Info about Blade Strangers:

Official game description:
A malevolent force known only as Lina is devouring data from a vast, interdimensional network of servers overseen by sentient computers called ”motes.” In desperation, the motes summon heroes from a variety of parallel game worlds to face off against each other in one-on-one combat. The tournament victor has the potential to be awakened as the Blade Stranger—the savior who can vanquish Lina and protect the motes from further harm!  
Developed by Studio Saizensen, Blade Strangers is a hardcore old-school fighting game. The streamlined four-button control scheme makes it easy for beginners to deal out damage from day one…but the intricate combos, counters and specials give tournament-caliber players plenty of opportunities for frame counting, chain construction and hit-box science.  
\-Fighter roster includes characters from previous Studio Saizensen games (like Code of Princess and Sayonara Umihara Kawase), Nicalis games (like Cave Story+) and other surprise entrants  
\-Each character has eight different color settings and their own familiar “home” stage  
\-Proprietary development system transforms 3-D models and animation into 2-D spritework; every frame looks like a gorgeous anime drawing  
\-Online competition play  
\-Accessible controls designed to bring fresh blood to the ranks of fighting-game fans worldwide

Release date: Aug 27, 2018

Categories: Fighting Game, Character Customization, Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer, Action, Arcade, High Score Chasing

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 10; verdict: Seamless; summary: The game is praised for its simple and responsive controls, making it accessible and enjoyable for both casual and experienced players. There are no significant technical barriers or issues reported in the provided reviews.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Beginner-friendly and easy to learn (weight 0.97): The game is praised for its accessibility, with easy-to-understand mechanics and simple controls, making it ideal for beginners and casual players.
- Unique and interesting characters (weight 0.54): The game features a roster of unique and interesting characters, including crossovers from other indie games, which adds to its appeal.
- Competent and fun fighting game (weight 0.49): The game is enjoyed as a traditional fighting game with a variety of characters and fluid mechanics.
- Fast-paced and entertaining (weight 0.33): Players find the game to be fast-paced and fun, suitable for short sessions and providing good entertainment value.
- Varied mechanics and character moves (weight 0.3): The game offers a variety of mechanics and each character has unique tools and playstyles, providing depth and replayability.
- Enjoyable combo system (weight 0.22): The combo system is satisfying and well-designed, allowing for enjoyable and extendable combos.
- Good soundtrack and stages (weight 0.21): The game features a competent soundtrack and stages that are faithful to their original games, adding to the overall presentation.
- Nostalgic feel and homage (weight 0.15): The game is appreciated for its nostalgic feel, reminiscent of classic arcade fighters, and serves as a streamlined homage to them.
- Entertaining character selection (weight 0.11): The character selection is entertaining, with a variety of fun and unique characters to choose from.

Common complaints:
- Dead online mode (weight 0.55): The online mode is frequently described as dead or inactive, with very few players participating. This leads to a lack of active community and competitive scene.
- Poor story mode (weight 0.48): The story mode is criticized for being short, cheesy, poorly executed, and not engaging. Players find it boring and lazily put together.
- Lack of content (weight 0.37): There is a general consensus that the game lacks sufficient content, leading to limited replay value and not enough content to justify the price.
- Subpar graphics (weight 0.34): The graphics are criticized for not being the best, with issues such as jagged edges, rough scaling artifacts, and a lack of graphical settings and anti-aliasing.
- High price concerns (weight 0.33): Many players feel that the game is overpriced for its current state and the amount of content it offers. It is often mentioned that the game is not worth the full price.
- Janky movement and controls (weight 0.29): Players report that the movement feels janky, sluggish, and unresponsive. The controls are also described as confusing and bad, especially on PC.
- Repetitive and boring combos (weight 0.27): The combat system is criticized for having repetitive and boring combos, making the gameplay feel monotonous.
- Netcode issues (weight 0.23): The game suffers from netcode issues, including the lack of rollback netcode and significant online lag, which affects the online playing experience.
- Limited character lineup (weight 0.17): The character lineup is considered too minor for broad appeal and lacks depth in using recognizable characters.
- Poor voice acting and story (weight 0.15): The voice acting is criticized for being poor, and the story is described as low quality and not engaging.
- Frequent crashes (weight 0.11): The game is reported to crash consistently during missions, affecting the overall gameplay experience.
- Game feels abandoned (weight 0.11): Players feel that the game has been abandoned by both the developers and the player base, leading to a lack of updates and active community.
- Unbalanced and shallow gameplay (weight 0.1): The gameplay is criticized for being unbalanced and shallow, leading to a less enjoyable experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Simple and accessible controls (weight 0.76): The game features a simplified control scheme with a four-button layout, making it easy for beginners to pick up and play. The controls are designed to be intuitive and responsive, similar to other popular fighting games like Smash Bros and Street Fighter.
- Easy combos and special moves (weight 0.47): The combat system is designed to be simple, with easy-to-perform combos and special moves. This makes the game accessible to casual players while still offering depth for more competitive gameplay.
- Diverse character roster (weight 0.42): The game offers a wide range of characters, including unique and crossover characters from various IPs. This diversity adds to the game's appeal and provides players with a variety of fighting styles and abilities to choose from.
- Multiple game modes (weight 0.29): The game includes several modes such as Campaign, Survival, Story, Arcade, and Online Multiplayer. These modes offer different gameplay experiences and cater to various player preferences.
- Fluid and competitive gameplay (weight 0.15): The game offers fluid and accessible gameplay that is suitable for both casual and competitive players. The responsive controls and simple mechanics contribute to a smooth gaming experience.
- Achievements and content (weight 0.1): The game includes various achievements and content for players to unlock and enjoy. This adds to the game's replayability and provides additional goals for players to strive for.
- Adjustable CPU difficulty (weight 0.09): The game features adjustable CPU difficulty settings, allowing players to customize the challenge level to their preference. This makes the game accessible to players of different skill levels.
- Balance issues (weight 0.09): Some players have reported balance issues within the game, indicating that certain characters or strategies may be overpowered or underpowered. This can affect the overall competitive balance of the game.
- Poor single-player content (weight 0.08): The game has been criticized for its poor single-player content, with some players finding the construction of the single-player modes to be sloppy and lacking in depth.

