Blade Strangers Will Have Cave Story, Code of Princess, And More Duke It Out In Summer 2018

Publisher Nicalis announced that the upcoming crossover fighter Blade Stranger by Studio Saizensen will release in Summer 2018 for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Here’s its latest trailer and more.

Here’s a look at brand-new gameplay footage:

Developed in Japan by Studio Saizensen, Blade Strangers is an online and offline brawler that features intuitive controls, high-quality visuals and stunning character animations. The game combines the excitement and subtle dynamics of a classic one-on-one fighting game with the polish and features expected from a current-gen contender.

Blade Strangers embraces a traditional and streamlined four-button control scheme that offers accessible controls that are designed to bring fresh blood to the ranks of fighting game players worldwide. For advanced players, the intricate combos, counters and special moves provide tournament-caliber competitors with endless opportunities to hone their skills.

The action in the game is highlighted by the stunning character animations, which are created using a proprietary process. 3D character models are used to render individual animation frames, which are then rasterized into sprites and manually hand-touched up by talented 2D artists to create cel-like characters and movement.

And here’s the opening cinematic:

The roster includes newly-created fighters in addition to others from previous STudio Saizensen games such as Code of Princess EX and the Umihara Kawase games. It also includes Nicalis games like Cave Story+, and four familiar surprise guest characters that have yet to be announced.

Below is a list of the currently confirmed roster of playable characters:

• Curly Brace (Cave Story+)
• Solange (Code of Princess EX)
• Ali (Code of Princess EX)
• Liongate (Code of Princess EX)
• Master T (Code of Princess EX)
• Kawase (Umihara Kawase series)
• Noko (Umihara Kawase series)
• Emiko (Umihara Kawase series)
• Lina (all-new character)
• Helen (all-new character)

Lastly, here’s a look at some screenshots:

Blade Strangers will release in Summer 2018 for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam for $39.99.