Review - Blades of Fire

Developer: MercurySystem

Publisher: 505 Games

Available on: PC, (Epic Games Store) PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S

Have you ever wondered what goes into a weapon? A weapon is far more than the sum of its parts. It is forged, bathed in a chemistry of fire and steel. It is shaped, sharpened, hardened, and made to be durable and resilient. You can fight, defend oneself, and maybe even save a kingdom when complete. This is the focus of the newest game from Mecurysteam, Blades of Fire.

Blades of Fire is all about the weapons that are made and the combat that ensues. It is a phenomenal feedback that keeps players engaged, making weapons and using them to fight ghastly foes. While the game is light on the story, the gameplay is extraordinarily solid, keeping players wanting to play, one weapon at a time.

Forged in Fire

It is a tale of darkness. Queen Nerea has petrified the land so that weapons of steel are turned to stone. Aran De Lire is an isolated blacksmith living in the woods when chance and tragedy collide. A sacred hammer falls upon his hands, tattooing his arms and giving him the power to forge mighty weapons. He feels his destiny is upon him to take down Queen Nerea and save the land. To do so, Aran will need to fight and forge his way to victory. Accompanying him is Adso De Zelf, a scholar who takes notes and illustrates Aran's findings.

Blades of Fire is an action souls-like adventure game. Players traverse a mystic kingdom, fighting deadly foes in various biomes. From zombies to necromancers to trolls and corrupted humans, players certainly need to carve their way to victory, one enemy at a time. Along the way, players gather materials, forge weapons, access gems, and gain cryptids. Enemies both small and large lie ahead on this adventure.

Might and Magic

The big draw of Blades of Fire is the gameplay loop. This begins with he early combat encounters. Players are given a small sword to begin with. Like all souls-likes, there is a stamina bar that Aran is tied to. This drains with every attack, block, and dodge of an enemy's attack. It can be argued that the attacks in Blades of Fire are faster than the competition, but still at the right speed to consider the game a souls-like. Additionally, there are flasks for healing in combat. This is just the beginning of the gameplay element, as there are deeper systems at play.

When locked onto an enemy, players can see a colored outline over the enemy. The color changes depending on the weapon wielded and the stance chosen. A red outline indicates that an attack would be ineffective. A yellow outline indicates that there would be some effectiveness to an attack, but not very effective. if the outline is green, this indicates the chosen stance or weapon is most effective.

Brains and brawn

With each weapon, players can select their stance. For the starter weapon, Aran can select a stance that pierces enemies or a stance that slashes. The same applies to polearms, spears, and the variety of weapons that Aran van wield. Every enemy will respond differently to the attacks, and it's up to players to determine the right weapon and stance. The enemy variety is vast. Some enemies are more undead and require a simple attack to take down. Some enemies, like wraiths, require multiple attacks. Heavier enemies, like trolls and warmongers, are like mini-bosses in their attacks and approach.

Finally, players can use flasks in combat to heal. Players can only carry three at first, but the amount can be increased if players find cryptids for Adso to unlock. Additionally, hidden throughout the kingdom are gems that increase health and stamina. Finally, a whetstone can be used to increase the sharpness of a weapon but decrease its durability. Blades of Fire does a good job of teaching the combat basics and giving players the tools to fight. However, a key part of the gameplay is learning.

What you make and how you make it

A key part of the gameplay isn't just fighting enemies but learning from them. As previously mentioned, Adso De Zelk is a scholar who will document your journey. Every enemy felled not only gives items to craft a weapon but also gives knowledge to both Aran and Adso. This knowledge makes him a more efficient fighter, but also teaches Aran new weapon types. Fighting enemies allows Aran to learn new weapons to construct. This creates an engaging risk vs reward system, where players want to engage enemies rather than avoid them. Additionally, learning new weapons gives more options for the Forge, which is another big component of the gameplay of Blades of Fire.

At any time, Aran can visit the sacred Forge. Here, Aran takes the items acquired to construct brand-new weapons. Enemies drop everything from iron to corrupted fungeus and petrified tips. These items can be used to fashion new weapons with a variety of attributes. The Forge system strikes a balance between being deep enough to allow different options, yet simple enough that it doesn't get too complicated. This is a magical forge after all, and the game Blades of Fire doesn't expect players to be metallurgists or chemists.

It's Hammertime

Players can choose the base of a weapon. Each weapon has different options to choose from, though some are more optional than others. A greatsword, for example, has several options. The blade can be sharpened and shaped. The hilt can be customized as well. The length of the blade can be made long or short. The type of metal can be changed. Each change adjusts attributes such as durability, sharpness, piercing ability, and stamina consumption. After being forged and heated, players strike the weapon with their sacred hammer. If struck in the right places, players can increase the potential for a weapon to be repaired. No weapon lasts forever, and they will break.

When the elements of forging and combat come together, Blades of Fire is absolutely infectious in its gameplay design. i couldn't help but want to fight more and slay more beasts. Some of these beasts are gnarly and grotesque, doing everything to stop the player. The troll, in particular, kept attacking me, even when decapitated by my spear in combat. Moments like this are where Blades of Fire shines brightest. Furthermore, Blades of Fire does a few things that no other souls-like do, and could hopefully set a trend.

Firstly, there is an objective marker. It can be toggled at any time. This helps pinpoint where the next story event takes place. This helped out immeasurably as I searched through biomes like castles and swamps to locate the next big event to progress the story. Additionally, and this may come as a deal-breaker for some, there are several difficulties. I would not, at all, say that Blades of Glory is easy, or that there's an easy mode. However, setting the difficulty to Bronze made the game more accessible and more to my liking. This and many more options make Blades of Fire a game anyone and everyone could play.

This doesn't mean that the game was a cakewalk, but I'd find it a more balanced adventure than other, more grueling souls-likes. At times, I was one-shotting enemies, slamming their heads in a pulpy blow with my pole arm. At other times, I was fighting for my life on a bridge against a hefty warmonger. Bosses decimate with a single blow. The stealthy wraith would get a few licks into my backside before I could turn around and down them. If Blades of Fire interests you, the gameplay is resoundingly strong and innovative.

Wield the Blades of Fire

Where Blades of Fire is strong in gameplay, other aspects are a bit lacking. The story is interesting, but doesn't hold my attention like the gameplay. It's typical fantasy and fantasy aspects, and while there isn't anything bad or subpar, it doesn't necessarily stand out. Another criticism would be the hammering of the weapon in The Forge. The system uses this bar graph to determine where to strike. If done right, it increases the reapi chance, but if done wrong, it decreases those chances. It feels like there could have been an easier way. The highlight of Blades of Fire is its gameplay of forging and combat.

Blades of Fire may not have the strongest story, but in video games, the gameplay is where it counts, and the gameplay is resounding, strong, and infectiously engaging. Blades of Fire innovates with its gameplay and gameplay options, creating a game anyone can play and sink into. While the story may be average, its gameplay goes above and beyond. If you're ready to forge the finest weapons, slay the foulest beasts, and take on Queen Neira, Blades of Fire is well worth your time. Mercurysteam does it again.

BLADES OF FIRE IS RECOMMENDED

A review copy of Blades of Fire was provided by 505 Games through Press Engine