Blades of Fire Devs Reveal Wild Stories, Secret Weapons, and Soulslike Surprises

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In today’s video game industry, it’s unusual for a top-tier development team to stay together for an extended period. Cancellations of games are happening more frequently, and the closure of studios has become a concerning trend. Yet, Madrid-based studio MercurySteam has remarkably managed to remain afloat, and their upcoming game, Blades of Fire, is set for release in a mere few weeks.

Game Rant recently got an exclusive studio tour by MercurySteam, where we witnessed the impressive capabilities of their 100+ team members. We also had a chance to test out a captivating Soulslike game, and had a chat with Enric Alvarez, Co-Founder and CEO of MercurySteam, as well as the Director of ‘Blades of Fire’, and Oscar Araujo, the composer for ‘Blades of Fire’. This conversation has been shortened and clarified for your convenience.

The Forge System Was Blades of Fire’s Genesis

As a gamer myself, I’d be happy to share my journey into the video game industry. It all started with a passion for games that grew stronger over time. I was drawn to the creative process behind these digital worlds, which led me to pursue opportunities in the industry. My first projects were exciting challenges that helped shape my skills and understanding of game development.

Alvarez: We’ve both been through our ‘trial by fire’, working on the game Blade of Darkness, developed by Rebel Act Studios. Released in 2001, it is often regarded as a forerunner to the Soulslike genre. For me, it was my debut as a level designer, and for Oscar, it marked his entry as a composer.

As a passionate admirer of Blades of Fire, I can confidently say that one aspect that truly sets it apart is the Forge system. I often wonder if this was the main design priority from the very beginning of the game’s development.

Alvarez: The Forge served as the foundation for our entire game concept. From the gameplay dynamics and storyline, everything revolves around it. When we initially planned to develop this game, we desired to revisit a universe similar to the one we crafted in Blade of Darkness twenty years ago. For us, it’s like completing a loop, returning to the same genre of dark fantasy and intricate combat experience. Essentially, it was about revisiting that universe, but also introducing the concept of the Forge.

The story begins with a straightforward concept: Imagine a magical realm where steel transforms into stone overnight. In this scenario, as a valiant hero, you find yourself in quite a predicament! How could you possibly engage your adversaries with a sword made of stone? That’s the spark that ignited everything. This dilemma led to the creation of The Forge – a place where innovation and resilience would be tested, as our hero sought solutions to overcome this unexpected challenge.

Our primary goal remains to seamlessly integrate the Forge with battle sequences, ensuring a vivid and tangible experience for players. They should fully grasp the impact, equilibrium, and repercussions of their choices and mastery in the Forge.

A: Did the developers intentionally allow players to name their own weapons in Blades of Fire, thereby fostering a stronger bond between the player and their weapons?

Alvarez: Indeed. This game centers on weapons, which can be likened to your children. They’re born by you, live with you, and eventually perish alongside you. Therefore, it’s fitting that they have names.

Q: What’s one specific Blades of Fire mechanic you can’t wait for players to get their hands on?

Alvarez: It’s tricky to answer as everything intertwines. Let me illustrate with an example: the ‘Breath of the Defender’ mechanic, which allows active stamina regeneration, is quite potent. Grasping it might take some time, particularly for those accustomed to the Soulslike genre, who usually retreat to recover stamina. However, in Blades of Fire, you don’t have to do that. Instead, you defend and counterattack.

In simpler terms, the “Soulslike” style is predominantly appreciated by many, but poses challenges for a few. When you dominate a genre, you essentially control it. Therefore, FromSoftware effectively owns the Soulslike genre. Now, we’re introducing an entirely new mechanic that’s unlike anything else. Additionally, your moves aren’t just forward and backward; they can go up, down, left, and right. Combining these movements will likely require players to adapt, which might take some getting used to initially.

In my opinion, the Breath of the Defender is a standout choice. Mastering its mechanic transforms you into a formidable combatant. If you neglect to utilize it, however, battles could appear awkward due to fatigue setting in. When exhausted, your speed decreases, your attacks become more predictable, and enemies seem to outmaneuver you faster. This is reminiscent of the olden days in Blade of Darkness.

With swift recuperation of stamina, you’ll find a fresh viewpoint in confrontations. I’m sure that when players grasp this concept, it will unveil a new cosmos of opportunities as you won’t need to retreat any longer. In turn, we motivate players to adopt defensive strategies, which may not be the preferred playstyle for many in this genre. However, this change significantly influences approximately half of the choices in The Forge. When crafting a weapon, you are essentially deciding details such as how long you want your parry window to last.

As a game enthusiast, I appreciate the intricacies in the defense dynamics within Blades of Fire. Assuming a defensive posture feels intuitive during battle, as it shields me from unexpected attacks by enemies. However, this strategy slows me down noticeably. Finding the optimal moment to unleash Breath of the Defender is crucial for mastering the game’s combat system, as it strikes a delicate balance between protection and swiftness.

Q: Do you both have a favorite weapon in Blades of Fire?

Araujo: Hammers. Hammers are all-terrain, all-around weapons.

