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Game
Game2016
Blade Arcus from Shining: Battle Arena
Developer Studio Saizensen
In a world controlled by blade, magic, and fist, diverse warriors gather for battle! This is a 2D fighting game featuring characters from Shining Blade and Shining Hearts. From the Steam store page
111 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Oct 2, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
79
LovedLoved
73 positive · 19 negative
95% range 70–86%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 73 | 19 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 3 | 0 | 16 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
84 of 104 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
80% recommend · 77 yes, 19 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 96 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (210 of 256 positive).
Players praise the game's visuals and character designs by Tony Taka. [1][2][3] Some note the simple combat system is easy for beginners but lacks depth. [4][5][6] Several reviewers mention the online community is dead and recommend buying on sale. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [6]
Extremely basic combat system, characters are very by numbers, very little content and mediocre online. Save your money for something else. EDIT: The best thing I could say about the game is that is functional but nothing about it sticks out enough to make it memorable. The animations can look clunky at times and the characters animations seem inconsistent between some characters and it doesnt even look like its a …
- [11]
Review was done by a casual fighting game player that uses a Xbox 360 controller to play. Feedback for online play not included have yet to find a match so those who want it for online only get it if you have friends to play with otherwise you might want to pass. SHORT ANSWER Blade Arcus I'd say it's reccomended for the more casual fighting game fan as opposed to those that play nothing but fighting games or to …
- [4]
If you're a fan of Shining series or Tony's artworks. Probably you'll have some fun with this game. But if you just want a highly polished and balanced 2D fighting game and play online, better go somewhere else. -Easy to learn for beginners. Very easy special moves, and with some characters you may only rely on normal attacks to win. -Maybe more like Street Fighter rather than combo heavy fighters such as BlazBlue. …
- [7]
Recommend but barely. Firstly, 2025, there is no real online community for this one... As for the game, it has very, very little offline features. The gameplay is vey easy to get into, great for newbees to fighting games and a great pickup to play with friends... I highly suggest to only buy this one a sale...
- [1]
I love this game! Visuals are pretty crisp and clean. As a causal gamer who loves fighting games, this one doesn't disappoint. I am new to the "shining" series, so I'm not really up on their universe. But I did find it entertaining, but not deep, just a casual searching for orbs to be granted a wish. Honestly I found the story mode to be very simple and vague. Not a bad thing, only an observation. The nice part is …
Summarised from 34 of the 117 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Blade Arcus from Shining: Battle Arena talk about beautiful character designs and crisp visuals; those who didn't talk about very little single-player content. Which matters more to you?
Reactions
60 of 111 · most liked firstMy first review here on Steam so I'll try to be as fair and to the point as possible. Blade Arcus is the latest addition to SEGA's long running "Shining" RPG series but this time, we skip all of the hours of gameplay and grinding to progress the story for more simplier system......let's turn this franchise into a "FIGHTER".....someone at SEGA must have said that and "poof", it's done. The game story revolves around it's two original characters Ryuuga & Pairon. As to what that story is? I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Extremely basic combat system, characters are very by numbers, very little content and mediocre online. Save your money for something else. EDIT: The best thing I could say about the game is that is functional but nothing about it sticks out enough to make it memorable. The animations can look clunky at times and the characters animations seem inconsistent between some characters and it doesnt even look like its a stylistic choice Not a single character stands out and for most of the part in…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fighting System: 8/10 Presentation (graphics/visuals, sound/music/voice acting, etc): 8/10 Story/Single Player Offerings: 4/10 Overall: A unique little spinoff fighter with way too much competition in the current market. It's hard to call this game bad, but saying I don't recommend buying it is different. (Jan 2017 edit: Degica games continues to support this title in North America with bug fixes and "Wednesday Night Fights" events, which is more effort than some developers ever put in after…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Review was done by a casual fighting game player that uses a Xbox 360 controller to play. Feedback for online play not included have yet to find a match so those who want it for online only get it if you have friends to play with otherwise you might want to pass. SHORT ANSWER Blade Arcus I'd say it's reccomended for the more casual fighting game fan as opposed to those that play nothing but fighting games or to anyone that wants to find a good place to start without being overwhelmed by…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Coming right out and saying, you shouldn't buy this solely because this is an older version of the game. Consoles got an updated version with new characters and balancing, while we're stuck on the old version because of licensing issues. As for an actual review: The game is alright, but the community is dead. On the single-player side, there's only arcade mode, which has some story cut-ins every few