Stray Blade Hands-On Preview – Appearances Can Be Deceiving

wccftech.com:

In the past few years, we have seen so many action role-playing games inspired by From Software's Souls series that it has become difficult to keep track of them all. While very few of these titles have managed to reach the level of quality of games like the first Dark Souls, Bloodborne, or Elden Ring, it is undeniable that seeing the different takes on the formula by a variety of developers, both big and small has been very interesting, to say the least.

Among the action role-playing games inspired by the Souls series' formula that try to twist the experience in interesting ways is Stray Blade by Berlin-based studio Point Blank Games, which features an unusually bright and colorful fantasy setting. Appearances, however, can be deceiving, as the game is not exactly an idyllic romp through a peaceful land.

Stray Blade stars two different characters, the anthropologist Farren and the magically created half-wolf being Boji, that found themselves bound to Acrea the Lost Valley, a wild land where mysterious powers lay hidden, powers that grant immortality to all those that venture into it in exchange of their freedom. However, this doesn't stop Farren from wanting to learn more about the land, a desire for knowledge that makes him eventually enter an uneasy alliance with Boji as they search for a way out of their predicament.

While Farren is the game's only playable character, the dual main characters approach works incredibly well in a formula usually best suited for a solitary adventure. Farren is very talkative even when alone, and the banter between the two characters is often entertaining and somewhat informative, as the lore of Acrea seems much deeper than what may seem at first glance.

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