ReviewDisparity Logo
ReviewDisparity

Critics, outlets, and games against player sentiment

HomeNewsGamesJournalistsOutletsLeaderboardsCompareAbout
Review Signal

Keep the data honest.

ReviewDisparity tracks how critics, outlets, and games compare with player opinion across Steam and Metacritic. The goal is simple: make disagreement visible instead of burying it in scattered scorecards.

Explore
Browse gamesBrowse journalistsBrowse outletsCompare entities
Site
Dataset & methodologyPublishing principlesFAQTerms of ServicePrivacy Policy

© 2026 ReviewDisparity. Independent review disparity tracking.

Data sourced from publicly available information on OpenCritic, Steam, and Metacritic. ReviewDisparity is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of those services.

  1. Home/
  2. Games/
  3. Die by the Blade
Die by the Blade

Die by the Blade

Released: 5/16/2024

Die by the Blade is a 1v1 weapons-focused fighter where the difference between victory and death lies in a single strike of the blade. Choose your weapon and character combination freely to define your moveset, then do battle in neon-soaked back alleys and ancient forests. Take up arms and crush your friends in local or online multiplayer, or test your skills against unknown warriors in online ranked matches. ONE-HIT KILLS Die by the Blade is a game with no health bars — every strike can mean death. Victory in these tense, all-or-nothing matches will depend on your ability to read your opponent, parry and avoid their attacks, and exploit their mistakes at a moment’s notice. There is no room for error. CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON A true warrior is defined by their mastery of the blade. Your moveset is determined by your weapon rather than your choice of character. Will you sacrifice your speed for the powerful two-handed nodachi? Or will you overwhelm your enemy with a flurry of strikes from the nimble katana? Choose your favourite from among a range of diverse characters, or mould them into your ideal warrior through in-depth character and weapon customization features. Each character also features minor stat changes to suit certain playstyles. SAMURAIPUNK Die by the Blade is set in a samuraipunk world that fuses traditional Japanese aesthetics with cyberpunk culture. Fight in the neon-soaked streets of the inner city or among the snowy fields of the Japanese countryside. Don historically inspired armour or kit your character out with a cybernetic mask. Each character and weapon features dozens of components, allowing you to perfectly express your personal style on the battlefield. FEATURE LIST Master the one-hit-kill, parrying, and dodging mechanics to withstand a flurry of blows and cut down your opponents in seconds; Choose from a range of traditional Japanese blades to define your moveset and playstyle; Take on your friends or test your strength against players from around the world with our local and online 1v1 multiplayer; Hone your skills in Practice Mode, battle your way through Tournament Mode, or see where you stand in online Ranked matches; Explore a samuraipunk world through the game’s arenas: battle in the zen-like calm of a traditional Japanese temple or take the fight to the graffitied streets of the city; Make your weapon and warrior your own with in-depth customization features.

Die by the Blade is a 1v1 weapons-focused fighter where the difference between victory and death lies in a single strike of the blade. Choose your weapon and character combination freely to define your moveset, then do battle in neon-soaked back alleys and ancient forests. Take up arms and crush your friends in local or online multiplayer, or test your skills against unknown warriors in online ranked matches. ONE-HIT KILLS Die by the Blade is a game with no health bars — every strike can mean death. Victory in these tense, all-or-nothing matches will depend on your ability to read your opponent, parry and avoid their attacks, and exploit their mistakes at a moment’s notice. There is no room for error. CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON A true warrior is defined by their mastery of the blade. Your moveset is determined by your weapon rather than your choice of character. Will you sacrifice your speed for the powerful two-handed nodachi? Or will you overwhelm your enemy with a flurry of strikes from the nimble katana? Choose your favourite from among a range of diverse characters, or mould them into your ideal warrior through in-depth character and weapon customization features. Each character also features minor stat changes to suit certain playstyles. SAMURAIPUNK Die by the Blade is set in a samuraipunk world that fuses traditional Japanese aesthetics with cyberpunk culture. Fight in the neon-soaked streets of the inner city or among the snowy fields of the Japanese countryside. Don historically inspired armour or kit your character out with a cybernetic mask. Each character and weapon features dozens of components, allowing you to perfectly express your personal style on the battlefield. FEATURE LIST Master the one-hit-kill, parrying, and dodging mechanics to withstand a flurry of blows and cut down your opponents in seconds; Choose from a range of traditional Japanese blades to define your moveset and playstyle; Take on your friends or test your strength against players from around the world with our local and online 1v1 multiplayer; Hone your skills in Practice Mode, battle your way through Tournament Mode, or see where you stand in online Ranked matches; Explore a samuraipunk world through the game’s arenas: battle in the zen-like calm of a traditional Japanese temple or take the fight to the graffitied streets of the city; Make your weapon and warrior your own with in-depth customization features.