levels and an ending... and it's bad. The story is kind of like a Smash Bros of a few of the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love this game! Visuals are pretty crisp and clean. As a causal gamer who loves fighting games, this one doesn't disappoint. I am new to the "shining" series, so I'm not really up on their universe. But I did find it entertaining, but not deep, just a casual searching for orbs to be granted a wish. Honestly I found the story mode to be very simple and vague. Not a bad thing, only an observation. The nice part is there is a demo if you so desire to try it out before you buy. I find myself…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're a fan of Shining series or Tony's artworks. Probably you'll have some fun with this game. But if you just want a highly polished and balanced 2D fighting game and play online, better go somewhere else. -Easy to learn for beginners. Very easy special moves, and with some characters you may only rely on normal attacks to win. -Maybe more like Street Fighter rather than combo heavy fighters such as BlazBlue. One heavy hit can suck up 1/5 hp, You have to position and time your attack…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You can plug in a Dual Shock 4. That is all.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So far an amazing game! Love the way it looks and feels.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →+ Good-looking background. + Decent roster with no clone characters. + Character moveset aren't too deep, but easy and simple to understand. + All characters were designed by Tony Kaka. Really like this dude's works of fine art! ;w; - Seriously lack of contents: no Extras, no Concept Arts, no Character Bio, no Survival Mode, no Time Attack Mode, no rewards after beating Story Mode (which is Arcade Mode), no Side Story. Seriously? - The game is abysmally easy. I recommend playing on the hardest…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is fun, but those top tier characters ruin the fun of the game right away, and many players love to pick them cause of the BS BATTLE STATS(in phuking casual matches!) that ruins the online community. If you want a serious & fun balanced fighting game from Degica, get KOIHIME ENBU instead don't bother with this one, unless they rebalanced it my opinion won't change. 6/10 "Playable" (Don't get me wrong I do like the game, but I can't recommend to other players that are into competitive…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pros: This game has so little going on in terms of gameplay; the combat is simplistic, mechanics are minimal, it's really fun to play with friends, but the 2 highlightes are If you even know any of the games the characters where from.... And best of all one of my all time favorite dj artist Tony!!! T2Art is always pleasing, which is what some if not most people got it for. Cons: Played online and well; connection and lag is a bit to be desired (then again every fighter is). Online was…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Blade Arcus from Shining is a 2D Fighting-Game from Studio Saizensen - creators of Blade Strangers Featuring characters from across Sega's Shining RPG series, and a Magic-Series system, this combo-heavy crossover game revolves around smart implementation of your dedicated Striker!
neutral · AI labelView post →On this day 12 years ago, it was announced that Shining Blade's Roselinde & Fenrir and Shining Hearts' Melty & Isaac were joining Blade Arcus from Shining as playable characters for the game. Their character artwork are displayed below.
neutral · AI labelView post →Just saying, but I do have a curator page. If you like my remarks about games, you can find more of them here: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44130985-TDP%27s-Gaming-Escapades One of the most interesting ideas in entertainment is crossovers, as the very idea of previously unrelated characters interacting with each other and reacting to new situations is something that is very exciting. When done properly, these crossovers become some of the most enjoyable pieces of media that you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Here's a "secret Sega game" that's been on Steam since 2016. "Blade Arcus from Shining: Battle Arena" is a 2D fighting game that crosses over characters from Shining Blade and Shining Hearts, two Japan-exclusive games in the "Shining" series. store.steampowered.com/app/446040/B...
neutral · AI labelView post →Shining series game amazing, Tony Taka is my favourite artist! ☆⌒ヽ(*'､^*)chu I always wanted to play Blade Arcus from Shining ever since and happy that I manage to play it. ( ‾́ ◡ ‾́ ) Spend some time with the game, enjoyed the gameplay, music, characters and the story. (^_<)〜☆ The only thing that's con is the combo is short and you can't carry on when you stun em or knock them down and the combo limitation is short. (＃＞＜) Despite all this, I still enjoy the game so much because Shining series…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played for an hour to get the chance on the giveaway. but after beating the story mode once is not a game that will get my attention anymore.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →NOTE: Tryed the story mode only. if koihime Enbu was on energy drink dificulty talking, this one was so easy to do that the only i was doing was mashing button on my gamepad.... winning and getting perfects a lot. Dificulty level of the story mode is too easy. They need to add setting for dificulty level. Also keybinding on gamepad was far from being perfect (but i saw that can be changed easily so it's not a big deal). The storys seems funs (i did only one so far but i'll try other's as…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Recommend but barely. Firstly, 2025, there is no real online community for this one... As for the game, it has very, very little offline features. The gameplay is vey easy to get into, great for newbees to fighting games and a great pickup to play with friends... I highly suggest to only buy this one a sale...
