Blades of Fire: A Promising Adventure with Frustrating Flaws!

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Established in 2002, the Spanish studio MercurySteam boasts an impressive portfolio. While the studio is primarily recognized for its ‘Castlevania: Lords of Shadow’ series, ‘Metroid: Samus Returns’, and ‘Metroid Dread’, it has also produced numerous original titles throughout its existence. Notably, ‘Blades of Fire‘ marks MercurySteam’s debut of a new intellectual property in nearly a decade.

In my perspective as an avid gamer, “Blades of Fire” is a captivating third-person action-adventure fantasy game with a refreshing twist on the Soulslike genre. The combat and its originality are truly commendable highlights. However, there are certain aspects that prevent this game from reaching its full potential greatness.

Blades of Fire’s Story is a Mixed Bag

In the game titled “Blades of Fire“, players assume command over Aran de Lira, a seasoned warrior who has recently received one of the seven sacred Forgers’ Hammers as a gift. Equipped with this divine artifact, Aran teams up with the young scholar Adso and embarks on a mission to vanquish the oppressive queen causing havoc in the realm.

As a gamer, I can honestly say that diving into Blades of Fire has been an engaging experience. At first, the storyline seems sparse, but as I progressed, I stumbled upon some intriguing plot twists and backstories that kept me hooked. Although the connections between these key moments aren’t always crystal clear, there are some poignant emotional scenes scattered throughout the game that really tug at your heartstrings, making it all worthwhile.

To put it simply, the dialogue and voice acting in “Blades of Fire” may not enhance its decent plotline. While the acting is satisfactory overall, the timing of some voice lines can create significant inconsistencies in tone. For instance, a character might make an inappropriate joke during a serious scene, or a character could appear unresponsive to a crucial story development shortly after it occurs.

Furthermore, the dialogues exchanged frequently between Aran and Adso in the narrative seem repetitive, giving an uncanny sense to both the plot and the characters. Similar to other Soulslikes, the storyline in Blades of Fire appears to be secondary compared to its gameplay.

Blades of Fire Has A Strong and Novel Gameplay Loop

In the game “Blades of Fire”, the most outstanding feature is undoubtedly its intense combat system. The enemies are highlighted with a color scheme when players target them – green outlines signal that the enemy will sustain maximum damage, orange indicates they’ll only receive partial damage, and red signifies they won’t take any damage at all in that specific situation.

As gamers advance in the game Blades of Fire, they’ll come across diverse enemy classes with unique vulnerabilities. Some foes will sport body armor, necessitating players to pinpoint and attack their unprotected weak spots using the game’s directional assaults. Other adversaries will show resistance to specific damage types like slashing or blunt attacks, compelling players to switch weapons or adjust their combat stance accordingly.

In Blades of Fire, the ever-changing, dynamic nature of its combat paired with reactive controls, distinctive and smooth animations for each weapon, plus dramatic slow-motion finisher effects ensure that gameplay remains captivating throughout the 30-hour experience. The “Breath of the Defender” system, which requires players to defend in order to restore their stamina, significantly contributes to a combat system that feels like an innovative leap forward within the Soulslike genre.

However, it’s important to note that fighting isn’t the only aspect of Blades of Fire. This game also offers an innovative gameplay cycle. One unique feature in Blades of Fire is its Forging System, which empowers players to design their own weapons from scratch. In this system, players select a Forge Scroll blueprint, personalize the weapon’s parts and materials, and participate in a heating minigame where they adjust metal bars to mimic the on-screen shape.

The Forge system in Blades of Fire can take some time to get accustomed to initially, but after spending a few hours with it, the complexity of the system shifts from overwhelming to captivating. In this game, players are granted the freedom to modify their weapon’s parry window, block capabilities, reach, and damage. This high degree of player control is uncommon in games of its genre, and it fosters an enjoyable gameplay experience where players face a new challenge, create a potent weapon suited for it, and then engage in an exhilarating duel with it.

The gameplay cycle further motivates players to hunt for top-quality resources and unveil fresh Forge Scrolls, a process that seamlessly ties in with the design of the game “Blades of Fire”.

