fighting styles and three armor classes. More than that, though, the game forgoes actively using a button to use a shield to block, for example, and utilizes active positioning in order to block attacks, increasing the strategy factor in each bout, and the inclusion of such moves as dodges and feint attacks increase this exponentially.
Here are the game’s key features from Frozenbyte’s press release:
Reactionary and tactical gameplay
- Complete freedom of attack and block direction performed with simple controls, allowing players to concentrate on their battle tactics and series of manoeuvres and to control the flow of the battle.
- There are hundreds of ways to variate attacks and players have complete freedom to move the weapon and character around, encouraging them to experiment and find the fighting style that suits them best.
Four multiplayer game modes
- Players can charge into combat together with their clan mate warriors in Team Deathmatch and Boreal Battle modes where two teams go up against each other.
- Boreal Claim mode consists of two teams who take turns attacking or defending a banner against the other team.
- In Deathmatch it is everyone for themselves – the first warrior to get 20 kills wins the match!
Four different fighting styles
- Hundreds of weapons, shields, pieces of armour and battle items for developing customized fighting styles and battle tactics.
Detailed character creation and game world
- Create your warrior and choose their equipment, accessories and weapons and customize their appearance with jewellery, facial hair and armour dyes.
- Explore the different fighting arenas across the Nordic mythology inspired, paintinglike Norvalg.
Free demo
- Put your team fighting skills to the test with the free Boreal Blade Demo available today.
- The demo includes the tutorial, Training hall and Yggslatr map. Demo players are also free to join all games hosted by all other players.
- In the demo you can use the default armour and weaponry and you have the opportunity to pick up additional items and armaments from the ground. Demo and full game are compatible, allowing players of both versions play together!
As mentioned above, a free demo is also available today on the Nintendo Switch eShop, and—best of all—multiplayer functions across both the full game and demo version, meaning everyone can play together. I’m a huge fan of Frozenbyte’s work, so I’m absolutely excited to check this one out. To get a better idea of the game, be sure to check out the image gallery and announcement trailer below.
