Bleeding Edge
Ninja Theory
Although new hero shooter, Bleeding Edge, came out a few months ago I wanted to wait for a bit to review it. When certain games come along that I think might hold promise, despite their rocky launches, I postpone reviewing them in order for their developers to get their digital houses in order, post-launch.
Since the game’s less-than-stellar launch, developer Ninja Theory has done an admirable job addressing the game’s issues—which mainly had to do with its lack of good connectivity rates and sketchy match-making. They’ll also recently added a new map, a new character, new emotes, and lots of different skins for its zany characters.
And when I mean zany, I mean totally off the wall. Where Bleeding Edge really differentiates itself with its competitors (such as Paladins and Overwatch), are in its crazy character designs. I mean, you’ve got a part-woman, part cyborg avian of some sort (I think a chicken?), an oddball dolphin within an aquarium ensconced within a crab-like mecha suit, and some sort of emo-mech dude with a guitar. This game’s heroes just drip with originality and quirkiness.
There are 13 different characters to choose from and they fall into either damage-dealer, tank, or support-type roles. Each of them has a set number of attacks that are either melee or ranged-based. Ranged characters also have support abilities that can aid their teammates in times of need.
The two game modes present in Bleeding Edge are a point control mode where your team must occupy specific areas in order to earn points, and a power collection mode where each team has to collect and deliver power cells to earn points. It would have been fun to see some additional modes, but perhaps Ninja Theory is working on some as we speak.
In any event, in each of the aforementioned modes, teamwork is necessary for the success of your team; you can’t just run off Rambo-style and expect to come away with a victory. You’ll want to coordinate your strategies with your teammates so that you can optimize, as well as synergize, your various attacks and defenses. In other words; if you run off as one of the weaker characters on your own and encounter one of the high-damage output enemies, you’re going to be a goner real fast.
Since I was playing my games with a group of my usual gaming friends, I didn’t have any problem in the teamwork domain. However, I can imagine that solo players may have a bit of a hard time coordinating their strategies with random teammates.
Bleeding Edge sports a total of five maps, which have a slick, cyberpunk aesthetic to them and are generally fun to play on. Each of them also comes with its own environmental hazards that can definitely impact your team’s strategy—these range from electrified force fields to trains that roll through and can potentially smash into characters.
Thank goodness that this game is bereft of any sort of insufferable micro-transactions or crates. There is, however, an in-game currency that you can earn in the form of credits, based on how well you’re doing in matches. There are all sorts of moded parts that you can purchase that can provide your characters with additional capabilities, and you can also upgrade their hoverboards and skins.
In all, I feel that Bleeding Edge is a competent hero shooter that has come a long way since its launch and can be very fun with friends. Just know that it’s an arena pvp game that definitely relies on teamwork in order to come out on top. So, if you’re someone who likes to utilize teamwork and communication, you just might like this new-and-improved version of the game.
SCORE: 81%
Bleeding Edge has some pretty good looking graphics that make its hero shooter gameplay truly shine. However, you want to have a pretty beefy gaming PC or gaming laptop in order to play it at a decent framerate. So, you may just want to invest in a decent gaming rig:
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