Blades of Fire: The Castlevania Sequel We Always Wanted!

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Recently, I’ve been thrilled about the latest announcement from the skilled Spanish developer, MercurySteam. They unveiled their upcoming project: “Blades of Fire”, a game set to release on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. In this third-person action-adventure, I find myself immersed in a dark medieval fantasy world.

As a warrior named Aran de Lira, I’ve been bestowed with a sacred hammer, and my mission is to bring down the oppressive Queen Narea. Alongside a loyal companion, I embark on this quest. The game allows me to craft a diverse arsenal of weapons, each with unique capabilities, and strategically strike specific enemy weak points for maximum impact.

Instead of sporting the sleek visuals common in today’s AAA video games, Blades of Fire appears as if it hails from the Xbox 360 era. It shares many characteristics with games from that time, such as a muted color scheme, a rough-looking protagonist, a dark fantasy backdrop, and intense, gory battles. Reminiscent of the single-player action games popular in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Blades of Fire, though a new intellectual property, appears to pay homage to MercurySteam’s works from that period, like the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow series.

Blades of Fire Looks Like a Spiritual Successor to the Castlevania: Lords of Shadows Games

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 1 & 2 Took the Castlevania Series in a Completely New Direction

The Castlevania series by Konami is primarily recognized for its groundbreaking 2D action RPG titles like Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood. Yet, the franchise has ventured into the realm of 3D action games multiple times. One such example is MercurySteam’s Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, a more recent 3D addition to the series that is highly acclaimed. This game, released in 2010 for PS3 and Xbox 360, served as a reboot for the Castlevania franchise. Instead of the side-scrolling exploration gameplay of its predecessors, it adopted a combat system similar to God of War, shifting to third-person perspective.

As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but reflect on the groundbreaking shift in the classic Castlevania mold that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow brought about. To my delight, this daring move resonated with many, as evidenced by its impressive sales and the positive reviews it garnered from prominent gaming outlets. This triumph paved the way for two sequels: a 2D side-scroller for the Nintendo 3DS titled Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate, and a direct follow-up named Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. Regrettably, the latter didn’t capture the same magic as its predecessors, but it did manage to tie up loose ends from the previous Lords of Shadow games. Alas, since its release, there’s been no official news about a sequel being in development.

Blades of Fire and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Have Some Notable Similarities

Although it’s unlikely that Konami and MercurySteam will release “Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 3” in the near future, “Blades of Fire” appears to be a spiritual successor to the “Castlevania: Lords of Shadow” series. Both games share similar fantasy environments, employ combat mechanics reminiscent of “God of War,” and are played from a third-person perspective. Moreover, “Blades of Fire” boasts open-ended, interconnected level designs brimming with hidden areas and multiple paths to explore, much like “Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2.”

Blades of Fire Takes Inspiration from Many Aspects of MercurySteam’s Best Games

Glancing at the overall design of the game, it seems that Blades of Fire draws heavily from various aspects of MercurySteam’s past creations. It incorporates the freely explorable levels found in both Metroid Dread and Metroid: Samus Returns, adopts a dark, gritty aesthetic reminiscent of Severance: Blade of Darkness, and implements the hack-and-slash combat system similar to that seen in the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow series. While Blades of Fire may not be an exact replica of a new Lords of Shadow game or any other title from MercurySteam, it serves as a close approximation for fans eagerly awaiting the next installment in the Lords of Shadow series.

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2025-03-26 03:07