Blades of Fire from 505 Games and MercurySteam dropped into my hands recently, and it’s kind of wild. Action-adventure in a mythical setting. Here’s my chaotic take on it.
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So yeah, Blades of Fire. A new world adventure, crafted by the folks behind Metroid Dread and, once upon a time, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. These games are dear to some, not gonna lie. MercurySteam’s got a little magic, and I want in on it.
Anyway, in this world, giants called The Forgers once ruled—imagine that. All peachy until, of course, doom knocks on the door. Apocalypse looms, and The Forgers, in some final act, create humans and hand them The Steel’s secrets. Fast forward thousands of years… and here we are.
Enter Aran de Lira. A name that sounds all noble. Firstborn of the King’s Ward Commander. But boom, Queen Nerea turns all steel to stone with some spell. So she’s got basically the only army with real blades. Crazy, right? This ain’t your typical button mash fest; get reckless and, well, goodnight.
Adso de Zelk tags along. Seriously, that name! He’s from the Abbey of Egion and offers advice or something. He cracks puzzles, reads old stuff. I guess you keep him around for his charm? Maybe.
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Crafting weapons is your thing here—good news on that front. Forge scrolls help you improvise, or else you’re toast. Every crafted piece has metrics—length, weight, that nerdy stuff. Seven weapon types, over 30 scrolls. Mix, match, survive.
Pick your poison: Bronze, Iron, or Steel difficulty levels. Bronze is easy-going, like a Sunday jog. Iron’s got bite without the smackdown. Steel? Hardcore. Like, really. Good luck with that.
Now, controls. Oh boy, here goes: left stick moves Aran, right stick targets foes. Sprinting is a left stick press. Button bashing time—X for body hits, Square and Circle for strikes, Triangle aims for the head. Down D-Pad to heal, left to sharpen. R2 swaps combat styles, L2’s defensive. A dance of thumbs, honestly.
Weapons wear out, too. Durability dwindles with every hit—whether an enemy’s face or a nearby tree takes the impact. Resource scarcity makes it strategic. Stronger weapons for nastier baddies, maybe?
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Enemies—lots of them. Over 50 to tackle, each with quirks in weapons and armor. Color-coded damage feedback. Green’s good, yellow means meh, red screams, “Not today!”
And yeah, there’s a trophy roster. Shiny prizes for forging, slaying, mastering combat, completing challenges. A whole checklist for that coveted Platinum for your digital shelf.
So, Blades of Fire—lots going on. Giants, steel and stone, spells, tipsy with options. Releases May 22 on PlayStation 5, a $59.99 tag, unless you’re fast enough for a pre-order discount.
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Disclaimer: 505 Games handed me a PS5 copy, in case you’re curious.
