by Omar (@siegarettes)

• Blade Ballet
  
• Developer- Dreamsail Games
  
• Publisher- Dreamsail Games
  
• PC (Steam), PS4
  

At its most chaotic Blade Ballet is a whirlwind of blades and robotic debris, attracting and repelling, scattering across a hazardous dance floor. It’s a show of light and sound that earns its name. Most of its appeal, in fact, is wrapped up in its color. Take for instance, its title theme, Contradanza Robotica, whose melody is taken from the Habenera aria of the opera, Carmen.

It’s a jaunty tune that’s appropriate to the back and forth nature of its fights. In them you’ll each take control of a variety of robots, armed with blades and other dangerous implements. You’ll spin, building momentum, trying to navigate stage hazards while inching back and forth towards each other to cut without being cut. It never quite reaches the absurd chaos of other party games, nor do those colorful arcs of violence ever carry the weight or threat that inspires the competitive attitude that keeps other local multiplayer games alive.

If anything, Blade Ballet is closest to Bomberman in spirit. It leans into the chaos, takes a simple premise, and washes over it with charm and variety, and lets you knock out your friends while making sure you never quite get control. Unlike many other local multiplayer games, it also has online play. While definitely not the ideal way to play it, it’s stable and provides a way to take on both your friends and strangers. Whatever the case, I recommend going into it with a full party of four, as it never quite feels right without the chaos of four players.

All in all, Blade Ballet is lighthearted, charming and colorful. It never quite makes the case as a long term party game, but there’s a few evenings of laughs within it.