{"id":1807028,"date":"2023-02-28T07:40:27","date_gmt":"2023-02-28T12:40:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/plato-data\/merge-blade-somehow-combines-tetris-and-total-war-on-game-pass-and-xbox\/"},"modified":"2023-02-28T07:40:27","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28T12:40:27","slug":"merge-blade-somehow-combines-tetris-and-total-war-on-game-pass-and-xbox","status":"publish","type":"station","link":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/plato-data\/merge-blade-somehow-combines-tetris-and-total-war-on-game-pass-and-xbox\/","title":{"rendered":"Merge & Blade somehow combines Tetris and Total War on Game Pass and Xbox"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The auto-battler is not a genre that we see much of on the Xbox. Pioneered on the PC with DOTA Auto Chess and then Teamfight Tactics, it\u2019s not a type of game that necessarily feels like a snug fit on the Xbox. Or, at least, we guess that\u2019s what game execs say, because we can\u2019t see what\u2019s stopping those games. We\u2019d have lapped up a Teamfight Tactics on the big black box. <\/p>\n

Beating them to the punch is Merge & Blade which, we should say upfront and make abundantly clear, is a Game Pass day-one game<\/strong><\/a> for you to download. If you have a subscription, there is very little reason not to give it a spin and see what the fuss is about. <\/p>\n

Except Merge & Blade isn\u2019t a pure auto-chess auto-battler. Are you ready for this? Merge & Blade is stirring in the \u2018Merge\u2019 genre, which is popular on mobile games. So, you start a game in the \u2018Puzzle System\u2019, where units drop from the top of the screen like a game of Tetris<\/strong><\/a> or Puyo Puyo<\/strong><\/a>, and you merge identical units together to make super-units that can obliterate your enemies with a single swing of the axe. <\/p>\n

Once you have completed the Puzzle System part of the game, it\u2019s onto the Battle System. Your newly conscripted army gets trundled over to CPU or player armies, where you take part in 25-vs-25 battles. Watch as your merged units take advantage of their increased power and steamroll your opponents without you having to do much at all. Well, you can tinker with formations and swap positions to capitalise on their weaknesses, but that\u2019s about it. <\/p>\n

Merge & Blade is a mash-up that couldn\u2019t, shouldn\u2019t work, but Steam reviews<\/strong><\/a> say otherwise. It\u2019s sitting on Mostly Positive, indicating that the hybrid game-type might just work. And now it\u2019s on Xbox. <\/p>\n

A wee reminder that this is a Game Pass game, so subscribers have a low barrier to trying it out. For those who wish to purchase Merge & Blade, it is \u00a38.39, which isn\u2019t going to tip you over into the red. <\/p>\n

We should also note that there is day-one DLC, should your Merge & Blade addiction get the better of you. You can pick up the Hero Character<\/strong><\/a> for Merge & Blade\u2019s roguelike mode for \u00a30.79 (\u00a30.71 for the launch period) to give you a leg up. He also comes with a spangly tiara on his head too. Oooh.<\/p>\n

The key features of Merge & Blade on Xbox and PC include:<\/p>\n