There is something immediately appealing about a game that knows exactly which corner of gaming history it wants to revisit. Blades & Battles, published by QUByte Interactive, goes straight back to the era of sword-and-sorcery beat ’em ups, taking plenty of inspiration from classics such as Golden Axe while giving the formula a 2.5D makeover. That makes its intentions clear from the outset: this is less interested in reinventing the genre than in recreating the straightforward pleasure of picking up a sword and working through hordes of enemies. On PlayStation 5, that approach results in an enjoyable but decidedly compact brawler that understands the appeal of its inspiration, even if it also inherits some of the limitations that came with it.
The setup is appropriately simple. Arthur and Lancelot find themselves dealing with a sudden monster invasion after Morgana kidnaps Merlin, sending the two heroes off on a quest through a suitably fantastical version of Arthurian legend. The story is intentionally lightweight and frequently silly, which is probably for the best because Blades & Battles has no interest in treating its interpretation of Camelot with much seriousness. That gives the adventure an appealing arcade-like quality, although the writing and narrative are unlikely to leave much of an impression once the final boss has been defeated. It is essentially an excuse to move from one battle to the next, and while that fits the genre, there are moments when the game feels like it could have done more with its unusual take on Arthur and Lancelot.
The two heroes at least give the campaign some welcome variety. Arthur relies on his imposing sword, while Lancelot brings more elemental attacks into the equation, with their stronger abilities giving each character a distinct visual identity. There is also a useful balance between health and mana, with special attacks and defensive abilities providing ways of dealing with larger groups. Local co-op is particularly well suited to the design, as having another player beside you makes the uncomplicated hack-and-slash action considerably more entertaining. The problem is that the differences between the heroes do not go quite as far as they could mechanically. Once the fighting gets underway, both largely fulfil the same basic role, and there is no progression system allowing either character to develop over the course of the campaign. What is available at the beginning is essentially what remains available at the end.
That simplicity is both the game’s greatest strength and one of its biggest weaknesses. The basic combat is easy to understand, with standard attacks leading into combos, aerial attacks allowing enemies to be juggled, and more powerful abilities capable of clearing space when things get crowded. There is a satisfying physicality to sending an enemy flying across the screen, and the game generally makes it easy to get into a rhythm without demanding frame-perfect execution. At its best, this is exactly the kind of uncomplicated button-mashing fun that a retro-inspired beat ’em up should provide. At the same time, the combat can feel rather imprecise. The three-dimensional movement across the fighting plane occasionally makes it difficult to judge exactly where attacks will connect, while dodges do not always feel as reliable as they should. Hit detection can consequently produce some frustrating moments, particularly when several enemies surround the player.
The lack of progression is harder to overlook. There are no meaningful character upgrades, additional weapons or expanding moveset to provide a sense of development, so the game is asking the player to enjoy the same fundamental combat loop for the entirety of its relatively short campaign. That can be perfectly acceptable for someone specifically looking for an old-school arcade experience, but it also means there is little incentive to return once the campaign has been completed. The difficulty can provide some additional challenge, although it does not completely compensate for the limited evolution of the gameplay. The contrast is particularly noticeable because the core combat is enjoyable enough to make the player wish there were more of it.
The controls follow the same philosophy. They are straightforward enough to understand almost immediately, and the tutorial does a good job of introducing the various attacks and abilities without overcomplicating things. Sprinting, dodging, basic attacks and special moves are all easy to access, and the uncomplicated control scheme works well with the game’s arcade sensibilities. However, the occasional clumsiness of the combat means that simplicity does not always translate into precision. When the player is being attacked from several directions, the limited defensive options and sometimes questionable hit registration can make the controls feel less responsive than they initially appear. There is fun to be had here, but the combat would benefit from a little more refinement.
Visually, Blades & Battles takes an interesting route by combining three-dimensional environments and character models with a deliberately chunky pixel filter. It is an effective way of signalling its retro ambitions, and the different environments help prevent the journey from becoming visually monotonous. The move from ruined settlements to forests, castles and other fantasy locations provides enough variety, while the collection of goblins, skeletons, demons and other creatures gives the screen plenty of activity. The art direction is certainly distinctive, although the heavy pixelation can sometimes work against the clarity needed during a hectic fight. On PS5, where the larger screen gives the presentation some room to breathe, this is less problematic than it might be on a smaller display, but the visual treatment can still make certain characters and objects harder to distinguish in the middle of a busy encounter.
The audio similarly understands what kind of game this is trying to be. The soundtrack leans into dark fantasy and retro influences rather than attempting to deliver an especially elaborate cinematic score, and that suits the exaggerated action. The music helps give the adventure an appropriately gloomy fantasy atmosphere, while the sound effects provide plenty of impact to the sword swings and special attacks. Some of those effects can become repetitive, however, and occasional audio choices feel more distracting than atmospheric. The presentation therefore supports the game’s arcade identity without quite reaching the level of polish that might make its world more memorable.
Ultimately, Blades & Battles is at its most successful when it stops trying to be anything other than a straightforward retro beat ’em up. The Arthurian setting gives the familiar formula some personality, the exaggerated combat can be genuinely entertaining, and local co-op is a natural fit for a game built around smashing through waves of enemies. There is also a certain charm in how completely it commits to its old-school design philosophy. Unfortunately, that philosophy also leaves the campaign feeling underdeveloped. With limited character differentiation, no meaningful progression, occasionally unreliable combat and a relatively short runtime, there simply is not enough here to sustain the experience for very long.
For players looking for a modern interpretation of the classic sword-and-sorcery arcade brawler, Blades & Battles has enough energetic combat and retro charm to provide a pleasant few hours, particularly with a friend on the couch. Those expecting the genre to have evolved beyond its early foundations may find the lack of depth more difficult to overlook. QUByte Interactive has captured the spirit of the games it is celebrating, but in doing so it has also captured some of their constraints. The result is a likeable and occasionally chaotic throwback that delivers some good old-fashioned brawling, but leaves the feeling that this particular adventure could have used a few more chapters.
Score: 6.8/10