Alvarez: Personally, my go-to weapons are the Twin Axes. They pack quite a punch and move swiftly, which suits my combat style perfectly. I’m all about the thrill of battle – evading, attacking, parrying, recovering stamina, striking, defeating opponents, you get the picture! That’s why the Twin Axes are my preferred weapon choice.

The Long Journey to Create Blades of Fire’s Soundtrack

Question: Can you discuss the decision behind incorporating singing into the soundtrack for exploration scenes in Blades of Fire?

A voice that echoes alone can express solitude better than anything else. I aimed to make the player experience a sense of loneliness and vulnerability. The sound of that singular voice leaves one feeling delicate and insignificant.

A: In your previous roles, you’ve handled some film soundtracks. Could you explain the most significant distinction between composing music for films and video games?

One key distinction lies in the level of engagement: in a film, viewers are primarily observers, while in a video game, players actively engage with the action. For films, the audience shares the same journey, moving from one point to another at a predetermined pace and with specific emotions intended through music. In contrast, each player in a video game experiences something unique due to their active involvement.

In these types of games, it’s crucial to keep in mind the unpredictable paths players might choose, whether they engage in combat or not. Musically speaking, this aspect is significantly more intricate for video games compared to movies. For a movie, music selection revolves around choosing one track per section. However, in a video game, you must factor in the player’s previous actions, their current activities, and how to seamlessly blend battle and exploration themes. Essentially, we’re dealing with an entirely distinct universe when it comes to video game music composition.

In contrast to creating a movie soundtrack where most of your compositions are utilized, working on video game music often leads to the realization that many of your compositions aren’t appropriate for use. They might be well-made, but they don’t align with the game’s requirements. While you may feel proud of the music, it ultimately gets discarded.

Q: With it being such a complex undertaking, where did you start with Blades of Fire’s soundtrack?

Araujo: It’s hard to remember, it was five years ago!

Alvarez: Oscar and I collaborated extensively during the early stages of creating Blades of Fire. In essence, I served as a sort of visionary. I had a vague idea or dream, not fully fleshed out or precise, but just an idea. However, after discussing it with Oscar and conveying my thoughts to him, we embarked on a quest to uncover the musical identity of this game, seeking to discover what unique sounds would characterize it.

Initially, Oscar was brainstorming and creating compositions, one following another. I kept dismissing them, thinking “This isn’t what the game should sound like.” In the past, we only had some rough drafts and a mental image, that was all. Seems pointless, doesn’t it? However, it turns out to be more accurate than you might suppose!

The primary tune in “Blades of Fire,” titled “The Forgers,” is one of five songs you can listen to on the game’s main menu. This song shares a resemblance with the Forge I previously described. It was meticulously crafted over several months, and countless other tracks were set aside because they might have echoed “Lord of the Rings” or something similar too strongly. Instead, we aimed for a more unrefined sound. However, I didn’t contribute much to the creation process; I merely offered feedback by saying “No, yes, no, yes.

The CEO of MercurySteam’s Thoughts on AAA Development and Comparisons to Other Games

Question: Did you indicate during the tour that some of MercurySteam’s staff are presently on holiday, and is this a common practice by MercurySteam near the end of a project’s development?

Alvarez: Absolutely, we always do this. This project has taken us four years to complete, and it’s been quite a rollercoaster – exciting yet stressful. There have been numerous instances of frustration because in order to create a unified game, you often need to abandon many ideas first. The challenge comes when you invest several months into an idea, only to find that it doesn’t work in the game. When everyone agrees that it doesn’t work, it becomes apparent that all that effort was for naught.

However, there’s a valuable lesson in it. Each new product grows from the lessons learned after the previous one’s setbacks. But it can be challenging. Those extensive AAA projects are draining. It’s beneficial to have a break at the end of a project before starting another one.

A: Have there been any games or other forms of media, excluding Blade of Darkness, that have served as inspirations for you while working on Blades of Fire’s creation process?

Araujo mentioned, “Conan the Barbarian” and shared that its soundtrack is exceptional. He frequently brought it up while we were working on “Blades of Fire”.

Alvarez: When considering the gameplay aspect, one might liken Blades of Fire to other games. However, it’s important to remember that novelty is part of existence – not everything has been invented yet. Saying every idea has already been used would be quite arrogant and disregards the potential for innovation in future generations, which is certainly not a wise or sensible thing to assert.

As a gamer, I can’t help but be influenced by my surroundings, drawing from both intentional and unconscious sources. The world around me is a rich tapestry that seeps into my creativity. However, it’s not where I find inspiration that matters most, but rather how I transform those references into something unique. Sure, I might draw parallels to games like Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, God of War, Blade of Darkness, or any Soulslike title, but that doesn’t define my game. It’s the twist, the personal touch, and the innovative gameplay mechanics that set my creation apart.

The way you handle those references is crucial. I find it hard to understand when people criticize a game for being too similar to another, just because one character happens to be a child companion. Forget about the comparisons! Just experience the game for yourself and share your thoughts on its feel, playability, and whether or not it manages to achieve what it sets out to do.

In the game “Blades of Fire,” the concept of the Forge was so integral that we found it difficult to draw inspiration from other games. Instead, we structured everything around the fundamental idea of linking the Forge with the overall experience. This way, players would feel as though their choices and proficiency in the Forge have a direct impact on gameplay.

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2025-04-30 21:10