Blades of Fire

One of the most unfun games you can play with a good story. The game's main problem is it's trying to be too many games in one and lost the vision of making the game play enjoyable for the player. I'm only going to finish the game for the story but I can not recommend anyone play this game because of how it feels to play which is truly sad.

Так и не смог себя заставить в нее поиграть, так как присутствует эта дрочь с оружием. В этой игре мне искренне понравилась только боевка - все остальные механики кусок го@#на. Думал, что беру продолжателя дела Blade of Darkness, а получил телку с яйцами. Прошел обучение. Дали мне телку в напарницы. Смотрю у телки сисек нет. Думаю ну ладно бывают же телки без сисек. Потом эта телка заговорила мужским голосом и это был первый раз, когда я очень сильно расстроился. Потом меня расстроил еб@#ный разраб. Вылез тролль в деревне. Я ему дал сразу пи@#ды. Тролль окаменел, и разраб такой "А х@#й тебе! Не угадал. Его не так убивать!" и обратно тролля раскаменел. И тролль сразу дал мне пи@#ды. Ты ресаешься и опять бежишь бить тролля - а разраб тебе такой "А х@#й тебе опять! Иди бей заново этих же мобов!". Ты даешь пи@#ды мобам, подходишь к троллю, а разраб тебе такой "А х@#й тебе, у тебя оружие опять затупилось, чтобы тролля бить!" И тролль дает опять тебе пи@#ды. И ты разрабу такой: "Разраб, ты совсем еб@#ан???". Создаешь и ОПЯТЬ точишь свое вонючее оружие, ресаешься и ОПЯТЬ бьешь этих же вонючих мобов. Бьешь ОПЯТЬ вонючего тролля. Тупишь ОПЯТЬ свое оружие. Тролль в нокдауне, ты пытаешься ему отрубить конечности, а разраб тебе "А ха ха. Ты опять не угадал, как тролля убить. Иди ОПЯТЬ на респ, точи ОПЯТЬ оружие и убивай ОПЯТЬ этих же сраных мобов" А ты такой разрабу: "А мне это вообще надо сидеть и всю эту ху@#ню угадывать, что ты там в котелке у себя придумал, гик еб@#ный??? Параллельно развлекая себя боями с одними и теми же мобами, и одним и тем же крафтом в кузнице?" Ты видишь новых монстров, тебе нравится боевка и чисто теоретически не против был бы с ними закуситься ради эксперимента. Но потом ты вспоминаешь, что нужно опять создавать и затачивать свое картонное г@#но, которое называется мечем, гасить этих же мобов и желание сражаться сразу пропадает. Если игра не дает тебе творческой и тактической импровизации, а принудительно заставляет тебя сходу выполнять одни и те же действия, лишенные смысла, заполняя время в игровом хронометраже, то это г@#но, а не игра.

Отвратительный баланс. Оружие ломается, словно оно из картона. В какой-то момент гиммик с ковкой просто превращается в надоедливую работу т.к. оружие приходится крафтить каждые 20 минут

[h1]Прохождение завершено. Делюсь впечатлениями и советами.[/h1] Начну с главной ошибки: соблазнившись советами, я выбрал максимальную, «титаническую» сложность. И категорически не советую повторять мой путь. Это не хардкорный вызов, а откровенно несбалансированный, мучительный опыт. Если не хотите испортить себе отношение к игре — не трогайте этот режим. [h2]Визуал и атмосфера[/h2] Сама же игра шикарна. От визуальной составляющей до сюжета, выдержанного в духе мрачных сказок братьев Гримм, — всё сделано на высочайшем уровне. Мир цепляет и не отпускает. Звуки леса , шум листвы и животинок - прекрасен. Крики солдат и анимации боя - на высшем уровне , даже не вериться что это АА игра. Озвучка героев на высшем уровне как и катсцены в общем. [h2]Боевая система[/h2] К сожалению, боевка оказалась обычной. Как бы создатели ни кичились возможностью атаковать с разных сторон, на деле это не даёт никакой тактической глубины. Удар по голове не оглушит врага, по руке — не отрубит конечность. По сути, мы просто красиво машем оружием с разных направлений. Эффектно, но не более. [h2]Напарник[/h2] Адсо как напарник совершенно не раздражал — что уже плюс. А его заметки и вовсе радуют: они помогают глубже вникнуть в лор и понять происходящее вокруг. [h2]Метроидвания и полезные советы[/h2] Гайдов по игре мало, так что карту придётся изучать самому. Делюсь важными наблюдениями, которые сэкономят вам нервы (дальше идут спойлеры): [spoiler] В разных локациях вы будете натыкаться на проходы, закрытые рунами. Каждая руна открывается с получением новой главы, так что не мучайтесь над «непроходимыми» местами — вернётесь позже. Ближе к финалу станет доступна птица Карамут. Она доставит вас в ранее недоступные уголки Рогаровых хребтов и Некрополя. Я потратил кучу времени, пытаясь попасть туда иными путями, — не повторяйте моей ошибки. В концовке появятся кузнечные тотемы. Они сразу отобразят на карте все оставшиеся камни, сенешалей и прочие секреты — бесценная вещь для завершения коллекционирования. Лучшее, на мой взгляд, место для фарма опыта на оружие — локация «Кузница Дирия» в королевстве Рогаров. Очень советую сковать несколько запасных видов оружия заранее. Тогда при случайной встрече с сенешалем во время путешествия вы сможете сразу получить запчасть, а не бегать искать когда она пригодиться. [/spoiler] В целом — очень достойная игра с потрясающим миром и глубоким лором, прекрасной визуальной составляющей. Отличное приключение на 50-60 часов , только не на Титане.

