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Blade and Sorcery: Nomad is a physics based medieval fighting game with lots of different play styles to choose from. We played it on the Oculus Quest 2 for about 8 hours without any mods installed. Here’s what we thought of this actionpacked fighting game.
These are some of the pros and cons that we found when playing Blade and Sorcery on the Quest 2:
Pros | Cons |
+ Replayability | - Repetitive enemy character design |
+ Great graphics for standalone VR | - Game can be hard |
+ Realistic physics | - Compared to PC VR the graphics look worse on standalone VR |
+ Modding support |
Here is some general information about Blade and Sorcery: Nomad:
Age rating | 18+ |
Languages | English |
Game length | Does not apply |
Size on disk | 2.3GB on standalone devices, 9.7GB on PC |
Genre | Action, Adventure, Indie, RPG, Simulation |
Release Date | 4th of November 2021 |
Game Studio | Warpfrog |
Multiplayer/co-op/single-player | Single-player |
Platform compatibility | Steam VR, Quest and Pico |
Headset Compatibility | PC VR headsets, Quest 2, Quest Pro and Pico 4 |
Minimum PC specifications | OS: Windows 7Processor: Intel Core i5Memory: 8 GB RAMGraphics: NVIDIA GTX 970 / 1060VR Support: SteamVR or Oculus PC. Standing or Room Scale |
Price (not on sale) | €19.99 |
When playing Blade and Sorcery: Nomad you will notice that the maps vary in terms of brightness. This is most apparent in the dungeon game mode where areas are semi-procedurally generated. You can go from a dark cave right into a bright and sun filled castle courtyard.
We found that the graphics and textures did look worse on the Quest 2 compared to its PC version. This is due to the limited power of the XR2 chip. The Quest 2 did struggle a little in the more crowded areas where there were more enemies. Besides those areas the game ran quite smoothly.
The game offers a high level of detail meaning that objects far away still look sharp. It is not quite as detailed as Half-Life Alyx but looks better than Pavlov VR. Blade and Sorcery: Nomad is fairly realistic because physics are applied to all objects. Swinging a sword doesn’t feel weightless, NPCs move naturally, light and shadows are dynamic.
You can select more than 21 medieval weapons and 5 different spells to play with. We preferred the swords since those felt the most realistic. You can choose to run, kick, climb or jump and find your preferred playstyle.
When starting the game you are greeted by the character creation menu. You will be able to customize your character in many ways ranging from hair color to armor. The main lobby of the game is a bit confusing at first since the level selection menu is a map pinned to the wall. This is where you select the game mode and map.
Furthermore a book will act as your settings menu where you will be able to customize your game quite a lot. There is no story in the game, the main focus is fighting other NPCs and surviving as long as possible. The game can definitely be hard for some people. Luckily there is the possibility to change the difficulty of the game so everyone can enjoy it to the fullest.
Right now there are 6 arena-type maps (Home, Arena, Ruins, Market, Canyon and Citadel) and the dungeon map that is semi-procedurally generated. No dungeon run will ever look the same due to the vast amount of variations in the layout and the different sections that are available.
With modding support at its core it is no surprise that many players have created their own mods to enhance your gaming experience. The game creator is an ex-modder himself and embraces the mods that are freely available for everyone to download.
The arena maps can get a bit boring after playing them for some time. This is not the case for the dungeon game mode because of the changing environments. You can never expect what section will come next which keeps this game mode interesting.
It is possible to climb every surface which adds another level of fun to the game, now you can get to areas which previously looked impossible to reach. It is also a way to take a break from the fighting and look around to plan your next route.
Overall the fighting feels natural and satisfying while the spells add a little “magic” to the game. There are definitely some funny moments to be had.
Blade and Sorcery: Nomad has a high replay value because of the dungeon game mode and the mod support. The dungeon mode is never the same and can be spiced up with the addition of mods. The game gets updated frequently but it takes some time for the developers to iron out bugs. With every update the game improves and more content is added.
And if the game becomes too easy for you, try to up the difficulty or experiment with a new playstyle.
Here are some alternative games that we think you will enjoy.
In conclusion, Blade and Sorcery: Nomad is an immersive VR game that offers players a unique and exciting experience. With its realistic physics-based combat and decent graphics, it immerses players in a medieval fantasy world where they can engage in epic battles against various enemies.
The addition of new features such as the dungeon mode, which offers a new challenge with a survival-based gameplay, adds even more depth to the game. Because of this we think that the game deserves an 8/10.
Is there a game similar to Blade and Sorcery: Nomad?
Yes, there are multiple but Swordsman VR is the closest game to B&S Nomad.
I want to play another game with similar physics?
You could try out Hellsplit Arena, Swordsman VR or Tales of Glory.
You mentioned mod support in your review, where can I find this?
On the Nexus Mods website you will find a large catalog of mods that are available for B&S Nomad.
