Forging and crafting things has been a familiar trope in fantasy and medievally-set video games of yore, but when a company sends you to a preview event for a game called Blades of Fire inside an actual working blacksmith’s forge, you know that the developer has gone all-out in making the ancient art of hammering out weaponry the focal point of a new title.
MercurySteam is right back in its fantasy hack and slash wheelhouse, an area of expertise that they did so well with when working alongside Konami on the classic Castlevania: Lords of Shadow series. Partnered now with 505 Games, Blades of Fire is shaping up to be a fascinating and rather unique blend of action adventure that has a deep and well thought-out premise based around the art of forging.
The story is a classic but blacksmith-related riff on ages-old fantasy/folkloric shenanigans, with an evil Queen having cast a world-enveloping spell that has turned all of the steel in the kingdom to stone. This understandably puts humanity at considerable risk and places the nefarious Queen in a position of overwhelming power. The hero of the piece is mysterious, enigmatic warrior Aran De Lira. Not only does Aran have some history with the Queen having grown up with her, he has also clearly seen and experienced some severe historical trauma. He has visible scarring on the side of his face, but his demeanour tells us that the wounds go far deeper than that. Along with his likeable sidekick Adso, Aran has one modus operandi: get to the Royal Palace, and slay the Queen.
The portion of Blades of Fire we experienced began with a cutscene that quickly introduces the player to the concept of The Forge. This is a place where your entire gameplay experience is moulded and created. Within the Forge you can craft weapons, which will become your trusted companions. All weapons are destructible, vulnerable even; every strike will bring them closer to breaking; and their durability is defined by your skill as a blacksmith and the quality of materials at your disposal, but also in the way you employ them in battle.
On your adventure you can obtain materials in a number of ways: in treasure chests, in destructible scenery, and when you fell an enemy. There are absolutely tons of different materials on offer, including multiple types of steel and wood, as well as fantastical elements like Fairy Wings and the decayed flesh of slain orc-like enemy soldiers. You can also earn the ability to craft new weapon types from a base blueprint by slaying certain types of foe. Dotted around the world map are statues with motifs based around specific types of weapon, and interacting with them unlocks new parts and in turn new buffs when crafting that type in the Forge. The key is, you have to be holding a weapon of the same type to interact with the statue.
Once you have enough materials you get to craft what is essentially a bespoke weapon using a wide array of customisation, including length of shaft, blade type and shape, and the little accoutrements you acquire through the aforementioned statues. The different parameters can determine the damage, speed, handling, evasion, and parrying qualities of each weapon, as well as the overall durability. But there is another way to boost this aspect of your creations during the forging process itself. Once you have lined up your ideal tool based upon your own specifications and the limitations of your inventory, then you get to actually forge it yourself in a blacksmithing mini-game.
It involves following the curvature and shape of the weapon and striking the molten metal with your magical forging hammer. Well timed strikes will fill up the quartet of star gauges above the anvil, and each successfully filled star represents the amount of times your weapon can be repaired – essentially awarding it an extra life, if you will. Once you have crafted a specific type of weapon, your personal best star ranking gets saved into what is called your Forge Memory, meaning that you can quickly re-forge to the same specs, if of course you have the requisite materials to do so.
Combat is great fun. Each weapon has multiple types of strike which can be switched between using one of the triggers. And there are three types of damage in the game. Some larger, dreadnought weapons operate with sheer blunt force trauma, and this is known, quite obviously, as Blunt damage. With lighter weapons you can also stab or prod (known as Piercing damage) or employ Slashing, and have the ability to aim attacks at the head, torso or sides of enemies.
There are combos to be discovered in terms of the sequence you use each type of attack, and finding the sweet spot and hitting repeated, stylish blows is immensely satisfying. It is crucial that you pay close attention to the types of armour on each enemy. Targeting a foe with R3 brings up a coloured outline around them, and a traffic light system that tells you how effective your current weapon choice is going to be. Red means that you have no chance and may as well throw your weapon in the bin. Green means that they are ripe for the taking.
The durability of the weaponry means that you can use this system to manage your arsenal effectively – why waste a powerful weapon on a weak foe? Although I did thoroughly enjoy employing an overpowered hammer to literally explode the skull of an underpowered enemy grunt in a glorious explosion of viscera and gore. In combat you also have to pay attention to your own health and stamina. You are able to recharge stamina by holding LT and activate life-giving potions mapped to the D-Pad. Dotted around the landscape are collectibles that enable you to upgrade your stamina bar, and the number of potions at your disposal once you have found four of each.
Combat is tough in Blades of Fire, and going in all guns blazing will see you get killed repeatedly, and risk losing your weapons and having to craft new ones. You also need to be careful not to fall or succumb to environmental hazards, as doing so will (annoyingly) also see you lose your current weapon. The one little bugbear with the system is probably something that can be sorted by remapping the controls. The dodge function on LB did not work well for me, as it is on the same side of the pad as the evasive roll and block. I think this is purely because we are so accustomed to using face buttons for evasive manoeuvres, and something that can be easily sorted I am sure.
As well as being tough and rewarding to play, with loads to do, Blades of Fire is a seriously good looking (and sounding) piece of work. The fantasy medieval setting is teeming with life and full of imagination and classic fantastical imagery. As you walk through forest areas, animals scuttle away from your step. Trees and meadows are dotted with glorious flora and fungi, and everything feels like you are part of a living, breathing world.
CEO Enric Alvarez has mentioned an influence from John Boorman’s classic movie Excalibur, and that really comes through in the design. The rogues gallery of enemies are very Tolkien-like, too, with the brutish orc-like soldiers, lumbering giant trolls, and creepy wraith-like elementals. I get the impression we only scratched the surface in terms of the bestiary in the three hours we played. The voice acting is some of the most natural sounding I have heard in some time too, with the studio crediting the fact that the voices and motion capture was performed by the same actors, giving them a sense of motivation for the things that are being said, and a much more naturalistic feel.
Thinking about all of the permutations of the Forge – the way weapons are crafted, repaired or enhanced – a few days after the preview, reminded me how the whole system is so intricate and involved that I keep remembering crucial little elements that surprised and delighted me at the time, and other things that made the Blades of Fire experience extremely tough, yet always enjoyable. Blades of Fire is going to be a big game in every sense of the phrase, and looks like being a medieval action classic in a year that has already had a few big hitters.
Blades of Fire is coming to PC (Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X on May 22nd. Read our interview with MercurySteam CEO & Game Director, Enric Alvarez.
