Blade Strangers Cross-Battles Its Way To Consoles, PC This August

Nicalis has been hard at work on a number of innovative games for the Nintendo Switch. And its latest, a cross-over laden fighting game called Blade Strangers, isn't too far off.

The publisher has announced that the game is set to arrive on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC on August 28, going for the low price of $39.99. In addition, it will be available in both digital and physical form on consoles, with bonus goodies included with the physical copies. (Which is Nicalis tradition at this point.)

The game features a number of characters from hit indie games, including The Binding of Isaac and Shovel Knight, along with other favorites like Astro Boy and a trio of heroes from Umihara Kawase.

The full details for the release are below, straight from the publisher:

The indie crossover brawler developed by Studio Saizensen embraces a traditional and streamlined four-button control scheme that offers accessible inputs for beginner players, while still providing advanced players with endless opportunities to discover new tactics as they hone their skills.

Blade Strangers combines the excitement and subtle dynamics of a classic one-on-one fighting game with the polish and high-quality visuals expected from a current-gen contender. The game will arrive feature-rich at launch, complete with a wide variety of online and offline gameplay modes and additional offerings including:

• Story Mode – experience each character's unique story.
• Arcade Mode – pick a character and win matches to advance.
• Challenge Mode – complete various skill challenges for each of the characters.
• Survival Mode – battle against a barrage of CPU-controlled opponents.
• Versus Mode – fight against friends or the CPU (with "standby" option).
• Online Modes – create or search for rooms and engage in Stealth, Casual or League matches.
• Tutorial – for new players to learn the basics.
• Training – practice moves and combos to hone skills (with "standby" option).
• Other Features – online leaderboards, screen view and control customization, player profiles, stat tracking, unlockable items (character colors, portraits, special titles).

The diverse roster in Blade Strangers includes unique characters from different backgrounds, headlined by Quote and Curly Brace (from Cave Story+), Isaac (from The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+), Solange, Ali, Liongate, and Master T (from Code of Princess EX) and Kawase, Noko, and Emiko (from the Umihara Kawase series). The 14-character launch roster also features indie superstars Shovel Knight and Gunvolt as special guests, plus new characters Lina and Helen who are appearing in a video game for the first time ever.

You can also check out the trailer above, which gives you a good idea of what to expect in terms of combat.

We've got a lot of great fighting games out already, but Blade Strangers looks to be another good one for the collection. On top of that, Shovel Knight, baby!