Blade and Sorcery

VR sword fighting game for PC

Blade and Sorcery is a premium action game developed by WarpFrog. Made for VR, this sword fighting release provides players with an experience filled with intense melee combat, as well as ranged battles using bows or magic, utilizing various fighting styles against enemies.

Similar to games like BONEWORKS or Beat Saber, the main draw and appeal of Blade and Sorcery is that it enables players to take advantage of advanced VR technologies and provides a more interactive and immersive experience compared to traditional control methods while offering smooth animations and realistic body physics.

How do I play it?

Blade and Sorcery is a sandbox VR sword fighting game with a medieval fantasy theme to it. It starts fairly standard with you being able to create a character of your own. You will then spawn inside a house where you can test out weapons that suit you and choose an arena to enter. Choose a difficulty level and a game mode, and off to battle you go.

Once inside, enemies will spawn and come at you in waves and will either be a ranged or melee type. You get plenty of variety when it comes to weapon types. You have swords, axes, maces, and others for close combat. While you can use bows or magic spells to shoot at enemies from a distance. You can also aim for specific hitboxes for more damaging, dismembering blows.

You will need a VR headset like the HTC Vive or the Oculus Rift, for example, and a fairly powerful gaming PC to be able to play this game, run it well, and have a good gaming experience with it.

What to expect post-Early Access?

Following its exit from the Early Access phase, Blade and Sorcery has rolled out its first-ever major update, aptly named 1.0 - The End Update. Headlining the new content available is the Crystal Hunt Game Mode, a progression mode that enables players to improve their character by unlocking new skills, picking up loot from dungeons, and more. It’s also different from the Sandbox Mode, primarily because this new mode has a definite ending.

Crystal Hunt also comes with its own Skill Tree that has five branches—Fire, Gravity, Lightning, Body, and Mind. You can focus on one or be the jack of all trades and have a taste of every branch. As you progress through the dungeon, you’ll be able to unlock skills, with a whopping 78 skills in total. These abilities, while already powerful on their own, can complement one another to create a unique synergy.

In addition to that, version 1.0 also introduces the Dalgarian Dungeon, a biome boasting bigger spaces and more open layouts. It was once home to the Dalgarians, a mighty and magical race that has gone extinct. “Hector” the golem is also officially added to the game. Plus, players can now find lootable coins or valuables in various hidden places scattered throughout the Crystal Hunt areas. Rare crystal shards can be found as well.

Of course, there’s no other place to spend all looted currency than a brand-new shop. The Crystal Hunt shop offers a cozy place where you can buy and sell items, weapons, and pieces of armor. It’s managed by a fully voiced NPC as the shopkeeper, elevating the immersion level further. There are 76 new weapons and 90 armor pieces—that complete 10 full sets—to unlock or purchase.

Meanwhile, map revamps have been implemented, particularly for the Ruins and Arena maps. The inventory system saw a makeover, too, and now it looks more intuitive and smooth. Any bit of lore you pick up while exploring the world will be logged on the new journal feature. On the other hand, the update also comes with graphics optimization, a new tutorial for beginners, and a bunch of other quality-of-life improvements for a better gaming experience.

Immersive and action-packed swordplay

Gaming with VR headsets has come a long way in recent years. Blade and Sorcery is a fine example of a game that takes advantage of the powerful hardware that this fast-developing technology offers to create a wonderful and immersive experience like no other. If you have compatible gear and a compatible device, you should definitely give this one a shot. Highly recommended.