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Why would you do this to yourself?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Worse story mode ever, no story no character at all. (Played as the paladin girl. Not a single bit of story at all) Character models are quite ugly in game, sprites are beautiful. Combo system is way too shallow.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →+Character-based Story Mode. +Simple, no Ryu-Sho-Ken Fireballs fighting style. +Shining Force. +XiaoMei. (sorry had to throw that in there) Shining Force recycled into a fighting game!? 10/10.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very good game, aceptable mechanics and gameplay and most of all, awesome TT character designs. Hope more Shinning games come to the English speaking community.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →if you like games like guility gear and other 2D fighting games this one is a real good one. good amount of characters(16), movelist has streetfighter controls, there is a partner support, can change partner between rounds if you want(learn two characters at once) choose main character then choose secondary for support. an okay story, nice graphics, runs fast and smoothly, it is worth the money spent on it($30)(just only got released 7/30/16) there are some pretty good 2d fighting on Steam…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There is a manual (!!!) included with the game, so you don't have to look into the wiki to understand the basic. Considering basics: there are 3 gauges for you to master, moves are pretty easy to learn though ( "a→b→/directional/→c→special" standart + "offensive gauge" or "support link" move, 2 of the first kind, 1 of the second) You are to chose 2 characters from the start to play 3 rounds to win by default, one is only available for "support atacks" (Skullgirls has this feature) during the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →On this day 11 years ago, it was announced that Blade Arcus from Shining was receiving a Version 2.0 update for the game. The announcement PV trailer can be watched below. youtu.be/mPpl2tFJxeg
neutral · AI labelView post →It's definitely a hidden gem of a game. Gorgeous color, character designs, and gameplay. I would absolutely suggest this game any time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A pretty boring fighting game. Feels floaty, clunky, and overall not fun. The music is nothing amazing and the story is just typical nonsense. Why'd I buy this? I really liked the art style and usually like to support fighting games in general. This though, can be avoided. It would probably be better just to get the art book. 2023: After full clearing with everyone it's actually a decent fighting game. It's got a mix of characters that feel like a mashup of Soul Calibur and KoF with the assist…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is solid. I don't know much about the story mode nor do I give a ♥♥♥♥, it's a fighting game, to hell with the story. Solid mechanics, beautiful gameplay, looks like anime, combos like anime, feels more like street fighter. Seems footsie based and you can perform some cool juggle combos once you get your opponent to the corner.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →10 years ago today, Blade Arcus from Shining: Battle Arena was released on PC via Steam worldwide. A port of Blade Arcus from Shining EX, Battle Arena implemented online lobbies into the game. It was developed and published by Studio Saizensen.
neutral · AI labelView post →While I do recommend purchasing BLADE ARCUS from Shining: Battle Arena-- I would really only recommend buying it on sale, unfortunately. The price is quite high given the relatively under developed story-line, often times simple and/or janky mechanics, and lack of overall context for the player (without the other Shining games). The character designs and voice-acting is very well done and the characters have distinct perspectives on the events taking place, as well as dialogue that gives…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very much a "Poverty Fighter," but it's pretty fun regardless. Unfortunately the characters from the Japanese-exclusive PS/Switch ver. aren't in, but overall I'd recommend giving it a chance. While you're at it, play Shining Resonance as well; this game is set in the same universe as the Shining series, and Resonance is the game that Sonia (who is playable in this game) comes from.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →On sale for 50% off at $15 - a fun game for the price. Wouldn't pay more for this, though. Control is very responsive, it feels like you are always in control. Great for beginners as you can mash buttons and feel like a pro... Not a contender against anything from Arc System, Capcom or Namco and so should be avoided if you want depth and strategy.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beautiful 2D fighter.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bought this because of Tony Taka Stayed because of the fighting mechanics and the Waifus...
