Blades of Fire: The First Preview

When I first sat down to play MercurySteam's latest project, Blades of Fire, I anticipated a modern take on the studio's Castlevania: Lords of Shadow series, perhaps with a dash of the latest God of War. However, after an hour of gameplay, it felt more like a Soulslike, with the twist that all stats were weapon-based rather than character-based. By the end of my three-hour hands-on session, I realized that Blades of Fire occupies a unique space—it draws from familiar sources, yet its innovative blend of borrowed elements and fresh ideas creates a compelling new entry in the action-adventure genre.

At a glance, Blades of Fire might seem to mimic Sony Santa Monica's God of War series. Its dark fantasy setting, powerful strikes, and third-person camera perspective are reminiscent of Kratos' Norse saga. Yet, it's not a mere clone. Over the course of a demo that spanned the game's opening hours, I navigated a labyrinthine map full of treasure chests, aided by a young companion who assisted in solving puzzles. Together, we sought out a woman of the wilds, her home perched atop a giant creature. The game also borrows heavily from FromSoftware's playbook, with anvil-shaped checkpoints that refill health potions and respawn enemies, adding to the déjà vu.

The game's world evokes the spirit of 1980s fantasy, where Conan the Barbarian could easily mingle with its muscular warriors, and orangutan-like foes on bamboo pogo sticks could fit right into Jim Henson's Labyrinth. The narrative, too, feels nostalgic; an evil queen has petrified the world's steel, and it falls to you, Aran de Lira—a blacksmith demigod—to defeat her and restore the metal. However, the story, characters, and writing might not hold up to scrutiny, feeling somewhat generic and reminiscent of overlooked Xbox 360-era tales.

Blades of Fire shines brightest in its mechanics. Its combat system, centered on directional attacks, utilizes every face button on the controller. On a PlayStation pad, for instance, triangle targets the head, cross the torso, and square and circle swipe left and right. By reading an enemy's stance, you can break their defenses effectively. A soldier guarding their face, for example, can be defeated by attacking their midsection. The visceral impact of these attacks is satisfyingly gory, with dramatic blood trails from your inflicted wounds.

The combat system's depth is highlighted in encounters like the first major boss, a slobbering troll. Its second health bar could only be depleted after dismembering the creature, with the severed limb determined by your attack angle. You could, for instance, remove its left arm with a right-hand strike, disarming it. More dramatically, you could slice off its entire face, leaving it blind and vulnerable until it regenerates.

Weapons in Blades of Fire are central to gameplay and require meticulous attention. Like in Monster Hunter, you'll need to sharpen your weapons mid-battle, as they dull with use, reducing damage incrementally. Each weapon has a durability meter that depletes over time, requiring repairs at anvil checkpoints or melting down for raw materials to craft anew. This leads to the game's standout feature: the forge.

MercurySteam's weapon crafting system is extensive. Starting with a basic template sketched on a chalkboard, you customize every aspect of your weapon. For a spear, you might adjust the pole's length and the spearhead's shape, which affects its stats and stamina demands. After designing, you physically forge your weapon via a minigame where you control the hammer's force, angle, and timing to match an ideal curve. Overworking the steel can weaken your weapon, so precision is key. Your success is rated in stars, which determine how many repairs your weapon can withstand before it's lost forever.

The forge concept adds a skill-based element to crafting, but the minigame can be frustratingly unclear. I hope for improvements or a better tutorial before launch to enhance this intriguing feature.

The forge system is designed to foster a deep connection with your crafted weapons, which you're meant to carry throughout the 60-70 hour journey. As you explore and find new materials, you can reforge and upgrade your weapons. The death mechanic further emphasizes this bond; upon defeat, you drop your weapon, which remains in the world for you to recover later. This mechanic, inspired by Dark Souls, creates a meaningful connection to your crafted armaments.

MercurySteam's adoption of Dark Souls mechanics is understandable, given FromSoftware's influence on the genre and Blades of Fire's connection to Blade of Darkness, a spiritual predecessor developed by the studio's founders. The game blends these influences with the world design of God of War, yet it stands on its own with a unique recipe that distinguishes it from its inspirations.

While I have concerns about the game's generic dark fantasy setting and potential lack of enemy variety, the depth of the relationship between your crafted weapons and the challenges you face is truly captivating. In an era where complex games like Elden Ring and Monster Hunter have gained mainstream appeal, Blades of Fire could offer a fresh and intriguing addition to the action-adventure landscape.

Blades of Fire Screenshots

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