Blades of Fire review: Hit rock with hammer, make sword

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In simpler terms, I don’t usually see eye-to-eye with MercurySteam. Initially, their Castlevania series caught my attention, but in the end, it didn’t quite live up to expectations. Their approach to Metroid was arguably the most misguided attempt at interpretation I’ve ever witnessed in a video game. However, it’s undeniable that this studio has a knack for grand ideas and bold moves. An original story without any pre-existing intellectual property is the ideal platform for such creativity, and that’s exactly what Blades of Fire seems to be – a place to experiment with new approaches.

Renfairevania

In terms of narration, this outfit isn’t known for its storytelling prowess, and Blades of Fire doesn’t break away from that trend. The protagonist is a muscular, furry lad with magical blacksmith abilities, embarking on a quest to assassinate the Queen. However, she has twisted her witchcraft to petrify steel, which poses problems for a civilization heavily reliant on blacksmiths and mythology.

Fortunately, your enchanted hammer disregards the usual rules, granting you steel despite that. Accompanied by a teenage whiz kid who elegantly incorporates in-game artistry into your codex and menus, your mission to defeat The Queen is frequently derailed by colossal monsters, zombies, falls, and miles upon miles of peculiar terrain design choices.

A thing you recognize, with some twists

Blades of Fire can essentially be referred to as a “Soulslike” game, but it sets itself apart by heavily relying on two unique mechanical features. The first feature is the crafting system, which has a stronger emphasis and more complex elements compared to games like Atelier. The second feature is in combat, where it deviates from the conventional three-button mechanics typically found in Soulslike games and instead feels like a 3D version of Punch-Out, but with swords.

Besides these two components, the rest of the game is essentially what you’d typically find in a Soulslike title. You traverse intricate levels creating shortcuts while occasionally getting ambushed, rest at checkpoints where enemies respawn, engage in battles with mini-bosses and main bosses, and sometimes struggle with the camera. It’s all pretty standard, but it looks good, runs smoothly (mostly), albeit with some lengthy loading times, even on an Xbox Series X.

Gather all parts, and my overall impression would be that it’s generally bothersome. At moments, intriguing or even captivating, sometimes even impressive, yet mostly bothersome.

Neat! But also, annoying!

As a craft enthusiast, I find the process of creating weapons absolutely fascinating. There’s a wide array of customization options to explore, and a mind-bending hammering puzzle that, despite being initially puzzling, showcases a level of thoughtfulness that’s truly impressive. However, after spending a few hours immersed in this creative pursuit, the initial thrill begins to wear off, leaving me feeling more frustrated than enthralled.

In this game, the combat system presents an intriguing challenge due to its management of swinging versus slashing, sharp versus blunt, and aiming with a button (left, right, high, low) based on factors like an opponent’s equipment. However, it prioritizes functionality over expression, and uses glowing outlines to simplify the often unclear interactions. The combat system also grapples with maintaining its own consistency, as it has become known among players as “parryslop.” I personally don’t have a strong opinion on parries.

The complexity of the offensive options can make the combat feel clumsy and confusing when facing anything but basic enemies. Additionally, if you encounter larger opponents in the game, Blades of Fire tends to send smaller enemies from off-screen, which can lead to surprise attacks from behind. This is further exacerbated by a tightly zoomed-in camera that allows these small enemies to hide and attack more frequently. It’s quite frustrating!

Traversing through this world can be quite frustrating. Earlier, I pointed out that the scenery is peculiar, the camera angles are tight, making it hard to understand your surroundings. This is due to a mix of limited visibility, few recognizable landmarks, and obstacles that aren’t clearly indicated. Games similar to Soulslike usually manage to make the ‘environmental maze’ aspect work thanks to a more distant camera, distinctive landmarks, and a blend of complex mazes and intuitive paths. However, here it seems like someone accidentally smudged a map with ink while it was still wet, saw a figure in the smudge and declared a new revelation in Metroidvania design.

As a fan, I’ve got to admit that Blades of Fire has a timeless quality reminiscent of PS2-era games (in a good way). It’s almost like this game managed to leap forward in time, bringing with it the ability to do things that a PlayStation 2 console simply couldn’t. And in doing so, it avoids the constraints of decades worth of gaming conventions that seem to burden modern releases. In essence, Blades of Fire is quite unique and intriguing. However, it also manages to annoy me every chance it gets. Yet, despite its quirks, I’m grateful for the experience, unlike Samus Returns which left me feeling rather indifferent.

On May 22, 2025, you’ll be able to play “Blades of Fire” on your personal computer, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. For this review, I was given an Xbox code by the publisher.

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2025-05-20 18:27