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly not what I wanted from the Shining series, I'm one of those old school Shining Force fans but I threw money at this game in order to show Sega there is still interest in the Shining series as a whole. The game is a pretty average 2D fighter and that's not a bad thing. The localization is alright but there are some cuts from the Japenese version. Hopefully we get more Shining titles localized in the future but for now I'll take what I can get and keep hoping for Shining Force 4.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Blade Arcus From Shining: Battle Arena can be purchased here: store.steampowered.com/app/446040/B...
neutral · AI labelView post →12 years ago today, Blade Arcus from Shining was originally announced as a game based on the Shining RPG series, with Rage, Sakuya, Won Pairon and Ryuga being revealed as the 1st playable characters. The announcement trailer can be watched below. www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXt-...
neutral · AI labelView post →The Steam port of the game, Blade Arcus from Shining: Battle Arena, can be bought here: store.steampowered.com/app/446040/B...
neutral · AI labelView post →As a fan of the Tony and the Shining series, I enjoyed this game. It's a simple fighting game that could use a few more extras (ie. an unlockable story art gallery). If you are looking for a simple fighting game with great art/character design. This is for you. If you are looking for a fighting game around the caliber of BlazBlue and Guilty Gear, this game is not for you. This game only features 4 modes (Story, Versus, Training, and Online) with no extras.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's alright. But if you're one to play the game for it's story or characters then prepare to be severly dissapointed. the visuals are gorgeous the soundtrack is great. They're isn't network mode as of now. I'd recommened buying this game when it's on sale overall your buying and overpriced game. There's not much information on the Shining RPG series on the internet. It's nice to play but gets boring pretty quick.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pro: Great Gameplay, very fluid, and graphics are amazing Cons: Expensive for the experience, no survival, time trials, color edit. Nothing just story mode, versus and online. Please save your cash!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love this game one of my favorites. now get out of my face.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →great game and feels like a 2d 3d fighter XD. oh and bobs XD
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent fighting game with your typical - very poorly written - story. Blade Arcus may still have a lot to improve upon, but the game still has a lot to offer. Can't wait to see what they come up with next.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a short review after putting some time into it. -Story is average, pretty simple to understand -Combo system isn't too complex so it's easier for newcomers to get into. The partners is ok, it's not a big thing imo. -Music is great to listen to when doing matchups.....kinda? -Online..........sigh. At this moment it's pretty bad, not well optimized even though the team said that they have worked hard on it. Maybe if they use GGPO(down atm) or Fightcade's netcode as a subsitute cause this…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is not that bad at all, unlike someone in the web said this game is completely useless. For the price it depends on how much you like tony's design. It is really nice to have some detail settings in the training mode it really means the team work hard. BUT CHANGE THAT START TITLE VOICE!!! AS WELL AS THE PAGE USED TO CHOOSE CHARACTERS!!! buying this game for tony's style girls, hope that voice will be change to each character's voice actor. the start page and choose characters page really…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very cool you can assign simultaneous button presses to the right analog stick. Unfortunate you can't use it to activate special attacks.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Must read manual before playing. There is no tutorial. The combat system seems very easy to pick up but I feel there is little advancement. The only bad part is that the online community is dead just like most fighting games besides SFIV and SFV.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →On this day 11 years ago, it was announced that Misty was joining Blade Arcus from Shining EX as a playable character for the game. Misty's reveal trailer can be watched below. www.youtube.com/watch?v=THyP...
neutral · AI labelView post →Blade Arcus from Shining is a 2D fighting game featuring characters from Shining Blade and Shining Hearts. Players can select from both a primary & support character to engage in 2v2 matches utilizing mechanics such as Support Link.
neutral · AI labelView post →Fight for the ice cream.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →another CERTIFIED saizensen banger
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tell me a fighting game that is great but almost nobody knows. I'll go first: Blade Arcus from Shining EX. . . #ps4 #fightinggame #gamecollection #bladearcus #bladearcusfromshiningex #ps4collection
positive · AI labelView post →An update for the original game, Blade Arcus from Shining EX incorporates new playable characters and balance changes from the original game.
neutral · AI labelView post →Blade Arcus from Shining is a 2D fighting game featuring characters from Shining Blade and Shining Hearts. Players are able to select from both a primary & support character to engage in 2v2 matches.
neutral · AI labelView post →One of the easiest achievement lists on Steam (ignoring those cheap achievement farmers) Also Altina's pretty hot
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It really does nothing wrong it just feels barren and boring compared to other fighting games
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's worth playing. If you are a veteran you either played it yet or you just discarded for it's lack of complexity: in fact the game have all the standard mechanics with no complex exclusive feature, it also lacks on game modes since you only have Story Mode, Training, Local VS and Online VS. Speaking of Story Mode I swear you may say it's prequel of Dragon Ball if I tell you the plot. It could've be interesting because the characters comes from different Shining series of game (too bad I only…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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