Naraka: Bladepoint Review (Von Nebo)
I see this is one of those games the community is trying to rally against even without playing it or looking into it in any depth, and so I'll spend some of my life writing my first steam review.
I like hard games, I like Asian aesthetic and historical culture , and I like uniqueness. This game checks all those boxes well, and I've seen the game grow in playability since it's early seasons; In fact, I don't think they even called them seasons at first. It's not perfect, and my biggest gripe at first was that it was a game with an upfront cost as well as many micro-transaction options. The game is now free to play, however, and you unlock legendary skins/items every now and again from just playing, as well as offering ways to unlock playable characters of your choice with in-game currency.
When mentioning this game in conversation, I've been met with disinterest because of it's lack of popularity as well as some off-hand racism. I encourage all that are looking for a challenging and fun game to give it a try despite these stigmas. I'm very glad I tried it out that first time.
Since this is an honest review, I'll mention cons as well. I feel there's just a bit too much going on in the main menus as far as events, currencies, packages, skins, doo-dads, links, texts, ect. I DO enjoy it to some extent, as it's a fun tribute to the Chinese culture to have festivals and events and cool little gifts; However, it's just a bit excessive of this function, to the point where I don't know what some things are because I simply want to get into a battle most of the time and not try to track down what kind of coins I just acquired randomly and what shop I can use them in.
Gameplay-wise, I have a great time. There are some very good players in this game, and it's very important to try to pick apart what exactly they're doing better than you and try to use those skills for yourself; Which is akin to martial arts, and I think that's cool. A high-skill ceiling for sure, BUT those that are scared of this shouldn't fear TOO much. There is a bot mode with 3 difficulties that you can play solo or with your friends so that there is no chance of being whipped up and down by the 'Lord of the Lobby', as I've affectionately named the player you can see in the lobby before you spawn in that has a mastery rank that you can't even understand. Piggy-backing off that point, when you play PVP, there will be bots in the mix, and you will feel great for defeating many of them; But when you meet the 'Lord of the Lobby' in that same game, your fate will likely be sealed before you realize it is he/she. It makes you pay more attention, if anything; BUT the skill jump can be a bit of a shock when it happens.
Might I add, you can accomplish the in game quests/achievements in the bot modes.
Overall, this is one of my favorite games to play lately. I'm a bit of a casual gamer, as you can see I don't have thousands of hours in this game, only a hundred or so; But I still find it challenging and fun. For fans of the Dynasty Warriors series, it will feel homey but also much more polished and fluid. If I may interject with a comparison here, there are many, many Dynasty Warriors games, and they've gathered quite a following over the years. However, they have been much of the same game with improvements here and there on graphics, features, and playability. This is a fresh take on a very similar concept of gameplay, polishing it up and also incorporating pvp and online co-op. Dynasty Warriors holds a place in my heart from years and years ago, and I think looking at the two side by side grows my love of Naraka to and even higher state.
I won't give a number rating for this game or any other game, that's not my style. Just know I like this game a lot and I think more people should give it a try.
Thank you for reading my review, and may your journeys be full of wonder.