Stray Blade interview: ‘pushing a button will probably kill you’

We reached out to developer Point Blank Games to find out more about the upcoming action-RPG Stray Blade, in which we’re working to restore balance to the Valley of Acrea.

Action-RPG Stray Blade is due out for Xbox Series X|S in 2023 – we reached out to developer Point Blank Games to find out more, and CEO and game director Leonard Kausch was kind enough to answer our questions.

What is Scatterblade?

Stray Blade is an action role-playing game in which you work to restore balance to the Valley of Acrea. It is developed by Point Blank Games and published by 505 Games.

When is Stray Blade coming out?

We don’t have a specific release date for Stray Blade yet, but it’s scheduled for release in 2023 for Xbox Series X|S.

Why is?

In Stray Blade we explore the valley of Acrea with Boji (our Xhinnon wolf friend) to restore peace after so much war. “Acrea has remained a mystery for so long because a magical barrier has kept it hidden over the centuries,” says Kausch. “After years of dedicated research, Farren, our protagonist, is the first to find this mystical place. When he arrives, however, he accidentally destroys this magical barrier. An explosion follows, with Acrea’s three metals hitting Farren square in the chest, killing him and binding him to Acrea. Luckily, Boji revives Farren and sends him off to explore this ancient valley to regain his freedom.” Boji’s character seems to be shrouded in mystery. “You are his companion just like he is yours,” says Kausch. “Boji is the one who revives you, but he doesn’t do it out of pure charity. He needs you, but it’s only on the journey that you’ll learn the full extent of Boji’s intentions.” According to Stray Blade’s Steam page, we’ll “discover the entire story that transformed the peaceful valley into a place of war and death” and “Use this knowledge to destroy the relics of the past and restore peace to the war-torn valley.”

How does Stray Blade play?

Combat and exploration seem to be key in Stray Blade. “Normally you have to go through the world with your eyes wide open. We paid special attention to ensuring that combat and exploration go hand in hand,” explains Kausch. “When combat becomes too difficult, players can research and find new weapons or runes to become stronger. On the other hand, each location worth exploring awaits a combat challenge on Farren. Around the world we have left clues and clues with locations that the player can revisit once they have the necessary skills. So the best advice is to consciously explore Acrea.”

A major gameplay twist is that the world of Stray Blade doesn’t wait for you: after each death, the world will move on, allowing you to see the consequences of your actions, victories and defeats. Likewise, it will be constantly influenced by the “workforce” you will come across. “Perhaps an outpost that you vacated is now a home for wild animals,” says Kausch. “Perhaps another faction took over and rebuilt the camp you had already destroyed. We implemented this mechanic so that when players revisit locations, they can always be on the lookout for minor and major changes in the world.”

The fight, meanwhile, will be “hyperreactive” and, adds Kausch, “fair and rewarding. Responsive controls were a must to achieve this. Combat had to be challenging while remaining accessible to a variety of players and their individual playstyles. So we made it fast, to give our players lots of different ways and angles to throw themselves into the fray,” he continues. “Stray Blade rewards you for making informed decisions during combat. Pushing a button will probably kill you.”

We’ll also face more fearsome bosses, including “ancient Elessinian god-kings, entities that once ruled the ancient valley of Acrea. They’re quite demanding and the true masters of their element, so you’d better practice before you challenge them.” Once defeated, we can use their powers to our advantage while exploring Acrea. “Obtaining the elemental powers of the demigods of Acrea is always a big step forward. Not only does it give you new mystical abilities to use to defeat your enemies, but it also changes the world of Acrea and opens up new avenues to explore.”

We play as both adventurers and fighters, while our companion Boji is a craftsman and helps us discover the lore of Acrea. Interestingly, we can ask Boji for help, but he will also act alone. “You can actively call on Boji’s magical abilities, but he’ll also help you on his own…if he feels like it,” says Kausch. “Although Boji isn’t a playable character, he’s an integral part of your journey and you can level him up just like Farren, making his involvement in combat vital throughout the game.”

how is the world

So we know that the world of Stray Blade will respond to our actions and will continue even if we are defeated. It is also varied: “The primeval valley of Acrea is a place full of contrasts,” begins Kausch. “The valley consists of four separate regions, all of which are distinctly different from one another. What gives Acrea its unique setting are the three magical metal veins that flow throughout the land. They characterize the vegetation of a region and the climate and have a great influence on the animals living there. The game takes players through deep forests, high mountain ranges and harsh wastelands” – we will also explore frozen caves, canyons and ruins.

Any news on Stray Blade achievements?

We don’t have Stray Blade’s achievements yet, but Kausch gave us some insight into the team’s design process. “The achievements were created together in our team. We asked each department (narrative, level design, etc.) what they thought would be a good accomplishment for their particular theme. This led to interesting achievements as each implemented something they wanted our players to experience. It’s a lot of fun designing achievements and we’re always looking for new ones to implement,” he says. And you should also be wary if you want to fully complete Stray Blade: “For hardcore completers, we’ve implemented some pretty difficult ones,” says Kausch. “Players who really want to delve deep into our story, world, and combat will be rewarded with their well-deserved achievement!” Kausch adds, “The ideal achievement list brings out all the nuances of a game. It rewards mastery of core game mechanics, but also encourages learning and experimentation. Plus,” he continues, “it should also be a real challenge for people who want to delve deep into Stray Blade. In our opinion, the ideal achievement list should appeal to all players – casual, core, and hardcore completionist gamers!”

What is Kausch most looking forward to out of all this? “One way to advance in Stray Blade is to master the weapons found throughout Acrea. We’re really excited for our players to be able to explore the world with ever-changing weapons to keep their combat style fresh as they level up Farren.”

What do you think? Will you keep Stray Blade on your radar? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to check out what Tom thought after his Stray Blade hands-on!