Blades of Fire (PS5) | REVIEW | Like A Phoenix From The Ashes MercurySteam Delivers A Hot New Banger!!!

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, MercurySteam reemerges on the forefront of game development bringing with them their signature art style, storytelling, and graphics engine. Through their follow-up title Blades of Fire they craft what could easily be described as the sleeper hit of 2025. This ambitious soulslike action RPG with a focus on weapon crafting, weapon durability, and deeply involved combat mechanics weaves a tale of a master forger in the making. 

A man named Aran with a mysterious past rises to the call when someone needing help reaches out to him in desperation. It is from this first chance encounter with a old family friend, and their young apprentice amidst a fight for survival against the Queen's soldiers that things are set into motion. In rescuing the apprentice Adso from sure death Aran is gifted a master forger's hammer, and taken back to the forger's realm in which his quest to kill the Queen begins. Alongside Adso, Aran journeys forth upon an unbeaten path to fulfill this sworn duty. Adso, in turn, acting as not only a way forward via his arcane knowledge, but also as a keeper of records.

The Heat of Battle ...

Blades of Fire, at it's core, is a game that shows you the ins and outs of gameplay, but does not entirely hold your hand when it comes to things like weapon forging, and exploration. Through Aran, and the accompanying apprentice Adso you will need to find your bearings, and trek your way along the branching paths towards your final destination. This of course requires dealing with deadly enemies, talking to key characters, and forging weapons that wear with use. All to the tune of three different difficulty settings including Steel (hard), Iron (normal), and Bronze (easy).

When it comes down to core features weapon forging, and weapon use are two of the main components of combat, and will require mastery to make the most use out of said systems. As Aran you can have, on quick access, multiple weapons that are divided up by type, and that are effective/ineffective against specific types of enemies, respectively. These weapons can be forged in the forger's realm upon it's anvil using blueprints obtained through the killing of enemies, and can be fine tuned in said forging process through hammering, heating, and resource application. Each weapon in the forging process has a certain number of parts with which shape/length, and resources can be altered before the hammering and heating phases. Some resources, which come to you via a triangular scale of rarity based upon three damage variables, will determine stat effectiveness or the lack thereof. Things like damage, sharpening cost, and stamina are taken into account with each and every choice made in the pre-forge blueprint process. 

At the anvil lies perhaps your greatest trial by fire though, and that is the heating and hammering out of the weapon you aim to forge. You have a certain amount of strikes and heat scaling with which to get up to a four star rating. The more stars a weapon has the more times you can repair it before it needs to be recycled for parts. Weapons in Blades of Fire do not last forever, so visiting the forge realm often is a must. You'll find access to this realm via anvils placed out in the world that double and triple down as a resting spot, a repair tool, and a means to teleport to the forger's realm. Repairing weapons at an anvil improves upon lost damage whereas resting will restore health restoration items.

In the way of weapon usage weapons also come with stance options, and four directions of impact that can be strategically applied in battle to account for terrain advantage and disadvantage. Some weapons will even sever or destroy limbs upon strike. In accordance to enemy weakness that are wholly dependent upon which weapon and stance you are using, and are highlighted either red, yellow, or green to signify this you'll need to dish out enough damage to kill the enemy. There are over 50 enemy types in total, and each type requires a different strategy and weapon to deal with. And since each enemy type wields their own weapons killing them in numbers will eventually unlock a blueprint for their weapon. Something that will come in handy as you face newer previously unknown threats.

Aran isn't just all weapons when it comes to the heat of battle. Parrying, blocking, dodging, and running will be the added means with which to avoid damage and open up opportunities to maximize your own damage output. Parrying, in particular, when timed right can open up a window of opportunity for a valuable few extra hits on the target. Speaking of targets, it is through lock-on targeting that you'll see the color aura of each enemy as it pertains to weapon weakness/strength. 

The Lore & World Building ...

With Adso, and his chronicles additionally at your beckon call you can find out all you need to know about your enemies through the touchpad menu. Adso's Chronicles houses everything from a bestiary to a weapons breakdown. In the same menu you'll also find a listing of quest items found and used, Aran's amulets that buff life and stamina (among others) per four gathered stones as well as a tips guide for the various mechanics explained away early on. 

World traversal is another key component to the game worth noting, and through a compass showing important icons or points of interest you'll find your bearings alongside the map that is also located in the touchpad menu. Should you fall in combat it is through the UI compass that you can relocate your lost weapon for picking up, and even find nearby forge anvils or enemies/characters of interest. 

The areas of interest in these segmented and often times gated areas are usually filled with branching pathways as well as hidden secrets that can be found in chests or breakable objects. Making the trek from beginning to end all the more arduous yet beneficial. Thankfully breaking objects and killing enemies is how you'll obtain most crafting resources thus making the winding trip worthwhile. Occasionally on your journey you'll run across a hard boss fight or NPC that will forward the story. This in turn further fleshing out the lore of Blades of Fire. Storytelling, itself, also expands through constant conversations between Aran ad Adso that can be partaken of during the adventure.

The Presentation ...

Aran and Adso world is one of fantasy and wonder. built upon the ruins of a kingdom inhabited by man and monster. It is a living and breathing ecosystem of inhabitants that enrich the story and help to accent Aran's and Adso's role in the adventure. Overall it seems to be a blend of Scandinavian or various other Eastern European folklores. A sort of creative take on mashed together mythologies heightened by beautifully rendered environmental set pieces, and colorful characters of interest. The soundtrack wrapping it all up in a nice package filled with chants, and orchestral/symphonic music that changes the mood with each and every encounter.

The Verdict ...

Blades of Fire, if not a hit with gamers, will like be a sleeper hit upon release. It's not a game that's been overly sold or hyped, but if you know MercurySteam like I do you would have been excited for it at the very first announcement. MercurySteam is one of those rare studios with it's own unique standout style, and that signature style carries over here in Blades of Fire. They are good at bringing characters to life, showing emotions through them, and building a story that has never quite been told in such a manner. As a fan I was not disappointed, and going in unbiased for the review I was still not let down. The combat, crafting, and story all hammered home the quality I expected. It is nice to see MercurySteam back on the scene after all these years!!! I hope you give Blades of Fire a try, especially if you are into action RPGs. A solid as steel "9 out of 10"!!!