Blades of Fire is a fantastic game with an unassuming name that does it a great injustice. Disclaimer: this is NOT a Soulslike or a Soulslite. It's a Search Action game with an emphasis on exploration and combat that's more similar to a game like Ninja Gaiden, except with no "traditional" combos to learn; players are supposed to link these directional attacks as the situations call for them. Blades of Fire is a fantastic gothic dark fantasy 3D Search Action game with a story and universe that are at worst interesting. The gameplay consists of surprisingly deep directional combat, satisfying exploration and back tracking, and a crafting system that made me think about my playstyle, not just numbers, when deciding what to make. Blades of Fire has a gameplay loop I haven't truly experienced before. Sure, challenging fights and Search Action exploration aren't a new thing (even if 3D Search Actions are extremely rare), but the weapon crafting system is what makes it feel so engaging and unique. Learning not just how to play the game, not just what your preferred builds are, but how your weapon type and modifications/upgrades can change your experience is fantastic. A weapon reaching the end of its life wasn't a bummer, it was an opportunity to take what I'd learned and incorporate it into the next one. The upgrades aren't entirely vertical either. You have sidegrades as different parts/attachments exist to give weapon types a different flavor and style while still keeping up with the progress curve. A Spear, the most basic of weapon imaginable, can be a bottom heavy parrying/blocking machine, a top heavy hole punch you could use to recreate that one scene in Evangelion (you know the one...), or somewhere in between; even where the weight is at in your weapon is important, not just the parts themselves. Seeing my skills at fighting AND crafting grow as I played was really fun. The combat itself expects the player to pay attention to damage types, weapon condition, enemy spacing, target prioritization, weaknesses, and etc. I had some magical moments of interrupting enemies, experiencing double hits, last second dodges that I then perfectly timed an attack from the correct direction for that instance, and more. Moments like these are relatively common because of the simplicity of the directional combat. There are no traditional combos because the goal is to hit enemies at the correct cadence and direction, allowing for a surprising level of player expression. For example: an enemy charging up a low attack should probably be interrupted by bonking it VERY ROUGHLY on the head or at least a quick jab before dodging away; an enemy attacking from your right should probably be hit with a left attack from the player to attempt an interrupt. Interrupts happen depending on weapon stagger ratio, direction of attack, and animations. To be quite honest I don't get how it works completely but in duels with a certain enemy type I've seen it happen so often that I know interrupts exist, for both the player AND enemies. The exploration is also incredibly engaging. Levels feel like places that make sense while also being interesting to go through. In almost sixty hours I only felt like the game didn't signpost progress correctly between 3 to 4 times. One negative in the exploration is how the Weapon Statues work. You find Seneschal Statues (or Weapon Statues as I call them) in the world; this is how the player gets new parts to play around with a specific weapon type. The problem? You can only get that part if you're currently holding the specific weapon that statue has a part for. Maybe I missed something but there's no way, except educated guesswork, to figure out what kind of Sword/Poleweapon/Daggers/etc. is needed to get the part. This is a Search Action, let me vacuum up all the stuff please. Another less than ideal part about the exploration is that the map is diegetic (ie unlike Metroid's that are 2D/3D representations/blueprints of rooms and hallways) which can make some backtracking a bit complicated but it's usually fine. Some levels can be labyrinthine but this is what you sign up for in a Search Action game. I never once thought the level design was complicated or obscure, but I have played this genre for longer than some players have been alive so take that with a dash of salt. Overall the exploration felt good, not just because the rewards for exploring were nice (clothing dyes, character/weapon upgrades, lore, beautiful art design) but because it was plain fun to explore. I have played 5 hour long games that have felt like an absolute slog, while at almost 60 hours Blades of Fire didn't once give me that dreaded anxiety long games give me; a testament to how well the game is paced and how satisfying the core gameplay loop is. If MercurySteam doesn't use this trifecta of combat, crafting, and exploration in future games (maybe a spiritual sequel with a better title?), frankly, I hope someone steals it because this sort of gameplay loop needs to be repeated. Artistically, every corner of the game's world is crafted with a care that I don't see often; I mean, in one area there's an absolutely adorable statue up near the ceiling where players won't be able to see it (I only saw it because of the photo mode). The artists didn't have to go that far, but they did and I'm glad. The character models themselves occupy a nice in-between of realism without being tedious and uncanny and stylized without being cartoony. Oscar Araujo's soundtrack is, of course, fantastic, but anyone familiar with his work would have expected that already. It's more than likely his most varied and "experimental" soundtrack (didgeridoos, harsh electrical noises, eastern percussion and strings) but of course the expected epic choirs, soulful strings, and incredible brass he's known for are all there. The narrative is solid and I didn't have anything negative about it. It's well paced, interesting, and made me feel things without insisting upon itself. The voice acting and facial animation work is what makes it stand out. Blades of Fire has some of the most authentic portrayals of grief and anger I've seen; the voice actor for Aran absolutely steals the show. It's not as hammy and over the top as the Castlevania Lords of Shadow, where you had lifelong theater actors chewing up the scenery, but for Blades of Fire I believe that the more realistic and subtle approach was best, and it really works. There is a natural back and forth between the characters that is strangely rare in games in this particular game space. It's a game written, directed, designed, and voice acted by people who took it seriously, who weren't trying to be quippy or above it all. It's a very genuine narrative experience that is, again, not common in the non art-game space. In sum, Blades of Fire is an overlooked gem of a game that has been forced into labels and genres it has no right being in. An absolute labor of love that I am incredibly grateful for. Anyone that likes exploring and backtracking, interesting crafting systems, and challenging action combat need to experience this. Mensaje para el estudio: muchas gracias por su trabajo. Soy un admirador de sus juegos desde Castlevania Lords of Shadow. Ustedes son de esos pocos estudios en esta industria que me dan esperanza en este medio artistico llamado el video juego. Muchisimas gracias de nuevo por su faena.

