You’ve no doubt played battle royale games such as Fortnite, Apex Legends or Call of Duty: Warzone, but 24 Entertainment’s Naraka: Bladepoint aims to put an entirely new twist on the genre. Battle royale games usually encourage players to engage at range, seeking out the highest vantage points or premium cover spots, but Naraka: Bladepoint puts the emphasis on close-range combat and melee weapons to create an experience that its developers hope “almost completely reworks the standard BR model”.
How to download and play the free beta trial
Don’t just take their word for it. You can start pre-downloading the Naraka: Bladepoint global beta on PC today, with servers due to go live at 1900 BST / 1400 EDT / 1100 PDT on Friday April 23. You’ll need to be quick, though, since the global beta is only live for a few days and will stay open until 1900 BST / 1400 EDT / 1100 PDT on April 26.
Once you’ve signed up by following the link, just click on the ‘Apply’ button to start preloading the game later today.
"Players are able to take combat to all the places that are within their sights," explains Naraka Bladepoint’s developers. "Equally, mid-air battles are a really important aspect of the game. Whether an attack takes place in the air or a player simply jumps to avoid an incoming attack, these movements are all integral to creating a more vivid and flexible combat system."
Don't forget to check out Naraka: Bladepoint in action in the new global beta preview video above. The video highlights some significant improvements since the last beta test, including improved character textures, enhanced sliding and beam walking animations, new weather effects such as dusk, and much, much more.
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