ArcheBlade

ArcheBlade Review

By, Dimitri Jordan

Archeblade is a 3rd Person Fighting MMO developed by CodeBrush Games, published on Steam. It underwent a beta throughout 2013, and was released on April 25th, 2014. Shortly after, support from CodeBrush Games was abandoned, and no updates have been applied to the game since May of 2014. The lack of support is a huge downside to an otherwise great game, as players can quickly tire from the lack of content.

Starting Up

When starting the game for the first time, players are encouraged to play through a tutorial to learn the basics of gameplay where they will play as the champion Valle, and learn to attack with basic and special attacks, use rage skills, move and block, and perform combos. After completing the tutorial, players are rewarded with Gems and Meceta. Gems are the premium in game currency that's no longer used, so players will have no use for them. Meceta is the free in game currency, and players are given enough to unlock one character.

The controls in Archeblade are straight forward. Players move around by using the WASD keys. Attacks are done by left and right-clicking, and players can perform combos by inputting specific combinations. Not all characters combos are the same, so it is important to take note of character’s movesets. Some moves call for the Alt button to be pressed with right-click to perform stronger moves. The E key is used to block, while the Q and F keys activate the player’s two rage skills. Spacebar makes players jump, while Shift is used to activate character specific traits. Some characters lunge or run, or activate special modes with increased armor or they are unable to be hit. Players should play around with each character in the training mode to learn their specific abilities and their place on the battlefield.

The First Few Levels

Leveling in Archeblade depends on game performance; the better you perform, the more experience you earn. Until players come to grips with the gameplay it will be slow, and is slowed down even more by the low playerbase. Gaining levels rewards players with a 200 Meceta bonus, and higher levels will unlock access to buying equipment for characters. However, those who buy the All Access DLC from Steam will already have access to all of the equipment, in which case player levels become only a symbol for experience with the game.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Archeblade is simple, but fun. Combat is combo based, similar to other brawlers like Lost Saga and Rumble Fighter, except Archblade features much more fluid gameplay and better visuals. The different modes provide enough variety to be interesting, and the handful of characters feel unique against one another. Some character use magic or short-range attacks, some can attack from a distance, and some can even utilize FPS-like mechanics when aiming guns or bows, allowing for skillful precision shots. The combo system is easy enough to be accessible, with champions having around ten distinct combos. However, because the button combinations are the same for most characters, this combat system can feel shallow after a time.

PvP and Events

There are several game modes in Archeblade.

In Free-for-All games, players compete to earn a score of 70. Kills are each worth 3 points, and assists are worth 1 point. The top 3 players are declared the winners. In Team Deathmatch, two teams fight to be the first to 30 kills. In this mode, unlike Elimination, the playerbase allows multiple players attacking the same player.

In Elimination games, players are put into two, either of 2 or 4 depending on the map. Each player has one life, and the last team alive wins the round. The team that wins 4 rounds first is the winning team. Almost all players play by the unwritten rule of 1v1, breaking off into 4 little duels instead of ganging up on players. If the number of players on one team is higher than the number on the other, the extra players will often wait until team members die in order to follow the 1v1 rule.

In Nether Dale, two teams battle to control the three pylons on the map. Each team has one pylon close to their spawn point, with a third in the middle of the map. Each controlled pylon gives the controlling team 1 point per second, and the first team to 1,500 points wins.

Archeblade allows players to create their own servers to host matches, allowing players to tweak some of the settings. For example, players can force balanced teams, which will not allow extra players that join the lobby from entering the game until a player evens out the other team. Another tweak is barring two players on the same team from playing as a duplicate champion.

Players can also create games in the Training Mode, which allows all players to play as all champions, regardless of if they’ve purchased them or not.

Cash Shop

The Cash Shop for Archeblade is sparse, in no small part due to the departure of the developer. Gems were initially the paid currency in Archeblade, but there is no longer a source to buy them from. However, players can purchase all characters and equipment through Meceta, the in game currency. Additionally, players can purchase the All Access DLC through Steam, unlocking all champions and equipment. All equipment is cosmetic, with equipment that impacted stats having been removed by the developer to promote balanced gameplay.

Final Verdict - Fair

Archeblade is a struggling title, and the lack of development holds it back significantly. There are only a handful of characters, and after removal of stat-impacting equipment there are only about a dozen pieces of equipment for each character. The playerbase is also low, and at times it can be hard to find a game. However, for all that’s going against it, Archeblade is still an entertaining game. Combat is often frantic, yet tactical, and the pressure is turned up when matches are full. There are a decent variety of game modes, and the playerbase that remains is friendly, meaning making friends for regular games happens quickly. Those looking for a newer fighting game though, should check out Rise of Incarnates.

ArcheBlade Screenshots

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ArcheBlade Videos

ArcheBlade Links

ArcheBlade Official Site
ArcheBlade Wikia (Database / Guides)
ArcheBlade Gamepedia Wiki (Database / Guides)

ArcheBlade System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Operating System: Windows XP / 7 / 8 / 10
CPU: Core 2 Duo 1.86 GHz / Athlon 64 X2 2 Ghz
Video Card: GeForce GTX 260 / HD 3850
RAM: 2 GB
Hard Disk Space: 1.5 GB

Recommended Requirements:

Operating System: Windows XP / 7 / 8 / 10
CPU: Core i3 3 GHz / Phenom II X2 3 GHz
Video Card: GeForce GTX 460 / HD 4870
RAM: 4 GB
Hard Disk Space: 1.5 GB

ArcheBlade Music & Soundtrack

ArcheBlade Additional Information

Developer: Codebrush Games
Game Engine: Unreal Engine

Release Date: April 25, 2014

Development History / Background:

ArcheBlade was developed by South Korean indie game developer Codebrush Games using the Unreal 3 Engine. Despite initially launching with some success, Codebrush's Archeblade quickly lost players and the studio abandoned the game. ArcheBlade has had no content update in long while.