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Despite spending fifteen hours on Blades of Fire, we decided it would be unwise to write an actual review, which in any case would not have been representative of the entire Blades of Fire adventure. That said, we couldn't leave you without our impressions of our experience, especially as we were originally far from convinced that we'd really get hooked on MercurySteam's game. And yet...
Verdict
We wouldn't necessarily have bet on it, but Blades of Fire has heart, and beneath its “simple” double-A appearance, it's generous enough to make a number of big productions pale in comparison. Admittedly, it doesn't have the visual appeal of big triple-A games, nor the perfect technical polish that you'd expect, but despite a few shortcomings, MercurySteam's game is undeniably fun and efficient in what it's trying to achieve. Rather than copy-paste the trendy action-RPG classics, Blades of Fire tries to offer us a more personal recipe, managing to digest some of its influences to gain its own personality. Not everything is perfect, and some of the choices made will not please some players, but the enjoyment we felt during combat and exploration is more than just a smokescreen. The Spanish studio is clearly on a roll, and we can't wait to discover their next project, hoping they have finally stopped mistreating some of their employees as some recent (and more ancient) stories stated.
- On the upside
- Rich gameplay
- Gripping combat
- Excellent feedback
- Numerous weapons
- A polished level design
- Rewarding exploration
- The soul of a triple-A in a double-A
- Pretty nice-looking environments
- Three difficulty levels to choose from
- On the downside
- The forge mechanics is not easy to understand
- A few annoying passages
- Lack of fluidity on Pro
- Characters aren't particularly endearing
- Merlcart rambles too much
Gamersyde images (PS5 Pro)