Die by the Blade is a 1v1 weapons-focused fighter where the difference between victory and death lies in a single strike of the blade. Choose your weapon and character combination freely to define your moveset, then do battle in neon-soaked back alleys and ancient forests. Take up arms and crush your friends in local or online multiplayer, or test your skills against unknown warriors in online ranked matches. ONE-HIT KILLS Die by the Blade is a game with no health bars — every strike can mean death. Victory in these tense, all-or-nothing matches will depend on your ability to read your opponent, parry and avoid their attacks, and exploit their mistakes at a moment’s notice. There is no room for error. CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON A true warrior is defined by their mastery of the blade. Your moveset is determined by your weapon rather than your choice of character. Will you sacrifice your speed for the powerful two-handed nodachi? Or will you overwhelm your enemy with a flurry of strikes from the nimble katana? Choose your favourite from among a range of diverse characters, or mould them into your ideal warrior through in-depth character and weapon customization features. Each character also features minor stat changes to suit certain playstyles. SAMURAIPUNK Die by the Blade is set in a samuraipunk world that fuses traditional Japanese aesthetics with cyberpunk culture. Fight in the neon-soaked streets of the inner city or among the snowy fields of the Japanese countryside. Don historically inspired armour or kit your character out with a cybernetic mask. Each character and weapon features dozens of components, allowing you to perfectly express your personal style on the battlefield. FEATURE LIST Master the one-hit-kill, parrying, and dodging mechanics to withstand a flurry of blows and cut down your opponents in seconds; Choose from a range of traditional Japanese blades to define your moveset and playstyle; Take on your friends or test your strength against players from around the world with our local and online 1v1 multiplayer; Hone your skills in Practice Mode, battle your way through Tournament Mode, or see where you stand in online Ranked matches; Explore a samuraipunk world through the game’s arenas: battle in the zen-like calm of a traditional Japanese temple or take the fight to the graffitied streets of the city; Make your weapon and warrior your own with in-depth customization features.

Critics
55
Steam
60

Score Breakdown

55.4

Critic Average

12 reviews

60

Steam User Score

166 reviews

N/A

Metacritic User Score

Less than 20 reviews

Disparity Breakdown

Steam Disparity
-4.8
Metacritic Disparity
N/A
Combined Disparity
-4.8

Average of both sources

Review Timing

11 launch window (92%)1 late (8%)

Review summary

Updated May 8, 2026

Based on 12 scored critic reviews, critics give this game an average score of 55.4/100. Critics score this game 4.8 points lower than Steam users.

How these comparisons are calculated
Sources behind this summary(5 recent of 12)+
  1. Michael McCannviaCubed3
    Apr 12, 2025·Late review
    30/100View review
    Steam 60.2/100 · -30.2 pts
  2. GameMAG StaffviaGameMAG
    May 22, 2024·Launch window
    50/100View review
    Steam 60.2/100 · -10.2 pts
  3. Matthew CarmosinoviaGamingBolt
    May 20, 2024·Launch window
    50/100View review
    Steam 60.2/100 · -10.2 pts
  4. Mahmood GhaffarviaLords Of Gaming
    May 18, 2024·Launch window
    68/100View review
    Steam 60.2/100 · +7.8 pts
  5. Vladimír KvitkovičviaSECTOR.sk
    May 17, 2024·Launch window
    60/100View review
    Steam 60.2/100 · -0.2 pts