Warning: Long read. After a year of exclusivity, the latest MercurySteam entry, Blades of Fire, has finally reached gamers. I am a Lords of Shadows enjoyer, so I was eager to see what the next title would be. However, the aftertaste is more bittersweet than absolutely positive. Quickly about the positive aspects. The gameplay is very good. The fencing system is not only fairly unique, but also makes many battles very dynamic and intense, especially when enemies change the armor parts or your weapon weathers off. The story is good and very classic. For many, it can be disappointing because there are no great philosophical themes or sudden 180-degree twists. But for me, it was compelling and heart-warming enough to progress and meet interesting characters along the way. The enemies' AI is very good and tough if you are not trained and have improved yourself and your gear. Forging is good when you finally handle all the aspects, not only the number of repair times, but also weathering, damage type aspects, and so on. And in this part, we move to ambiguous aspects. There are weapons that are not as effective as others. Out of 35 weapons, there are 10 max that are effective, deadly, and deal the biggest punch combined with the best materials you have. Everything else is simply to fill the advertised amount and will be quickly abandoned or left simply for collecting every upgrade. Level design is quite outdated, and I would even dare to say very bad at times. 10 years ago, during Lords of Shadows 2, you could overlook the puzzling and convoluted corridors that you have to run around to find 1 small narrow path to progress or to find an upgrade, or run 5 floors back and forth in frustration to discover that somewhere along your path you had to jump or grab the rope that is blending with the environment. This intense maze system can get you very frustrated and angry very often. At least the developers could add the menu option to turn on or off some form of guiding light or fairy or guiding sparks in order not to waste a player's time. The console limitation prevents you from jumping properly. Even Elden Ring finally got a jump button; in Blades of Fire, it could have not only solved some of the traversal nuisances but also added even more dynamics. Finally, the truly bad things. Graphics and performance: stylistically, it looks okay, and I wouldn't have put it into negatives, but looking at these graphics, you wonder why it gives a mediocre performance and even occasionally gives frame drops and freezes for 2-5 seconds. I highly recommend turning off ALL programs on your PC while playing the game to minimize freezes. Even Version 2 doesn't fix the performance problems. And we're talking about the in-studio engine and not the famous UE5. This leaves a lot of questions considering optimization and Mercury Engine as a whole. Sad, because there seem to be no super-detailed textures, extreme hair, water, or mimic effects to show such a level of performance. Conclusion: The Blades of Fire proves that being in EGS doesn't guarantee that the game will be polished when released on the mass PC market of Steam and GOG. I understand that developers required funds to compensate developing cicle, and I'm glad that they were able to complete their new IP during the industry's turmoil. But a bit more care about optimization would be appreciated. I hope they will further improve the fencing system - this could become a great 3rd way of action-RPG games: currently there are basically only the FromSoftware and Team Ninja approaches. If you're a fan of unique battle systems, old-school level designs, and a directing approach, I highly recommend it. If you are a more modern gamer who cherishes comfortable gaming, wait for the sales. Also, there are issues with optimization, so be prepared. Despite everything, I personally loved the game and will wait for a sequel.

Bro worth it just for the exploration and secrets...wow

VERY poorly balanced. Maps are confusing. Combat is not fun at all. Killing even a simple grunt takes way too much time. Exploration is punished by an insane amount of enemies and very few respawn points. The protagonist is the slowest, weakest, stupidest thing in the whole game and he never gets better.