Blades of Fire Suffers From Severe Pacing Issues

In the universe of “Blades of Fire”, it’s divided into several distinct areas, each boasting a variety of exclusive, interlinked locations. These locations are teeming with numerous alternative routes, many of which incentivize exploration by providing genuinely beneficial upgrades. Players can stumble upon gems that boost their health and endurance, Criptexes that enhance their healing potions, and statues that bestow them with new upgrade materials tailored to specific weapons.

Apart from motivating players to venture away from familiar routes, “Blades of Fire” also prompts players to participate in every fight they stumble upon. Unique weapons become accessible when a predefined number of a particular enemy class is defeated.

The initial region stands out as a flawless demonstration of how Blades of Fire‘s level design functions optimally. The setting boasts an eye-catching visual appeal, offers a wide range of enemy types, and encourages exploration, rewarding players accordingly. Moreover, the path to the following goal is clearly marked.

In the third section of the game “Blades of Fire,” pacing problems begin to emerge. The levels rapidly expand into an intricate web of interwoven paths that twist chaotically between various heights. Although this complexity can make levels seem dynamic and striking, it can also lead to a challenging experience when navigating them. This is particularly troublesome when the main route is concealed behind what initially appears as an optional element or a mechanic not yet introduced in the game at that point.

It often happens in Blades of Fire that players need to revisit earlier stages to gather essential items and uncover hidden passages, which can lead to a loss of excitement as the enchantment of discovering these magical realms fades. Furthermore, it’s not just the confusing layout of these levels that slows down the gameplay; other factors contribute as well.

Blades of Fire Doesn’t Nail The Soulslike Difficulty Balance

In many Soulslike games, challenges are a common and integral aspect. These games make enemies tough to take down, pushing players to use their abilities effectively. However, striking the right balance is crucial – providing enough challenge without overwhelming or discouraging the player. In the case of most standard enemies in Blades of Fire, this balance seems to have been mastered quite skillfully.

In Blades of Fire, the diversity of enemies is one of its key strengths. Players encounter numerous distinct visual designs and fighting styles throughout their journey, each offering a fresh challenge that tests them in unique and balanced ways. Regrettably, the boss designs in Blades of Fire don’t quite measure up to this standard.

In the game Blades of Fire, there are relatively few boss battles, and some of them recur frequently throughout the game. While the repetition might seem dull, it’s not the main problem with these fights. The real issue lies in the fact that many of these encounters involve standard attacks that can instantly kill the player with a single hit.

In most Soulslike games, if a boss can instantly defeat the player, it’s usually an indication that the player needs to leave and gain more experience levels. However, in Blades of Fire, this isn’t much of an option. Instead, players can gather different resources to boost their health, stamina, and the number of healing potions they carry. They can also craft stronger weapons, but unlike in other games, they don’t level up traditionally. Regardless of how many resources a player has gathered, these bosses will still be able to defeat them with just one strike.

In these boss battles, there’s essentially no room for mistakes, and this can result in some incredibly aggravating deaths. This is particularly challenging when the bosses are smaller in size, yet pack the same punch as their larger counterparts, while moving at a rapid pace. Reading their attack patterns becomes extremely difficult under such conditions.

In simpler terms, as you progress in the game ‘Blades of Fire’, certain boss battles become essential, which can consume large amounts of time for the player to win, causing an unwelcome and frustrating slowdown in the game’s pace. Although the enemies encountered before and after these boss fights are challenging, their attacks are predictable, and there’s a margin for mistakes with their damage output. However, this contrast highlights that the boss battles seem excessively difficult due to artificial design.

I played the entirety of Blades of Fire on “Steel” difficulty, which is the recommended setting.

In numerous aspects, “Blades of Fire” paves the way with its innovative approach. The main gameplay loop consisting of exhilarating battles, rewarding exploration, and fulfilling weapon crafting and customization manages to keep players hooked from start to finish. Moreover, it introduces several features that advance the Soulslike genre.

The pace of Blades of Fire is frequently halted unexpectedly. Unfair difficulty surges and confusing level layouts often result in unnecessary annoyance, which can easily overshadow the game’s most impressive aspects. In essence, Blades of Fire had all the ingredients for success but ended up creating an uneven sword that occasionally injures its user instead.

The game titled “Blades of Fire” is due to be launched on May 22, and it will be available for play on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. For the purpose of this review, Game Rant received a PS5 code.

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2025-05-22 07:44