Magic, monsters, and… metalworking? In the realm of epic action-adventures, wondrous tales can unfold in all sorts of fantastical forms. MercurySteam is poised to deliver an exciting dive into a brand new fantasy world filled with danger and intrigue, featuring some unique elements that set it apart. Enter Aran de Lira, a shadowy yet compelling protagonist embarking on a mission to overthrow a ruthless queen hell-bent on destruction, who commands an unforgiving army.
Alongside Aran is Adso, a spirited squire and intellectual companion playing a pivotal role throughout the journey to the Royal Palace. Adso is not just a chronicler of the adventure but also proves handy in solving puzzles and tossing out strategies—or even the occasional witty comment—as they face down foes. But what truly makes Blades of Fire intriguing, amidst its promised 60 to 80 hours of gameplay, is the surprising focus on blacksmithing.
“We’ve been yearning to revisit the kind of fantasy we explored in Blade of Darkness, emphasizing brutal, physical, and tactical combat,” says Enric Álvarez, CEO of MercurySteam and Director of Blades of Fire. “We crafted a plot where an evil witch queen turns steel to stone, putting our hero in a bind—hence the necessity of forging weapons. And thus, the concept of the Forge was born.”
The Forge of the Gods is a foreboding domain where Aran gets down to business, creating weapons to combat over 50 types of enemies, including Queen Nerea’s orc-like armored troops, sinister water elementals, and fearsome trolls. Nerea’s hex rendering steel useless doesn’t extend to this realm, allowing players to explore seven distinct weapon families, from claymores to polearms, sparking nearly endless combinations.
A blade’s reach can determine the damage it inflicts. Changing steel type reshapes a weapon’s abilities—like laceration, defense, and endurance. Decisions about cross sections affect cutting power and sturdiness, with your choice of pommel influencing balance.
Playing through the game, I found the Forge required a strategic mind. Despite numerous locked options for crafting, it never felt daunting thanks to a neat stats-driven sidebar, clearly showing the impact of my decisions. It displayed 14 different stats encompassing blocking, parrying, stamina, weight, and the weapon’s effectiveness with slashing and piercing damage.
The challenge, though, doesn’t end with selection. The real forging, an innovative gameplay trial for MercurySteam, commences thereafter. “I’m confident no other game offers a system like ours,” Enric remarks. “We aimed to immerse players in feeling the Forge’s strength and heat. The hammering moves the metal, shaping it to your intentions.”
A creative process unfurls as visual bars resembling a graphic equalizer trace the heated metal’s envisioned shape. Players must carefully align these to the blade’s intended profile with strikes of a sacred hammer. Yet, overworking the steel diminishes its qualities, emphasizing a balance between perfection and overproduction.
By the end of the crafting journey, each weapon receives a star rating, indicating how many times it can endure repairs before breaking irreparably. “Achieving a decent weapon is straightforward, but balancing one to perfection poses a real challenge,” explains Enric. “Your decisions inevitably influence your combat style in battles.”
And Enric isn’t overstating it. Blades of Fire’s combat dynamics demand precision and strategic thinking. Each face button is dedicated to attacks from various positions—important considering enemy types—and the choice between slashing, stabbing, or blunt approaches to conquer particular armor types.
Add to this a stamina bar to deter spammy button mashing, alongside Aran’s trusty dodge roll, and battles become intricate, thrilling, and immensely enjoyable. The satisfaction of carefully timed and aimed attacks resulting in dramatically detached limbs and heads is unmatched, particularly when catching foes off guard.
Throughout the adventure, weapons build reputations, gaining epic or legendary stature, stressing careful maintenance. Dying forces you to retrieve weapons left at the site of your demise, a challenge I faced when ambushed by a troll, leaving Aran shattered with mere blows. On returning, the area, repopulated with enemies, posed retrieval challenges until leading the irritated troll to foes became my strategic reprieve. Fresh troubles paved the way for all involved.
Blades of Fire is shaping up to be an expertly crafted epic from MercurySteam, not just for Aran’s impressive skills with a hammer. Besides combat, players will revel in exploration, light puzzle-solving, and a deep narrative. Inspired by works like John Boorman’s Excalibur and The Name of the Rose, as well as Frank Frazetta’s comics, the story entwines human elements—themes of time, fate, and change. “It’s about individuals torn apart by time, only to reunite radically transformed,” Enric reveals.
Prepare to shape your own legendary blades when Blades of Fire storms onto PlayStation 5 on May 22. Get ready to unleash the blacksmith within.