Performance notes:
- Online and netplay issues (weight 0.31): Severe netplay lag and online lag are reported. The online environment is unstable, and there is no rollback netcode. Some players, however, report smooth online play.
- Graphical quality issues (weight 0.27): Players report rough edges, scaling artifacts, and jagged graphics. The game also lacks anti-aliasing and has poor character rendering.
- Resolution and display problems (weight 0.23): The game does not look good in full screen and only looks good in smaller resolutions or windowed mode. Resolution options are almost non-existent, and the image quality is locked at 720p.
- Performance and optimization problems (weight 0.2): Players experience noticeable slowdowns, frame drops, and optimization issues. Despite this, the game runs well on low-end hardware.
- Controller and keybinding issues (weight 0.1): Players have reported issues with controller configuration and keybindings, which can hinder gameplay.
- Crashes and bugs (weight 0.07): Consistent crashes and bugs are reported by players, affecting the overall gaming experience.
- Long loading times (weight 0.06): The game has long loading times, which can be frustrating for players.
- Barebones matchmaking (weight 0.06): The matchmaking system is reported to be very basic and lacking in features.

Recommendations:
- Buy game on sale (weight 0.38): Many players recommend purchasing the game during a sale to get a better price. This suggestion is frequently mentioned across multiple clusters.
- Worth trying for fighting game fans (weight 0.22): If you enjoy fighting games, this game is worth spending a few hours on. It offers a unique cast of fighters and is worth a look if found at a good price.
- Great for multiplayer with friends (weight 0.2): The game is highly recommended for playing with friends, especially in local multiplayer mode. It enhances the gaming experience significantly.
- Ideal for fighting game beginners (weight 0.19): The game is suggested for newcomers to fighting games or those looking to practice. It is seen as a good entry point for beginners.
- Good for indie game fans (weight 0.11): The game is recommended for fans of indie games, particularly those interested in amateurish indie games.
- Rematch option needed (weight 0.11): Players have requested an in-game rematch option, especially for League and Stealth matches.
- Improve casual lobby search (weight 0.1): Suggestions include adding a threaded casual-lobby search function and removing the filter by rounds from Casual Match search.
- Show match details (weight 0.1): Players want to see the delay value and ping to the opponent mid-match for better gameplay experience.
- Stylish and easy-to-learn brawler (weight 0.06): The game is noted for its stylish design and ease of learning, making it accessible for casual players.
- Lack of online players (weight 0.06): Despite the lack of online players, the game is still recommended for its other qualities.
- Deserves more recognition (weight 0.06): Players feel that the game deserves more recognition than it currently receives.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.29): Players are disappointed due to a combination of technical issues, lack of content, and unmet expectations. The game suffers from graphical glitches, poor controls, and a lack of updates, leading to a sense of abandonment by the developers. Additionally, the simplistic fighting system and repetitive gameplay modes contribute to the overall dissatisfaction.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.19): Players enjoy the game for its fun and accessible gameplay, unique character roster, and beautiful artwork. The game is easy to learn and play, making it enjoyable for both beginners and experienced players. The goofy presentation and the ability to play with friends add to the overall enjoyment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.14): Players are satisfied with the game's accessibility, visual appeal, and technical aspects. The simplified controls, interesting characters, and high skill ceiling make the gameplay enjoyable. The game's unique rendering technology and good netcode also contribute to a positive experience.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.06): Players feel nostalgic as the game reminds them of classic fighting games and early 2000's gaming experiences. The appreciation for the game despite its abandonment and the mention of various indie games evoke a sense of nostalgia.
- Frustration (weight 0.06): Players are frustrated with the game due to repetitive unlock notifications, poor voice acting, and resolution options. The poor gameplay experience, bugs, crashes, and lack of joystick support add to the frustration.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.05): Players are enthusiastic about the game's unique crossover and mechanics. The overall enjoyment and appreciation of the game, along with favorite features and characters, contribute to this enthusiasm.
- Joy (weight 0.05): Players experience joy from the character selection and variety, as well as the funny story modes. The good gameplay experience and the enjoyment of free-flowing combos and cool characters add to this joy.
- Appreciation (weight 0.04): Players appreciate the game's approachability and charm, as well as the inclusion of characters from other games. The enjoyment of the game's system and character design also contributes to this appreciation.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Players are excited about the attractive crossover of indie characters. The unique combination of characters from different games generates a sense of excitement.
- Amusement (weight 0.03): Players find amusement in the unique character interactions and the humorous aspects of the game, such as using a machine gun in a fistfight.
- Contentment (weight 0.03): Players feel content with the game despite its flaws. The enjoyment of the single-player experience, even with a dead online mode, contributes to this contentment.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Players are confused about the unclear theme or direction of the game, leading to a sense of uncertainty about its purpose or goals.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players express love for the game, indicating an immediate and strong emotional connection to the overall experience.}