Blades of Fire Review – Cutting Edge Gameplay!
Blades of Fire Review Pros
- Awesome graphics.
- 46.74GB download size.
- Platinum trophy.
- Controller settings – Invert axis and sensitivity sliders, vibration, and acceleration and deceleration sliders.
- Camera settings – camera shake, camera bobbing, field of view sliders, and camera movement on special attacks.
- Subtitles settings enable subtitles and size, show character names, text color, character name text color, text background opacity, and high contrast background.
- Game settings – in-game icon sizes, hold button time, hold to sprint option, auto lock when enemy dies, auto lock when attacking, enemy outlines, outline intensity, damage fauna, and allow data collection.
- Three game difficulties – Bronze, Iron, and Steel. You can change this in-game at any time.
- Action-adventure gameplay.
- Tutorial pop-ups as you play.
- Combat has left and right strikes, head strikes, and body strikes. It really opens up the combo game, and the action is fast.
- Blackboard – this is where you can craft and design your weapons using forge scrolls and materials. You pick the head, shafts, etc, which affect the stats and style along with fighting stances and chances.
- Forging has a mini game where you have to hit the glowing parts and add forging stars to your weapon, which adds repair allowances. As you hammer parts, the pieces will shrink in size. It takes some getting used to, but it’s another level of creative control of your weapons. Oh, and you get to name your weapon!
- A full, beautiful 3D game world, and you have 360-degree camera control.
- Third-person view.
- Combat allows lock-on and dodging, but as I said, having attacks tied to buttons for body shots is a trend I haven’t seen since Tekken.
- Two inventory systems – you have the main standard inventory that we all know, and you have a quick inventory, which allows you to have up to four weapons, which again lets you swap weapons quickly.
- Interactive prompts show in-game.
- Multiple choice encounters and scenarios.
- You can find, earn, and buy new dyes for your clothing.
- In-game cutscenes and character interactions, which can be skipped and or fast-forwarded.
- A lot of memorable characters you meet along the way.
- Forgers’ anvils act as a place to rest, forge, repair, or recycle gear.
- Fast travel unlocks with each Forger’s anvil you discover.
- The game performs really well, it’s smooth and responsive.
- Enemy outlines play a big part in combat for each color means something – green means you are stronger than them, orange does damage, but it’s harder, and red means you won’t do any penetrating damage.
- Dying puts you back to the last Forger’s anvil you visited with all health flasks replenished, enemies respawn, and your weapon stays petrified, and only after collecting the weapon (shown on the compass) will it be back.
- Find Deity statues by holding a weapon the same as the status, and you unlock new parts for weapon crafting.
- Many Breakable objects.
- The combat feels really meaty and is a test of precision aswel as pure power.
- For me, the combat is reminiscent of how it plays out in For Honor.
- Unlock and find shortcuts and secret areas within the game world.
- Find materials and resources in the land, and it is use them for crafting and repairing your gear.
- Find codexes to put into skill trees for weapons and make yourself more proficient in a particular set of weapons.
- When crafting a weapon type you have done before, you can choose to forge again or keep the old forging score, the stars for repair, etc.
- Adso is your chirpy sidekick who gives you a lot of knowledge and tips, but also has a lot of mouth, he gives more lip and sarcasm than anything else!
- I get my ass whooped a lot but man I keep coming back more and more.
- Weapons can let you swap between them at any time, but also change between stances like bludgeon or slash, etc, and these will change what attacks you can do and will change the chances of you penetrating an enemy.
- Weapons can wear down and become blunt.
- I have never hated and loved a game so much. That’s a lie. Life is pretty much all about love and hating it.
- Anything you can pick up is automatic.
- You can unlock new tiers of better wood and metal, etc, for crafting better weapons.
- A lot of tasks you do in the background, like killing x amount of an enemy type to unlock new weapons and parts.
- The forge where you do all your crafting is a visual setpiece that sticks with you.
- Play how you want, from doing the story to just roaming around and collecting resources and materials.
- Open open-world game full of many secrets.
- The map fills in as you explore and shows points of interest when you find them. A good part is that it also adds in locations of your missing (petrified) weapons. You can also add a personal marker, and it shows on the compass.
- Find stamina and health gems; every four will increase them.
- Enemies can be absolutely decimated from limbs flying off to being beheaded.
Blades of Fire Review Cons
- I am not going to lie, the combat, whilst awesome, is tough to get into, more about knowing when and what shot types to do, button mashers will struggle more.
- Slow starter in terms of getting all the information to you in a timely fashion.
- Could be me, but the main character looks weird, I don’t know if it’s steroid-induced forearms and small hands or just a sign I’m due for a Specsavers appointment.
- Forging weapons can have the same issue that all games do with this type of mechanic. You pick what makes the weapon stronger or faster, and never go for looks.
- Combat does take a lot of practice to nail, mostly knowing what to do in order to counter or open up the enemy.
- At times, I never know what is a safe depth of water (causes instant death) or how far I can drop down.
- You are constantly getting new mechanics or tutorials chucked at you.
- The flow of the game is not that clear, and you can find yourself just wandering around.
- I do feel that with some of the shortcomings and missteps that the next game in this series could really be something. Not to say that this isn’t something, I just want a more compact, tighter game.
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Blades of Fire
Developer: Mercurysteam
Publisher: 505 Games
Store Link:
Blades of Fire Review
Summary
Blades of Fire – The Thrills and Highlights of Gameplay: Blades of Fire delivers intense action-adventure combat with a deep weapon customization system. Players engage in fast-paced battles using a unique strike-based system reminiscent of classic fighting games. The forging mechanic adds an extra layer of creativity, allowing full control over weapon design, stats, and combat stances. With multiple-choice encounters, a vast open world, and interactive elements, the game ensures an immersive experience.Blades of Fire – Where It Falls Short: Key Negatives: While the combat is rewarding, it can be tough for newcomers, demanding precision and strategy over button-mashing. The pacing introduces new mechanics frequently, sometimes overwhelming players with tutorials. Some visual inconsistencies—like the peculiar design of the protagonist—stand out, and unclear environmental hazards can lead to frustrating deaths.Blades of Fire – Immersive Story and Narrative Elements: The game features multiple-choice encounters, engaging cutscenes, and a colorful cast of characters, including the witty sidekick Adso, who provides both knowledge and comic relief. The narrative unfolds as players explore and uncover secrets, making interactions with the world feel meaningful.Blades of Fire – Visual and Performance Aspects: Boasting stunning 3D visuals and smooth, responsive gameplay, Blades of Fire excels in graphical fidelity. A 360-degree camera system enhances exploration, and enemy outlines provide tactical advantages in combat. The Forger’s anvil, central to crafting, serves as an iconic visual setpiece, reinforcing the game’s immersive world-building.Blades of Fire – Overall Verdict: Is It Worth Playing? Despite its learning curve, Blades of Fire offers a rewarding experience for players seeking deep combat mechanics, rich customization, and an open-world adventure filled with secrets. While there are areas for improvement, the foundation sets the stage for a promising franchise.Back of the Box Quotes: “Master the blade, conquer the battlefield, and carve your own path!”
