With the game's "Body Damage System," opponents are able to physically disable each other in increments with hits from an equipped weapon, slowing their attacking and running speed, or crippling their legs, forcing them to crawl.

[6] The game features eight weapons to choose from in many of its modes: katana, nodachi, long sword, saber, broadsword, naginata, rapier, and sledgehammer.

Certain moves and tactics are considered dishonorable, such as striking a foe in the back, throwing dust in their eyes, or attacking while they bow at the start of fights.

Several other members of the society, under penalty of death, are sent to dispatch the defector, only catching up to him (or her) within the ruins of the surrounding Yin and Yang Labyrinth Castle.

The project was directed by Shuhiko Nakata, who wished to add tension to the traditional fighting game formula by having the possibility of a one-hit kill.

[10] The musical score for Bushido Blade was created by Namco and Arika composer Shinji Hosoe with contributions by Ayako Saso and Takayuki Aihara.

Unlike many other Square soundtracks of the era which were released by DigiCube, the music, copyrighted by Hosoe, was published by his own Super Sweep Records company.

[13] The North American release of Bushido Blade had one minor graphical change: blood was added, replacing the yellow flash that appears during a fatal blow.

[21][25][27][30] The one-hit kills drew the most commentary, with GameSpot calling them "Bushido Blade's most exciting and preposterous feature, destined to earn it just as many fans as detractors".

[25] In an example of this, three of Electronic Gaming Monthly's four reviewers gave the game a 7 out of 10 or lower, contending that the appeal of its innovation quickly wears off and that the one-hit kills can make victory or defeat arbitrary when unskilled players are involved, while the fourth reviewer, Crispin Boyer, gave it a 9 out of 10, applauding how the one-hit kills create a dynamic where "survival depends on your level of concentration rather than how well you've memorized long strings of button taps.

"[21] GamePro found the realism of the fighting system in general to be a love-or-hate point, arguing, "[that] you must learn restraint and discipline in order to win ... is a concept that will not go over well with the Tekken and Street Fighter generation who just want a butt-kickin' good time.

"[30] Other subjects of praise for the game were the detailed graphics,[25][30] continuous arenas,[25][27] ability to disable opponents' limbs,[21][25][27][30][35] and the way the amount of honor the player shows in combat affects the ending.

[27][30] In 1999, Bushido Blade received a nomination for "Console Fighting Game of the Year" during the AIAS' inaugural Interactive Achievement Awards.

[36] In November 2000, Bushido Blade was voted by the readers of Weekly Famitsu magazine as number 85 in its top 100 PlayStation games of all time.